|
Family and friends greet Jim Black as he returns to Lisburn
 |
 |
Jim
Black reaches Greece
in his 1924 Silverghost Rolls Royce |
Police at one of the
roadblocks
stand to admire Jim's Rolls Royce. |
A BALLINDERRY man was not put off when he
failed in his road trip bid to get to Jerusalem. Despite failing
to reach his destination using his 1924 Rolls Royce Silver
Ghost, Jim Black still managed to get there by aeroplane.
Jim, a Rolls Royce enthusiast, drove
thousands of miles through Europe but met a stumbling block at
Greece. He managed to drive through the country despite the
forest fires, but once at Athens, he was forced to return home.
Because of insurance problems his beloved car was not allowed
onto the freight ship to Cyprus.
But all was not lost for Jim. He drove back
using the rest of the trip as a holiday. He visited Rome,
Brussels, the Normandy beaches and went to the Somme where he
presented a plaque on behalf of the Lisburn City Council at
Thiepval.
 |
 |
| Lisburn Mayor James
Tinsley welcomes Jim Black back to Lisburn after his
epic journey. |
Jim Black with his
Rolls Royce |
HOME
When he arrived home his wife was in
Jerusalem as she had flown out to meet Jim. So he paid for
another flight and joined his wife for a weekend in Jerusalem.
During his two month trip he travelled
through countries like France, Italy, Macedonia, Brovenik,
Croatia, Montenegro and Kosovo. It was while in the Balkans that
he had money stolen at a road block, was faced with armed
militia in Serbia but was also befriended by an exiled family in
Montenegro.
BELOVED
Throughout his travels his beloved car never
let him down.
"Some days I would have travelled 500 miles a
day and do 60mph," he said. "In all we travelled 8,860 miles and
if I'm honest I would do it again.
"The Rolls Royce is a very hard wearing car
and were used as armour cars in their time." Jim now plans to
host a series of fundraising lectures with local car clubs for
the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club of Ireland, the St Joseph's Pre
School for the Blind and Deaf Children and the Jordanstown
School for Blind and Deaf Children.
mary.magee@jpress.co.uk
Ulster Star
21/07/2007
 |
