The Club's Spring Concours was a celebration event to mark the handing over of the premises from the MOD to Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. Following this celebration weekend, the builders move in to create a new factory that will make the new DBX Concept SUV and no doubt much more besides.
The event programme included a few words from the base's last commanding officer, our very own Anthony King (Royal Navy commodore [retired]) who was also an honoured guest of the day.
The reason we were there. DBX concept SUV (above) and Hercules share a hangar. On the other side of the aircraft, displays for the public included a selection of recent Bond film cars:
Mr. & Mrs Area Rep helped (hindered?) on the help desk after spending a while helping competitors Paul & Jan Gerring prepare their car for judging.
Their supercharged GT8 won 2nd place in its class which was a cue to open up the Club's sponsor Champagne Taittinger and use one of the car's many attributes...
OK, we didn't drink all that over lunch!
Bob Carter's faithful DB4 was fresh from its over-Winter oil pressure fettling (and ran like a dream):
Bob (ex-aero engineer) tells me the twin-engined plane in the background is a Percival Pembroke P-66 (about 1953), with two Alvis Leonides engines.
Tony & Janie Ellerbeck (who also have an illustrious Royal Navy career behind them) brought along their lovely DB7 Vantage Volante:
Tony has apparently been a passenger in the Percival Pembroke P-66 parked behind him... small world!
And a moment of poignancy:
Share the passion, indeed.