The Telegraph
Jun 28, 2024
The streets of Kolkata witnessed history being recharted as Australian adventure couple Langley and Beverly Kidby recreated a landmark journey by Francis Birtles who drove from London to Melbourne in a 1923 Bean 14 almost a century ago.
Inspired by Birtles’ 1927 ride, Langley and Beverly Kidby are retracing the route on the same vintage wheels. The couple reached Kolkata on June 14.
The Heritage Motoring Club of India took care of Lang on his way to Delhi and made arrangements for the couple right up till Varanasi before the Classic Drivers Club took over for the last leg of the Kidbys’ journey till Kolkata. The couple took a two-night break in Delhi before they carried on to get some much-needed rest and relaxation to cool down from the heat they had come to experience. While they rested, their vintage car was taken to be thoroughly serviced and cleaned before they set off for Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi.
On June 7, the Kidbys and the Bean entered Durgapur where they were greeted by members of CDC who proceeded to take them to the Cossimbazar Palace of the Roys. After their stay in the Cossimbazar Palace, Bev and Lang, along with the CDC members, made their way to Kolkata with a severe delay, courtesy the intelligence of Google Maps that sent their route awry before manual methods helped them get on the right path to the City of Joy.
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