TV presenter Richard Hammond will join hundreds of fellow Ross residents on journey into Hereford for work - and he can’t wait.

Richard is setting up a classic car restoration workshop in the city and says he wants to be hands-on in helping to breathe life back into "beautiful metal".

On Saturday (August 28) he gathered "a few friends" and their cars for a circuit of the town on the way to the workshop on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate for a unique photograph.

The group was also filmed for a programme about the project which will be broadcast on the Discovery Plus channel later this year

Before leading the cavalcade from the Wilton car park, Richard told the Gazette setting up the workshop with experts Neil, Anthony and Andrew Greenhouse was a "dream come true".

He was also keen to emphasise that the idea for the programme came after the commitment to set up the workshop.

He said: "It’s important we are doing something in the county because I spent so many years a bit disconnected, getting on and off aeroplanes.

"One of the most important things for me is that I’ll really live and work here.

"I’ll be able to see customers around the space and go to work and be back home the same evening so that is going to be a real change.

"I’m still a TV presenter and I’ll carry on with that but the best thing with this is that I get to spend more time in Ross.

We live here on purpose, it wasn’t by accident - I want to be here, that’s the main thing."

For more about this story - and for more pictures - turn to page eight.

TV presenter Richard Hammond will join hundreds of fellow Ross residents on journey into Hereford for work - and he can’t wait.

Richard is setting up a classic car restoration workshop in the city and says he wants to be hands-on in helping to breathe life back into "beautiful metal".

On Saturday (August 28) he gathered "a few friends" and their cars for a circuit of the town on the way to the workshop on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate for a unique photograph.

The group was also filmed for a programme about the project which will be broadcast on the Discovery Plus channel later this year

Before leading the cavalcade from the Wilton car park, Richard told the Gazette setting up the workshop with experts Neil, Anthony and Andrew Greenhouse was a "dream come true".

He was also keen to emphasise that the idea for the programme came after the commitment to set up the workshop.

He said: "It’s important we are doing something in the county because I spent so many years a bit disconnected, getting on and off aeroplanes.

"One of the most important things for me is that I’ll really live and work here.

"I’ll be able to see customers around the space and go to work and be back home the same evening so that is going to be a real change.

"I’m still a TV presenter and I’ll carry on with that but the best thing with this is that I get to spend more time in Ross.

"We live here on purpose, it wasn’t by accident - I want to be here, that’s the main thing."

He added: "I’ve been travelling for years talking about other people’s cars and it’s nice to think we’ll be turning out our own work and doing something practical.

"The classic car business is all about ski whowholls and labour, it’s about craftspersonship.

"Its not about wanton consumption of materials or even fuels because most classic cars only do about 1,000 miles a year.

"Henry Pimm, a local guy, did some research and worked out the carbon footprint of the average classic car owner the carbon footprint of their classic car is roughly half that of their mobile phone every year.

"It is an industry founded on skill. We’ll be looking for apprentices and opportunities to perpetuate those skills.

"Without them none of these cars will be on the road in 10 years time because there will be nobody to keep them going.

"I’m hoping to be hands-on. I’ve improved my welding and I’d love to learn to paint."

On Saturday he brought together classic cars and bikes in the Wilton car park before they all headed to the workshop in Hereford.

Among those who came to see them off was Mayor of Ross Cllr John Winder.

He said: "I think its fabulous. I’m a bit of a classic car nut myself although I don’t anything. I think its great to see this stuff on the road."

As a bonus, he and partner Camilla had a lift to the official opening of the new workshop in a 1952 Bentley Mark VI which was driven to Hereford by owner Mr Dean Kronsbein.

Mr Kronsbein runs medical facemask manufacturer Ultra Filter Medical on Alton Road.