King's Court resident Gaynor relives her days as a rally queen
It was a journey Gaynor Atkinson confessed made her feel like 22 again.
The 92-year-old resident of King’s Court Care Home, in Holt, was stepping out of a Ford Escort rally car that had just noisily sped up the drive after a rapid tour around the north Norfolk town.
Her beaming smile told cheering onlookers she had loved her experience that brought memories flooding back of the time 70 years earlier when she was a fearless female pioneer in a man’s world.
Staff at the Kingsley Healthcare home had been amazed when Mrs Atkinson revealed she had competed in rallies around the UK in her early 20s, driving her brother Barry’s open-top MG TF.
A framed newspaper cutting from the Leicester Mercury that takes pride of place in her room alongside a silver cup are evidence of the time she and her navigator, best friend and future sister in law Barbara Winram, took on all the men and beat them in a Midlands rally.
King’s Court activities coordinator Emily Parden thought it would be a great idea to surprise Mrs Atkinson with a visit by a rally car and retired motor dealer Steve Tilburn, from the King’s Lynn Motor Club, kindly obliged by bringing along his classic Ford Escort MK2.
Before Mrs Atkinson went on her spin, Mr Tilburn and the club secretary, Duncan Russell, showed her all the modern-day safety gear.
The great-grandmother said: “Back then, there were no seatbelts and we wore head scarves rather than crash helmets. We wanted to look glamorous as the only women competing against all the men. That was the attraction of it!”
Mrs Atkinson, the daughter of prominent Leicester coal merchant William Hurcock, recalled that her navigator, Barbara, did not know her left from her right and had to write L and R on her hands; to add to her challenges, she was also car sick.
She said: “My brother had been a rally driver, winning prizes in European events, including the famous Monte Carlo rally; I started competing in his car when he went off to do his National Service in 1950.”
Her rally driving stopped at the age of 24 when her first husband thought it was too dangerous after an incident when she went up and down a bank.
Thanking Mr Tilburn for an amazing experience, she said she did not want her adventures to stop. “Perhaps I can do hang-gliding next time,” she joked!
Mr Tilburn said it had been a pleasure to arrange the surprise trip; their club is planning to return to King’s Court next year for a classic car display.
