A CONVOY of 71 Bentleys visited Port Sunlight to celebrate the historic village's connection with the prestigious car manufacturer.

The group travels all over the world and had come to stay for the first time in Wirral staying at Thornton Hall Hotel for a three-day break.

In the first decade of the last century as William Hesketh Lever started to put the finishing touches to his model village Port Sunlight, an apprentice Railway engineer decided to start selling motorcars.

While this enterprise was interrupted by the War after the war ended W O Bentley started his own business manufacturing motorcars and in 1922 as Princess Beatrice opened the Lady Leaver Art Gallery WO Bentley unveiled his three-litre Bentley.

So it seemed appropriate that when the 71 members of Bentley Drivers Club arrived in Wirral, Port Sunlight was included given the relationship between the two villages. The event was arranged by committee member, Alex Reid Entwistle.

He said: "As I have lived on the Wirral all my life and run a business dealing with Bentley motorcars it was a wonderful sight to see over 90 years from the oldest Bentley to the newest Bentley gathered in Port Sunlight which being a local, you have a tendency to overlook as a visitor attraction.

"With the majority of people traveling huge distances to the Wirral that day often in very old open Bentleys I was surprised that most people were so enthralled by the Village they wished to stay longer and so we are planning to include Port Sunlight in another event".

Lionel Bolland, chief executive of Port Sunlight Village Trust, warmly welcomed Alex and the car owners into the village with a short speech and a brief overview of the village’s history. The group visited the museum and went on to explore the village venues and surroundings.