Roy B

continued from above This karting track is in the old boating pool. On a calm sunny day the height of the promenade here makes for some outstanding views right across to the Lake District. However, in bad weather on a stormy day it can be horrendous. With it being such an exposed spot it is subject to the full force of the Irish Sea with nothing to protect it. There isn’t even a beach to absorb the energy of the waves. Each one strikes the concrete wall at full speed. During the storms of last winter the sea crashed over the retaining wall and all the tyres ended up in a massive pile at one end. It’s taken a fair while to disentangle them all. They have now been strapped and bolted down. Here’s a blurry pic of it full to overflowing in the midst of a fierce storm. Note the two full size shipping containers floating about! continued below

continued from above An unruly queue at KFC’s Blackpool branch! On this 75th anniversary weekend of VE Day the Blackpool War Memorial and Cenotaph stands proud, and echoes the shape of Blackpool Tower behind. Erected in 1923 it has an unusual sculpture of the corpse of a dead German soldier. The depiction of dead combatants are very rare on a war memorial and this may be the only one in England to depict a dead German. continues below

Hi there folks, In the gallery this time are the pics from day one of the 2019 Saloons WF at Cowdenbeath (see page 3 of this topic for info). Before that a few pics of a locked down Blackpool on this Bank Holiday w/end. It is very surreal walking along the prom (allowable exercise) and not seeing a soul around on what would have been a very busy few days. An eerily silent Pleasure Beach. The Big One’s highest point at 213ft (65m). The sound of the ride’s lift chain clanking in the track is noticeable by its absence. Speeds of 85mph (137kph) are attained on this descending curve. It doesn’t look high from ground level but when you’re up there people walking below look like ants. There were plans to extend the ride across the prom and out over the beach, but H & S blocked it. The Central Pier Big Wheel. Not a good thing to go on when there’s a gale force wind howlin’. continued below

The April F2 newsletter:

Apparently the fencing was like that way before 1989 as well! It was during Peter's time there that TVR moved away from the V6 engine and back to the V8's. They got hold of a 5.0 litre Holden V8 and fitted it in the TVR White Elephant which was a prototype car built for Wheeler. This morphed into the Griffith prototype powered by a Rover V8. I know what you mean about the secrecy. The sadly missed Keith Flint (Prodigy) was interested in buying a Cerbera. He paid a visit incognito so as not to attract press attention. He and fellow bandmate Liam Howlett also place orders for the Speed 12. When my mate and i were on the road there were strict instructions not to reveal what was in the trailer.

