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“Never has so much disorganisation been caught on camera.”
So wrote Tim Slessor in his diary on September 1st September 1955, describing the scene at the Grenadier Pub in Belgravia. He and five friends were packing two Series One Land Rovers, as a throng of journalists looked on.
They were making final preparations before embarking on an historic journey – “The Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition”. Six months and 18,000 miles later, Tim and his friends made history by parking up at the Rover Garage in Singapore. The ‘First Overland’ was born.
On Wednesday night, almost exactly 64 years later, Tim stood on the very same spot outside that very same pub to address a crowd of supporters and journalists. This time, he was taking part in the launch of his latest adventure – The Last Overland. Tim’s spirit of adventure has not been dimmed by age!
The crowds gathered outside the pub were witness to a truly touching moment, when Tim revealed his grandson Nat would be joining the upcoming expedition. Tim, who is recovering from recent surgery, relayed how Nat had offered to make sure there was a Slessor on the trip no matter what.
Tim - accompanied by Adam Bennett - owner/restorer of the famous ‘Oxford’ Land Rover - and his two First Overland teammates Patrick Murphy & Nigel Newbery, handed over a set of keys to Oxford for Nat’s safekeeping. We’re all wishing Tim the speediest of recoveries and he’ll be joining the expedition he inspired as soon as he’s fit and well.
Tim Slessor spoke about the thrill of sharing this journey with his grandson: “We (The First Overland) team embarked on this journey when we were in our early twenties, and at that age, you make the impossible, possible. To be able to share this journey with Nat, a young and would-be explorer, is quite moving as The Last Overland now represents both a family journey and an adventure of a lifetime.”
Despite just completing a degree in economics, Nat George has a keen interest in geography, and can’t wait to explore the world. The youngest member of the Overland team shares his excitement for the expedition, “Growing up, I have heard so much about The First Overland from my Grandpa. His passion and enthusiasm have greatly inspired me, and I’m very grateful to be able to be part of the journey started by him. The furthest I’ve driven in the past is London to Newcastle, so this will be an eye-opening experience for me!”
We were delighted to be joined by so many of our official supporters – including Singapore Tourism Board, Opihr Gin, Revolut, Dometic, battleface, Bremont, Hagerty, Fortnum & Mason and Lonely Planet - without whom we’d never be able to undertake this mammoth endeavour. You can read more about our supporters, and why they’re backing the expedition, here.
