The Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls meets Henry Royce - 111th Anniversary of Their Meeting at the Midland Hotel Manchester 4 May 1904 - Celebrated in Customary Fashion by the CCC at the Bristol Hotel in Warsaw, Poland

When Rolls Met Royce

Monday 4th May 2014 marked 111 years to the day since Frederick Henry Royce, who owned an electrical and mechanical business, met Charles Stewart Rolls, who ran a car company in London. Rolls and Royce met at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on 4 May 1904 to discuss a proposed partnership. Royce had just built his first motor car and the pair reached an agreement over lunch to manufacture vehicles to be sold under the name Rolls-Royce. Midland Hotel Manchester shortly after completion in 1903 not long before Rolls and Royce met there The first Rolls-Royce car, the 10hp, was unveiled at the Paris Salon in December 1904. Two years later saw the formation of the Rolls-Royce Company. After considering sites in Manchester, Coventry, Bradford and Leicester, Derby's council offered the company cheap electricity on a site on the southern edge of the city and the rest, as they say, is history… (Courtesy of Flying Spares)

As Rolls-Royce remains one of the greatest brand names and industrial British Institutions (despite changes of ownership) I always celebrate this meeting of the founders every year. Well someone in Dam Buster spirit has to fly the flag after all, even an Australian living in Poland.

I headed up to the historic Bristol Hotel in Central Warsaw near the Presidential Palace, the CCC base. I had a glass or two of champagne and leafed through  some of the past Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club Bulletins and RR books I have not had time to look at closely. I have been a member of the R-REC (Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club) for over 20 years.

My 20 year badge

Books...and more books...

I mention my rather sentimental activity to the CCC Membership and one local and one overseas member (who just happened to be in Warsaw) turned up to share the spirit - Ian Booth and one of our overseas members, Adrian Pilbeam.

Yes, well...

The weather was chilly this anniversary and threatening rain so we celebrated inside. In the rather chic cafe we had a few glasses of fine Deutz Champagne and an excellent selection of delicious Tapas such as Roasted Goat Cheese in Filo Pastry with Honey and Walnuts, Duck Liver Pate - really delicious - Confit of Duck, Garlic Shrimps and Calamari with Lemon Mayonnaise. A few Espressos to finish off a pleasant few hours chatting about the difficulties and pleasures of driving, maintaining and restoring classic cars in Poland. 

28 years of faithful service. Purchased 19 May 1987.

Ian Booth had to head off to the inauguration of the new Saudi Arabian Embassy where he was being awarded a medal by Prince Khalid for his engineering contribution to the project. How thoughtful and loyal of him to call in for the RR anniversary drink on the way! Much appreciated at least by me and congratulations to him.

There are many exceptionally talented and distinguished members of the CCC - most in fact!

'Our Ian' being awarded his medal by Prince Khalid of Saudi Arabia at the inauguration of the new Saudi Arabian Embassy in Warsaw

   

Part of the Speech made by Sir Charles Rolls at the Dinner following the 1905 Tourist Trophy Race:

Mr. Royce is one of those unassuming, hard-working men who devote their lives to the study and solution of difficult and mechanical problems, and to whom indirectly are due the general advancement of civilization and the high position which Great Britain holds at resent in the engineering world.