Hi there folks, In the gallery this week are the pics from Armadale (see page 3 of this topic for info), & the TVR DAF’s. The old TVR car works is 10 mins from where I live and I quite often used to see their car transporters heading in and out of the site. I had a mate who drove for them and on the odd occasion I used to join him on a delivery run. We did a few trips in the old DAF 75’s, and then the XF430’s. The XF’s had purpose built fully enclosed transporter trailers and looked the business. There are some pics in the gallery of the first run out in the new ones. These photos date from 2005 and are a bit grainy but they’re still well worth a look. One of the two new DAF XF430's The founder of TVR was Trevor Wilkinson who was born in Blackpool in 1923. After serving an engineering apprenticeship at a local garage he purchased an old wheelwrights workshop to start a business that he named Trevcar Motors. The company did all sorts of engineering work, and also serviced car and vans. In 1947 he renamed it TVR by leaving out a few letters from his first name, and the seeds were sown for the cars to come. Between 1949-53 three one off specials appeared. The build of his first chassis had a rear axle from a Morris Eight, and the engine was a Ford 1172cc from a 1936 van tuned to 35hp. The man hired to do the bodywork crashed the chassis before he even started work on it! After repairs, it was bodied in aluminium, painted British racing green and sold for £325 (£11,500 today). TVR number two was of a similar style and featured a tacho from a Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. Number three was again to a familiar design and used a 1200cc 40hp engine from an Austin A40. 1953-55 saw the sports saloons appear. Running gear was from the Austin A40 with a fibreglass body, and were sold as a kit car. All the chassis were produced to the customers’ req’s so no two left the factory in the same config. Trevor himself raced the cars in rallies and road comps. From the mid-fifties the cars began to attract attention and the orders for bespoke builds increased using different chassis, body and engine combinations. It was time to move from the old wheelwrights workshop which by now had holes in the roof which let the rain and snow in. With a larger premises, and an increase in staff they began building open sports and coupe versions. Mike Hawthorn the first UK F1 World Champ drove one of the demonstrator models. The Blackpool built cars were being exported to the USA, and a team of six TVR’s were racing regularly on the American circuits. During 1958 a dealership was set up in New Hampshire. A joint Anglo-American project saw the creation of the next model named the Grantura. The Hoo Hill Hellcat was an earlier name put forward to recognise the Blackpool industrial estate where the new factory was located. Trouble loomed on the horizon however as only ten cars had been completed, and the orders from the USA had virtually stopped owing to a lack of sales success. The debt to the bank was close to £10,000, and the decision to dissolve the company was taken. After re-forming as Layton Sports Cars Ltd a cash injection of £15,000 to increase the workforce and build a stock of car components followed. Unfortunately the struggle to build enough cars continued. There was a backlog of fifteen on the order books and a rate of build of only one a month. March 1959 saw the company board vote to replace Trevor Wilkinson. He remained involved but felt he was being undermined by the very company he had created. In the early 1960’s the company attempted to re-establish itself in the USA. Various managers and directors came on board and confidence in the leadership was in doubt. The company’s finances were being stretched with too much emphasis on the motor racing side. Three cars were entered in the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, but two retired with mechanical failures. Excessive expenditure on luxury transport and hotels was the final straw that led to the departure of Trevor Wilkinson. The history of the company (now renamed TVR Cars Ltd ) from this point forward would see many changes both in ownership and models produced. A move to larger premises occurred within the next ten years,but by 2006 the Blackpool site had closed. Currently the TVR name is owned by a syndicate of British businessmen, with a 3% stake held by the Welsh government. A far cry from the founding of the company seventy-four years ago. In pics next time: The 2019 Saloon’s WF at Cowdie

A tremendous interview with the Professor. Straightforward, no nonsense answers. Nigel is an individualist innovator and this showed through in his replies. Many thanks yet again to all involved in this excellent series 👍

Definitely the best one so far. Loved the 1 v 217 clash. Some quality hits/last benders from 5, 20, and 526. The young guns are showing the way. Paul & Sarge are getting us through this shut down in the best way possible with some great banter and interaction with the viewers. Many thanks once again 👍

Many thanks for a brilliant interview 👍

continued from above In thanks, the captain donated the ships bell and dog to the landlord who had raised the alarm. The ship was never refloated. The wreck was bought by a local syndicate who made souvenirs from the wood. The wreck was an attraction for the locals Next time: In pictures - The TVR Daf’s, and a visit to Armadale.

continued from above The northern part of this coast in Lancashire is known for the ferocious westerly gales and storms. These concrete fence panels snapped off like carrots in the recent storm force winds Many shipwrecks along this stretch of coast have been recorded from as early as 1755. Abana was a three-masted barque weighing 1200 tons and was built at St.John’s Newfoundland in 1874. In December 1894 the ship set sail from Liverpool bound for Florida. Her cargo was 500 tons of ballast, and she was to return with timber. On the 22nd December the ship was caught in one of the worst storms recorded along this coastline. The tide rose 10ft higher than normal. Wind-speeds of 105mph, with gusts of 150mph were recorded. She was first sighted close to North Pier at 3pm with all the sails in tatters. The crew had mistaken the newly built Blackpool Tower for a lighthouse and she was now at the mercy of the storm. Within two hours she had been blown along the coast ending up running aground close to Little Bispham. The landlord of the Cleveleys Hotel raised the alarm. Owing to the terrible conditions the lifeboat could not be launched from Blackpool and had to be taken 7 miles overland by six horses. The boat was launched from as close as possible to the Abana. The rescue took place in the pitch black during this high tide. It was extremely difficult with the sea being rocked by huge waves, and the relentless pounding of the crew by the fierce gale. The Abana crew of 17 were all taken on board the lifeboat, along with its own crew of 16, plus the ships dog. On heading back to shore the combined weight of the passengers ran the lifeboat aground on a sandbank. The crew members had to push it afloat, and eventually they reached safety. The Abana crew safe on dry land. A testament to the lifeboat crew that no lives were lost. continues below:

