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NEWS!

New sponsors: SNG Barratt and Hyper Transformations.

Paul Hands, of Hyper Transformations has opted for our full sponsorship package and therefore has his own page on this website and we will also feature a monthly update on news of his business in the newsletter, as well as links to his own site. If you own a Hyper conversion, please get in touch, as it would be nice to see some examples pictured on the Hyper Transformations page. I have started the ball rolling by adding one which I wanted to buy a couple of years ago, but my husband wouldn’t let me have a V12 then! (Ggrrr!!!) It was purchased by an acquaintance who has sent me two nice pictures of it, for the website.

From the estate of the late Dr Michael Axe, former Devon area organiser for the the JDC, I have purchased a TWR Series 3 V12 for restoration. It looks like it will be an interesting project, possibly more than I can handle, so I am looking for someone who would like to take it on completely, or share the restoration with me. Any ideas are welcome and if you know any of the history of this car I would like to hear from you, or if you have any constructive advice on Series 3 V12 maintenance and restoration, it would be very useful!

I enjoy creating my newsletters because I am master of what I print instead of being a slave to other editors! I got fed-up with seeing my work badly edited and reproduced with spelling and other errors which (I can prove) were not there when they left my printer! I now try to reproduce other peoples work as they intended it, instead of heavily edited, which seems to be the norm! With this in mind, I have included the story of "The Circular Saw and The Jaguar" as written by Brian Foster. Brian has apologised for the length of the story and invited me to edit it, but I think it is an interesting story in its original form, with a twist of Jaguar! I have also included an interesting account, as written by Adrian Brennan, about growing up on the edge of Brooklands - it had me in stitches, so I hope you will enjoy it!

Having been contacted by an avid Ford enthusiast (I mention no names, but he works for Jaguar!) I stand corrected - the Ford Probe I referred to in last months article about Esta-jane's journey to Jaguar, is in fact a FORD ESCORT CALYPSO CABRIO !!! My apologies, Joe!

The International Jaguar Supercar Register

An Introduction to the XJR-15

1. R9R was the the code-name given to the prototype Jaguar-powered race-car, later named XJR-15, and conceived in the late 1980’s by Tom Walkinshaw, who saw a potential gap in the supercar market.

2. Perceived as the “Ultimate Jaguar” using TWR designer, Tony Southgate’s, XJR 9 Group C racer as the basis for the project, with the rear uprights, dampers and springs designed to fit inside the wheels allowing more room for the under body venturi tunnels. The front springs and dampers were housed horizontally above the driver’s legs, as per the XJR prototypes, and inside the car there were also distinct similarities, including the position of the gear shift to the right of the driver

3. Peter Stevens (who later designed the McLaren F1) designed the body shell

4. Powered by a modified 6 litre V12 Group C race engine, designed to be eligible for Group C and GTP racing

5. Developed wholly by TWR at the same time as TWR and Jaguar were jointly developing the XJ220

6. In an attempt to eliminate market competition between the XJR-15 and the XJ220, the former was incorporated into the Jaguarsport venture and sold ONLY as a racing car, whereas the XJ220 was intended to be sold ONLY as a road going car

7. In order to purchase an XJR-15 it was necessary to sign up to participate in a race series developed specifically for the car, and known as The Jaguarsport Million Dollar Intercontinental Challenge.

8. The asking price for the cars – half a million pounds each – also included full race preparation, backup for the race series, and body preparation from Jaguarsport

9. The race series was held over 3 rounds as support races for the 1991 Formula 1 championship at Monaco, Silverstone, and Spa.

Silverstones:
The Definitive List from Anders Ditlev-Clausager (Chief Archivist JH)

When we first started the XKR Silverstone Register in May this year we found there had been much speculation over the exact number of Silverstone’s produced and marketed. Confusion is often caused by numbers predicted in brochures, and numbers actually produced. Below is the definitive answer, direct from Anders Ditlev-Clausager, Chief Archivist at the Jaguar Heritage Trust.

This information has now been moved to Le Registre International des XKR Silverstone

View Register

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After the busy summer months at various car shows, August was what one would describe perhaps as a respite month for KUH!

