Richard Boggon who died in February, aged 81, was typical of many members and owners of pre-war Rolls-Royces, who are rather unassuming and discreet of their past distinguished careers. In Richard’s case, he was a surgeon whose character was beautifully summarised by one of his Junior Doctors. “I got to see him at the end of his career. He was extremely firm, as one would need to be, providing an excellent clinical service dealing with the harmful effects of cigarettes and diabetes on the heart, brain and kidneys. He was one of the last of a passing breed, the true general surgeon, who was as happy performing a femoral embolectomy in the middle of the night, as he was doing the most beautiful dissections down onto the thyroid, or removing diseased lymph nodes from his breast cancer patients.”
These general skills were to prove very useful to him when he joined the 20-Ghost Club in 2004. He had purchased a very pretty 1923 20 HP that I had previously owned that I acquired after it had been released from 30 years’ hibernation in the Harrah Museum in Las Vegas. It was my first Rolls-Royce, but by the time it came over into Steve Lovatt’s hands he told me it was a very tired car. After a two year restoration and much subsequent enjoyable use by myself and my wife, we sold it when we acquired our Silver Ghost. The car had “a bit of fizz”, but gradually became a bit temperamental for Richard, unpredictably failing to proceed due to some mysterious electrical or carburation malady. Once on his way again, Richard then had to cope with his Australian wife Margaret’s somewhat uncertain communication and navigational skills and so their arrival at their destination was always awaited with interest.
In 2008, he acquired a six light 20/25 saloon just in time for the wonderful 2006 Austrian Mozart Tour. Rather to my surprise, he asked if he could tag on behind John Marsh and me on the 3 day journey out to Salzburg. Neither John nor I used to hang about, as we were always focussed on getting to our destination and having a good dinner before bed. Despite this Richard’s rather heavy 20/25 kept up very well, showing just how well these cars can go when needed. What he lost on the ascents, he soon made up on the descents and we all arrived in Salzburg in good form.
Behind a slightly forbidding countenance, Richard showed great skill and fortitude, rarely complaining, but just getting on and dealing with life’s many unexpected problems.
Tim Forrest
