Barbara Miles

Barbara and David lived for 40+ years in the Pennines, in a farmhouse built in 1718, surrounded by hills and fields but with a passion for sailing, they always planned to live by the sea when they retired. January 2023 saw them move to Poole to be near their daughter and family, also moving Barbara’s 94 & 95 year old parents to live nearby in Lilliput.

Having spent a lifetime dinghy and keelboat racing, cruising the Irish Sea and across the Channel to France from North Wales, vintage cars did not seem a likely retirement hobby.
However, Barbara was introduced to Vintage Rolls Royces when they passed the ‘vetting’ process and David bought a 1934 Hooper 20/25 from a Yorkshire Section member. The engine was in the back of the car in several boxes and a complete rebuild/restoration project began driven by David who had been ‘messing’ with cars most of his life. Decorating skills that Barbara had honed on walls, doors and window frames were transferred to re-veneering and lacquering a dashboard and woodwork around windows.

Barbara and David joined the Yorkshire and Northern sections and spent many happy days /hours attending Club events and learning from other members. Other cars followed, their confidence grew and in 2018 they joined the Isle of Wight tour in their 1926 Phantom 1, travelling 300 miles to the ferry port via Goodwood.