Western Group PR Driving Day, the Guild Classic, Le Mans, The Festival of Speed… June is a month that accelerates almost as quickly as Jensen Button up the hill at Goodwood and the British Grand Prix will be the next fixture in the automotive calendar this weekend.
Several Western Group members attended the Guild Classic this year, staged in the Champagne region of France. Kim and Eileen Henson were in their ever-faithful Austin A60, veteran of many a Guild Classic. John and Jan Powell were behind the wheel of a 1984 Ford Granada Ghia X from the Ford heritage collection, Katherine and Andrew Morland forsook their regular MG collection for an MG TF – ‘90s, not ‘50s, no doubt because of the distances involved this year, while Reg and Jo Burnard staged a return in the John Griffiths MGB roadster from last year.
Two further cars carrying good friends of the group also joined the event – Julian and Julie Leighton in their Triumph Stag and former honorary secretary Liz Turner with partner Richard in their Sunbeam Tiger. I shall say no more as Kim has covered the event in a separate report, but I doubt if any other group had as many members in attendance.
It gives us a chance to say a special thanks to P&O Ferries PR director Chris Laming too. Chris is retiring and has been a great help to Guild members and Western Group members over the years. He looks far too young to retire, so I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him yet.
The Group’s next meeting is due to take place at the JLR press event on 13/14 July at Bowood, our first opportunity to meet since the PR Driving Day on 2 June at Castle Combe. There will be plenty to discuss, including a provisional date for next year’s event, possibly again in the first week of June as it proved popular this year.
Then there’s the small matter of the latest F-Type variants and the new XE. Sounds like an event to relish.
John Kendall | Chairman WGMW
