When I was asked whether I’d like to take part in the Hagerty Drivers Club tour of Kent and East Sussex, I jumped at the chance. If you have read my report from the Northern Tour in 2025 that saw us take in the wonderful scenery and even more spectacular roads of the Lake District and North Yorkshire Moors, you’ll know that I loved every moment of it, so the answer was easy. Also, it gave me the chance to stretch the legs of my new toy, a 1967 Lancia Flaminia GTL.
On paper, the journey from my home in West Sussex to the start point at Perry Hill Farm, just off the A28 between Ashford and Canterbury, was relatively straightforward but I don’t enjoy British motorways in any classic car, so decided to plot a route across country. I stopped near Brighton at a roadside café, and within minutes I’d been approached by a cyclist who was interested in the car. Ten minutes later, he left, to be replaced by a motorcyclist, who was similarly fascinated by the Lancia. I love talking about cars, so was delighted to chat. A very similar situation occurred at my next stop, Ocklynge Cemetery in Eastbourne. A few years ago, I wrote Goldie, the biography of Goldie Gardner who is buried there, and I’d never visited the grave. I ended up speaking to Ben, the vicar of St Michaels and All Angels Church, who not only let me park there, but told me about his father’s love for old Bentleys, and asked me all about my car.
The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful, and after a night’s rest, we met at Perry Hill Farm bright and early the next morning for coffee, sausage baps and all manner of pastries. The car park filled quickly, and with an eclectic mix of cars, old and new, amongst them a phenomenal, original 1963 AC (Shelby) Cobra and an immaculate Ferrari 308 GTB, an almost brand-new Alpine A110, a GR Yaris and a glorious 2019 Jaguar F-Type. Quickly, the drivers and passengers started chatting and after an introduction by tour planner Georgia Peck, we set off. A tulip logbook was provided and also a QR code that sent a map to your mobile phone, so it was hard to get lost. Hard, but not impossible, especially when various small country roads seemed to have been closed at random throughout the day. Nevertheless, we arrived on schedule at our first stop: CKL Developments, the race preparation and restoration experts, known worldwide for their Jaguar specialism. The workshops there were extraordinary and included a host of incredible cars including C- and D-Types, and all manner of E-Type racers, many of which were fresh from competition the previous weekend at the Goodwood Revival.
After CKL, we headed to our lunch stop, at the Charles Palmer Vineyard just outside of Winchelsea. As we were treated to a drink and a wood-fired pizza and took in the phenomenal view over the vineyard below, we chatted again, not just about cars, but discovering each other’s stories. Then, it was on again, through more winding roads, taking in the glorious sights and sounds of a late summer’s day, before reaching Georgia Peck’s extraordinary Aubrey Halls in Rye, part classic car dealership, part amazing event space. We then split in two, half staying there to make alcohol free cocktails, and half being taken on a walking tour of this historic town. Still chatting, we returned and set off on the final leg back past Ashford to Eastwell Manor where the tour ended. The imposing Tudor manor house once frequently housed Queen Victoria, and one of the historic dining rooms was an apt setting for the farewell dinner, with superb food and (for those staying that night) a few glasses of wine.
The following day, I drove home, this time taking the boring route along the motorway. It gave me time to think, and I quickly realised that although I’d enjoyed driving the Flaminia along those beautiful roads and loved seeing all the other cars and finding out about them, the elements I prized most highly were the human connections I’d made. Even on my journey to the start, I’d had three long conversations with strangers and during the day, I’d made real new friends who I’m still in touch with. If I’d been in a normal car, none of those interactions would have happened.
This, for me, is where cars are truly important: Driving can be fun, challenging, and exhilarating but touring, stopping to interact with others, is truly rewarding.