August had actually started off rather poorly - and I don’t just mean the weather! One day, completely out of the blue the Speedo just refused to move, and since that day, the needle has still not moved! At first I thought the Speedo sensor was dirty again, but even after a thorough clean there was still no sign of life. The next steps it would appear are to check the wires from the sensor to the Speedo-and of course to even try a new Speedo at some point. So “Yes”, I am putting together a long shopping list and planning to hit Stoneleigh Spares Day hard!

Not long after the Speedo incident my new boot mats came through, purchased from a fellow xj40.com user. Ordinarily this would be good news...not for KUH! I was removing her current carpets which were continually sodden and had been smelling of damp despite several attempts at “Vaxing” them ever since I acquired her. As I removed the shaped carpet on the driver’s side of the boot, I found a nasty surprise lurking there-a huge mound of rust about the size of my fist! The rust was where the towing eye sat, and so I pulled the tow eye off-and away came a small amount of the boot floor and side as well! I was horrified! Upon cleaning up the hole in preparation for the welder to once again descend on KUH, I ended up with a hole 140mm square. Before welding anything I completely stripped the boot and Kurusted all areas with even a hint of potential rust. After the Kurust had done its job I welded up the hole and then coated the whole boot floor and sides in several layers of Hammerite’s Direct to Rust paint - in silver, as silver was the only colour to come with 50% free - and I knew I would need as much as possible! Now the boot was no longer air conditioned I was able to put in my lovely new carpets!

Before I lead up to my big news I would also like to thank Rob Jenner for his window motors, as between his window motors and a donor switch pack from a poor Kingfisher Blue XJ40 in the local scrap yard I now have a driver’s side window that goes up and down!

So now the big news........KUH’s few days at a health spa........

KUH’s most current outing was one down to Oxford where it was finally her turn to be seen by Glen the painter! Initially I had wanted the bonnet (at the time Kingfisher blue!), new rust free boot lid and the passenger’s side front wing which was covered in stress cracks. So I left her in the very capable hands of Glen who drove her down to his booth on a Thursday evening, and this was where I was to meet him the following morning. I had said I would do the preparation work to keep the costs as low as possible. On the Friday I arrived bright and early and between us we spent the day removing rust from the wheel arches and replacing with fibreglass. We also removed the car park dings in the door and a nasty rust-scab which was beginning to develop on the rear driver’s side door before priming up the boot lid, bonnet and all the re-worked areas. The primer was left to dry overnight and when we arrived the next morning we drove her out of the booth and spent the majority of the morning flatting down the primer and the rest of the panels to be sprayed – which ended up being everything bar the roof! I drove her back into the booth and we masked her up, and here I left her to be sprayed as I watched from outside the booth. She took approximately 4 layers of Regency Red (all the 2 litres of paint which I had bought!) and a good couple of layers of lacquer on top of that too. She was then once again left overnight in the booth to dry and a couple of days later I arrived to help with the polishing away of the orange peel! This was also my chance to unmask her and put all her bright work back on including a new boot lid chrome finisher I had got as a bargain from eBay! I also had to get a new bonnet flange seal as mine was beyond use; this was supplied by a really helpful employee from Jaguar Classic Parts (their link can be found on my website). Now apart from a few minor imperfections (a pair of slowly de-chroming grille veins) her exterior is looking rather good for a 20 year old XJ40! I took lots of photos along the way from the beginning to the end of the paint job, and also a gallery of her finished and posing, all of which can be found on my website, so please do take a look if you have the time.

Visit Esta-janes own website for more news on KUH

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Standing In My Sister's Shadow

by Annie-Rose Mace

My whole family is car orientated but I think that it is my mother who has been the main driving force behind my interest in Jaguars. Maybe if I hadn’t been dragged around every Jaguar my mother laid her eyes on and then been given a lecture about it, then I wouldn’t have such a strong interest in them. Although, after having the hundredth jaguar pointed out to me in the last hour I am glad that she did so as I now have a real desire to base my future around Jaguars.

I have yet to acquire a taste for the X-type and S-type, and to distinguish the XF from other cars can sometimes be a bit of a struggle as they don’t seem to stand out as much as previous Jaguars. I am however, inclined towards the XJS and XK series, maybe because they are more sporty then the saloons, although from my experience there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between the speeds! Whichever one I am in, I always feel I have been left miles behind, as when they go they really do go fast!

