Classic & Sports Car - December 2015 UK

NameDanielBangham

Age 57 OccupationClarinet

makerFromCambridge

First classic 1929 Jowett

Long Four saloon

Dreamclassic 1926 Jowett

Long Four open tourer

DailydriverSaab9-5 estate

Best tripThis one

Thisstorybeginswitha car that
my grandparentsownedin the
1920sand whichhad takenthem
on severaltripsto Egypt.It tran-
spiredthat the vehiclewas a Jowett
and,withinweeksof the club
confirmingthat,I’d becomethe
proudownerof a LongFour. A
planto followtheirtracksas far as
Marseillewas formed.
My cohortsin the club werenot
fazedthatIwas trustingan
86-year-old,900cctwin-cylinder
car to get me there.Indeed,my
friendand fellowJowettowner
To ny decidedto join me for some
of the way in his 89-year-old tourer.
In May, after12 monthsfettling
the LongFour, I was on my way.
LeavingDieppein the cool mist of
a springmorning,the knotof anxi-
ety fromdrivingthroughLondon
was replacedby butterfliesof excite-
mentat the openroadsof France.
Usinga compassand stickingto
localroads,I drovefor mileswith
very littletraffic,givingme timeto
listento everyrattleand creaklest
any of thembelieda sinistertale. I
had no timefor the radioor to
worryaboutwork,enjoyinginstead
the rhythmicpurr of the engine.
Unfortunately,the elation
turnedto paranoiaaboutthe
clutch,whichwas snatchingin a
way I had not experiencedbefore.
By goodfortune,Ihad the company
of my friendsTo ny, Peterand John
for the first leg of the trip and they
gaveme the confidenceto dropthe
gearboxat our first B&B.I’ve since
learntthat my grandmotherEdith’s
car also had clutchproblemsand
that Grandadhad to keepslipping
piecesof his belt leatherinto it.
Oncethat traumawas out of the
way, the full impactof the wonder-
ful journeybeganto unfold.I had
punctuatedthe routewitha few

December 2015 Classic&SportsCar 177

Sendhi-resphotos(300dpi)and

700 words tojames.elliott@

haymarket.comor to the p10

address.For Guy Allengen

see: http://www.guyallen.co.uk

WIN!ABESPOKE

GUYALLENPRINT

READERS’CHERISHEDCARS YOUR CLASSICS

strategichaltsand events.The goal

was to visitthe CaneFestivalin

Hyères,whichis the centreof clari-

net reed-making(fromwhichIearn

my living).I was also delightedto

findthat,by deviatingfrommy

grandparents’route,Icouldinclude

Guédeloncastle,the wonderful

1950s-themedles Te ndresAnnées

B&B,andthe Coutelliaknife-

makingcompetitionin Thiers.

WhatIhadn’tappreciatedwas

just howmuchI was askingof my

car. TheMassifCentralreallyis

massiveand, whicheverway you go,

you haveto committo mileafter

mileof uphillgrindin firstgear.

There’s somethingquitetaxing

aboutdrivingat 10mphfor 15 miles

withhalf a dozenarticulatedlorries

on yourtail.Theideathatthey

mightbe impatientis self-induced,

though– I neverencounteredany

frustrationfromotherroadusers.

In Nîmes,I was joinedby my

wifeandwe soongot our first

glimpse of the Mediterranean.

Whatathrillthat was, so brightand

blue.It felt like a real achievement.

A few dayslaterwe loadedup

againand headedbacknorthat our

cruising speed of 32mph. The feel-

ing of excitementstill burnedwith

the prospectof meetinginteresting

peopleand sampling more

wonderfulfoodand wine.

The lastmajorchallenge

happenedwhenthe distributor

gearsstrippednearParis,which

J tt

Long Fo ur

BRADFORDTWIN

RELIVESTHE PAST

gaveme two extradaysto savour

Frenchhospitalitywhilewaitingfor

sparesto arrive.Thefinalsenseof

achievement,though,was sweeping

intoourvillagea monthafter

leaving,still intactand smiling.

Briefpausein Saint-Sauveur-en-PuisayeToppingup the radenrouteto Marseille

A long way fromits Yorkshirebirthplace Journey’s end, with clarinetreed-makers

‘The knot of anxietyfrom

drivingthroughLondon

was replacedby butterflies

of excitementin France’

Clockwise:the perfectway

to exploreFrance;idyllic

lunchstop;impressive

sceneryin MassifCentral;

strippeddistributorgears

beingrepairednear Paris

Jowett

Long Four