Kinks star Sir Ray sells Bentley he never drove
FORMER Kinks frontman Sir Ray Davies is auctioning a Bentley he bought with the proceeds of his chart success – but never drove himself.
Davies bought the secondhand 1960s S2 in Barnet, north London, despite not having a driving licence.
Davies said: “I succumbed to the pressure and purchased a second-hand Bentley from Hadley Green Garage.
“My then wife drove it on my behalf because I was unable to drive at the time.”
The car will be sold at Silverstone Auctions on May 13 and is expected to reach £25,000 to £30,000.
The singer, PRINCE Charles’s upmarket organic food business is now a £200million brand, his supermarket partners revealed yesterday.
Waitrose marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of Duchy Originals by hailing its success in promoting greener farming.
The supermarket formed a partnership the business in 2009.
And it revealed that the brand, now known as Waitrose Duchy Organic, has passed £200million in sales in a year, boosted by exports to more than 30 countries.
It said the high volume has built up ever since the first oaten biscuit went on sale in 1992.
To celebrate, Waitrose launched a competition to find a main course made from Duchy’s organic ingredients.
The winner will attend a celebratory banquet at Dumfries House in Ayrshire where their winning dish will be giant with guitarist and songwriter said the car drew attention when he first took it home. Davies recalled: “We lived in a little semi in Muswell Hill and the neighbours were in shock and awe when they saw this huge black Bentley drive up along the narrow shingle path to the house. “We subsequently went on holiday in the car to Cornwall, an exotic spot in England which was our family outing with my two daughters in the back with their buckets and spades.” Davies kept a served at a dinner hosted by Charles. Waitrose managing director Rob Collins said: “This 25th anniversary highlights the extraordinary vision of the Prince of Wales.
“In creating the Duchy brand, he has encouraged more sustainable agriculture and expanded the market for organic food in the UK and around the world.
“We are honoured to be the custodians of the brand and guitar in the back in case inspiration struck, which it did when he wrote the single which followed the hit Lola.
He continued: “While on our holiday in Mullion in Cornwall I sat in the back seat of the Bentley and wrote a follow-up to Lola, called Apeman, on a Spanish guitar which I carried in the back.”
Davies finally passed his driving test in his mid-40s after five attempts, the first of which was particularly disastrous.
In a previous interview he admitted that he “ran over a lady” in a busy side street, then forgot to put the handbrake on when he got out to help her.
He took his fifth test in Woking, Surrey, and passed despite having been out drinking the night before. delighted to have achieved the significant milestone of £200million in annual sales.”
The brand helps foster sustainable farming because a donation from every sale goes to The Prince Of Wales’s Charitable Foundation.
So far this has raised more than £17million for causes including the Duchy Future Farming Programme, which helps farmers develop more sustainable farming practices,