Hi everyone, thank you so much for getting this far and considering donating it means so much to all those close to my father, Bryan Wingfield. Dad is now in the later stages of Alzheimer’, is bed bound and 100% reliant on the wonderful care team, some of who’m have been around Dad for up to 9 years. Dads ability to communicate with those not around him daily is virtually zero… And while he may not be your hero, he very much is ours and we need your help…
If you don’t know Dad then simply pop his name in Google along with Jaguar or GT40 and you will see what he was all about and why I - his youngest daughter is so proud of his achievements. This is me sitting on the back wheel of GT40 P/1009 aged about 5, looking proudly at Dad, even back then.
Dad went on to have the most fascinating career, he re built GT40P/1009 after its spectacular crash and many more over the years, along with some of the most technically correct replicas of the Jaguar D-Type, C-Type, lightweight E-Types and the Jaguar XJ13.
In the early naughties he decided to take things a little easier moving to just having a couple of race cars and had success with the Group C swift air car with the late David Lesley at the wheel, then on to the C100 built from scratch which David also piloted for Dad, below is a proud grandad with his grandsons and the C100.
David and Dad were great friend and after Davids tragic death in 2008 in a plane crash, I don’t think Dad ever fully recovered his love and enthusiasm for racing and retirement to his now full time home in France beckoned.
In 2010/2011 it was noticed that Dad was becoming confused and not himself, later on he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s - the most cruel life zapping disease. For anyone who has been spared the experience of watching a loved one slowly lose their battle against Alzheimer’s here is a tiny insight.
Our brilliant Dad slowly lost his ability to recognise basic object, cars became aeroplanes, a spoon was a ball - through to losing his ability to walk, feed himself and talk - but he still sings, part of Dad is still in there, but Alzheimer’s has claimed the rest.
In late 2013 Dad’s consultant gave Dad the dreadful news that he was likely to be unable to do anything for himself within three years. Being the super organised man (and he would be the first to agree - a little controlling lol) he put together a small team of carers headed by his long term ex Pat friend Jonathan, and we his family were told he was to leave his beloved France, only in a box!
Now - 10 years on and testimony to the wonderful team he has around him at home 24 hours a day he is still with us. Unfortunately the reality of this that while he gets some state help, he is nearly out of money and we face the dreadful prospect of him going into a French care home while his house is sold which is not a quick process as we are discovering.
Anyone who has experience of Alzheimer’s patients will know that the one thing they need above all is stability and familiarity and while the care system has to be considered it is predicted that Dad would survive for 3 to 6 months in this environment, hence our need to raise funds fast.
We know creating this crowdfunder is the last thing Dad would want which is why I have struggled to do it, but he tasked myself and my husband to do everything we can to keep him in France, preferably in his own home for as long as possible.
In his own home sadly is not a long term option but a move to rented accommodation just down the road - avoiding the need for Dad to go into a care home is my aim here… and we REALLY are running out of time and money!
In addition to this donation page my wonderful employer Car & Classic auctions are helping me auction a fab Mk1 cortina which was a barn find that can be seen on the Late Brake Show’s YouTube chanel hosted by another wonderful supporter Jonny Smith. Also up for grabs will be Dads own personal run around which was a 1995 Ford Galaxy prototype located in France and a few other items that I’ll add here in time so do come back for updates and links.
These auctions will certainly help but in reality they will only scratch the surface, so please do help if you can by donating here - this funding page is linked directly to Dads bank account that my sister Julia and I are court appointed deputies for.
I will leave you with my favourite photo taken back in the 1980’s of Dad having his collar felt 😁