Reeds, The Early Years - In Photographs Options

[stanleykirk]

The thread about the early years of Timaru (which included pictures of various members of the Reeds club) has prompted a response from Reeds member Lee Tucker who has asked me to post the following on his behalf.

As well as the names which he mentions, I also recognise Pete Hore, John Davis and Van Heydinger. How many more can you name?

Stan Kirk.




Hi Stan,

As an ex. slot racer from 1967 to 1974 & again from 1983 to 1990, I occasionally look at the BSCRA website & during my latest viewing came across your forum.

The Timaru photos bought back memories from earlier times as I was a Reeds member in my first incarnation (Bolton in the second) & a good friend of Alan Pointer. Alan is about 10 years older than me & used to give me a lift to club nights every Thursday. I last saw him probably 10 years ago & hope to catch up with him next time I go to Maidstone to visit my parents (I have lived in Cornwall since 1986).

Despite being 12 in 1967 I remember Phil Green well & his genial nature made him a huge number of friends. I am delighted to hear that he is still around. Although too young to drink at the time, I fondly remember away trips to the Fleur De Lys, as well as Dola, Folkstone etc. in the days of KMCRA when Kent broke away from ECRA Area 9 for reasons I can’t recall. I was too young to be interested in the politics away from the track at that time.

I have plenty of great memories from my time as a Reeds member & of our fierce & sometimes bitter rivalry with Medway, although we were always welcomed at their club nights & them to ours.

I won’t bore you with any of them at the moment as I suspect anyone reading this would like to see a few photos.

So, here they are:-

Reeds clubroom & then new track before I joined, probably 1966. Rod Westacott on race control.



Reeds clubroom & track from October 1972 with Keith (Ken) Drury second from right.



Reeds clubroom & shortened track from November 1981 with a certain Dave Harvey in the foreground, Tony Mills (3rd from right) & my cousin Geoff Robins next to him.



Newspaper feature from March 1971 with my dad on race control, a young Chris Nicholson, Val Warner (club chairman), Ken Bletchley (also a Medway member) & Keith Drury on the rostrum plus my uncle, Mick Robins on the start/finish line. Keith Drury features again at foot of page in the workshop.







Reeds Le Mans from June 1975. I had given up by then due to lack of funds to compete at the top level, but can remember quite a few of the names & will post if anyone requests them.



Page 2 of the Le Mans report.









I would be delighted to hear from anyone who has had their memory jogged by this post.

Regards

Lee

[Graham Sampson]

Hi Lee

Very interested to see your post on Reeds and in particular the 24 hour race - I was a member of the Timaru team that came a solid last!

The pic of the Reeds team shows Dave Palmer, Rick Thomson, Chris Nicholson, Dave Bubb, Alan Pointer and Van Heydinger

The group photo features as well as those above Dean Edwards, John Davis, Pete Williams, Derek Blackman, Pete Crane, Andy Rowland, Steve Barden, Mike Blake, Paul Hunter, Paul Johnson(?) and the late Ralph Thomas as well as several others whose names escape me now!

I also remember very well attaende area rounds (30+ racers) as well as competing in a couple of open meetings one of which I am sure saw a certain Ross Brawn racing under the HB Model Products banner.

I will have to see if I can find my (very) old copies of the Area Nine magazine to see if I can track down any more gems.

I think the big track in your pics bit the dust in the mid 80sand the slot racers retreated to the small room at the end of the building.

Racing continued here for a short time on a shortened version of the Medway track after they lost their premises in the hut behind Kent Cameras in Chatham.

[ecurie ecosse]

Wow, this brings back happy memories. I raced at Reeds in the 70s and I was supprised to see me in one of the photos.
I am the one on the left in the workshop photo. This was the second circuit built at Reeds club. The first circuit was about the
same size but had a rougher surface and a large hill going up into a mountain section about 5 feet above the lower level.
Happy days

[Mick Kerr]

Hi All,
I remember racing at Reeds back then.
I lived in south London and was a member of Sydenham club at the time.
I must have done most of the open meetings there from about '66 to '70.
I can remember travelling down there with fellow Sydenham racer Ron Jones and the Beckenham crewe of Gordon Tapsel, Trevor Crout and Stan Alton.
The first race I did there was on the original track, what a monster that was.
I recall it having a couple of long tunnels where cars would disappear and then reappear at a distant part of the track. Took some getting used to.
The new track was more 'raceway' style and very enjoyable.
I last raced there about 1975, well after I had given up 'seriuos' slot racing.
We 'borrowed' the track for a Sunday morning and raced stock 13UO powered F1 cars in a South London series we were doing at the time.
We also raced these cars at Coulsdon, Crawley and even the King Track in Southend.
Cheers.
Mick.

[superhornets]

Hi Graham
interested in the 24 hour race as it included two current or ex N london members
john davies who i think may have left nlsme by 1975 although he kept his contacts with timaru even when he was racing at N london
the one that puzzles me is mike blake ,as By this time I think he was racing at NLsme and since the rest of the NLSME team wer,nt there who was mike blake racing for ?

Cheerstony

[Graham Sampson]

Hi Tony

Mike Blake was, in fact racing for Timaru, having been recruited by John Davis who, as you say, split his racing between N London on a Thursday and then every few weekends would return to East Kent to see his parents and race on a Friday at Timaru.

The other teams were Medway, Reeds, Folkestone and SKD from Bexhill.

All those clubs now sadly long gone.

Graham