Fay celebrated her 77th birthday in January 2026. She has certainly been though the mill over the years with owners either cherishing her or just leaving her abandoned.
My late father Alan Hughes owned this truly amazing 1949 Triumph Roadster 2000 at the time England last won the football World Cup, yes 1966. This one the first of many Triumphs he ran including a number of 2000, 2500PI’s, Heralds and Spitfires. He used to keep all the registration plates of his Triumph’s on our garage wall in Boughton, near Faversham in Kent. FAY635’s plate was there from the start and he told my brother and I that Fay was long gone as this was the early 80’s and he owned and regrettably sold her before marrying our mother and of course our births.
Dad was diagnosed with Bowell Cancer in 1999, he had surgery at this point but the cancer was more than keen to spread and effected his liver. After small doses of chemotherapy he was then too weak to take anymore. He made it past the Millennium and died on 19th February 2000 at just 57, cared for in his last days at The Pilgrims Hospice, Canterbury, Kent.
To my utter amazement, I discovered Fay still existed some 7 years after Dad died. I was taxing a car at the time and thought ‘I wonder what will happen if I look up FAY.’ I couldn’t believe my eyes when the DVLA database still had records she was alive ‘in some fashion’. In turn I contacted the Triumph Roadster club and found her to be in the safe hands of a Keith Gulliford. God as I refer to him, had acquired Fay following the sad death of a friend. Anyway, the rest is history, Keith completed a full nut and bolt restoration and when ready I bought her.
I’ve researched as much of Fay’s history as possible or so I believe. I’m able to trace back to 1962 as I’m in possession of the old ‘buff’ type log book, however this is a continuation book which supersedes all data between her registration date, 5th January 1949 and 1962. I’m struggling to find anything between these dates, maybe somebody out there once owned her and has another story to tell? I’d love to know.
I have owned Fay for over 7 years. Two years ago, I decided to put her looks to better use than just being snuggled up in her garage. Now she is readily available for TV, Film, Corporate and Wedding hire. At the same time, this website is devoted to my late father Alan Hughes.
Every hire will attract a donation (made by us) to Cancer Research UK and JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis).
Cancer effects all our lives in some capacity. It takes a perfectly strong grown man from a vibrant, Draughtsmen and Engineer, with amazing creative and theatrical skills along with being the best and most loving Dad in the world to a dark side of life we all dread.
My beautiful daughter, now 12 years of age developed a few health problems and was diagnosed with Arthritis 6 years ago. So, Arthritis was a word that I remember my Nan, Dad’s mum saying she suffered with when I went to visit her, she was in her late eighties at the time not under 10!. Prescribed drugs and treatment are fending off the disease from attacking my daughters joints but side effects of the drugs cause other daily concerns. I am amazed at the strength this little girl shows day in day out, here’s hoping and praying as she grows up the Arthritis will disappear and the drugs don’t do any long term damage.
Gary