Field find
Meet the pub landlord who owns a brace of neglected Range Rovers in desperate need of restoration
LRM’S editor stumbles across two Classic Range Rovers and stops to find out more
RALPH Waldo Emerson said: “Its the not the destination, It's the journey.” After spending a weekend wild camping in Yorkshire, it was time for me to journey home. I hate the A1, M1 and M25 and so I decide to prolong the journey. I try and find any excuse to stop before I get to the A1. Within five miles of leaving the campsite I stop for a pee, coffee and a picture or two. As I pass through the village of Worton I see a 1981 3.5-litre two door In Vogue Range Rover Classic standing in field under some trees. We saw it yesterday when greenlaning in the area and I have seen it on previous trips to the Yorkshire Dales. As I am sure have hundreds of other Land Rover fans and so I drive on through the village. But wait, I am not in a hurry remember? I decide to turn around. The Range Rover is in a field behind the Victoria Arms, judging by the condition of the pub sign and building, I assume it's no longer operational like the vehicle?
I get out of my 110, grab my camera gear and jump the fence to go and take some snaps of the blue Range Rover Classic. The tyres are shot and I can see mouse droppings all over the light-coloured front carpets. It has seen much better days. Suddenly I hear Elvis singing. It’s coming from the pub and not the Range Rover. I swing around I see another Range Rover Classic behind the pub. You can’t see it from the road. It is a 1990 four-door with the 3.9-litre engine. The owner must have a petrol card. I decide to go find Elvis and jump back over the fence.
I knock on the pub door; Elvis stops singing. The door opens. Elvis must still be dead because standing in front of me is Neil Daykin, the pub landlord and he does
not look like Elvis, more like Roy Orbison in fact. He is
wearing an old biker's cap full of pin badges and sunglasses. In his right hand is a half pint of lager. It is 10.00 am on a Sunday morning. “Those two Ranger Rovers yours?” I ask.
I make my way gingerly into the pub. There is a fire going and the oldest motorbike I have ever seen stands in front of the bar counter. I like the place. Proper old England pub. “Clutch went on the blue one and the gold one needs a service. I run the pub on me own so I haven’t got around to it yet. I’ve had them parked up for a bit like,” comes the reply. I tell Neil that I am doing a story called Wild Yorkshire and was just one my way home. “You should’ve been in here last night, it was properly wild,” replies Neil. I think we might have different versions of wild.
Neil is happy to accompany me outside so that I can take some more pictures. I can see that both Range Rovers have been standing here for a while. Once home my research confirms that the two-door last saw official action almost a decade ago. “Many people have stopped here to ask me about them but I just say no they are not for sale. Some new tyres and a service and the golden one will be good to go,” says Neil. The Yorkshire Dales are truly Land Rover country and Neil says that he has welded, towed and recovered Land Rovers all over these valleys. Land Rovers are the lifeblood and lifeline of these communities, which makes it even sadder to see the Range Rovers rotting away like this.
Neil opens the tailgate of the two-door and I hear the familiar sound of rust raining down the inside of it. He takes a seat on it and I ask him about his plans for the pair of Rangies. “I will try and get the old things going like before your next visit. Once they are going they are not bad things like,” Neil promises. I hope it is a promise that he can keep but common sense tells me that he will eventually sell. I have seen many Neil types on my global Land Rover travels, lovely people to chat to and find out their story, but ultimately their Land Rovers' stories need a happy ending. Hopefully it is just a matter of time before that happens. My hope is that the next time I drive past here the two-door is standing in front of the pub with Neil smiling behind the wheel.
Pop in for a drink or feed and say hello to the character that is Neil Daykin. The pub does not have a website but you can’t miss it, just look out for the blue two door In Vogue Classic Range Rover parked in the field behind it. Do let us know how you get on.
"LAND ROVERS ARE THE LIFELINE OF THESE COMMUNITIES, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN SADDER TO SEE THE RANGE ROVERS ROTTING AWAY LIKE THIS"