Hi there folks, Hope you’re all doing ok. Taunton and Eastbourne pics from August are in the gallery now. Info on page 3. I live 10 mins walk from the prom so usually go along the beach as my daily allowable exercise. Close to Cleveleys there are the remains of a shipwreck that has lain there since 1894. The sands move around depending on the tides. At low tide you can see the wooden ribs sticking out. How much you can see varies with the weather conditions over the preceding weeks. With rough seas and a strong wind the sand gets scoured away. We’ve had some fierce winds the last couple of months so now was a good time to have a look at the site of the Abana. The wreck site looking south. Norbreck Castle Hotel on the left, Blackpool Tower in the distance, and North Pier just visible. All is revealed at low tide. continues below:

Carl, i think it should have been H318 Rick Lenssen

A superb interview. Thanks to all concerned 👍

Hi there folks, Great news. The gallery is back! I plan to upload all the pics since early Feb over the next few weeks. The Leeds/Liverpool canal into Wigan photos are on now. Some info for these pics is within this topic. It's Feb 15th on page three.

Make it a weekend at Skeggy. Looking like a 60 car rFactor F2 meeting on Sunday as well.

Hi there folks, A look back to the very first meeting at Nelson courtesy of Stockcar Supporter for the report, and Stock Car for the photo. Nelson - Saturday July 22nd 1967 On this day the birth of stock car racing came to this smart new track surrounding the local football pitch. An estimated crowd of some 5,000 people turned up to this opening meeting, and the start was delayed for half an hour to enable as many as possible to get in. The track is square and gave the first heat drivers some headaches. Jim Esau (244) soon mastered the circuit to take the first race. Malc Forster (192) was second, and Derek Brook (243) third. Doug Cronshaw (396) was the first casualty, losing a wheel early on, and hastily abandoning the precariously parked motor. The second heat went to Charlie Finnikin (55) despite the fact that the track was already cutting up badly. He drove well to take and keep the lead from early on. The first flip went to Keith Thompson (33) who performed a neat roll-over in front of the small stand much to the delight of the spectators. Second placeman was Ron Rogers (152), and Ken Carter (116) took a well deserved third place. Heat three: The track was now in a very bad state, and cars were becoming airborne due to the deep pot-holes which had appeared, particularly near the four corners. Nevertheless Ellis Ford (3) soon battled his way through the pack, but not without problems presented by a much improved Rodney Falding (36), and a very determined Arthur Townsend (339), and they finished in that order well down the field. The Consolation was marred because of an injury to two young spectators after a car had hit the fence rather forcefully. A track post fell into the crowd and the race was stopped. After the restart Alan Heap (88) soon took the lead and was followed home by Doug Cronshaw and Harry Holt (84). And so to the Final. The track had by now cut up really badly, but Ron Rogers and Charlie Finnikin soon fought their way to the front of the pack. Ellis Ford made a break, but was not able to make much impression until he lost patience, and amidst loud booing overtook the lead cars by chopping a large portion off one of the corners. This was not very well received by the spectators, or drivers, but nonetheless once in the lead Ford increased the distance and was given the decision. Rogers was second and Finnikin third. Promoter Mike Parker could be onto a winner with this unusual but pleasant little circuit, and once track conditions are improved things could go along nicely. Good luck! Results: Race 1: J Esau (244), M Forster (192), D Brook (243), P Farrington (77), B Wignall (102), B Shipman (297) Race 2: C Finnikin (55), R Rogers (152), K Carter (116), K Chapman (183), B Cooper (397), T Neal (100) Race 3: E Ford (3), R Falding (36), A Townsend (339), M Whittaker (44), G Eardley (58), J Scott (105) Consolation: A Heap (88), D Cronshaw (396), H Holt (84), E Testo (389), K Shackleton (240), T Gill (29) Final: E Ford (3), R Rogers (152), C Finnikin (55), E Testo (389), D Cronshaw (396), B Cooper (397) What a crowd! Charlie Finnikin, Ron Rogers and Tony Neal navigate the new Nelson circuit.

