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I have been in love with all things Frazer Nash since childhood. Part of our family folklore is that my father Hugh and his brother Tim were brought home from hospital as new born babies in my Grandfather’s Frazer Nash, so Nashing has been in the blood for three generations of our family. Happily the fourth generation of the family is now enjoying fantastic success behind the wheel of Ron and Archie’s creation- so long may that family connection continue.
When I was asked to be Captain I found the whole idea rather daunting with regard to trying to fit being Captain around my busy job as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in conjunction with the demands of a growing young family. However the Frazer Nash Car Club is something that I have always been absolutely passionate about, and being Captain of the Club has been one of the best things that I have done to date.
My mantra for my time as Captain has been to make the Club as inclusive as possible and encourage every member to participate in all the activities that we organise by breaking down any real or apparent barriers. I hope that to a certain extent I have achieved this aim. It has been wonderful to see competing and non-competing cars parked in the same paddock at Silverstone and Castle Combe with every club member present getting stuck in and clearly having a great time.
I have been incredibly lucky that the three years of my Captaincy coincided with the 2019 Bolzano raid. This was simply two weeks of Nashing heaven which was so fantastically organised by the Thirlby’s, Glies’, and Grundy’s. I was really simply riding on their coat tails but the whole two weeks will live long in the memory. The Alpine day sharing the driving with my cousin Tommy Waterfield and AUL running like a train is unforgettable and is certainly one of the best motoring days I have ever enjoyed.
During the three years of my Captaincy the Club has broken fresh ground by organising racing grids for our members at several meetings at different tracks which have been really successful and have enabled us to demonstrate the wonderful esprit de corps that exists between members which has been a joy to see.
I cannot write this piece without mentioning the C word. I am of course referring to Covid 19 and all the mayhem that Covid has caused to the world in general and of course to our Club where we have had to change our activities for 2020 and 2021 considerably.
None of the above would have been possible without the guidance I have received from our excellent committee and support of the membership. I thank each and every one of you for helping to make the job of Captain so easy.
It has been an absolute pleasure being Captain of the Frazer Nash Car Club. My advice to all of our members would be that if you are ever lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to be Captain, you should jump at the chance. It will be one of the most rewarding things that you will ever do.
