From Grammar Productions:
On Sunday 31 August 2025, more than 200 Land Rovers took to the streets of London, accompanied by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, to mark the 70th anniversary of the First Overland expedition –the legendary 1955 road journey from London to Singapore.
The convoy gathered at Belgrave Square before heading west to Bremont HQ “The Wing” in Henley-on-Thames, where adventurers, celebrity overlanders, and fans joined together in tribute.
At the heart of the celebration was Tim Slessor, who turns 94 next month. Slessor was one of the original six young men on the 1955 expedition, and today remains one of only three surviving members. He is also the author of the best-selling First Overland, a book that has become a cornerstone of the travel writing genre and continues to inspire adventurers worldwide. Messages of support flooded in from across the globe — from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States — underlining the enduring impact of the journey he made.
Highlights of the day included:
“Today, I felt the same joy I had driving into Singapore all those years ago. I could never have imagined that 70 years on our journey could have one final hurrah,” said Tim Slessor, original First Overlander and author of First Overland.
“The First Overland is about friendship, courage, and the great British spirit of adventure. To seehundreds of Land Rovers roll out in its honour, 70 years later, was extraordinary,” said Alex Bescoby, organiser and leader of the 2019 Last Overland recreation.
Global Release of The Last Overland
To coincide with the celebration, the documentary series The Last Overland has been made freely available worldwide on Free Documentary’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/@FreeDocumentary.
This anniversary celebration was proudly supported by Bremont Watches, Singapore Tourism Board and Land Rovers of London.