Out of all the Jaguars though, the XJ220 has to be my favourite Jaguar of all time. I love everything about it, from its stream-lined body to its rumbling engine, it’s a true supercar. I am hoping to save up for an XJ220, but after seeing just a bonnet advertised on eBay for £5000 I realise that it might take me a little bit longer than I first anticipated! At the moment I think the closest I am going to get to one is with my 1:12 scale model which I drastically saved from an uncaring model shop. It turned out to be just as wonderful as the real thing after I had removed the many layers of dust and grime.

One thing that I think Jaguar should do though, is to bring back the XJ220 - 220 of them, and maybe just update the interior and make a few minor adjustments as it really is a beautiful car.

Annie-Rose Mace (16yr)

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How I Became a Jaguar Nut

by Adrian Brennan

I was born 20 miles Southwest of London at Walton-on-Thames in the county of Surrey in1935. We moved almost immediately to the village of Byfleet, another 5 miles Southwest. My father worked at the aircraft factory Vickers Armstrong’s and so we lived in an adjacent Company house directly across the street from the Byfleet banking of The Brooklands Race Track. Brooklands has been described “as the birthplace of the British automobile and aircraft industries.” The Vickers Aeroplane Factory was located within the boundaries of the Race Track property. Brooklands Race Track was built on the private estate of HF Locke King in 1906-7 and continued in use until 1939..........WWII. The Brooklands Track itself was approximately 3 miles long and included a 20 foot high banking for extra high speed (100mph+) motoring, a straight away, a hill climb plus an airfield and many aircraft hangers (Hawker, A.V. Roe, Vickers, DeHavilland.....) all located inside the track!.

The Track and Airfield were featured in that wonderful movie 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' which is actually very accurate as far as the location and topography goes. There really is a sewage farm next to the property and it would often dilute the wonderful Castrol R smell if the wind was in the wrong direction!

Brooklands was the Indy of the UK and so for the first 4 years of my life I breathed Castrol R racing oil (plus other smells too!) and can remember the sound of racing cars running on the banking 24 hours a day until, in late 1939, WWII put a stop to all racing activities and the Vickers Factory was expanded greatly to build Wellington Bombers.

Incidentally, in 1919 Alcock and Brown were the first to fly across the Atlantic in a two engined wood and canvas Vickers Vimy Biplane! Later (1927) Charles Lindbergh was of course the first to fly solo in a metal single engined Monoplane.

After WWII the Racetrack was abandoned because Vickers had built a runway that went across the race track banking to allow the Vickers Valiant bomber (the first British aircraft designed to carry a Nuclear bomb) to take off, and then later the Vickers Viscount Turboprop passenger planes went into production too, but Byfleet remained a centre of automobile and motorcycle racing development after WWII. The cars for 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' were built there and I was lucky enough to visit a local garage and see them under construction while on a visit home in the 1960's.

One of the highlights for me living in Byfleet, was the fact that Duncan Hamilton had his Garage in the village. Now Duncan loved to race cars and had a stable of Jaguars; starting with C -Types and then D -Types. He and Tony Rolt were successful at the 1953 LeMans 24 hour Race in a C -Type; the story goes that the French decided to disqualify them the night before the race (not unusual for the French!), so they went out on the town and got drunk (not unusual either!) only to wake up in the morning to find the French had relented. So they had another 'wee dram' and off they went on a 24 hour race and won! (Now please don't try this at home - remember it's on a closed circuit and not on public streets!!!)

I remember watching and listening to a C-Type wound up as it sped past our house at high speed many times with our local Bobbie (policeman) on a bicycle trying to decide what to do ........nothing of course; since British Law (in those days) required the offender to be timed over a quarter mile, to get a summons (ticket). What a quaint idea!

And then later I would press my nose against Duncan Hamilton’s Garage showroom window to look longingly at his cars; so I was getting hooked on Jaguars at a tender age!

Needless to say at the age of sixteen I joined Vickers as a 5 year Aviation Apprentice which allowed me to go to work and college at the same time. Later after learning to drive the family 1935 Morris Eight I was able to buy my first car, using 100 pounds left to me by my favorite uncle. It was a 1930 Austin 750 Open Special (Hotrod to you Guys!) The 750 was cc's but we raced it at Silverstone and got 70 mph out of it! I also used it for rallying and was lucky enough to meet the late Mike Hawthorn at a check point. Then my college/apprentice mate bought a 1937 SS Jaguar 1 1/2 litre Saloon and soon I became his mechanic; my fellow apprentices would go in the pub while good old Adrian lay under the dash rewiring it - again………. but supplied with a warm pint!

