[jaunty music] ♪ ♪ PETER (VOICEOVER): My name is Peter Davison.

And I've always loved classic cars.

It's such an elegant way of traveling.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): I'm Christopher Timothy.

I have a passion for history and Britain's great heritage.

I just like finding out about the past.

It's intriguing.

PETER (VOICEOVER): We've been friends ever since our All Creatures Great and Small days.

Just take it easy, will you?

Relax, Jim.

Enjoy yourself.

Woo!

Take the first gear.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Now, 40 years later, we're returning to the golden age of motoring, and setting off on a series of classic road trips, 1930s style.

You see the map in your hand.

That's for navigating.

- Yeah, but it's not-- - We don't have a satnav.

We don't have any other means of-- It's not as easy as all-- it's not as easy as all that.

PETER (VOICEOVER): We'll uncover incredible historical secrets.

Fantastic.

It's fascinating.

It's fascinating.

PETER (VOICEOVER): We'll tackle the toughest driving challenges we've ever faced.

[tires squeal] Take it easy, buddy!

PETER (VOICEOVER): And meet some truly remarkable people.

You are what real heroes are, aren't you?

You're the genuine article.

An absolute privilege.

- And me.

Thank you so much.

Hats on.

Roof down.

Home, James.

[theme music] ♪ ♪ CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Our journey today takes us through a beautiful land of motorsport champions and motoring pioneers as we travel from Edinburgh to Hadrian's Wall.

Along the way, we'll discover why this magnificent border country has produced so many successful speedsters.

The thrill of-- of racing, riding a machine to your maximum capacity, that's where the buzz is.

PETER (VOICEOVER): I buckle up for a breathtaking drive.

That's 50, flat crest.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): And we'll take a ride in an incredibly rare and trailblazing car.

There are about 16 in the world.

Well, I believe I'm the only woman owner of the gallery now.

Hurrah!

[jaunty music] ♪ ♪ PETER (VOICEOVER): Before we can start our adventure though, I need to collect Chris.

So I'm on my way to pick up Chris, who is waiting at the top of Calton Hill.

I have no idea how he got up there, but I told him it would be a good place to meet because Calton Hill offers a spectacular view of the city of Edinburgh.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): In the 1820s, Edinburgh was nicknamed the Athens of the North, thanks to the vast amount of classical architecture in the city, which was typified by grand squares, domes, and temple-style buildings.

Well, I have been warned, but this really is the most magnificent view, isn't it?

[grand music] ♪ ♪ PETER: I'm just coming up the hill now, and we're into the humps in the road, which you will feel at any moment Oh!

There you go.

[laughs] PETER (VOICEOVER): Here's hoping the rest of the ride is a lot smoother.

- Hey, how are you?

- Very well.

How are you?

What do you think?

CHRISTOPHER: One hell of a view, isn't it?

PETER: Yeah.

Would you believe that in the 1940s, the town planners wanted to build a motorway right through the middle of Edinburgh?

CHRISTOPHER: Really?

PETER: Yeah.

Well, this place wouldn't be compared to Athens or to Greece, if they'd had their way, would it?

Certainly wouldn't.

Oh, no.

Let's go.

Let's.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): For our journey to Hadrian's Wall, we're traveling in our trusty 1930s designed Morgan 4/4.

Stylish, if a little snug.

Oh!

I love it.

Here we go.

How did you do it so quickly?

I can't find the seat belt.

[jaunty music] PETER (VOICEOVER): Traveling without a satnav, our 235-mile route takes us through the stunning border country, where we'll explore this beautiful landscape-- as the pioneering drivers of the golden age of motoring would have done-- before arriving at the historic Hadrian's Wall.

PETER: I am very excited about this journey.

I'll be more excited when we escape the city.

I've driven to Edinburgh several times, but only ever up the A1, which I think-- the way most people drive to Edinburgh.

Yeah, right.

And not only this time are we reversing the route, we're starting in Edinburgh, but we're taking a journey into the unknown as well as into a bad traffic.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): If I am stuck in traffic, I can't think of someone with whom I would rather.

[laughing] PETER: Oh, dear.

This is the moment when you think that building the motorway right through the middle of Edinburgh wasn't such a bad idea after all.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): The border country we're heading towards is a hotbed of motorsport driving talent.

But Scotland also has a claim to motor manufacturing fame.

