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Today marks the 100th birthday of a Rolls Royce bought in 1926. The car was later used to transport local children to school.

The celebration brought other classic car enthusiasts to the estate, while one raffle winner got the chance to get a lift in the century-old car.

Finn Macdiarmid reports.
Transcript
00:00In 1926, the first red telephone box was installed in London.
00:04A new mechanical television system was developed and the Burham family, who had just bought
00:08Hull Park Country House in Rolvenden, purchased a pale blue Rolls Royce.
00:13Fast forward 100 years, that car is now owned by a new generation of Burhams.
00:17So to celebrate, the family hosted classic car enthusiasts, visitors and the deputy mayor
00:22for the Rolls 100th birthday on this especially hot bank holiday.
00:26Yeah, well we've got a little selection here of other Rolls Royces and other cars come
00:32to join us for today, just to celebrate the car for the old girl, 100 years old today.
00:37Maybe she'll be getting a letter from the king, a telegram for the king for her birthday.
00:40Now everyone knows that in order to have a good birthday celebration, you've got to bring
00:45some friends along.
00:45So for the 100th birthday of this Rolls Royce, the Burham family invited around more owners
00:51of other classic cars, including some Rolls Royces, all to share in the fun.
00:55Her name is Gertie, she is 94 years old, made in 1932, a 2025 horsepower model which is one
01:09model up on the 100 year old car which is here today.
01:14It's not so much buying it, it's maintaining it, so the parts and things and stuff like that,
01:18I use a very good local specialist.
01:23So other than having things like starter motors and things and just general maintenance, it's
01:27actually touch wood pretty good.
01:30The day-to-day motor, other than the petrol, because it only does on a run 90 miles to the
01:34gallon and the way that fuel is at the moment, as you can imagine, stays a bit of a treat.
01:40The people of the nearby village of Rolvenden would have seen the car throughout the years,
01:44as it was briefly used to transport children to school, and now a raffle was being held
01:48so people could have the chance for a ride along, with the deputy mayor having a go as
01:52well.
01:53Well we're very lucky to have the weather to be fair, but it's absolutely fantastic to
01:57be here, to see these gorgeous cars, beautifully restored, and the fact that one is 100 years
02:02old, 1926, and I'm looking forward to going on a ride later on actually, and I'm just
02:08very proud to be here really, and it's good to see so many have turned up.
02:12Well today marks another year for the Rolls Royce at Hull Park, and while the pale blue
02:17part of the Byram family might be young at heart, in this heat it will certainly struggle
02:22to be young of engine.
02:23Finn McDermid for KMTV in Rolvenden.
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