Mayor to open classic car show at Brackley Care Home

Julie Wilson, hospitality manager at the Kingsley Healthcare-run nursing home, said: "We are excited to be hosting our first car show. Tea, coffee and home-made cakes will be served and, for the early birds, bacon rolls will be available.

"The event is free but we are inviting people to make donations to the Mayor of Brackley's chosen charity."

Julie said two of the exhibitors, Les Hawkins and Sallie Connery, have a special connection to the home.

"Les's wife Irene is a resident and was one of the Brackley Care Home's first residents into the home. Sallie is the Brackley Care Home's resident hairdresser. Both have said that the cannot wait to be part of the first inaugural Brackley Care Home Classic Car Event," said Julie.

Les's car is a 1984 Jaguar XJS 5.3 12 cylinder / automatic. He bought his car brand new in 1984 from a garage in Northampton and currently it has done 26 000 miles and he has been the only owner. He is also the only one who has ever been allowed to drive it and says that "it still drives like a dream".

The furthest he has driven it was to Lizard Point in Cornwall which was about 20 years ago and currently takes it out once a week to give it a run. Whilst he often drives hte car when he comes to visit Irene at Brackley Care Home, he is very excited to be bringing it to our car show so it can be admired and appreciated by the residents and the community.

Sallie's car is a 2001 Mazda MX5. She purchased it in 2015 in order to participate in a charity event called "Monte Carlo or Bust" which she did to raise funds for Katherine House Hosoice. She drove her car from Saint-Quentin in France to Monte Carlo, a distance of 1075 kilometres and it went the distance without any issues.

She regularly participates in car shows and Mazda runs but drives her car as often as she can when the weather is sunny and she can put the top down.