Behind the Curtain at Flying Spares: A Day with the Middlesex RREC.

Last week we opened our doors to the Middlesex Section of the RREC — or at least, we propped them open just long enough for everyone to rush inside before the cold claimed another victim. We’d hoped for a glittering line-up of Rolls-Royces and Bentleys to grace the yard, but with the roads resembling a salt mine on strike, we can’t blame anyone for leaving their pride and joy tucked up at home.

Still, what we did get was worth the wait: Will’s immaculately tidy Arnage arrived first, setting a strong start to the day, followed closely by Nigel’s one-of-a-kind, custom-built Silver Spirit pickup truck — a fever dream on four wheels in the best possible way. A handful of other brave souls followed, each one rolling in with that familiar “I hope the grit didn’t get me” expression. Respect.

 


 

Once everyone had thawed out over tea, coffee, and a proper catch-up in our newly finished reception area, it was on to the grand tour.

Craig and Gaz took the reins first, guiding everyone through our new premises. Watching people try to take in the sheer volume of parts we stock is always a highlight — the mix of awe, confusion, and “good lord, that’s a lot of engines” never gets old.

Shelves of brand-new, OEM, aftermarket, and rows upon rows of original, reconditioned, and recycled parts. It’s the sort of stuff that makes some people’s hearts flutter, and others break out in hives. But to RREC members? Pure catnip.

 

 

Then it was over to Andy Thwaites — Head of our technical services and unofficial Chief of All Things Taken Apart — to lead the workshop tour. Here, our guests got the full behind-the-scenes experience: cars in various stages of resurrection (or dissection), components laid out for assessment, and that in-between stage we lovingly refer to as “in limbo.” They watched our lads doing what they do best: reconditioning steering racks, carbs, pumps, distributors, and pretty much anything else that can be persuaded back to life with skill, patience, and the occasional stern word.

 

 

Finally, lured by equal parts curiosity and bravado, the group braved the cold once more to explore the yard — home to our fleet of donor cars in various stages of heroic decay.

For those accustomed to concours-ready showpieces, it’s… an experience. There’s always a moment where someone goes a bit pale at the sight of a once-gracious Rolls or Bentley wearing more rust than paint. But, as everyone soon understood, these cars are the unsung heroes. Without them, many of the original parts still keeping all manner of Crewe-built classics on the road today simply wouldn’t exist.

Social media shows the before-and-afters, the transformations, the glory shots. But seeing these donor cars in person — seeing what they’ve endured, and what they still give — that’s something else entirely.

 

 

All in all, it was a brilliant day: good company, good conversations, a peek behind the curtain, and plenty of appreciation for the craft (and chaos) that keeps these cars on the road. Frosty fingers aside, we couldn’t have asked for better guests.

Same time next year — preferably above freezing?