The CMM Friends & Volunteer Service
Alan Palmer
Hello, I'm Alan Palmer, I started my engineering career as an apprentice with Armstrong Siddeley Motors Ltd of Coventry at the age of 16 in 1953. After doing national service in the R.A.F., I had various appointments as a draughtsman and engineer with Armstrong Siddeley working on diesel engines, rocket motors, motor cars and industrial gas turbines. I then worked for Dunlop Rubbers and Standard Motor Co Ltd. My last job was at Ford Motor Co Ltd from 1961 until retirement in 1987.
At Ford I started as a Senior Product Designer in the truck (vans & lorries) engineering department. The most exciting being the design and development of the transit van, helping as senior resident engineer to put it into full scale production.
Even as a little boy I always wanted to be involved with cars, so I have been very lucky to do what I wanted. I am still lucky because with the museum on my doorstep, I can still mess about with cars to my hearts desire, at the same time as giving something back to the museum!
Oliver Wood
My interest in cars first started when I was eight. I came to visit the motor museum and saw Brum (the television character) for the first time, I was really excited about this because I had seen him on television. We moved to Bourton shortly after that and I always went down to the museum on my own to look at the cars. I always have and still do, notice the great ambience as soon as I walk through the door. Now I am 16 years of age I really appreciate the cars more and more and my favourite one is most definitely the Jaguar XK140. I would put that down purely to my total infatuation with Jags.
I have been looking around the museum for eight years now and I have learned so much. It is incredible to have watched so many changes that the motor museum has gone through. I don't think this interest will stop and at the moment I am doing a GNVQ in leisure and tourism which helps me to understand the business part of the museum. In the very near future I am planning on doing an apprenticeship in engineering to further my knowledge of cars.
