On 26 September 1926, Dartington Hall School opened its doors. Its initial intake of nine children comprised Whitney, his sister Beatrice and brother Michael, the son of the man planting Dartington’s apple orchard and five children collected that morning from Totnes railway station.
Whitney was still just 14, yet his unique curriculum developed from boat building, bricklaying to finance the acquisition of a motor bike and running a tobacco shop, to maintaining the generator that provided power to the Hall and, eventually, flying lessons.
No Latin, however, and it was not until two years after leaving Dartington that Whitney finally qualified for Trinity College, Cambridge – and by then, he had discovered motor sport…
Photo: Dartington Trust / Elmgrant Trust