The first British-built car was attributed to a Scottish engineer called George Johnston in 1895.

He built a car, and once he'd built it, he went straight out and received the first speeding fine.

You invent a car, and then five minutes later, you invent the speeding fine.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Whilst Scotland led the way in motor manufacturing in the UK, it wasn't the exclusive preserve of men.

The first successful female car manufacturer, Dorothée Pullinger, was based here.

And in the 1920s, she produced a car with women in mind called the Galloway.

4,000 were made.

And before we leave Edinburgh, we've come to see one of the handful left in the world and find out more about this remarkable woman.

Hello!

Hello.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Louise is the proud owner of one of these fantastic cars.

- Hello.

- Hello, Louise.

Chris.

- Hello.

Hi.

Nice to see you.

You too.

So, can you tell us more about Dorothée Pullinger?

Well, Dorothy's father was a car manufacturer.

And when she was 16, she persuaded him to let her join their drawing office, where she became a draftsperson.

And she learnt about engineering.

So when her father said that there was a factory that they needed to find another purpose for, she persuaded him to let her build cars there.

And that's how the Galloway came about.

It was a woman managing director, so there were a lot of features about it that actually worked for women.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Dorothy took up her position in 1920.

And her Galloway factory was staffed with a mainly female workforce.

The car's innovative design included an adjustable seat and a lower dashboard, along with a more reliable engine and a smaller steering wheel.

Could you bear to give us a little drive in it?

- Oh, I'm sure I could.

- It's a deal.

Thank you.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): This car is almost 100 years old and still going strong.

Deep down, I'm loath to ask you questions because of the concentration it obviously requires to drive.

That's all right.

Are you the most celebrated Galloway owner?

Well, I believe I'm the only woman owner of a Galloway now.

Hurrah!

There are about 16 in the world.

They're not all complete.

Some are awaiting restoration.

OK.

But I'm certainly the only woman that drives one.

And it was really as a woman that I wanted to own one to celebrate the life of this wonderful woman, Dorothée Pullinger.

I get a great deal of enjoyment in showing what Dorothy and these women engineers achieved.

And actually that is the greatest enjoyment I get.

PETER (VOICEOVER): At around 550 pounds, the Galloway cost the equivalent of a house in the 1920s, so the paying public needed convincing it was worth the hefty price tag.

In order to showcase cars, events called reliability trials took place.

CHRISTOPHER: Tell me about the reliability trial.

Well, the reliability trials were established in the early years of motoring to try and convince the public that cars were reliable enough for daily use and that they could cope with any conditions.

How long was the trial?

Well, the trial was 900 miles through the highlands of Scotland, which was very tough.

And then the very final day of the 1924 trial, the same year as this car was built, was 133 miles through the Scottish borders.

CHRISTOPHER: And this is the hill that they all had to face at the end of the trial?

This was the very last hill of the entire trial.

When they got to this tower, they must have been so relieved knowing that was the trial over.

CHRISTOPHER: Absolutely.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Dorothy left the car manufacturing industry in 1928 because of pressure from men who believed she was taking their job.

But the Galloway left a lasting legacy to this remarkable woman, and they both served as an inspiration to the female engineers and entrepreneurs who followed her.

So to have a ride in the last Galloway that exists, or one of the last in the world, is fantastic and, you know, and a privilege.

But also, the extraordinary fact that she makes it look easy and it clearly is a real effort.

And Dorothée Pullinger was a clearly hugely influential and wonderful woman who did extraordinary things.

PETER (VOICEOVER): With the city behind us, we're traveling south to the rolling hills and open countryside of the Scottish borders.

This place is a breeding ground for motorsport champions, from the legends of yesteryear right up to the present day.

We're out of Edinburgh now, Chris.

We're now into the heart of border country.

And the journey really begins here.

Fantastic.

The good thing is that we are spending a lot of time off the beaten track, which is, after all, the whole point, isn't it?

Yeah.

It is.

- Look at that.

I mean, I know you can't, but-- [laughs] Look at that.

No.

Don't look!

[jaunty music] PETER (VOICEOVER): Traveling 1930s style, we're relying on maps rather than satnavs to guide us.

This is the 6368, is that the right road?

Oh.

I think it is.

I'm going to make an executive decision, Chris, before you tell me.

CHRISTOPHER: Are you?

PETER: Yeah.

