17 Jun 2011 No Comments
Bentley Drivers Club visit Keswick, the Lakes
What an exciting time on the roads around Keswick this week! 
The Bentley Drivers Club month long tour is at the Lodore Falls Hotel for two nights. Almost 60 Bentleys have been parked in the Lodore Falls Hotel car park – including some of the rarest in the country. There are two 8 litre models, some dating back to the 1920′s (the oldest from 1923) and some amazing cars like the well known Big Blue. The group travelled down from Loch Lomond and are relaxing at the Lodore Falls Hotel, visiting Keswick before they travel through the Lakes to North Wales.
It is a trip of a lifetime for some. For one young Japanese man, Mr Nacamura it was chance to bring his father on a trip of a lifetime and they have been enjoying their English Lakes visit. The four week tour includes several cars from around the world including Australia, USA – there are in total, 39 Australians and 9 Americans staying at the hotel.
Craig Davis from the USA (1927 Bentley), said “There’s wonderful scenery and challenging roads. It’s wonderful to meet up with so many other ‘petrol heads’.”
Alan Tribe from Perth USA owns one of the two famous 8 litre Bentley cars. He said “it is quite a mammoth task shipping the car so we don’t do this kind of trip very often. This is my first tour of the UK and is certainly a very interesting place. We may even come back to the Lodore Falls Hotel – they have given us a great deal.”
Jenny Ford, Bentley Drivers Club Director said “This is a wonderful hotel, perfectly positioned in the Lakes – much quieter than Windermere and we can get on the roads easily. It is very much a family hotel and their organisation and attention has been great. Of the 15 hotels we are staying at, they are one of only three to offer garages – something that’s a great benefit to our drivers.”
Tonight the group will be sailing on Derwentwater before enjoying supper and drinks back at the hotel. Director of the Lake District Hotel Group Charles Graves has his very own vintage Bentley and he was delighted to see all the cars in the car park. He said “It has to be the biggest and best collection of Bentleys ever to visit Cumbria and we are honoured to have so many illustrious cars and their international drivers staying with us.”
Malcolm Bobbitt, well known automobile journalist has spent the morning here at the Lodore Falls Hotel, writing an article for Cumbria Life magazine. He said “It’s like being in a sweet shop – and there are some very rare, fantastic cars here.”
