A Brief Report From Our Brave Reporter In The Field:
The auto mobile industry is often like the driver of a SUV: noisy, malodorous and spewing out large quantities of CO² and methane. The cars can be a bit bothersome too. But not, it seems, Rolls-Royce. Producing some of the finest and expensive luxury cars available, one would assume that protecting the environment wouldn't be one of their top priorities. The state-of-the-art facility at Goodwood is one of the finest examples of modern engineering and, astonishingly, it has superb green credentials.

My brother Rory and I were the plucky Cobnor delegation (we are Diana's nephews, for those of you unfortunate enough not to have met us), along with twelve Chidhamites visiting Goodwood with the express purpose of inspecting its environmental management schemes.
The HQ of Rolls-Royce boasts one of the largest planted roofs in these great isles - which local children helped plant - and rest assured, there are no concerns regarding its biodiversity as it has several hundred different species of plants and shrubs all positively teeming with local fauna from worms to skylarks. So far superb, anyway. The plant's temperature control comes from the artificial lake built into the countryside and flanked by the rolling hills which cover the whole facility from view. Well, we wouldn't want our lovely Sussex panorama ruined would we?
All of this was presented to us by the environmental officer for the site after a brief history of Rolls-Royce from Ian Robertson, Chairman of Rolls-Royce and fellow Chidhamite, who also helped organise the event with Robin Yeld. The tour of the production facility itself was a very informative and often fascinating experience. The sheer enthusiasm of the guides was infectious in itself and witnessing first hand the masterful craftsmanship and technical prowess of the plant's staff, one would have quite a bit of difficulty not being highly impressed by everything on display. We expected the inside to be loud and full of furious drilling and sawing and the sound of huge robots whirring, clanging and banging away on the production line. We were quickly proved wrong. The assembly line is a huge open area, fully lit by the ambient light flooding through the gigantic windows along and above the whole facility, as well as a library-esque quietness thanks to the sound dampers under the floor. A “factory” this most certainly is not.
The car itself is, and has been for over a century, a marvellously elegant behemoth. But, it does contain some surprises under its £256,000 hood.
It has a list of excellencies and luxuries too long to mention here (also, I don't wish to promote them too much). For example, for every tree used for that distinctly beautiful interior woodwork, ten more are planted, a policy which is undoubtedly a boon to the planet's fragile environment.
The engines are clearly the pinnacle of modern car design, practically soundless as they drive past, contributing greatly to the reduction of noise pollution, too.
Truly the luxury car for the rich and shameless, the plant differs in that it exudes elegance and panache combined with what appears to be more than a mere shallow care for the environment. The surrounding area remains as picturesque and idyllic as ever and we were assured any disastrous spills or leakages could be isolated and cleaned without any contamination spreading. We would like to thank everyone involved, Rolls-Royce for being such jolly good hosts, Ian and Robin for organising the tour, our two guides David and James and, finally, Diana for being too busy to go herself and letting us go instead.

By Jamie Brown, esq.