Classic cars and barn finds!
We visit lots of old farmhouses and often they’re attached to farms with ramshakle barns and other old buildings, and of course they’re often full of rubbish but sometimes other, more interesting stuff! One such example of the latter was at a farm we did a stone fireplace for in the middle of last summer. The client had taken over the farm from his uncle (who had died) and clearly nothing had been done to anything for a long time, but equally, nothing had been spoiled; the buildings were in original, if dilapidated, state, and their contents had been undisturbed since the war.
Well, in one barn, there was a dusty old tarpaulin, and under it was a stunning open sports car. It looked like an early Alfa Romeo, or something similar, but in fact turned out to be a 1947 Lea Francis 14 sports. It’s a really beautiful car, and very rare. (few people have heard of it) It’s complete, and has all it’s parts and components. It looks like the Uncle had started to restore it, as things like the seats were recovered in lovely leather, and the instruments are all restored too. Anyway, he initially intended to complete the restoration, but now realises he hasn’t got the time, and has decided instead to sell it, to provide some funds to go towards to restoration of his house.
It’s all cold in the stone yard, but we’re all outside busy carving a big limestone fireplace for a regular customer. He’s doing up a house for client, and always recommends our stone work which is very kind.
The farmer is stressed today, as the sheep were out when he got up this morning. They were wandering slowly down the village, and into people gardens, but he got all the masons to be shepherds, and we had them all back in, in about 10 minutes, but I can see that he is still rattled.