Emily

My partner's birthday. A very pleasant meal out to celebrate. Sunshine. And the arrival of vintage Rolls Royces!

This lovely lady flew on the oldest, most beautiful Rolls Royce. It made Chitti Chitti Bang Bang look like a Yugo. But this is a sad lady.

She should be called Eleanor, the story goes, Eleanor Velasco Thornton. She was the secretary to the second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, but as they were in different social classes, their love could only remain a secret affair, even after His Lordship was more appropriately married.

Originally she was designed with a finger to her lips and named "The Whisper", a poignant reflection of their love. Sadly Eleanor died on 30 December 1915, going down with the SS Persia, when the ship was torpedoed off Crete by a German submarine, as she made her way to India.

Equally sadly, when viewed close up, it turns out to be a rather ugly statuette.