Why Write A Book (Part 2 )

Economania is the strange lady used by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (who have curiously allowed me to be a member this last 45 years).

Their current ‘Life After Work’ features the man who wrote a book on Charles Rolls… and then purchased a car – the lovely Lady J. Apart from improving my driving – little else needs to be said – the 1986 car is smart anyway – and the only young lady prepared to do my bidding these days – and she is delightful.

C.S.Rolls’s Commemoration – 12th July 2014

Glorious weather was the order of the day at the 104th Anniversary Commemoration of Charles Rolls’s tragic airplane crash and death at St Peter’s School, Southbourne, Bournemouth on Saturday 12th July.

The organiser Stephen Robson outlined the aim of the day, and the visitors including several Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ with cars from the Wessex Section, were then welcomed by Martyn Egan, Deputy Head of the school, whose playing fields are on what remains of the Bournemouth airfield from 1910.

The Mayor of Bournemouth made a short address, followed by author Bruce Lawson, after which local priest, Father John, gave a thoughtful speech before leading the prayers.

Lord God,

You make the clouds your chariot

And walk on the winds of the wind

We thank you for Charles Rolls

For his pioneering  spirit, his pursuit of excellence.

His determination to seize the moment

And his quest to extend the boundaries of human endeavour

Grant that all who visit this memorial and gaze upon it

May take to heart its inspiration

And likewise be inspired by all that is good and pure and noble

In  the Human spirit.

This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

This was followed by a minute’s silence and the Mayor of Bournemouth then laid the floral tribute.

Following closing remarks by Stephen Robson, the guests adjourned for refreshments and an illustrated talk by Mr Lawson

.

Bournemouth Commemoration Address – 12th July 2014

Mr Mayor, guests, ladies and gentlemen thank you for inviting me today. We are here to commemorate the early and untimely death of one of the greatest but least known Englishmen, Charles Stewart Rolls, known in his day simply as ‘Charlie’.

By the time he died here, 104 years ago today he had been educated at Eton and Cambridge, where he won a half Blue as a cyclist and was already fascinated by matters mechanical. He owned the first car at the university and also in Wales. There his father, Lord Llangattock, owned a vast house, The Hendre, and 6000 acres of farmland as well as a property empire in London, and an oceangoing yacht.

Charlie won the Thousand Mile Trial  around Britain – the first car rally ever held here and 3 million saw the cars – most of them for the first time. Rolls at 22 thus became the best - known motorist in Britain.

He was a founder member and committee stalwart of what became the Royal Automobile Club.

Rolls motor raced in Europe with modest success in the great inter city races, Paris to Berlin, Paris to Vienna, and the infamous Race to Death, Paris Madrid in 1903, when several competitors and spectators were killed including one of the three brothers who founded Renault. Rolls and John Montagu MP (later the first Lord Montagu), were in fact the first Britons to race in France in 1899.

At the same time Rolls owned and ran a garage and motor dealership in London – C.S.Rolls & Co. The firm employed 70 people and had premises with space for 200 cars. At the same time he, with two others, one of whom was his first serious female companion founded the Royal Aero Club. He made 170 balloon flights (no Air Ambulance then!) and competed in international balloon races.

He was a member of the quite separate Royal Aeronautical Society and, through this, followed the progress in America of the Wright Brothers forecasting as early as 1901 the certainty of powered flight.

Rolls unofficially became the World Land Speed record holder in 1902 at 84mph on private roads at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire, but also found time to write extensively on motoring in both the Daily Mail and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Two of his more whimsical instructions were typical of his own self-deprecation and sense of fun:

DO NOT SPILL PETROL OVER YOUR CLOTHES AND THEN STRIKE A MATCH TO LIGHT YOUR PIPE.

and

DO NOT LET A WILLING OSTLER FILL UP YOUR PETROL TANK  - WITH WATER

And yes, along the way in 1903 he lured Claude Johnson, the gifted Secretary of the R.A.C. to work for him – Johnson later being dubbed the hyphen in Rolls- Royce. Then, mere months later, Rolls despite initial misgivings met Henry Royce and agreed to sell every car Royce could make, under the name of Rolls-Royce.

