Coachlines - October 2024
31.10.24 Steve Miles
Fenix and the IPM’s Park Drag coach – an experience of a lifetime
What a tremendous opportunity to experience the craftsmanship of Fenix Carriages, writes Steve Miles. To give you the full story, I won the prize of a ‘Day out for four people at Fenix Carriages’ at the Coachmakers’ Banquet 2024, including a drive out atop the Master’s yellow Park Drag coach. We were also fortunate to have the Immediate Past Master Bettine Evans and her husband Tony join us on the ride.
Having no experience of the golden age of coaching, I had no idea what was entailed in a ride on the coach. There was no dilemma on who my guests would be – myself and my wife Jayne were joined by Kevin and Anne Timms, Kevin is a member of the Coachmakers and had invited my wife and I to the banquet where we won the charity raffle prize. The four of us arrived at Fenix Carriages on 26th October for what turned out to be an unforgettable day.
Mark Broadbent and the team at Fenix use time-honoured traditional engineering principles to produce the most well-crafted and elegant carriages. Whether it’s a simple gig, a dog cart, competition carriages or a coach, Fenix produces some of the finest work you will ever see. I was really stunned by detail, care and attention applied in the full restoration or re-creation of these exquisite horse-drawn vehicles.
We learned that these coaches are not museum pieces, but fully functional working exhibits of coaching transport from the 1800s. Fenix’s pride and dedication in protecting these historic vehicles was evident through the use of traditional methods, including woodwork, metalwork, wheel making, making of springs, upholstery or the paint finishing and detailing. The quality just shines through on every vehicle that Fenix has in its care.
I am an engineer who has worked in the motor industry all my career, making more modern-day carriages, so sitting atop the Master’s coach on today’s roads was very different for me. Mark’s driving and control of the horses made an unbelievable experience never to be forgotten. The route included a visit to a local hostelry along the highways and byways in glorious sunshine, whilst negotiating today’s vehicles. Everyone was very respectful of this bygone transport with perhaps the exception of a one grumpy Tesla driver!
Please can I convey my greatest thanks to Bettine and Tony for making this possible, with a special thanks to Mark, Joanna and Sarah for the days of preparation that went in to preparing not only the coach but also the immaculately turned out leader and wheeler horses, Zorro, Ulex, Goliath and Cobby.