I even built a little battery powered circuit tester in a tobacco tin (can) with a light bulb and two wire probes just for the 'Prince of Darkness'. But remember most prewar English cars spent WWII on blocks in the damp (wet!) for six or seven years, so, it's not really Mr. Lucas's fault and the wiring was getting really old.

My childhood friend Vic’s father owned a Lumber Yard so was able to own and drive a 1938 3 ½ Litre SS Jaguar Saloon; very classy and large for an English car. We really enjoyed that car and Vic learnt to drive it; but going sideways through the village one day clipped the curb by the Fish & Chip shop and bent a wheel. His Dad was not too happy about that bit of showmanship! Vic and I bought or borrowed as many books as we could find on high speed driving techniques and then practiced often (when we could afford the petrol). I remember going through the hedge and into a field a number of times; we've got to practice Dad!

After a couple of years I tired of the diminutive Austin 7 and bought another Open Special - a 1934 MG Magnette K3 powered by a supercharged Riley 12/6. Now I had a real car that would go over 90 mph until the blower chain decided to cut the oil supply pipe to the engine at 80 mph and everything came to a quick stop. A new con-rod babbit bearing fixed it though. Only real problem with the MG/Riley was that in the winter I had to pour boiling water over the supercharger in the morning to get it to start before going to school. Due to its long wheelbase (and practice) I never did lose control of it.........even on bald tyres in the rain!

After completing my apprenticeship and another year of school, I was 22 and still living at home, so started to get restless……….. I started to think about the New World and adventure. What finally made up my mind to try Canada was a Studebaker!

Really!

I had been visiting my buddies that rented an old large house in adjacent Weybridge ( a much posher town than Byfleet!) and sitting on the street was a 1950's Studebaker Golden Hawk complete with tail fins and tinted windows! Right then I knew I had to go to the land(s) of opportunity. I sold my MG/Riley and bought an 'immigrant rate' steamship ticket (Empress of Scotland) from Liverpool to Montreal in August 1957. I was lucky to get a job almost immediately at Canadair in their Guided Weapon Division.

After a year at Canadair I bought a used 1953 Coral colored Studebaker Champion. A Raymond Lowe classic shape with two heaters, one under the seat...........never had a car with a heater before; what a luxury, even in the low temps of Montreal’s' winters. In late 1958 (after 1 ½ Montreal winters) I got the chance to go to Boeing Seattle on loan to the Bomarc missile program; so arrived December in Seattle by train from Montreal. Seattle was a balmy 50 degrees; Montreal had been so cold that our train was stuck frozen to the track and they had to use blow torches to free it. The Studebaker soon followed by train too!

Don't fret more Jaguar stuff is coming!!!

Boeing hired me as an Engineer in the spring of 1960; so I started looking for a sports car again; found just the thing at Burien British Cars, a 1956 XK140MC Coupe; no more open sports cars for me! It also had a heater, very small compared to the Studebaker but Seattle is so much warmer than Montreal! My first production Sports Car; I really loved that car and was able to find and then join the fledgling JDC/NWA. They were a friendly bunch so I made a lot of great new (and permanent) friends who also loved the Jaguar Marque. I entered the XK140 in the Seattle World’s Fair Concourse; had it painted but it didn't impress the judges. One even said” Ugh, I smell new paint!” So smarty me replied “Couldn’t buy any old paint!” Needless to say I didn't win or place that day..........

The XK 140 soon lead to a succession of Jaguars over the years including a 3.4 Sedan, a 2.4 Sedan (remember Dr Guy!), 420 and 420G Sedans, a 1937 SS100 which I rescued from being used as a parts car. Burt Curtis then rescued the SS100 from me and completely restored it to perfection........we think it's now in Switzerland.

Then I bought a 1963 E-Type Coupe but along came children so switched to a 1967 E-Type 2+2 Coupe; always Coupes! Then I decided to take a little rest (20 years!) from Jaguars and concentrate on cruising by boat in Puget Sound. My thinking was "can't afford a Jag and a boat!" But sanity returned after retirement and I decided that having a boat and not having a Jaguar was not too good..................so after talking to Florence Shepperd we rejoined the Jag Club!

