We just didn’t have the heart to turn them away. In August, our increasingly popular Sunday morning ‘Breakfast at JD’s’ still had large numbers of enthusiasts in our workshops well past the official finishing time of 11.30.am But seeing as some of them had been waiting outside well before the gates opened at 8.30 (several having travelled from some distance away) it seemed polite to let them linger a while.
And by all accounts, August’s crowd had a great time listening to Win Percy, who was in great form, and as fascinating and engaging as his reputation would suggest.
A good number of our guests got to talk to Win personally, who did a great job bringing to life a number of his exploits in colourful detail – including the infamous, colossal crash he walked away from at Le Mans back in the eighties. We listened enraptured as he recalled how his rear tyre blew at 240mph on the Mulsanne Straight, sending his car flying backwards above the trees. And as he related how he continued crashing for well over half a kilometre, we had to make a conscious effort to remember to breathe…
And then there was the world’s oldest E-Type, 9600 HP – reputedly the world’s most photographed car. It was both humbling and heartening to think that such a historically important vehicle wandered its way through Sunday traffic to get to us. So huge thanks go to both its owner, author Philip Porter and Win Percy for helping make the day as special as it was.
Then the same thing happened in September: people queuing outside, then once inside, not in any hurry to leave. Once the dust had settled, over 500 classic car and modern luxury marque enthusiasts had passed through our doors in September – our biggest crowd yet.
Stop Press!
We had originally scheduled just four Breakfast at JD’s this summer. But due to popular demand, we’ve been encouraged to include a further two dates this autumn, when a number of enthusiasts are back from holiday. So do join us if you can on October 4th and November 8th. As ever, gates open at 8.30am. But please note that we will be nudging you ever so gently towards the doors for a sharp exit at 11.30am, if we can…