Spring (and believe it or not, Summer) is coming soon - to a place near you!

So why re-visit locations you know all too well? Isn’t the purpose of owning a ‘classic’ to show it off, discover new regions and meet new fellow ‘classic’ enthusiasts?

Actually you know, Burgundy in France is not that far away – and certainly worth a visit. What better way to fully charge any classic’s battery than by giving it good Spring and Summer drives?

And don’t we find that such drives re-charge our own batteries in the process – part of the buzz coming from all the admiring and inquisitive onlookers?

“Les Lavandes”, between Louhans and Lons Le Saunier (capital of the Jura and birthplace of Rouget de L’Isle, author of the libretto that accompanies the “Marseillaise” French national anthem) - has just been privileged to play host to two superb and probably rare examples of Triumph Herald Coupés.

Both in pristine, very original condition and dating from 1959 and 1962, they journeyed across the relatively mountainous, but scenic route between Geneva and Beauvernois.

Beauvernois is close to Savigny en Revermont, with views of the Jura foothills. The magnificent Coupés arrived to join an English Herald 1200 saloon built in 1970 that lives and works with its owners, Catherine and Colin Winn. It is one of those honest, working Heralds that has been used on a daily basis.

Creating a situation of delicious irony only realised on its arrival, the 1962 model which is owned and driven by Bob Copson and accompanied on this trip by his navigator daughter Fiona, is painted in a delightful Primrose yellow. This made a wonderful foil to the timber framing and similarly slightly more ‘acid’ lemon yellow infill panelling of the Winn’s 1739 bourgeoise bressanne maison.

In another curious coincidence, Ros and Alfio Favero’s gorgeous 1959 Coupé closely followed its host venue’s name by turning up in its highly attractive two-tone Monaco Blue on Sebring White livery!

Obviously, the two cars had managed to find themselves an entirely sympathetic venue and rested so that their owners could take advantage of the chambres d’hôtes and tables d’hôtes that Catherine and Colin provide:- English hospitality in a French rural atmosphere.

Colin has always had an interest in classic vehicles (and aircraft, too – being nutty on WWII and other vintage aircraft ‘though having been fortunate enough not to have been involved in the associated warfare).

For him as an artist/illustrator/photographer it is the looks, the colour schemes, often the construction designs themselves that serve to enhance that interest. They are in their own way, sculptures.

The design aspect has had importance for him as, like many others, he has mostly serviced the cars he has owned by himself. It’s great, he thinks, when looks and practicality occasionally work hand-in-hand. One marque that fulfils that criteria is the Triumph Herald range. The MG, however, demanded
multi-jointed body parts not in the original human design specification, particularly wrists, he recalls.

His wife Catherine remembers being picked up and being driven around in his 1974, 1275cc
MG Midget (round wheel arches, chrome bumpers) in a rather attractive squashed caterpillar colour that British Leyland laughingly described as “Citron” – but Colin reckons that more than anything, she recalls hair-do wreckage!

And Colin recalls, more than anything, the bitter-sweet day that Catherine announced she was pregnant and at that same moment, the awful realisation that the Midget would have to be sold for something a little more practical . . . which is how they came to buy the Herald that they still have!

But back to the plot.

The following morning’s photo session was taken with relatively weak spring sun breaking through and the two more elderly vehicles were lined up with Colin and Catherine’s somewhat shame-faced but admittedly daily-used royal blue Herald, looking somewhat square against the sleeker lines of the Coupés.

But the cars did not rest long to pose, the two older vehicles departing to tour near-by Louhans and the delightful and stunningly impressive valley that houses the ancient Baume-les-Messieurs, close to
Chateau Chalon’s vineyards, from whence the rich yellow wines are derived.

These yellow wines are well known in the Jura but seldom tasted outside the region, for reasons of
low-volume production. There are even years in which it is not produced at all, this being determined by the availability . . . or not . . . of late summer sunshine. It therefore maintains a reasonable market price on the shelves, as a result.

Baume-les-Messieurs is only a short distance away. It sits in a horse-shoe shaped valley between vertical cliff walls. The location is Conan Doyle-ish and you expect a pterodactyl to swoop overhead any minute. This is not to say that here you won’t see a wide variety of raptors above you anyway! There are grottos to explore, wonderful waterfall configurations all of which tempt you to go on to discover the spectacular Hérisson Falls - the noise from which, on close approach, caused my daughter to cover her ears – and where if you are intrepid enough, you can dare to pass behind.

Louhans is a busy working town. It sits on the confluence of two rivers and the coloured glazed tiles of the Hotel Dieu are a feast for the eyes when sunlit. You can catch the buzz of the Monday market. Its produce rivals any and you bustle your way along the street of multiple arcades, a conglomerate of ancient architectural epochs.

After an impressive first Spring run, the crews and owners of the two Coupes bid a fond farewell to Beauvernois in the Jura foothills of the Revermont and wended a leisurely way back to Geneva for a well earned check-over, ready for the next run.

Colin and Catherine are indebted to the entire Copson family and to Ros and Alfio Favero for not only generating huge enjoyment through the arrival and use of their classic Triumphs, but also for giving their whole-hearted permission for the Winn’s to use the photographs taken of their beautiful vehicles. Very generous and much appreciated – thank you!

For future Classic Car Club member visitors to “Les Lavandes” and which for collective benefit, there is another local feature that may well be of interest. It is the all-new, purpose-built racing circuit at a place named Le Miroir. This is only some 15 kms south of “Les Lavandes” and lays directly off the A39 autoroute. There is he believes, also a karting facility currently being built, too.

Further enquiries about or painting holidays, their chambres d’hôtes, table d’hôtes, week long or weekend classic car, wine-tasting, antique-hunting, regional discovery holidays, commissioned artwork, illustration, photographic assignments, article writing and/or track racing, can be addressed to
Colin and Catherine Winn by viewing their website at;
www.pictureburgundy.com using the e-mail link there,
by e-mail direct;
info@pictureburgundy.com .

Or letters can be snailmailed to;
Colin and Catherine Winn, “Les Lavandes”,
Beauvernois, 71580, Savigny en Revermont, Bourgogne, France.

Here’s to the next batch of ‘classic’ visitors!

Colin Winn © 2006