I now have a restored 1968 E-Type Coupe (again) and my wife Hilda just loves her 2000 XK8 Convertible. As much as I enjoy the E (I just love to go in the garage, look at it, sit in it, re-paint something and even drive it!) but I must say the XK8 is really a fantastic machine and it's not too hard to maintain and is the smoothest driving vehicle I have ever driven ......try it, you might like it!

Ray, after you twisted my arm to write this story I don't seem to know when to stop! But Hilda insists............so Bye Bye and TTFN (Tata for Now)

Adrian Brennan Founder Member and Past President JDC/NWA

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The Circular Saw and the Jaguar

by Brian Foster

During the 1970’s I served as a Captain in 272 (WRA) Field Support Squadron Royal Engineers (V) based at Belle Vue Barracks in Bradford West Yorkshire. This was a Territorial Army Unit; therefore most of the training was carried out over weekends throughout the year. My appointment as Workshop Troop Commander was challenging and interesting, and I took a particular interest in seeking out OPMAC Tasks, this being a scheme for military aid to the civilian community, benefiting both the community and the soldier tradesman under my command.

One of the PSI’s (Permanent Staff Instructors) had contacted the owner of a beautiful gorge near Lofthouse in North Yorkshire, where the owner required a replacement steel bridge to be built over the gorge, and a timber staircase to be replaced in a cave leading down to a pothole system. The gorge had only recently been purchased by the new owner, so he was keen to improve the tourist facility as cheaply as possible, so when he had heard of the OPMAC scheme he applied through military channels for this assistance, and had eventually been contacted by our PSI. I was soon to visit the site and assess the scope of work to be undertaken, this basically being the replacement of a simply supported 30 feet clear span steel beam bridge, plus hand rails and timber decking. The cave staircase was quite difficult in that a quarter space landing would be required to form a dog leg half way down the going, so it would require to be designed on paper to get the correct height/width of the treads and risers.

During the following weeks I managed to purchase very cheaply from a steel stockist who was a fellow officer in the squadron, two universal steel beams of suitable dimension and weight for the main beam span, and also several short lengths of small section steel beams suitable for cross members, sway bracing and handrail props. The existing steel handrails were suitable for re-use. In my civilian capacity as a junior partner in a firm of consulting civil and structural engineers, I was at this particular time partly involved in the demolition of a very large Victorian building in Bradford, and was therefore able to arrange to purchase on behalf of the gorge owner, a number of large section timber floor beams, suitable for conversion into the component sizes required for the staircase.

Over the next few weekends, the replacement steel bridge was fabricated in our workshops and the staircase timber prepared and cut according to the plans that I had produced, and once complete the prefabricated materials were shipped by low loader to Howstean Gorge. The owners of the gorge had of course to pay for the materials and transportation and fuel costs for field generating plant etc, however, all labour costs were free of charge due to the project having been certified by Regimental Headquarters as a Bona Fides OPMAC Task. Over the weekends ahead my Workshops Troop together with transport, 25KVA generator, mobile circular saw and a host of building and constructional tools descended on the gorge to remove the existing badly corroded bridge and the rotted cave staircase.

We normally travelled to the gorge from Bradford on the Friday evening, and worked through until Sunday mid afternoon, packing up about 15.30hrs in order to arrive back at Belle Vue Barracks about 1700hrs in time for the weekend dismissal parade. On one particular Sunday I was anxious to leave in good time, so I told my Land Rover driver to be ready to leave at 1500hrs sharp, and to ensure that the circular saw trailer was securely attached to the tow bar, as there had previously been problems with this attachment. The circular saw trailer was a particularly heavy and cumbersome piece of equipment. It consisted of a heavy metal oblong bench with a vertical blade 750 mm diameter mounted centrally, complete with safety shield and adjustment mechanism. The whole thing being mounted on a heavy duty two wheeled trailer. The trailer was also equipped with four telescopic legs to allow setting up and stability of the machine in use. So it will be apparent to the reader that this machine although compact, was also very heavy, and prone to swaying whilst being towed. Sawing power was provided via the 27 KVA generator trailer.

