Thames Valley Drive and Picnic - 29 August 2021
The Upper Thames River Valley is a delight of small quaint villages and loads of history. Our one-day jaunt on Sunday 29 August took in just a few of its many gems, affording a pleasant country drive culminating in a convivial garden picnic at Nuffield Place. Following a delicious breakfast overlooking the Windsor Marina, our squad of 22 set off in nine classics and two moderns, fed, coffee’d and contented. Confusion quickly ensued when a sudden road closure barred us from the first turn of our route. Navigational abilities were measured in the extent of a cars’ delay reaching the first stop at lovely Hurley Village. It was a short walk to Hurley Lock on the River Thames to watch the Lock Keeper’s facilitation of pootling by boats of small to seriously immodest sizes.
Then through the villages of Wargrave, Sonning, increasingly bogged down in Bank Holiday weekend traffic, and on to Binfield Heath, past The Maharajah’s Well (now that’s a curious story), and a few miles more to Nuffield Place. This was the comparatively modest home of Sir William Morris (Lord Nuffield) the founder of Morris Motors Ltd. The Company also owned MG, Wolseley and Riley and in the 1930s the combined companies were producing over 30% of all British cars. He and his wife lived relatively frugally and were generous philanthropists in the areas of human health, medicine and science. Now owned by the National Trust it is a museum preserved as it was when bequeathed by his family after the death of Lord Nuffield in 1964. It is intriguing and revealing about the personality of one of the richest men in the world in his day, and “well worth a detour” as the Michelin Guide might say.
Our Giuliettas, joined by a 750 Veloce, looked entirely at home in front of the House while their owners and crew toured the museum. Pulling the outdoor picnic tables together, we all enjoyed an extended lunch, meeting new members and catching up with old-hands, including practical instruction on how to erect and take down a very tight hood on a Giulia Spider. An interesting and wholly enjoyable Register driving day out huge thanks to the thoughtful and thorough organization of Duncan and Bridget Ferns.
