PHOTOGRAPHER JONNY FLEETWOOD
It used to be old airfields, now it’s exfarmyards. Boy there’s some fascinating stuff happening at the back end of these tucked away yards. This one’s in deepest Dorset, smartly reupholstered with fresh concrete, paint and buildings. One side of Silent Classics is Rotron, doing fascinating things with rotary engines for drones and more, across the yard is Parajet, using them to drive fans to help people fly.
Jack Kerridge used to work there before setting up by himself. He’s tall and keen, with something of the wild professor about him. The sort of guy you know would be up for a mad project. His first was converting a Fiat 126 to run on electric. That still sits outside, a little unloved these days as he’s moved on to greater things. Why cars in the first place? “It’s in the blood. My dad is a classic car restorer, so I grew up around all that and it sort of spiralled from there.”