Keith Parrington of Painting Classic Cars, in Birch Close, this week described the multi-award winning Star Trek and X-Men actor as just ‘fantastic and kind-hearted’ and said it was ‘an honour and a privilege’ to have restored the legend’s treasured Jaguar XJS.
Sir Patrick bought the British Racing Green V12 XJS convertible almost new in California while he was living there in 1989. He brought it back to the UK in 2004, and in 2017 he tasked Keith and his team at Xj Restorations Ltd to give the car a full suspension and brake rebuild, bodywork repair, and respray.
It had been kept in storage for most of its time in the UK, Keith explained, and Sir Patrick entrusted the firm as specialists - following a recommendation from Jaguar Cars - to fully overhaul it.
Keith remembers those few months fondly, saying: “What a fantastic, genuine, kind-hearted person he was. Absolutely fantastic working with him and a real honour to meet him and to be invited into his home.
"He also came down to the workshop and was very genuine in his enthusiasm. He wanted to understand everything that we were doing and he oversaw some of the work. On one of the occasions he came down we busted the kids out of school on a dental appointment and they didn’t have a clue what was happening. They came into the office and Patrick was there and was just full Professor X for them for 15 minutes or so and just lovely. The warmth from him was something else.”
Sir Patrick died last week aged 86.
Watch Keith’s tribute in full at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itwde9g99Hc
1. Sir Patrick Stewart was 'genuinely enthusiastic' about the work
Sir Patrick Stewart was 'genuinely enthusiastic' about the work Photo: Submitted
2. Sir Patrick Stewart in his restored car
Sir Patrick Stewart in his restored car Photo: Submitted