Gabbit and Brown as well as 'closure'.

Fri.05.03.10. Chris has spent most of the morning ‘righting the wrongs’ fashioned at Robinson and Douglas. There was a severe dent in the grill, the rear number plate bracket had been bent, battery retaining bolts misplaced as well as the major ‘ghost’ fault of the electric fan. By 3.00pm I was making the short journey to Mawdesley delivering the Burlington to Tim Brown who can, with any luck, fabricate the tonneau cover. The workshop at Dark Lane is located in a purpose built industrial unit. There are designated spaces for admin’, clean tidy sewing facilities, ample, organised storage of materials, sufficient room for up to six vehicles with an annexe for an additional ten. This place is somewhat of a refreshing undiscovered paradise, not ‘Pontins but ‘Sandals’. Immediately, Tim spotted the shoddy cockpit trim as well as the unsubstantial seat webbing. The job description has now been slightly altered to incorporate the re-trim of the dash component, the specification of which shall be decided tomorrow after further inspection; along with the colour of the cover.

The progress of the past few days has been a revelation. The Burlington is driving better than ever, one of the final integral, massively, important parts, the tonneau, is at long last being undertaken: the project is firmly back on track. Thankfully I now have absolutely no need to contact, or have empty telephone calls, speak in tongues or engage in Vulcan mind games with Michael ever again. He can remain on Mars for as long as he wishes. Result!

Sat.06.03.10. During the morning I was curiously summoned to Standish to ‘deal with’ most of the debris that had been accumulated over the past four years; all of which was amassed in the centre of the workshop at Westmead. Many of the used or unused parts will be saved, stored or simply taken to the municipal tip. Propped up against the walls of the garage were the now familiar worn trestle stands that once supported the chassis originally positioned alongside the adjacent body tub; together with the bright yellow axle stands which were later to become the resting place of the vehicle as she was being built then rebuilt then designed and re-designed. Amongst the pile were discarded, inferior components that had been rejected after being offered up, extra gasket sets, additional gauges, switches and clocks, rubber trim, aluminium extrusions, stainless pipes plus seven boxes of assorted screws, nuts and bolts: the neglected spoils of forgotten labour. 

This clearing out gesture is more than auto cleansing it is an act of closure. Although not present when I packed and removed the various boxes I feel that Chris is drawing a final line, calling time: this is an end to his full blown commitment to the project. I do not have a problem with this action, the time and determined effort displayed by Chris over the past four years, coincidentally to the day, has been utterly remarkable. I am also well aware that I myself have been a little negligent, using the developments in France as an excuse. This day means that a new chapter in the story will now unfold: travelling to where, I do not know. From today the Burlington will be stored at Marylebone.