Paul’s Anglia

This car almost became iconic - long, long before Harry potter was ever thought of. indeed, I believe that JKR must have visited Exeter at some point and seen Paul's car and its occupant(s) and this became the inspiration for her hero figure.

I am also confident almost every Lukey and Rolle student recognised it and knew who it belonged to. If it wasn’t in Exeter it was almost certainly in or around Exmouth.

Paul arrived in Killerton in September ’70 with Anglia.

It made its transit up the drive at high speed - as was to become its norm. It passed over the “noisy” cattle grid almost silently - it left the ground at the start of the grid and landed in the gravel on the car park side. It then drifted across the grit into a parking position near the music room window. Paul left the car whimpering in the shade and strode in through the front door asking Sir Richard - “Where’s the bar?”

This set the stage for the following three years.

I don’t think Paul ever went on public transport, anywhere. He dismissed the Killerton Coach as a nuisance object that took up too much room on the road, and especially in the car park..

Journeys in to College were “quick”. Anyone who dared to be on the back road risked everything. Even the hunting hounds at Stoke Canon would wait for Paul to pass before going out for exercise along the roads.

Trips to Exmouth were equally quick. Any passenger who got a lift with Paul would not have time to view the scenery as it passed, it was a blur! Most of the halls had a reserved parking place for the little 105.

The journeys home to Stoke for Paul were also completed in record times. Highways agencies would ensure that all road works were cleared prior to his trip so that nothing would delay him.

The passing of the car was a sad day indeed. In the summer of ’73 Paul returned from a trip home, complete with a car load of young ladies and their luggage. He returned them to their various homes in St. Loye's, Rolle and St. Luke’s. Finally at Killerton he unloaded the last of the cases. He was aware that the car failed to bounce up as he removed the last case. Closer inspection revealed the rear spring hanger had pushed through the boot floor. This modification was the death knell for the Anglia.

He did drive it for a few more weeks, though, admittedly, a little more gently. But in the end it had to go.

We drove it over to Hele where Sheila, the cook from Killerton, had a small holding. To the rear of te small holding was a deep dell. This dell became the final resting place of the little Anglia!   ... or maybe JKR has something further she could add!