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EMAIL: jwm.ed@kelsey.co.uk FACEBOOK: Facebook/JaguarWorldMonthly INSTAGRAM: jag.world

The day of the Jaguar

Forgive the self-indulgence and the quality of pictures on my old Nokia but I feel compelled to report on the demise of ‘Monty’, my X300 XJ6 who has finally succumbed to the salty sea air that sweeps over coastal Waterford.

I wanted a Jaguar from the age of 14 and I decided at that age too I wanted a career in journalism. I wanted to chase bad guys, ideally in a Jaguar, and expose criminality and political chicanery, travel Europe and the Middle East. I wanted to date a leggy go-go dancer too.

All these dubious and unlikely ambitions stemmed from youthful exposure to Frederick Forsyth’s book The Odessa File, that wonderful thriller about the adventures of a Jaguar-driving German reporter in Hamburg in the days immediately after JFK’s assassination, a chilling tale of WW2 evil, political chicanery, a Middle Eastern McGuffin and a leggy go-go dancer strutting her stuff. As the years rolled by I ticked off everything on that ambitious list with Monty bringing up the rear, thanks to the kindness of two colleagues and friends, the marvellous British TV duo, husband and wife John Stapleton and the late Lynn Faulds Wood.

I had the good fortune to work with them both at UK TV channel GMTV and hearing I had a passion for Jaguars they decided to give me their XJ6 as they upgraded. I say ‘give’ because although cash changed hands, in typical fashion they ensured the vehicle was fully serviced before handing over the keys - and that cost more than their asking fee!

As my career unfolded the go-go dancer moved on, the bad guys were chased, I got to travel all over Europe and the Middle East ... and when I retired back to the farm in Ireland Monty was a worry. How would I keep him serviced?

Incredibly, and through the power of Google, I learned Derek Dickenson, the finest Jaguar man in Ireland, was an hour up the lane.

Monty coped remarkably well with the rural lanes of Ireland – not for the faint hearted – weaving around flocks of sh

This article is from...

Jaguar World Monthly Magazine

23 December 2022

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