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FIRST OVERLAND NEWSLETTER 44The 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, and the subsequent 'After Overland' adventures of the two cars. |
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'Oxford' in the USA Part 2
It's been a while since the last Newsletter, but that doesn't mean that SNX891 has been resting in a shed somewhere in York. Far from it — Adam Bennett has always said that he has preserved 'Oxford' so that the world can celebrate what could easily be described as one of the Top Five cars ever to come out of Land Rover's Lode Lane factory.
So, having completed the 'Last Overland' journey back from Singapore last December, 'Oxford' was soon off again, this time across the Herring Pond to Baltimore. The Rover Owners Association of Virginia (www.roav.org) planned an extensive 'Round-America' tour. Using the American phrase 'From Sea To Shining Sea', SNX891 first crossed to the Pacific coast, and then began a journey eastwards right across the continent towards the Atlantic.
And there was plenty of visual documentation — as a professional film-maker, I've sometimes had to grit my teeth a little regarding matters such as using the on-camera mic when the presenter's voice is being swamped by the main road traffic behind him, but let's be charitable and say "Well done, guys, for bringing us a flavour of the expedition, with a series of 'Oxford In America' YouTube videos.
So here's some links for you —
For a summary of 'the story so far', up to 'Oxford's arrival in the USA, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTeyWC1jmwE where Vermont Overland enthusiast Peter Vollers summarised the whole story with video clips. An excellent piece of ad-libbed presentation to camera* which I enjoyed, and some super footage of SNX891 'playing in the snow' with other Land Rovers of all ages.
Then, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWAAV9CyKJo, 'Oxford' poses beside the new Defender at Land Rover America's headquarters. Is it a logical progression from the one car to the other after 6 decades? There'll be as many opinions on that as there are Green Oval enthusiasts in the world, but I have a sort-of feeling that none of the vehicles coming out of the modern factory will achieve as much, and generate as much world-wide affection, as SNX891.
But, as many of you will know, 'Oxford' has done a lot of miles since its re-birth, and before the Atlantic was reached, the engine started running really badly. In New Jersey, lifting the cylinder head revealed a gap in the copper head gasket on No4 cylinder, with consequent piston and valve problems. Ben Smith tells the story at www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJc9rNTJck.
And so to the latest piece of video... and I must admit it came as a bit of a surprise. Apart from the St.Helena pictures of the back body in the undergrowth, I've never seen 'Oxford' topless. But if an American wants to take a 'truck' on an off-road trail, and it's umpty-tump degrees in the shade, then no-one's going to stop them taking advantage of the Land-Rover's 'stripability'. For the sight of SNX891 looking probably like you've never seen it since some of the Ascension Island pictures, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7CIAsmqMxg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2MKb8dSlajUySX_v0H1CpA36rB_Se3_QBMzvv5WnggukETl8ycj_eK5io (which is one heck of a lot of characters!) There's our car, looking great, and in its true environment!
There will doubtless be much more from 'Oxford In America' on YouTube, and I look forward to seeing them. But not as much as seeing SNX891 come rolling back into Yorkshire at some time in the future. Date, of course, unknown, because the engine breakdown delayed things, and the Covid-19 situation makes accurate planning a very dodgy science. I'll try and let you know more when I know it.
In the meantime, news from Grammar Productions seems very hopeful, with finances in place to allow the editing of their 'Last Overland' programmes to go ahead. I've been able to supply them with copies of the original footage, and of some of the milestones along the way as 'Oxford' was first brought back to the UK, and then ready to set off once again from Singapore to London. Again, no broadcast dates fixed as yet, but I hope to be able to let you know when, and how, it will be viewable eventually. I hope it goes well for them.
And I hope it goes well for you too in these troublesome times. The current watchword in the UK is 'Keep Safe'. I wish you that.
GRAEME ALDOUS.
STOP PRESS
After David Short, the ROAV President, read this newsletter, he added the following:
I have one more video in the works from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Oxford went from the last video you saw (with her topless in Virginia) to the following places — Gettysburg PA, Pittsburgh PA, Backus and Duluth, Minnesota. She is now on her way to Yellowstone National Park (Old Faithful), Montana, Seattle, Washington, Portland OR and finally Eugene OR and the West Coast /Pacific Ocean. On September 1st we start driving her back to the East Coast.
We wish SNX891 and her drivers 'bon voyage', and thank ROAV for organising this extended journey.
Update
There are more pictures coming from of 'Oxford' in the USA — some of them quite stunning. I hope to pull them together very shortly for a new Newsletter.
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Previous 'First Overland' Newsletters are available here.
To subscribe to this Newsletter, and receive notice of updates, please visit my Subscribe Page.
The 'After Overland' web page is afteroverland.co.uk, and 'First Overland' is teeafit.co.uk/firstoverland.
And a reminder of my DVD titles still on sale, priced at £22 (including postage) worldwide — you can order them via the DVD sales page, where you'll also find the Vimeo download details, and of the Photobook of original 1955 expedition photos, put together by Adam Bennett.
*I've put this down here, away from my words about Peter's video efforts, because I'm afraid that his excellent (and extended) piece to camera included some inaccuracies, and I certainly don't want this Newsletter to promulgate 'fake news'! Adam Bennett never went to St.Helena, and the negotiations to bring back the remains of the one-and-a-half Land-Rovers were greatly assisted by an enthusiast on the island, Bruce Salt. He and Adam were brought together by 'Land Rover Owner' magazine columnist, Peter Galilee. Likewise Adam didn't take part in the 'Last Overland' journey, but sat in York biting his nails as the car made its way back from Singapore. However, his son Miles was able to represent him when the 'Sea To Shining Sea' expedition set off in America.
And if ever anyone says "You can see 'First Overland' on YouTube", I prick up my ears and check to see if someone has ripped off my video! So far it doesn't seem to have happened, and I keep my fingers crossed. What you will find there is a rip-off of the BBC 'Timeslip' programme, which is not accurate! After doing some excellent interviews with Tim and other members of the original team, my guess is that they gave them to a less-informed colleague to get them edited, and illustrated with nice footage. Unfortunately they just found nice shots and 'threw' them at the programme, with no thought for geography or chronology... so at one point I seem to remember the cars driving out of India into Syria, where they'd been months before. What made it worse was that the copy of the original footage supplied to them mistakenly included the 1958 'Back To Burma' expedition that Tim and BB made in a Series 2 Land Rover — the one painted grey and red so as not to appear military in areas where insurgents were active. It was that footage that I included in the 'White Elephant' part of my 'After Overland' film. When that car, and any saffron-robed monks, appear in the YouTube video, then it is not 'First Overland'.
I repeat that I have no wish to criticise Peter Vollers' performance... but once something appears on 'The Web', it becomes FACT! I don't want that to happen here.