Charlie, Claude and Henry: Rolls Hyphen Royce – the most iconic British brand name both of today and all time.

Charlie drove a Rolls-Royce 20 to win a second ever Tourist Trophy Race, held over 200 miles on the Isle of Man, by half an hour. In the same year he broke the Monte Carlo to London record and at the end of the year raced and won on a banked track in New York City beating all-comers.

He consulted in the early development of the Silver Ghost, knowing that the aristocracy would buy British if it was the best, and by 1912 the Ghost was truly acknowledged as ‘the Best Car in the World’.

Flying then claimed him. He flew the Channel both ways in a 90 minutes flight in June 1910, the first to do so.

Also he convinced the British Army of the value of aviation in a future war. He sold the Army its first plane – one of his – at a profit. In the early summer of 1910 he gave some aviation ground instruction, before dying here in front of 20,000 people on that fateful day in July.

Often dismissed as a celebrity, attention seeker and motoring ‘scorcher’ was Rolls a great man? He was  six foot five inches tall.

Well, how many achieve greatness – whatever this may mean - at the age of 32.

Can you think of another, who achieved so much in such a short time and also about whom so little is surprisingly known?

May I congratulate Stephen Robson and his friends on their initiative in setting up the C.S.Rolls Memorial Trust to preserve Roll’s name.

The Sir Henry Royce Memorial Trust has existed for many years quite rightly celebrating the stunning and long career of modest but master engineer, Sir Henry Royce, both in luxury car and aero engine development. Aero development gave Britain a war turning advantage in the shape of Rolls-Royce powered Spitfires and Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain.

I think then it is only right and fair that history be rebalanced through the C.S.Rolls Memorial Trust which will celebrate the life of a daring, driven, resourceful young man – a man for his times and a man whose achievements should long be remembered.

Thank you.

Bruce Lawson

www.charlesrollsofrollsroyce.com

Edwardian Cars at Shelsley Walsh

Midland Auto Club hosted over a hundred cars at Shelsley for a Vintage motoring day on July 6th. A clutch of redoubtable Edwardian cars tackled the thousand yard hill – the oldest motor sport venue in the world, on a magnificent sunny day.

The oldest car present was a 1903 Mercedes 60hp (No.71) of the very same type that Charlie Rolls raced with – head to head in Phoenix Park, Dublin during the Irish Fortnight, which was part of the 1903 Gordon Bennett race celebrations. Rolls lost, but the current similar car driven by Roger Collinge tackled the hill with guile and determination.

The other 1903 car was a French Brasier(No 121) – a monster of 11,500 cc, and the other pre WW1 cars were an FL GP prototype (No.67), a Sunbeam 16/20 (No.68), a Vauxhall 30/98 (No.69), a Chalmers 17 (No.70) and a Stutz Bearcat (No.72) – all driven by their owners.

….. and days later Shelsley welcomed a Thousand Mile Trial re-enactment party of 42 cars including a magnificent 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom 2 Sports Coupe.

Sold Out But Restocked

Happy to report the first 500 books now sold by end of May. Temporarily out of stock but reprinted version of book, with a few improvements to photographs and correction of a handful of minor errors, now available for collection at £28. Postage/packing details as per this website. Personal dedications and signed copies on request.

The Blonde Bombshell and the King of Iraq

Dick Francis the racing author has always been a hero of mine – have been collecting his books for forty years. I was delighted last week at a Society of Authors’ symposium to sit next to and chat with his son Felix, who has continued to write the Francis thrillers.

He had been to Royal Ascot in a 1938 Rolls-Royce Phantom, once owned by ‘Blonde Bombshell’ Diana Dors, and which was also owned by the King of Iraq. The car ended up in Istanbul – happily out of Iraq when a coup occurred, and was then driven back home to Britain.

Felix Francis still has a house in the Cayman Islands to where his father moved to escape horrendous British tax rates, and has a new book, ‘Damage’, out in the autumn.