[laughs] This is obviously prime farming land.

And this area was the breeding ground, if you like, for a lot of world class drivers, both rally and Formula 1, in fact.

PETER (VOICEOVER): One of the area's most famous motorsport sons is Jim Clark.

ANNOUNCER: Jim Clark flashes by!

He's in the lead.

PETER (VOICEOVER): A two-time Formula One world champion and Indianapolis 500 winner who grew up on a borders farm.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Just 20 miles from Edinburgh, we're heading to a farm similar to the one Jim would have grown up on.

We're meeting his cousin, Doug, to find out more about this world-beating champion and how this landscape played such an important part in shaping his racing career.

Tell us about your very, very famous cousin.

Jim came down from fife to the borders when he was four years old.

So he grew up on a farm like this?

It was very much a typical farm, you know, with quad bikes, tractors and animals, machinery.

And he would have started driving those at what age, would you say?

We all drove tractors.

He did about eight years old, nine years old.

So how did he go from messing around on farms to being a world champion?

Well, he was just pulled out of the farming scene by Ian Scott Watson, who took him up to Aberdeenshire to be a mechanic for Ian.

And one day, Ian said to Jim, you have a go.

And he was three seconds a lap quicker.

So from then on, they swapped roles.

And Jim became the driver, because the minute he was in that car, he just-- eyes were focused and he was off.

How much do you attribute Jim's success to the fact he was brought up on a farm?

Well, it's amazing because there was a lot of young farmers that have done very well in the borders and other areas.

Exactly.

But I think it was because there was no speed limits in those days.

There was no traffic.

They had the freedom to roam where they wanted to off road.

And I think it was just the fact that he got up in the morning to be a farmer.

And when you're five-year-olds, you want to be a farmer and you want to drive cars or vehicles anyway, as he did.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Jim Clark rose to the pinnacle of motor racing fame, but he's not alone in being a borders motorsport champion, or learning to drive at an early age.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): 12-year-old Jack is a skilled quad biker who helps round up the sheep with his dad, Douglas, on their family farm.

Oh, very nice.

Nicely done.

Isn't that good?

[jaunty music] ♪ ♪ PETER: Hi!

- Hi.

- Hi, Jack.

Hi.

Well done.

Douglas, that-- that was amazing.

Really.

I'm so impressed.

So, how old were you when you first started chasing around on that thing?

When I was about six.

- Six?

- Yeah.

DOUG: An early age to start, isn't it?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy doing that kind of thing?

10.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

I don't want to be a farmer, but probably-- like, maybe a racer or an architect.

PETER: You would like to do that?

CHRISTOPHER: A racer or an architect?

Yeah.

Why don't you want to be a farmer?

You can get really wet, like the weather.

But when you're a racer, you have a helmet, so it's OK.

That's the-- that's the perfect answer.

- Good answer.

- That's fantastic.

How would you feel if he-- if he came to you and said, Dad, I want to go into motorsport?

I would probably take early retirement.

[laughter] PETER: Well, good luck with it.

Hope it goes well.

Thank you.

- Take care.

- Bye!

Bye.

[jaunty music] ♪ ♪ Jack was a good kid, wasn't he?

Yeah, yeah.

He was great, great.

Really good on the quad bike.

- Absolutely.

Very impressive.

CHRISTOPHER: I'd never, ever linked growing up on a farm with motor racing.

Not ever.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): We're now over 20 miles from Edinburgh and heading deeper into the Scottish borders on our journey to Hadrian's Wall.

PETER (VOICEOVER): This is a land of motoring champions, but it's also packed full of car enthusiasts, collectors, and has a rich motoring heritage.

♪ ♪ CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): We're on our way to Thirlestane Castle in the town of Lauder, which is home to all three and features in one of our trusty '30s guidebooks.

A town of considerable antiquity, where Scottish parliaments were occasionally held.

On the opposite bank of the river stands Thirlestane Castle, the seat of the Earl of Lauderdale.

Bit exciting, isn't it?

Yeah.

Thirlestane Castle.

Turn left.

Who needs a map?

Amazing navigation.

Thank you.

♪ ♪ PETER (VOICEOVER): In the early 1900s, estates like Thirlestane provided the backdrop for magazines showing off cars to increase their desirability and improve the social status of wealthy car enthusiasts.

