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Category Archives: cars

A Royal Garage at Sandringham

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by pat in cars, England, History, The Royal Family

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Norfolk, Sandringham

When we travel through England, I find My Beloved Brit approaches a house tour with much more enthusiasm if there is a display of cars involved.  One of the best I found was Sandringham, the Royal Family’s Norfolk estate.  The old stables have been converted to a museum, and cars were a major feature of the displays.

The road from the main house to the museum at Sandringham was a lovely walk, even in the rain. Photo by me.

We walked across the park and arrived at the gates to the courtyard…

The entrance to the museum at Sandringham. Photo by me

…of what was formerly the stable block and coach house for the estate.  Inside was the museum with lots of photos and story boards showing the history of Sandringham, and whole rooms full of memorabilia and gifts given to the Royal Family through the years.

An arrangement showing bits from the stables earlier days. Photo by me

Every time we went in to another room, there was something interesting to see.  But when we turned the corner into the beginning of the car exhibitions, MBBs eyes lit up.

MBB thought it was a bit embarrassing to see something in a museum that he remembered from his childhood, but he was still delighted to see it. Photo by me

The first thing he saw was a tiny car, which was very similar to one he had as a boy.

Photo by me

There were several of them in the room, and people were thrilled to see them.

Further on, the cars got grander.

photo by me

I loved that you could look in to the interiors, and just imagine what it was like for the Queen.

Photo by me.

There was a variety of cars used for the Royal Family and the staff.

Another beauty. Photo by me

A country car the staff used to bring the luggage from the train station.

Photo by me

And cars for all occasions.

Photo by me

For once, my Beloved Brit was speechless

Photo by me

White Cliffs and P&O: Dover

22 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by pat in cars, England, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Dover, P&O Line, white cliffs

My beloved Brit and I took  break from the beautiful gardens of Kent when we were in England this summer to drive down to The White Cliffs of Dover and have a visit with his aunt and uncle who have lived in that area for years.

The White Cliffs loom above the coast everywhere. Photo by me

We went right down to the seafront to a classic hotel we knew from past visits for a lunch overlooking the English Channel. We could watch the huge ferries come and go between Dover and France over our leek and potato soup. Perfect for a chilly rainy day in England.

The old Churchill hotel is now a Best Western, beautifully redone. Photo by me.

We lingered over lunch as we watched the ferry traffic come and go outside the window.

 

It was a bit rainy during parts of the day (how unusual) and still the trucks lined up in great ques beneath the White Cliffs waiting to take their place on the massive boats that came and went through the sea wall with frightening regularity.  It was great fun.

MBB’s uncle, and aunt, had worked on, and with, the ships for decades, including the P&O Line, better known as the “Pooh Line”.  His uncle, who had worked for years with Dover Port Authority, told us over lunch that some of these boats carried more than 500-1300 cars and lorries per trip, plus cargo, and explained some of the navigational intricacies of the crossing which only takes a bit over an hour to cross to France.

It was a fascinating couple of hours, and we left with a reconfirmation of just what it meant to be a huge island nation.

The coast of Dover, England’s border on the English Channel. Photo by me.

The rest of the world is always across a stretch of sea, and you are connected to the outside world in many ways, but one of the most important in England is boats in all shapes and sizes.

Little car, big car, and “Made In Dagenham”

26 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in cars, England, movies, Uncategorized

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cars, England, Made In Dagenham, movies

I should have seen a pattern developing here. I was going through My Beloved Britt’s old photos again and found this adorable snap of him as a baby.  He probably could barely walk, but he is already behind the wheel of a car.

Not only does the man adore sailing, but MBB’s love continues for anything with a motor in it. Obviously from this photo and the expression on his face, this love of power and speed started when he was very young indeed.

My Beloved Brit's current automotive project

I think this particular interest in cars comes partially from one of his earliest jobs at Ford Motor Company in Dagenham, England. He was a maintenance and repair novice on the big equipment in the plant, but I think being around all those new cars rubbed off on him.

Last year, they came out with a tremendous movie “Made in Dagenham“, starring Sally Hawkins and Bob Hoskins, that we saw together. It is about the beginning of the women’s equal pay for equal work movement that spread throughout the world. MBB said the movie was spot on, a very true picture of what it was like in the early factory days of his youth at Ford’s.

If you get a chance, watch the movie.

 

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