History
 Left to right: Peter Briggs, Noel Semmens, Dennis Lingane, Maurice Brockwell.     

  David Shephard (Not pictured)                                                                                                 Home

The Burley Briggs on one of his morning walks stopped by the garage and said : “Bought a 3-litre, Eh Lingane?”

“Yep, mortgaged the house and took the plunge.”

“That’s two of us, when we get a third vintage Bentley we should form a Bentley Drivers Club in WA,” and strode off.

Maurice Brockwell opened a bottle of Moet Champagne poured me, Marianne and Lesleyann a glass each and raised his: “Lingane I can’t think of a person more deserving of a vintage Bentley 3-litre than you - here’s to the 3-litre.”

He sipped the champagne and then said: “But I’ll still call you a ***** in public.”

Some might think that’s a lot of fuss over a mountain of rusty parts piled up in my garage, but such was the enthusiasm from two larger than life chaps - stalwarts in the old car movement on all fronts.

Within a few months Brockwell rocked up at our 1895 York Railway Station in a 3-litre.

Now we were three: and a Bentley Boys lunch was duly held at the WA Club and we discussed forming the BDC WA.

“I want the first meeting at my bar,” pouted Briggs. “It was my idea.”

In May 1997 five of us gathered at Briggs’ Toad Hall Bentley Bar to discuss whether we should go ahead and call a public meeting to form yet another car club in WA. We made a sizeable dent in Brigg’s wine cellar as we mulled it over.

“We don’t just want another car club,” argued Briggs. “We want theatre, eccentrics, people who rock up with scarves flying and engines burbling.”

“And no bloody teetotalers,” thundered Maurice.

So a public meeting was called, and, in the back bar of Maurice’s Moon & Sixpence Pub, a bunch of characters rolled up and we were off and running.

I was appointed founding Chairman and flew to London with the paperwork and hand deliver our request for a WA Chapter to BDC HQ in Long Crendon.

Within a few months Vintage Bentleys were coming out of our ears. One was under restoration in WA, and our now enthusiastic group were buying them out of the East like hotcakes.

As organisational issues escalated Brockwell stepped up to the plate and took over the Chairman’s role to organise: incorporation, constitution, special Bentley number plates with BDC logo, public liability insurance and the myriad other things the bureaucrats now demand when all we wanted was to play with old motor cars.

Shephard was quickly handed the financial reigns because he is the only one we trust with our dosh.

We quickly became an integral part of the international set campaigning Bentleys from China to Ireland and the WA mystique was born with over 30 colourful theatrical  members now swelling the ranks.

The club continues to grow with eccentrics filling the ranks and in its recognition internationally.

Trevor Eastwood is the latest WA motoring collector to swell our ranks with three WOs.

We have personal links with members in Singapore, America, Australia, UK, Ireland, and recently Japan.

Jimmy Medcalf, Chairman of the International BDC asked us to organise an International Rally in Australia, “because there has never been one down under, and you are the best group to do it,” he said flippantly.

We didn’t realise what a big ask it was for such a small club, especially as we were also up for running the Australian BDC national.

But we said “Yes” and the “International Down Under” is here after three years of blood, sweat and tears planning. Ask David Shephard who took on the challenge to run it and has covered around 15,000km in route surveying.

But the party is now officially on.

Dennis Lingane

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May 21, 1997

 Minutes of the first BDC of WA meeting held at
    Toad Hall Bentley Bar.

 Convened by Dennis Lingane

Present: BDC members Peter Briggs, Maurice Brockwell, Noel Semmens, David Shephard, Dennis Lingane. Apologies: Jeremy Green, Julian Walter.

 Meeting opened at 7pm .

Squire Lingane agreed to chair meeting, take minutes, and official photograph.

Lord Whimsy Briggs agreed to keep wine glasses full.

 Mail in: Letter from Bill Port, Bentley Drivers Club UK, encouraging the formation of a WA chapter of the BDC.

License documentation for BDC of WA.

 Chairman Lingane reports: There has been a deal of interest in forming a BDC in WA because of the increasing number of Vintage Bentleys arriving in the state.

However, another club with a new constitution,  monthly meetings and subscriptions was considered too cumbersome for a small club focusing on quality not quantity.

So the simple answer is to form a chapter under the umbrella of the International Bentley Drivers Club Federation.

This would cost a mere $2 a year for the club to have a license agreement with the UK club and Bentley Motors to enable use of  the Bentley emblems.

However this would necessitate the members of the BDC of WA being financial members of the mother club.

The club caters for all Bentleys from Cricklewood to Crewe.

The strategy for WA would be to run as a social club with members gathering a few times a year to share their enthusiasm for the marque.

The WA chapter would have an ad hoc committee that would set a calendar of events that would enable Bentley enthusiasts to gather on special occasions.

 Six events a year was considered sufficient.

The Classic Car Show, British Car Day and an AGM ((BBQ style) were three obvious events. There would also be three runs a year including a request for a MkVI-Rtype register run.

David Shephard requested clarification on joining fees and it was noted that annual membership of the UK Club was 50 pounds Stirling and joining fee 32 pounds.

It was unanimously agreed a social BDC of WA be formed and a public meeting be called of all BDC members and potential members at a date to be agreed.

Packet Leader Brockwell offered free use of the Moon and Sixpence Stables.

Brockwell also volunteered to put his immense lease and license talents to use and examine the documentation from the BDC and report.

 Lord Whimsy Briggs appealed that  the club would put emphasis on fun.

“There are a lot of serious clubs in the movement and they have their place,” he said. “But Bentley people around the world are fun loving. I would like us to emulate that here in WA. We should turn up with scarves flying,. wearing ‘funny’ hats and clothes.

“We need to put some old fashioned style back into our motoring. We need a little bit of theatre.”

This brought a round of “hear hear” from the meeting.

But a suggestion that each end meeting end with a rendition of “Faith of our Fathers” by Packet Leader Brockwell and Commodore Semmens (as displayed on British Car day) was roundly abused with unprintable invective.

The point was made such public outpourings could single members out for litigation under some public nuisance Act.

Lingane read a proposed circular informing interested parties of the proposed public meeting.  This was cleared for public distribution.

 The meeting ended at approx. 8pm and the group gathered  for an official photograph under the Bentley Driver’s Club bar sign.

 The Gentlemen then rejoined the Wives Club  and enjoy the food and wine provided by Bon Vivant Lord Whimsy and his able wife Robin.

Factum Est