PETER: Lovely driveway.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Today we're meeting a man whose family have lived here for over 400 years and whose ancestors were amongst these magazines were trying to appeal to.

Like many other aristocratic households, their vehicle of choice was a true British classic, the Rolls Royce.

PETER: Hello!

Hello, good morning.

I'm Peter.

Hi, Gerald Maitland-Carew.

And I'm Chris.

How do you do?

- Hello.

- Hello.

- How do you do?

- So.

Fantastic house, fantastic cars.

GERALD: I know, isn't it?

Tell us about your-- your family and their connection with Rolls-Royces or their love for.

Well, the Rolls-Royce was the car to have amongst families who lived in big, stately homes like this.

It was considered to be the very best car.

I think most of the-- my grandparents' great friends, they all had Rollses.

I think a Rolls was a status symbol.

It had a wind-up window inside, so that the chauffeur could be cut off from the conversation.

Of course, the window was down and my grandfather often drove it.

And my grandmother did not like that because she thought my grandfather drove too fast.

What do you think, Chris?

We could borrow this, couldn't we?

And then I could sit here and drive, and you could sit in the back like I was-- I was the chauffeur.

Seriously, I think it's just beautiful.

PETER: And look at the leg room!

CHRISTOPHER: I know!

It would be so comfortable.

PETER: Yes.

Size of this steering wheel, it's-- it's just enormous.

You look like a chauffeur.

I could live with this.

And it's a compliment, I promise you.

[jaunty music] ♪ ♪ PETER (VOICEOVER): Gerald and his family still have a keen interest in classic cars and each summer hosts the Borders Vintage Automobile Club's Festival of Motoring, when almost 1,500 collectors bring their cars to Thirlestane Castle.

Some of the owners have kindly popped in today to showcase the border's passion for historic automobiles.

Hello!

- Hello.

- Hi, I'm Peter.

Hello, Peter, I'm Susie.

Hi, Susie, Chris.

Nice to meet you.

Now, this is impressive.

Isn't it?

It's a 1964 Silver Cloud III.

Are you quite important in this setup?

I wouldn't say important, but I am very proud of being the first Chairlady of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Scotland.

That's important.

Well, you know.

Well, yes.

PETER: So do you bring this car to the rally that's here?

Yes, absolutely.

My mantra really is to make just more and more people interested in old cars.

Because I don't want them all to be in museums or anything.

So it's great.

I think it's terribly important that there are people like you who have these old cars and keep them maintained.

Because it is part of the social history of this country.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Speaking of social history, Susie has a secret drop of it to share with us.

This little holder here for the driver, it's a little gin and ice bucket, which is-- PETER: For the driver?

Certainly not PC now, is it?

But yes, it's a little gin.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): In the early days of driving, alcohol was thought to calm the nerves.

And although it's not the done thing today, I'd love one of those compartments for the passenger side of the Morgan.

Bye, everybody!

Thank you!

Bye!

PETER (VOICEOVER): By the start of the 20th century, high society was embracing the car.

And makes and models like Rolls-Royce were a symbol of status and wealth.

But during the golden age of motoring, others increasingly used them to satisfy a need for speed.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): In the '20s and '30s, motorsport grew in popularity.

And it wasn't just cars that were raced.

Motorbikes and sidecar races also drew big crowds.

PETER: OK.

Now, here's a question for you.

CHRISTOPHER: OK, I'm ready.

How do you feel about motorbikes?

I have only been on a motorbike once in my life, and that was when I thumbed a lift back to the Midlands when I was at drama school.

And all I remember was being really quite frightened.

No helmet and it was really cold.

Clinging on for dear life.

Yeah.

So that's the end of that, really.

So here's my motorbike story.

So I went along for an army recruitment commercial.

And they said, you ride a motorcycle?

And I said, yes.

I've never ridden a motorcycle in my life.

Anyway, so I turned up on the day of the commercial thinking, what am I going to do?

And there were five of us, and every single one of us had lied about being able to ride a motorcycle.

The director was furious.

And in the end, they had to push us down Primrose Hill.

So we all freewheeled down Primrose Hill and they had to add the noise afterwards.

PETER (VOICEOVER): They might not be our area of expertise, but we're pulling off the road to find out more about motorbike and sidecar racing from Britain's best.

Ah, we're going to another farm.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Kershaw Racing are the reigning British champions.

