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FIRST OVERLAND NEWSLETTER 19The latest news of the 'First Overland' DVD, based on Antony Barrington-Brown's original film footage of the 1955 Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition from London to Singapore. |
Tim Slessor drives 'Oxford' again after more than 50 years, and we find out the significance of a fuel tank with the number '32'.
This took place at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, in Warwickshire, on Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd/3rd. It was a wonderful celebration of 60 years of the World's Best 4x4 By Far, part of which was an excellent programme of Expedition Talks, with the most important on the Saturday afternoon.
An 20-year-old enthusiast from Cambridgeshire, Michael Geary, having read the book and watched the DVD, has created a replica of the Oxford car (which he'd only completed the night before), and was exhibiting it at the weekend, appropriately between the Camel Trophy and G4 vehicles. He and I were given an Expedition Talks spot — he talked about his replica, and then I introduced a presentation based on my 'First Overland Roadshow'. There were about 70 people in the Kestrel Suite at the top of the Museum, and apart from one of the projectors sulking, it went well.
But let's not kid ourselves that Michael and I were the stars of the show — also with us was Tim Slessor, who (modest as ever) said he didn't want to make a speech as such, but would be happy to answer any questions. He was, of course, inundated — and afterwards a large number of people went away with signed copies of the 'First Overland' book and/or DVD.
Tim Slessor, with Michael Geary (left) and Graeme Aldous.
But I have to say that the real highlight of the weekend for me was late on Saturday afternoon, as the crowds were thinning, and the display of vehicles from the Heritage Run were heading for the campsite or home. Michael (who Tim reckons knows more about the cars than he did!) offered Tim the chance to drive the 'Oxford' replica around the car park. Tim (understandably) didn't need asking twice.
After half a century, Tim remembers how heavy a Series 1 clutch can be!
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There wasn't a dry eye in the car park! I don't know who was more misty — Tim (who never thought he'd ever drive 'Oxford' again); Michael (who never thought he'd actually have Tim Slessor behind the wheel of his car), or me (who'd been instrumental in bringing them together). It was a wonderful end to a memorable day (and good to see that there is a new generation coming up who have been influenced by the 'FO' bug!)
At one point in the weekend, ace reporter Dave Barker (Assistant Editor of 'Land Rover enthusiast' magazine, and fellow Series 1 owner) asked Tim why, in the sequence where the 'First Overland' Team were demonstrating the Land-Rovers to the Persian Army, 'Oxford' had the number 32 apparently chalked on the side of the fuel tank.
32, chalked on.
Tim had to think hard about this, but recalled that they'd had a reccee of the army proving ground before the demonstration, and found that on the standard tyres there was no way that the cars were going to get up the slope, either forwards or backwards. The Tehran Rover Agent couldn't risk losing credibility, so he whisked the cars back to his garage, and temporarily fitted some more agressive tyres that he had in stock. Sure enough, at the demonstration proper, the cars would now climb the hill in reverse (a fact which impressed the army mightily, not realising that it was a weight-transfer thing, and the Team were only driving that way because there was no hope in a forward gear!) An order was later placed with Solihull for 500 vehicles.
Tim suggested that '32' was the recommended presure of these tyres in psi, and it was chalked there to remind the fitter of how much wind to put in. Certainly, the figures can't be seen in any other parts of BB's footage, so it was obviously only while they were there in Persia. Another mystery solved!
And another scoop for 'LRe' — although, of course, I've beaten them to it! However, Dave had a proper camera with him (rather than my little compact), so his pics will be better than mine. So, look out for the full story in a future issue of 'LRe'.
One question I'm asked more than any other is "What happened to the vehicles afterwards?" Well, in the DVD, BB and Tim say that they went back to their owner, the Rover Company, who used them for promotional purposes for a while. Then one of them (they don't know which) ended up on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, and may have gone on to St.Helena.
When Tim was asked the same question at Gaydon, he added a little more information. Apparently there is a book about Ascension called 'Wide Awake Island' (or maybe 'Wideawake'?), and in it there's a photo which incidentally shows one of the cars — and they can't remember which registration plate it had.
I've done a very perfunctory search for the book on Google and Amazon, but haven't come up with anything yet. I shall try again another day, but if in the meantime anyone knows about this book, I'd be very happy to hear via firstoverland@teeafit.co.uk.
This is the Land-Rover Series One Club's celebration of the 60th Anniversary, and will be at Chepstow Racecourse on June 28th-29th. For more details, see the Club Website. I hope to be alongside the Club stand, with my 'First Overland Roadshow', and once again look forward to meeting you.
Tim remembers where the starter button is.
As Tim got out of 'Oxford' after his drive round the Museum, he uttered some memorable words — "Now I begin to understand why all you Land-Rover guys say 'Did you really drive all the way to Singapore in a Series 1?'!"
GRAEME ALDOUS
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