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WHEELS ON ROAD: COOMBELANDS, PULBOROUGH, AND ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS LTD, GOODWOOD
Sunday 12 August 2007

To celebrate fifty years of RREC we held our Central Southern Section event on Sunday 12 August. A most impressive collection of Club cars gathered at Coombelands stables in Pulborough by kind invitation of Harwoods. At 11am we had no less than fifty-four cars lined up, representing almost every model from 1926 to 2000! A guided tour of the working stables followed tea and coffee, where we were shown how the horses were kept and trained. A big thank you goes to Coombelands staff for a most interesting and informative tour.

During the day a fun treasure hunt was begun complete with treasure maps and commemorative pens to fill in the clues that were dotted around the tour. Harwoods Bentley provided a magnificent display of cars for sale including a specially stretched Spirit and we were able to inspect them all in detail. To express our gratitude for the hospitality offered by Harwoods, Tony Leach presented a cheque to Guy Harwood for his chosen charity, The Mary How Cancer Trust.

Following a light lunch we proceeded (Dick Lees with new rotor arm) on to the roads for the second part of the day, the Treasure Hunt. With everyone accounted for we arrived at the end of our journey across the South Downs at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Goodwood. The security staff helped park us up in the courtyard alongside the reception. More tea and coffee was taken, as members were able to view the new drophead and a long wheelbase Phantom. Andrew Ball was on hand to welcome our party and present the treasure hunt prize draw to Ralph Taylor; a 100 years of Rolls-Royce book. All members received a special Central Southern Section Wheels on Road badge to treasure. The sun came out and we had a wonderful view across the Courtyard as all bright-work sparkled, owas it the flash photograph?

At 15.25 hours we had lined up along The Drive (the entrance road to the Plant) and at 15.30 precisely as instructed by Hunt House, led by a brand new Rolls-Royce Phantom, we truly put our Wheels on Road. Thanks go to all of you that made this special day possible.

Darren Collins - Section STO

Coombelands, the first venue.   Coffee and canapés in the marquee.
Coombelands, the famous Harwood's horse racing stables, was the first venue.   Morning coffee and canapés were served in the marquee.
Some of the motor cars that lined up.
Some of the fifty-plus motor cars that lined up for the event.
Coombelands   The stables.   Horse
Tours of Coombelands stables, where members could see how the racehorses are kept and trained, were arranged during the morning.
Guy Harwood received a cheque.   The horses' swimming pool.
Guy Harwood received a cheque from the members for £750 for his chosen charity, The Mary How Trust.   The horses' swimming pool.
All the cars assembled in the courtyard.   The courtyard at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
All the cars assembled in the courtyard at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Plant, where we had afternoon tea.
Wheels on Road.
Members' motor cars left the Plant in convoy to put 'Wheels on Road'. Photos: Ian Burt