Steve, along with mechanic Rob and rider Stuart, make up the three-man team.

So another farm occupied by another bunch of speedsters, is that right?

Pretty much.

Yeah, yeah, this is it.

This is where you learned to drive?

- It is, actually.

- From an early age?

I was about-- I was 11.

From then on, I was hooked.

PETER (VOICEOVER): OK.

That's amazing.

So this is the motorcycle part of it and this is the sidecar part?

Is that right?

STEVE: Pretty much.

Yeah.

I'll show you my bit.

So you're kind of kneeling into it?

STEVE: Yeah, down into the knee trays, with my feet behind me.

Right.

OK.

So I get down on there and settled in.

And I can't see what's going on behind me.

So, Stuart, we have to work together with no communication.

PETER: Yes.

I can't see him unless I look behind me.

PETER: Bit of ESP going on.

And what kind of speed are you going at when you go around these.

We do about 160 miles an hour.

Naught to 60 is about three seconds.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Traveling at such speeds is exhilarating, but it also carries real risks.

I was Steve's passenger up until 2015.

PETER: Right.

We had a very minor mechanical problem with the bike during the race, which, unfortunately, wrong place, wrong time.

And we went off the track and hit a tire wall, which resulted in me-- I broke my back and ended up in a wheelchair.

Right.

And does your enthusiasm for the sport, the actual sport, remain undimmed despite this?

Once you hear the bike start and smell the petrol fumes and the oil, no, the adrenaline's still there.

And what happened to me and Rob was-- was so unfortunate.

And you never forget that.

But the thrill of riding a machine to your maximum or its maximum capacity, that's where the-- the buzz is.

And then after the crash, we'd been doing it 10 years together.

So I came back and then we won the British championship.

And now I believe that we're good enough to now win the World Championship.

- I hope it goes well.

STEVE: Thank you very much.

- How exciting is that?

OK, cheerio.

Bye-bye.

Best of luck.

Very, very good luck.

STEVE: Thank you.

Thanks for having us.

What I want to know is just how many would-be speedsters are there on all the farms on our journey through the borders?

That's what I want to know.

How many can there be?

Obviously lots.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): The Scottish borders have been producing champion speedsters for around 100 years.

But as one of our guidebooks reminds us, when motorsport first took off during the golden age of motoring, driving etiquette was still important.

The bad driver is he who blows the horn to order people out of the way.

Yeah.

And thinks that the horn takes the place of prudence.

Yeah.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Wise words.

However.

Should I beep my horn?

What on Earth is he doing?

He broke-- No, no.

What's he doing?

I don't know.

CHRISTOPHER: It's very strange.

What's that about?

Extraordinary behavior.

Thoroughly deserved a good tooting.

[laughs] The border country itself is very nice, rolling countryside.

Very calming.

- Yeah.

And relatively undiscovered, or at least ignored in some parts.

Which I'm sure the people who live here are actually quite happy about, but they won't be too happy if us driving through it changes that.

And next year, everyone sets off in their cars and says, we're going to discover the border country.

They'll be cursing us, Chris.

PETER (VOICEOVER): In the 18th century, this special landscape was home to one of Scotland's foremost writers, Sir Walter Scott, and it inspired much of his work.

He wrote, "Breathes there the man with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said, this is my own, my native land."

Yeah, I suppose I agree with that.

Although-- - Yeah, very heartfelt.

Being brought up in Streatham, I'm not sure if I'd go along with it.

But I say look-- look across the vista of Streatham vale.

I can't remember thinking-- Well.

--those very thoughts.

I have those-- I have those thoughts about North Wales.

PETER: You're very fortunate if you're born in a very beautiful area, aren't you?

CHRISTOPHER: So we're now looking for the Scottish view, right?

- No, not the Scottish view.

Scots View.

I know.

But we're in Scotland, so it's a Scottish Scots view.

Scots Scottish view.

Is that what you're saying?

That's more or less what I'm saying, yeah.

There we are.

Scott's view, mile and a half.

Excellent.

What would I do without you?

[laughter] CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Scott is often credited as the father of Scottish tourism.

His writing encouraged people to come and see the land he wrote about.

We've come to the viewpoint that bears his name to fully appreciate the place he called home.

[playful music] ♪ ♪ Well, he'd better be worth it.

Look at that.

- Yeah.

It's all right, isn't it?

