08-11-2019, 10:58 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-11-2019, 11:00 AM by Oxford Jack.)
I was a marshall on the LtoB in Sector 15 on Sunday. I had the good fortune to spend the 20 minutes before our Sector got the flag to move off, speaking to Ron and Billi a delightful couple from Calgari, Canada.
We shared stories of long distance road trips we had both made, they in many different kinds of vehicles, mostly pre 20's. They were obviously experienced travellers and had completed the LtoB 3 times previously. They were late entrants this year and consequently were out of position in Sector 15. In the few minutes before setting off another Knox runabout passed to its position in Sector 14, Ron and Billi knew them and they exchanged waves. The second Knox had a name on the side "Old Porcupine", a common nickname for this model due to the many spines attached to the cooling system which dissipate heat. Ron and Billi's car had no such name on it.
The car has an occasional seats at the front which fold up when not in use, we joked that the occupants would the first at the scene of any accident (fate would prove otherwise in this instance) As the "Leave Now" board came around I wished them good luck on the journey and expressed the hope to see them sometime on the road. I may have been the last person outside the car to speak to them, which has been a very sobering thought.
I had talked about the car to Ron, he showed me the various mods made to assist the car deal with modern conditions and the age of the driver, self starter, improved carburation, excellent brakes, it appeared that the car was in really good mechanical condition. They were warmly dressed and had the items necessary for a journey of that length in the conditions prevailing.
Later on Sunday I read about the accident and thought it must be the the second Knox, because it was reported as involving "Old Porcupine", however late on Sunday it became evident that it was the in fact the Carey's who had suffered the misfortune. I have been in touch with the organisers and am relieved to be able to report that Billi, who was airlifted to St.George's hospital, was discharged within two days and is now staying with friends in London.
I will make no comment on the circumstances of the incident, as has been said until all the facts that can be know are known, speculation is just that, speculation and there is enough of that swilling about in the political arena to fill even the largest vessel. A lovely couple doing what they loved amongst friends and acquaintances, that it should end in that way is sad and distressing. As Sgt Philip Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues would say "Lets be careful out there"!
We shared stories of long distance road trips we had both made, they in many different kinds of vehicles, mostly pre 20's. They were obviously experienced travellers and had completed the LtoB 3 times previously. They were late entrants this year and consequently were out of position in Sector 15. In the few minutes before setting off another Knox runabout passed to its position in Sector 14, Ron and Billi knew them and they exchanged waves. The second Knox had a name on the side "Old Porcupine", a common nickname for this model due to the many spines attached to the cooling system which dissipate heat. Ron and Billi's car had no such name on it.
The car has an occasional seats at the front which fold up when not in use, we joked that the occupants would the first at the scene of any accident (fate would prove otherwise in this instance) As the "Leave Now" board came around I wished them good luck on the journey and expressed the hope to see them sometime on the road. I may have been the last person outside the car to speak to them, which has been a very sobering thought.
I had talked about the car to Ron, he showed me the various mods made to assist the car deal with modern conditions and the age of the driver, self starter, improved carburation, excellent brakes, it appeared that the car was in really good mechanical condition. They were warmly dressed and had the items necessary for a journey of that length in the conditions prevailing.
Later on Sunday I read about the accident and thought it must be the the second Knox, because it was reported as involving "Old Porcupine", however late on Sunday it became evident that it was the in fact the Carey's who had suffered the misfortune. I have been in touch with the organisers and am relieved to be able to report that Billi, who was airlifted to St.George's hospital, was discharged within two days and is now staying with friends in London.
I will make no comment on the circumstances of the incident, as has been said until all the facts that can be know are known, speculation is just that, speculation and there is enough of that swilling about in the political arena to fill even the largest vessel. A lovely couple doing what they loved amongst friends and acquaintances, that it should end in that way is sad and distressing. As Sgt Philip Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues would say "Lets be careful out there"!