Monday 13 October 2008

A Chateau full of surprises


If you trundle sedately South down from Dijon you will come upon the village of Savigny-Les-Beaune, and there you will find the Musee Du Chateau de Saigny-De-Beaune. A perfectly nice, traditional chateau with those pretty conical tops to the towers, it is in the heart of vineyard country and produces its own wines of that name and very fine they are too. In this rare instance though, my visit was not for purposes of alcoholic consumption but was rather that I was drawn by the sight of what must have been in excess of thirty jet fighter aircraft idling their time-expired lives away amongst the vines. Some had clearly been there a long time whilst others were relatively new arrivals - one thing was certain, they'd never take to the air again, leastways not from their present location. 'Worth a stop' I conjectured and my wife reluctantly, yet supportively, agreed. What we found was an Aladdin's cave of the most fascinating kind. Our journey took us through the wine shop and into a series of stables which housed a stunning collection of Abarth racing cars and equipment on two floors; here too was the reserve collection of unrestored and original motorcycles festering quietly in their own area awaiting either the restorers magic touch or....nothing. Outside and across into the main chateau found us climbing a vast staircase to the first floor where the premiere collectione' was displayed. From ceilings hung Victorian and Edwardian cycles, tricycles and light motor assisted bicycles - even a light aircraft. And then the row upon row of motorcycles down each side of the long narrow rooms; motorcycles of mainly French and British origin in good to mediocre condition, none apparently recently used all awaiting a turn of duty. The towers at either end of the corridors each contain a dais - on either end a collection of Vincents and Manx Nortons respectively. In the niches and fireplaces on the tower walls are shelves of engines of the most esoteric kinds, from Belgian FNs to French Motebcanes, twins, singles, 'V's and flats - everything one can imagine and all with that 'slightly unused, I want to be liberated' feel about them. I'm determined to go back, maybe to coincide with Europe's largest old 'bike event,  'Les Coupes de Motos Legendes' at Prenois near Dijon, next year...always supposing the end of world as we know it hasn't happened by then.

9 comments:

Toby Savage said...

By a remarkable coincidence 26 years ago I employed one Vicky Keens-Soper, a wholesome blond of a certain age. (a.k.a Vicky Keen Groper). As a glamorous twenty something she lived in this very chateau with Maurice, husband number one (of three) and had three boys, Robert, Alex and Gus. Post divorce the Chateau was sold and Vicky moved back home to Leicester. All three boys took turns in running their fathers rather dodgy businesses in and around Beaune and on our honeymoon spent in the area in 1986, Alex took us to Savigny-Les-Beaune and told us the tale of his childhood there. The desirable extras must have come later, as there was no sign of them in 1986. I still have a 1982 Savigny-Les-Beaune sitting here, bought on that trip waiting for the right moment. For the petrol heads the honeymoon was two weeks in France in an MGC roadster. Roof went up once when it was too hot and I got 125 mph out of it rushing to catch the ferry.

Jon Dudley said...

Your Vicky sounds a bit of a sport! So some rich bugger has either amassed this treasure trove or transferred it within fairly recent times to the chateau. When the great 'Followers of Ashley' day comes and we all get to meet one another (well those of us not already belonging to that great and mysterious Freemasonry that bonds the likely suspects together) what a wonderful, yet understandably unlikely gesture it would be for you to share that bottle of '82 with us. No doubt Peter will contribute something along the lines of a Tizer '57.

Toby Savage said...

Jon. The 82 will sit here until that fateful day. We can then all laugh at just how undrinkable it has become with the passage of time......

Peter Ashley said...

Mr.Dudley! I've only just this minute (7.41am on a miserable Wednesday morning) found your blog. Why didn't I know? I saw 'Anzac Musings' on Toby's list and assumed it was a bunch of his old war pals.

Jon Dudley said...

In the words of Stephen Fry - Welcome, welcome, welcome. Sleuthing will out! New Anzac on Sea as I'm sure you know was the original name for the strange place where I live.

Thud said...

I'm sure I can get my sister vinogirl to provide some of her own fine wines to a future drinking session.

Jon Dudley said...

Bring it on Vinogirl!

Fred Fibonacci said...

The Chateau. Surely this is the place for The Knights Ashley to assemble and swear oaths? I'll bring the Impala.

Jon Dudley said...

And I'll bring the Vincent sidecar outfit! What larks, Pip!