Sir Walter Scott's favorite view towards the Eildons.

PETER: Yeah.

Beautiful.

CHRISTOPHER: It is amazing, isn't it?

I mean, do you fancy a cup of tea?

No, coffee.

It's coffee.

Yeah, I'll have a coffee.

Yes.

Did you know that when he died, Walter Scott, his-- his funeral procession was a mile long.

And it was from his home over to Dryburgh Abbey over there.

And it actually stopped.

The horses stopped because they were so used to stopping for him to see the view that on the funeral procession, they actually stopped to give him one last look.

- Because of their habit.

Yeah.

Thoughtful, huh?

Yeah.

Well, here's to us, my son.

Yeah, cheers.

God bless you.

Terrible coffee.

Who made it?

I got my man to do it.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): The coffee might be rubbish, but the view definitely isn't.

Having drunk it in, we're back on the road and heading into the nearby town of Melrose to uncover a quirky piece of late 20th century motoring history.

CHRISTOPHER: Is it right here?

It's right here.

You see-- you see that brown sign there?

CHRISTOPHER: Oh, yeah.

They'd appeared in France to signpost places of interest.

There are another couple over there.

And we basically pinched the idea.

And we just added a layer of British eccentricess to them really.

Things like gnome sanctuaries.

That's right.

Gnome and miniature villages.

PETER: Anything, virtually, we'd stick up a brown sign.

Really probably just to annoy the French.

It'd be more useful during the war, wouldn't it?

All the French tourists who came to Britain thinking they we're going to be looking for historical sites by looking at these brown signs would end up at pencil factories or gnome sanctuaries.

Maybe we should do a car journey down through France.

That would really annoy the French.

Can you imagine us two?

Do you speak French?

CHRISTOPHER: Un petit peu.

[laughing] CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Leaving Melrose behind, we're driving on towards our journey's end at Hadrian's Wall.

The country roads we've been traveling along are taking us through dream driving country, but they've left their mark on the Morgan.

PETER: State of our car is a little bit-- It's a bit dusty, I think.

It's a bit dusty.

I think we should find a place to clean it.

PETER (VOICEOVER): In the golden age of motoring, cleaning a car involved a lot of elbow grease and was often done down by a river.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): We're pulling up by the River Tweed to spruce up the Morgan 1930s style.

Now, are you going to be all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

I'm fine.

OK.

I'm just going to wait here.

Look at that, even in this idyllic situation.

[cries out] Oh-- it's fine.

It's fine, it's fine.

It's fine.

[laughs and coughs] Oh, dear.

That was good.

OK.

It really does show.

It really does show the dirt.

You were made for this sort of job.

Well.

Make sure you do it down there.

Look under the-- - Yes, yes.

I mean, the good news is there's not that much of an area to clean, is there?

There's enough.

OK.

Your turn.

I just think you ought to have a taste of it.

Have you-- have you done the other door?

No.

Not yet, because I'm doing a thorough job.

It's going to look so much better, you know, until we drive through the muddy puddle on the way out.

There isn't a muddy puddle.

Yes, there is a muddy puddle.

We drove through the muddy puddle.

Do you not see it?

- No, I didn't.

[jaunty music] Here, catch.

♪ ♪ It suddenly occurs to me we don't need the leather.

Because most of this will wash off as you drive.

Yeah.

No, no, no!

PETER: All right, that's it.

Oh, sorry.

[laughing] Puddle!

Oh.

Oh.

Right.

Turn around.

Let's go back, do it again.

[jaunty music] CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): It's the thought that counts.

And with plenty of road still to travel before we reach Hadrian's Wall, we continue South towards the border.

CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, there's some business about moving out of Scotland and back into England.

Yeah?

Right?

And the thing with your kids, or when your kids are in the car, if you had the kids in the car when-- of a certain age, and we were doing this trip, you would say something like, wouldn't you, we are now going to leave Scotland and go into England now!

And then the kids are all cheering.

Well, your kids might cheer.

My kids are would've just gone, ugh.

CHRISTOPHER: Now we are in England.

PETER: Now we are definitely-- Doesn't smell any different.

--in England.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Having crossed the border, we're heading to Kielder Forest, England's largest man-made woodland, which was first planted during the golden age of motoring.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Covering 250 square miles, this awesome wilderness is amongst the remotest areas in the UK.