As planned, my driver picked me up outside the gorge owner’s cottage at 1500hrs, but as we set off my driver asked if we could pick up two lads further along the road, because there was a shortage of space on the TCV (Troop Carrying Vehicle) due to the scrap timber and steel being returned to the barracks. I agreed, but somewhat reluctantly because the land Rover was equipped with a large radio leaving little room in the rear. We soon reached the point where the two Sappers were waiting, and having climbed aboard we set off along the narrow twisting sunken road leading back towards Pately Bridge. “Just slow down” I ordered my driver, as the circular saw trailer started to slew left and right, but within a few minutes he was increasing speed again, so once again I told him to slow down. Just at that moment we started into a sharp left hand sweeping curve causing the heavy trailer to swing outwards due to the centrifugal forces. At this very precise moment, sweeping round the bend from the opposite direction came a gleaming white Jaguar saloon car, and I briefly glimpsed a white haired elderly driver looking horrified as our trailer side swiped his car with a horrible scrunch and a terrible clattering as bits and pieces of the car scattered along the road behind his vehicle. “STOP!” I yelled at the driver, “You fool” I shouted, “Just look at the damage that has been done to that car. Wait here and do not dare to move until I tell you!” And with that I climbed out of the Land Rover and started half walking half running up the road towards the Jaguar car, now pulled into the verge past the corner. Stooping several times to pick up bits and pieces that had been sheared off by the impact; the remnants of a wing mirror, twisted chrome plated strips, a door handle and other odds and ends. As I drew closer to the car I could see the terrible gouges along the doors where the trailer had impacted. Looking extremely foolish no doubt, with an armful of destroyed bits ripped from this Jaguar (an XJR I think it was), my thoughts were quickly dispelled when confronted by the elderly and distinguished looking driver, who was absolutely incandescent with rage.

“You bloody fool” he yelled at me, “Are you responsible for this disaster? This is a brand new car, just look what you have done to it you idiot” and shaking with emotion he continued, “Not to mention the two elderly ladies in the back seat just out for a country ride, and now traumatised out of their wits.” Waving his arms around, he directed a tirade of abuse and threats at me. “This is just typical of the British Army; you think you can just swagger around throwing your weight about as you feel fit and destroying everything that gets in your way, you are little better than the Nazis, in fact maybe worse. And I tell you this Captain; I am going to sue you personally for full compensation for the damage done to the car and for all the inconvenience and bother you have caused. I want your full name, and particulars of your Regiment and your commanding officer.” Running out of breath following this tirade, he sank down to sit on the grass bank whilst calling on the two ladies to join him. As they climbed out of the car, I lowered my armful of destroyed bits and pieces with a clatter to the grass verge, arranging them into a neat but senseless pile, wishing the ground would open and swallow me up.

By now the old gentleman had cooled down to some extent, but he was still ranting on about the behaviour of the Army and how his afternoon had been ruined, let alone the damage done to a car he had just purchased the previous week. My mind raced for excuses; but what were they? We had been travelling too fast, especially around the bend which caused the trailer to swing out and side swipe the car. I will murder that damn driver when we get back to barracks, I thought. But what was I to say to this justifiably furious old man? “I am so sorry Sir” I hesitatingly started, “but unfortunately I am not allowed to make any statement regarding the cause or accept responsibility for this traffic accident, but I am required by military law to fill in an Army Form FMT 3, a copy of which you should keep and present to your insurers, and the claim will be dealt with by the MOD Land and Claims Department on behalf of the Army. In the meantime I will fill in my part of the form and sketch the details of the collision, and you will have to countersign to say you agree to the correctness of the information recorded.”

“You call that an accident?” be bellowed, “you know damn well you were going round that bend too fast, and what the hell were you towing, is it a piece of artillery or what?”
“In fact it is a circular saw” I replied.
“A circular saw? What the devil is the army towing a circular saw around for?”
And so I explained that I commanded a workshops troop consisting of qualified tradesman, and that we were building a replacement bridge and a staircase in a beauty spot gorge near Lofthouse.
“Yes, I know that gorge; it used to belong to old Jamie before he sold it to a baker from Harrogate.”
“Yes, that is him.” I replied, “His name is Howard Stevenson, his wife Pamela is helping him to run the gorge as a tourist business”
By now the old gentleman it seemed had cooled down a bit, and looking at me with some scepticism he asked “What the devil is the Army doing working for the tourist industry, and especially at the weekend?” So I told him about the necessity to train my men to work as a team on various projects like this, which provided a dual benefit for both the Army and the community, but added that such projects have to be authorised by the local Army Commander and within the regulation guidelines. This information seemed to be of interest to him, and I began to relax a little, thinking this chap is not as formidable as I thought, however there was still the FMT3 to complete!
“But why are you working at the weekend?” he asked me, so I again explained that we were Volunteers, not Regular Army soldiers, but members of the Territorial Army.
“And so what do you do for a living?” he asked.
“Well, I am in a similar sort of occupation really; as a junior partner in a firm of consulting civil and structural engineers in Leeds.
“Amazing, and how many weekends do you work like this in the year?” he asked.
“About 70% of all weekends, but we also parade one night a week and attend a 14 day camp every year, sometimes overseas.”

