A PLAQUE has been unveiled in Micheldever Station to mark the first recorded car journey in the UK.

In 1895, Evelyn Ellis made the first documented motor car journey departing from the village on July 5 to Datchet in Slough.

This weekend celebrations were held to mark the occasion, with a plaque erected at Micheldever railway station by the National Transport Trust.

The Red Wheel plaque was unveiled by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu in front of dozens of residents and members of the Veteran Car Club.

The Ellis Journey of Veteran Cars was cancelled this year, but many veteran cars and their drivers were present.

Some residents were given the opportunity to be taken for a ride in the cars, including Micheldever Station’s oldest resident Wally Smart, 94, and his daughter Ann-Marie, who were driven by David Miller in his Model T Ford, and Nicola Chadwick who was the passenger of a 1904 Humber Ette owned and driven by Jim Roscoe-Hudson.

Nicola said: “We moved to Ellis Drive in Micheldever Station in 2013 and had no idea of the legacy of the Ellis name for the road, and its place in motoring history. It gave me great pleasure and pride to be part of the celebrations to commemorate this event and great to see all the historic cars in their full splendour.”

Pupils from Micheldever Primary School were also part of the day as they have been studying the historic event, alongside journalism this term and used the opportunity to put their skills into practice.

Sue Bell, local event organiser, said: “How lucky we were to meet present-day friends and neighbours at a sunny, open-air event whilst celebrating the first car journey. Members of the Veteran Car Club, and others who came along to support, have such dedication in maintaining, and sharing, these magnificent vehicles. The school children, and their teachers, were a great asset to the occasion; not even Lord Montagu of Beaulieu escaped interrogation by a young Micheldever Station resident.”

In June 1895, Ellis purchased his motor car, powered by a Daimler engine, for £200 from the Paris firm of Panhard-Levassor. He took it across the Channel and then on to Micheldever Station.