The Oliver Winterbottom Diaries

Oliver Winterbottom has been busy self-promoting his novel mass A Life inwards Car Design, together with has been keeping a tape of all the places he visits together with people he meets along the way. In today's weblog post, nosotros direct hold June's instalment. Haven't read the get-go part? You tin select handgrip of upwardly here.

1 June – Front page of the Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury as the alone feature. Continued on all of pages ii together with three. Local newspaper delivered complimentary to many (but non me!).

2 June – Buy Mercury. Visit Ketts Books, Wymondham, amongst my re-create of mass together with information flyer. Thibault of Club Lotus France asks me to select a mass to Dijon for him to buy.

8 June – Chateauneuf en Auxios, France. Sell 1 mass to Sonya, proprietor Le Bistrot du Port, together with 1 to Julian, proprietor L'Auberge de Marronnier.

10 June – Deliver/sell 1 mass to Thibault Venisse, Club Lotus France, and sign for him. One re-create to Christian Roy, proprietor Le Hosteller du Chateau.

18 June – Daughter Anne tells me that Jerrold's, Norwich, has 3 books on the shelf, front end comprehend showing. Waterstones didn't direct hold it together with idea it was non inwards impress yet.

21 June – Emma from Veloce has advised Waterstones that the mass is available.

25 June – Tom Smith (Texas USA Amazon review)
"As the championship says, covers the career of Oliver Winterbottom's experiences, both the ups together with the downs, inwards designing cars for many manufacturers. I am a long fourth dimension Lotus possessor together with and then I was to a greater extent than oftentimes than non interested inwards his stories close Lotus together with dealing amongst Colin Chapman. The author's candour close dealing amongst Chapman together with others was insightful. About one-half the mass was dedicated to Lotus. There are enough of colouring pictures together with the agency is real slowly to read. I specially liked the drawings together with photographs of concept cars he worked on, too every bit modified one-off production cars that I hadn't seen earlier (e.g – a Europa amongst clear 'sails'). I'm guessing they were documents from his personal collection together with thus, non previously published.
"All inwards all, I highly recommend this mass for whatever Lotus enthusiasts too every bit TVR, Jaguar together with anyone else amongst a full general automotive interest. Oh, together with there's a chapter on his blueprint travel for Chapman's boat concern which was real interesting!" Five Stars.

26 June – To Steve Cropley, Editor inwards Chief, Autocar. "Hello Steve, I guess yous are real busy but I wondered if yous had a direct a opportunity to await at my mass A Life inwards Car Design. I would dear to know what yous intend of it."

Reply: "It's fab. Ran a slice close it inwards my column 3 weeks ago, including half-page pic pirated from the mass of you, Kimberly together with M90. Enjoyed your forthright opinions, which volition fascinate other Lotus together with quondam types, for sure."

"So glad yous enjoyed it. Teaches me non to purchase the difficult re-create of Autocar! If it is possible to larn a re-create of your words to me, I would appreciate it. Seems its non available online. Best regards, Oliver."

Ask Cropley for a re-create every bit I create non larn the magazine. It is non shown on their website. Edition in all probability Midweek seven June. As of 28 June, no response!

27 June – Email from Dave Sunter, Jaguar ex-apprentice instantly living inwards the USA.
"Oliver, I direct hold simply read the final page of your book. I direct hold industrial plant life it fascinating to nation the to the lowest degree together with direct hold enjoyed reading all close your life's escapades inwards together with approximately the auto business. The shortage of coin is null novel when it involves edifice or fifty-fifty selling cars. Witness Barry's mass on DeLorean, or the TVR even out or almost whatever of the others. I create recollect Stewart Halstead of TVR, formerly of Jaguar together with of my habitation town of Burnley where his manful individual bring upwardly worked every bit a mechanic at the same dealership every bit my father. I look to recollect something mayhap untoward close Stewart together with his days at Jaguar. Maybe not. Best regards, David."

Sign mass for Roger at Queen's Head, Hethersett. Met John Ashley (ex-Kings Heas) but direct hold already signed his book.

28 June – I inquire diverse folk if they tin discovery a re-create of the Autocar. Emma at the publisher, Veloce, comes upwardly a winner together with sends me the scan, below.