By this time the whole atmosphere had changed, and it was obvious he was very interested in what we were doing and progressed to ask me many questions about the project we were presently undertaking. “Well, I must say I admire the way you and your men devote so much of your time to such a good cause, and I think I will pop up to the gorge again soon, to have a look at this project. Anyway, I must be going now, can you put all the bits and pieces in the boot for me, no doubt the insurers will require to check them.”
“Are you sure the car is fit to drive?” I offered somewhat sheepishly.
“Yes, I think it is, other than the busted off side headlamp and door handle, but we will be back long before dark.”

Throughout all this verbal exchange, the two old ladies had remained completely silent, sitting on the grass bank, but he asked them to get back in the car as he was now going, but making sure they got in via the near side door, and then turning to me he asked me for his copy of the accident form, but of course I had not had time to complete this due to the initial heated confrontations, and later discussions. ”Oh well,” he retorted, “let’s get on and complete it then.” and so we proceeded to swap personal details and vehicle registration numbers etc, and finally agreed a sketch map of the point of collision. “Well, I think that is all in order now.” he added. “Yes,” I replied, “you just need to submit this to your insurers as I previously mentioned and they will know what to do next.” “Right; now….Captain Foster, I regret that I was so abusive to you initially, but it was a natural reaction I suppose, but I must say I am very impressed with the gentlemanly manner in which you responded, and also with the very impressive voluntary work you and your men are undertaking.” With that he offered his hand and we exchanged a firm handshake, and clutching his copy of the FMT3 entered his beautiful but damaged Jaguar car, started her up and drove slowly off in the direction he was previously going.

I walked back to my Land Rover where, by now, the driver and the two Sappers were sitting on the roadside bank smoking. They all jumped to attention as I arrived, and as we pulled away in the vehicle I reminded my driver that he would keep below the legal speed limit, and would report to me on Tuesday night in order to write a statement and hold himself ready for the possibility of disciplinary action.

To my utter astonishment, nothing further was ever heard from the owner of the Jaguar, or his insurers. I even checked with the MOD Lands and Claims Department, but they never received a damages claim, so I have often speculated about the identity of the gentleman and just what changed his attitude so dramatically when he learned that we were not Regular Army soldiers, but Volunteers carrying out community project work. Thank goodness I did not mention the fact that I had previously served for 23 years in the Regular Army!

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Please contact Letitia at Xclusively Jaguar, if you:-
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4. No-longer wish to be included on the mailing list for this newsletter.
5. Have any thoughts or comments on any aspect of this newsletter which you would like to share. All new ideas welcome.
6. Had this newsletter forwarded to you, and would like to receive regular copies sent directly to you.

IMPORTANT NOTICES
All inclusions on this newsletter and accompanying website are free of charge.
Remember, it is exclusively JAGUAR, but this is taken to mean SS and Daimler.

All items listed on this newsletter are described by their owners.
All facts and details quoted must be checked before buying.
No liability can be accepted for any vehicles, parts or goods listed.
Items marked as sold, are for the information of readers – it is not implied that they were necessarily sold via our newsletter or website.

Please note that Jaguar Cars Limited have very kindly allowed us the privilege of using the JAGUAR brand name in our title, however, this website is owned entirely by Xclusively Jaguar who are solely responsible for all the content therein.
The website is not connected with Jaguar Cars Limited of Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry, CV3 4LF, and it is not authorised by them. The contents, in whatever format; views, opinions, and expressions, set out on the website are not those of Jaguar Cars Limited, nor are they, nor should they be, associated with Jaguar Cars Limited.
For the avoidance of doubt they are, and remain, solely and exclusively those of Xclusively Jaguar.

Thankyou for taking the time to read my newsletter.

Kindest Regards

Letitia Mace

www.xclusively-jaguar.co.uk

www.xclusively-jaguar.com

Copyright© 2009 Xclusively Jaguar