Washington takes the chequered flag, aged 87

WASHINGTON James, who was the last surviving member of a remarkable Welsh rally team, has passed away at the age of 87.

Washington, from Cenarth, Ceredigion, was joined in the rallying trio by driver Alun Rees from Carmarthen, and Neath navigator and co-driver Hywel Thomas.

They took part in the World Cup Rally in 1970, a 16,000-mile event from London to Mexico City via the most varied, tortuous and difficult terrain on three continents.

With serious ‘works’ teams and professional drivers, an entry of 100 cars assembled, yet only 23 cars and crews made it to the finish.

They are pictured above right at the rally’s start in Wembley Stadium, London, in April 1970, and they finished in an incredible 15th place at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City at the end of May.

Washington had prepared the Hillman car at his Cenarth garage, which he opened in 1959.

Alongside his usual motoring business interests, Washington also established the Cenarth Carriage bus company, helped by his passion for rallying and friendships with both Alun and Hywel.

Washington was also a tenor singer of note and established a great reputation in that too, winning the Blue Riband at the National Eisteddfod in Builth Wells in 1993.

Though the world of buses was his ‘bread and butter’, and his passion for rallying a keen one, it was singing that filled his heart and got him praised by renowned eisteddfod critics such as Meirion Williams for the quality of his

tenor voice. That World Cup rallying adventure behind him, ‘Washy’ became an avid eisteddfod-goer, the highlight of his tenor competition coming in 1993 when he won the David Ellis Memorial Prize and the

Blue Riband at the National Eisteddfod in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

His son, Chris James, said: “His passion was for the small eisteddfodau and he was very supportive of those.

“So many times he won the tenor competition at the National, and then of course he was still singing every day at work. Unfortunately, he’s given his last song.”

Washington James died at Glyn Nest care home in Newcastle Emlyn.

Picture: Roger Gale Washington James (left) from Cenarth was the last surviving member of the remarkable rally team completed by driver Alun Rees, of Carmarthen, and Neath navigator and co-driver Hywel Thomas. Washington has died at the age of 87. The trio are pictured here at Wembley Stadium at the start of the Daily Mirror World Cup Rally in 1970, a 16,000-mile event from London to Mexico City.