It's home to around 84 miles of rally track, and I'm going to be given a high octane driving experience thanks to two more champion speedsters.

Hi, I'm Peter.

Nice to meet you, I'm Stephen.

- Hi, Stephen.

- Hi, Steve.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to see you.

Can I just point out, in the last few days, everybody we've met who drives fast grew up on a farm?

Yeah.

I mean, obviously, I've lived on a farm.

Yeah, my dad's a farming background.

So yeah.

You have the fields when you're younger to fly around on quad bikes and go karts and all that sort of stuff.

So it's a bit of an addiction, really, more than anything, Rallying.

When you're not doing it, you don't know what to do with yourself.

PETER: So this thing lurking behind us, tell us about it.

It's a Fiesta World Rally car.

It's like the last generation of the World Rally car.

So it's-- it's quite a bit of kit.

PETER: And how much success have you had with this car?

STEVE P: We won the National Championship in 2017 and finished second last year.

And we're currently-- well, looking to get towards second this year.

So we're having a good time.

Yeah.

And what speeds do you reach?

I'm not sure I want to know this, actually, but OK.

Their naught to 60 time is probably in the region of three seconds.

And it does get you to about 120, 125 mile an hour.

So yeah.

And people are asking me why I don't want to do it.

So my job will be what?

In the car, will I have any job or am I just sitting there?

Yeah, you've got to tell me where to go.

You ask me to do it and I'll tell you where to go.

[laughter] PETER (VOICEOVER): Michael has plotted out the track I'm going to be speeding down, but it's unfamiliar to Stephen.

He's relying on me to direct him.

How is he going to manage?

I mean, isn't he going to get thrown around a lot?

And isn't it going to be a real shock to the system?

I'm more concerned for Stephen than I am for Peter, to be fair.

Don't say that.

Don't say that!

As long as he's got the relation between the notes and the road, and not looking at the road, it'll be fine.

It's a lot like when Pete and I are in the car because I'm the navigator.

And I can see the similarities.

[jaunty music] ♪ ♪ 5, 3, 2, 1.

One left over small crest.

Two right into one left.

I just want to make sure that you guys are fully qualified to look after my mate, Pete.

100, up middle.

That's 50-flat crest.

We don't have a clue what we're doing here.

Yeah.

I mean, I think they know what they're doing, too.

But you can't be too careful, can you?

50, through tip.

One left over crest.

Three right, long.

150.

Three right.

Look, while I'm here, I'm having a bit of trouble with my leg.

[laughter] PETER: Left, black crest.

Three, left over crest, 50.

Caution.

Five right.

Oh, it's behind, then.

I thought I was doing well for a minute.

No, no, you're all right.

Right.

How did you do?

It was fun.

I can't hear anything anyone is saying.

But you're OK?

Because my ears are folded over.

When we were driving up to the start, and then he puts his foot down, and then you just sort of trigger.

Whoa!

And you have to look at this thing going, OK, one left over crest.

Yeah, I'm very impressed.

Very impressed.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Back in our trusty steed, we journey on through Northumberland at a thankfully more leisurely pace.

Well, well done, you.

This must feel a bit tame after the rally car, isn't it?

Well, I wasn't driving the rally car, of course, but it was-- it was exciting.

I was a proper navigator.

I think I was pretty well spot on.

Well, I had a chat-- I had a chat with them and they were suitably impressed.

Were they?

Yeah, they said it's not-- it's very, very abnormal for someone to pick it up so quickly.

I hear you've been were advertising your navigating skills as well.

Is that right?

A little bird told me.

[laughs] PETER (VOICEOVER): As a classic car lover, I've done the bulk of the driving.

Chris, with his passion for nostalgia, has been in charge of our historical guidebooks.

And as we drive-through Northumberland, he's found a passage that feels particularly apt.

"The laziest and most carefree way of getting around the country is to hire a car and the services of a chauffeur.

There are several firms of good repute ready to accommodate the tourist in this way, but naturally, this method of traveling demands a purse bursting with gold."

How fortunate that I have a purse bursting with gold, eh?

PETER: I'm very interested you should come up with this quote when I'm driving you around.

Don't think it's not appreciated.

Mind that bump, will you, driver?

[upbeat music] ♪ ♪ CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): During the first three days of our journey through the Scottish borders and Northumberland, we've uncovered a hotbed of motorsport champions and motoring pioneers.