Thank you both 👍

Who saw Noddy completely clear the fence in that one?

H6 - Mika Spigt a.k.a. Baby Curls

continued from above Prior to the Lioness entering service in Jersey it was converted into the coach body with the sliding canvas roof. The work was carried out at the bodybuilding works of W.L.Thurgood. The company had been founded in 1925, using the former premises of the Phoenix Coach Works in Ware, Hertfordshire. They established themselves with a number of smaller bus and coach firms. Long gone names such as Essex County Coaches, and Hicks of Braintree were regular customers. The average output was just three bodies per month, but each was individually tailored to the specific requirements of the company concerned. A high explosive bomb hit the factory in October 1940 completely demolishing it. Within five months they were back in business manufacturing aircraft components. It was to be 1945 before bus bodywork was produced by the company again. They remained in business until June 1967 when they were taken over by Plaxtons (Scarborough) Ltd. This then formed their southern area depot. Another "as new" shot

continued from above It was a replacement for a previous shooting van, which was a class ST manufactured in 1911. When the ST was originally delivered the King was dismayed to discover it was actually a baggage van. It had a very obstructive windscreen, making it extremely difficult to get a pot-shot at anything except an unsuspecting pedestrian that the driver could not see! The windscreen had a solid timber lower panel, and the van was returned to Leyland Motors to have a glass lower panel fitted. The van as delivered with the windscreen solid timber lower panel continues below

Thank you Steve, linky, and Bas. A bit more info. I’ve found a couple of pre delivery pics taken on the 5th August 1927 of the vehicle when new from Leyland Motors. King George V had stipulated the body as shown. It was classified as a shooting brake/estate. continues below

continued from above A few of the roads are quite narrow so the route used was one that avoided the majority of them. The footbrake is only effective above 20 mph so the ratchet handbrake is of prime importance at slow speeds. On the odd occasion when an inconsiderate car driver attempted to come through a gap that was decreasing it was a two handed job on the brake to bring it to a quick stop. We even had one car that expected us to reverse out of his way even though he was on the wrong side. We stayed put of course and he had to accept defeat. Seeing the Lioness at the Tesco fuel pumps was a surreal sight. 1920’s glory surrounded by the here and now. We did a couple more laps of the town going up and down through the four speed ‘crash’ box and then back to the museum. With a fine weather forecast overnight it was tempting to have left her outside ready for the next day, but the risk of damage from the undesirable element made it too risky. That was it. The end of a perfect day.

continued from above Last year I was very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. I had a midweek day off shift, and went to the museum as it’s a quieter time to have a look around. It was certainly that alright. Four people at the most. I got chatting to the owner of the Lioness who told me that his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent was visiting the next day. Owing to its Royal past they were going to use his vehicle as transport. He needed assistance to give it a run out and fuel it up. “Any chance of a hand?” he asked. “You bet”, I replied. I was not going to miss this opportunity that’s for sure. Owing to fire regulations the museum exhibits are not permitted to be started up inside the building. The Lioness was toward the front half of the main hall but had other vehicles blocking it in. I was thinking how were we going to manoeuvre this lot around. From a side room a really nifty bit of kit was brought into play. It was a small air driven motor with a slotted nylon drum wheel. This could move anything, even the multi ton traction engine! With a bit of teamwork and slow careful positioning the vehicle was out without the need to park any others outside. Air driven Now for the fun part! A trip through Leyland. A swing handle start and she was away ticking over like a good’un. The interior has been restored to the highest standard and has that lovely old coach smell. Restored to a very high standard. Amazing to think Nazi forces have been sat in here. continues below