Chris Sheldrake

Chris and his wife of almost 50 years, Ann, were brought up in Maidenhead in the Thames Valley. Chris spent a long career in the investment industry and they enjoyed five years living in Germany towards the end of the Cold War where driving across to West Berlin was always interesting! Upon their return to the UK in 1985, complete with first baby, they decided to move to Dorset to indulge their passion for boating.

In 2006, with their eldest son, Matthew by then 21, they established a marine business. This has now expanded to Thailand where Matthew now sells a range of boats across SE Asia alongside their thriving Superyacht Services business.

Chris has had a lifelong passion for cars and motorcycles and almost every year they have enjoyed holidays touring the continent, the first in a Triumph GT6 in 1970. In recent years, Chris has also taken his bike into Europe to ride the Alps with friends.

Chris and Ann came late to the Rolls-Royce Marque, having been smitten by a newly-restored, Geneva-registered, Silver Dawn they saw at the Principal Hotel in York.

A visit to Steve Drewitt at Silver Lady Service followed as soon as they returned home and on Steve's sound advice, a Silver Seraph rather than a Dawn was purchased to join a 1968 MGC Roadster and a 2004 Ferrari 575m Grand Tourer in the garage. A big attraction of the Seraph was its V12 engine as fitted to both the Ferrari and its predecessor, an XJS.

The Seraph was sold after 22,000 miles and five years of ownership but that was a move quickly regretted. The error was put right by the purchase of a 1955 Silver Dawn in November 2021. Having languished within a large collection for 10 years and little used, it was correctly anticipated that the Dawn would have many niggly faults and they have now largely been sorted. As a result, much has been learned about the model and the car is now running very well.

Chris would dearly like to acquire a second, older Rolls Royce. A 1930s Phantom lll would be first choice as, of course, it is the only older model with a V12 engine. Sadly, like many enthusiasts, the lack of the necessary budget and a spare garage remains a problem!