THE FAMILY of a well-known author are to be reunited with his beloved classic Jaguar car after and extraordinary rediscovery
Nearly a decade after saying a heart-breaking goodbye, the family of Heartbeat author Nicholas Rhea will be reunited with his beloved Jaguar Mark 2 this weekend.
The sky blue Jaguar, a cherished family car for over four decades, will appear at the annual Heartbeat Vehicle rally in Goathland on June 27, marking a poignant reunion for Rhea’s family.
Nicholas Rhea, whose real name was Peter Walker, was the creator of the Constable books that inspired the long-running ITV drama Heartbeat.
At its peak, Heartbeat drew audiences of nearly 18 million and remains a beloved fixture on British television.
A former North Yorkshire police inspector, Nicholas first spotted the Jaguar in 1975 and fell instantly in love.
“It cast a spell on him that lasted the rest of his life,” said his daughter Sarah, who writes the Countryman’s Daughter column for the Gazette and Herald,
Like every love story, it had its ups and downs.
“It handled like a tank, sounded like a juggernaut, and was wholly unreliable. It swallowed money in petrol and maintenance,” said Nicholas in one interview.
The car failed its MOT in 1979 with Nicholas pledging to get it fixed once he could afford it. It would languish in his garage for the next 15 years.
Heartbeat’s first episode aired in 1992, the year Sarah got engaged. “I told Dad I wanted to be driven to my wedding in the Jaguar. Dad promised to make it happen.”
The show’s success meant he could finally get the repairs done and on 14th May 1994, Sarah sat with her dad in the back of his beloved car being driven to the church.
“It was one of the best moments of my life,” said Sarah.
Sadly, after a diagnosis of prostate cancer, Nicholas died on 21st April 2017. Thinking they would not be able to look after his car properly, the family made the difficult decision to let it go.
“Watching it drive away was like losing my dad all over again,” said Sarah. “I consoled myself by thinking the new owner would cherish it as we had. But I was wrong.”
Heartbeat Vehicle Rally organiser, Lee Jones later spotted the car on Facebook, which Jaguar fan Richard James had bought as a total wreck.
“Seeing the ‘before’ pictures broke my heart. It was awful,” said Sarah.
Richard didn’t know its history, but he found an original Heartbeat pen under the back seats, revealing its true heritage.
He has called her ‘Grace’ and the family, including Nicholas' 89-year-old widow Rhoda, are going to meet the car for the first time in nearly a decade.
Sarah said: "It’s going to be one heck of an emotional reunion."
The reunion will take place at 12pm Saturday, June 27 at Goathland Village Hall.
The Heartbeat Vehicle Rally takes place annually in Goathland, North Yorkshire. This year on June 27 and 28.
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