Five stories

The northern notebook

British cars, somewhere to go and time to stop for lunch.

1. Bentley country: Crewe, Cheshire and the art of the grand tour

   A little luggage, a long bonnet and a good reason to take your time.

2. The great northern motoring weekend: pubs, B-roads and muddy boots

   A Yorkshire Dales break with fewer check-ins and more time out of the car.

3. Flasks, sandwiches and a view: the British roadside picnic

   A little preparation for a stop that can become the best part of the drive.

4. Before the luxury: Rolls-Royce's Manchester beginnings

   Two surnames, an introduction and a car with a very small engine by later standards.

5. TVR and Blackpool: Britain's seaside rebel

   A sports-car story with a workshop at one end and a walk by the sea at the other.

A Cheshire day out: breakfast, horsepower & a hilltop castle