And before we arrive at our journey's end, we're making one last stop to find out more about another great local trailblazer.

PETER: Oh, it's very pretty.

PETER (VOICEOVER): This amazing estate was built by acclaimed industrialist Sir William Armstrong.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): We're meeting Andrew, the owner of a beautiful 1939 Armstrong Siddeley, and local engineering expert Rob to find out more about one of the cars this exceptional man's company produced.

- Hello.

- Hi.

- I'm Peter.

- Pleased to meet you.

- Hi.

- Hello, Andrew.

Hi.

Pleased to meet you.

- I'm Rob.

- Chris.

Hi, Rob.

- Hello.

So tell us about this wonderful car.

This is your car?

- This is my car, yes.

It's a 1939 Armstrong Siddeley, 16 horsepower.

And I've owned the vehicle since January this year.

My father sold it.

I was about 12 at the time.

And I vowed that I would one day I would buy it back.

We found it in 2017, and the owner said, I'm ready to sell.

So would you like to buy the car?

So obviously I said yes.

And here we are.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): It's great news that this magnificent car is back in Andrew's family.

CHRISTOPHER: Can I go in the front?

ANDREW: Absolutely, yes.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Excellent.

Fantastic.

CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): While we find out more about it, he's kindly agreed to chauffeur us around Sir William's stunning estate.

CHRISTOPHER: Well, this is so comfortable.

And it smells of leather like they used to.

And it still smells the same from when I used to remember it as a child.

So exactly the same smell.

CHRISTOPHER: It's fantastic.

One of the adverts for this car was that you can never buy a better car.

They were actually made in the same factory as aero engines, and as it's rather important that aero engines don't fall out the sky, the quality of the engines carried over into the quality of the car.

And that's why it was so good.

CHRISTOPHER: How many Armstrong Siddeleys like this were made?

ANDREW: Around 750.

PETER: Very small number.

Yeah, extraordinary.

They were almost made one at a time.

PETER: How would you think you would feel if he knew one of his cars from one of his factories around this route today?

I think he would be utterly thrilled.

And I think he would even be looking at these cars and wondering, do you know, I could make that more efficiently or I could make that better.

CHRISTOPHER: I'll tell you that this car does know how to take those bumps better than the Morgan.

Fine job.

Fine job.

Thanks very much.

Yes, absolutely.

You're more than welcome, gentlemen.

Brilliant.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

[jaunty music] PETER (VOICEOVER): We're on the final stop of our adventure.

And as we close in on Hadrian's Wall, we're traveling along a very special road.

This road here, Chris, is the B6318.

And it is the longest B road in Britain.

Really?

Yeah.

PETER: You're making a lot of noise with the map.

Yeah, that's-- you know.

I just don't want to-- I don't want to go past the turning.

Yeah, no, I don't want to go past the turning, either.

Do you think there'll be a brown sign saying Hadrian's Wall, easy access or something?

I think it'll probably say, Peter and Christopher, turn right here.

[jaunty music] Here we go.

I reckon, yeah, absolutely.

How did you know that?

Well done.

Well, because I saw the brown sign.

♪ ♪ CHRISTOPHER (VOICEOVER): Hadrian's Wall runs alongside the B6318 in parts.

But to get the best view of it, we've come to Walltown Crags.

I gotta be honest.

I gotta be honest.

Suddenly, being in that rally car seems a lot more attractive than doing this.

I ache.

I'm out of breath.

We're one quarter of the way up.

I know!

I hope this is worth it.

PETER: Almost there.

[smooth piano music] ♪ ♪ Look.

Wow.

This is it.

This is-- this is Hadrian's Wall.

Look.

PETER (VOICEOVER): Spanning 73 miles from coast to coast, this extraordinary piece of engineering was built to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire and looks out over the magnificent border country we've spent four days driving through.

PETER: So what did you think of our journey?

I'd say that we sum up this trip as going for speed, wouldn't you?

The irony is that farmers, you think of as having very slow and rather laid back lives.

And yet most of these speedsters have come from a farming background.

Are these people who just want to-- Become Formula 1 champions?

Yeah.

That's very astute that.

I might put that in my diary.

Come on, let's go.

Onwards and downwards.

Maybe we should arrange a trip to East Anglia.

You know?

East Anglia?

Flat for miles and miles.

Woo!

[theme music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