Richard Long Where Are You?

Gerry Taylor · 14 Sep 2005, 17:19 (Ref:1407871)

Hi Everyone! My name is Gerry Taylor, and during the 1970s I raced a Ford Anglia for Swish Curtain Tracks Team Racing. I am now 65! But look back fondly on those early days of Saloon Car Racing. Amongst my fellow competitors were the stand-out names of Gerry Marshall and Peter Baldwin and the like, but one guy who raced against me was RICHARD LONG. He came from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, and we had some really good dices at Snetterton and at Silverstone, where we both set a new class lap record of 1.8secs. Does anyone know what happened to Richard? As I would love to get in touch again. Many Thanks, Gerry. oh, Hi to anyone that remembers me and the Anglebox.

Andrew Kitson · 14 Sep 2005, 18:10 (Ref:1407894)

Gerry, of course we remember you! Great days. Great to have you join us.
Last I heard of Richard was back in 1986. As a motor sport artist I did a painting of a Sports 2000 car for a guy called Len Foster who sponsored Ian Flux that year. Len came from Stevenage too. During the conversation about Len's involvement in the sport and people we both knew I recall he told me that Richard went to live on the Isle of Wight at Ventnor. All I know I'm afraid.

Gerry Taylor · 14 Sep 2005, 18:34 (Ref:1407917)

Andrew, thanks for your reply. Yeah, great days eh? I have many photographs of the famous Anglia, some taken by the late Fred Scatley (amazing photographer of our sport) I'm not sure how to post one on the site for some of your younger members to see what it was like. Is that possible? Meanwhile once again many thanks for recalling me and my car. Talk later, Gerry. ps Maybe one day I'll find out just wher Richard moved to.

Dan Rear · 15 Sep 2005, 09:26 (Ref:1408328)

Gerry, great to hear you, as soon as I saw the name of the poster I thought... "Swish Curtain Tracks Racing Team"...the power of a good brand name eh !! I recall your Anglia from the mid 70s, and always supported you against the hordes of Minis, and occasional Imp. As a Mallory man, the main 'stars' of that time for me were Jeff Ward, Malcolm Johnstone etc, but it was nice to see an Anglia up there with them !

Any good stories of that era ??

Andrew Kitson · 15 Sep 2005, 09:32 (Ref:1408335)

Also Geoff Farmer, Basil Dagge, Ian Bax, Graham Goode...

Gerry Taylor · 15 Sep 2005, 10:06 (Ref:1408357)

Dan, Andrew, phew! those names bring back some memories. Basil was a lovely guy, and would always get up on the pit wall at Silverstone (when he wasn't racing I hasten to add Ha,ha) and support me and the Anglia. Jeff Ward, so many dices with him at Mallory Park, What about Nick Birch, wonder where he is now? Geoff Farmer of course is still doing his bit, and I had dinner with Geoff some months ago. I can never forget his first race at Mallory, he came by me on the back straight and in those days not many did that! I protested his engine, paid for the strip down, and guess what? Perfectly legal! After that first meeting I had a lot of respect for Geoff and he for me. It was at the next Mallory meeting some weeks later that he had his terrible accident, which badly injured his hand. I was in that race, it happened right in front of me,and I shall never forget it. I went from the track to Liecester Infirmary, and he was in good spirits considering. He has loads of courage our Geoff. Does anyone recall Terry McNally and his Anglia? Hey, you've got me really thinking now, careful or I'll be looking for my racing boots! All love to you both. Swishing you a great week! Gerry.

Andrew Kitson · 15 Sep 2005, 10:13 (Ref:1408363)

Terry McNally of course. Gold with chequered roof. A good pal of my late father who was a mechanic for Stan Matthews who raced John Bond-Smith's Anglia in '68/69.
Stan went on through the JRRDS at Snetterton in FF and F100 to F3 and Atlantic before quitting driving at the end of '74.
Gerry you might want to scroll through some of our old threads here that have many photos of those good old days:

F3 - 1960s/70s
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=26347

MALLORY PARK -old pictures
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ou+get+mallory

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=40298

70s CLUB RACERS
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=32043

CRYSTALPALACE
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...64&highlight=c
rystal+palace

JOHN WOOLFE
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ht=john+woolfe

ANGLEBOXES
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ght=angleboxes

70s SUPER SALOON PICS
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...er+saloon+pics

ATTEN-SHUN! GUARDS F5000 PICS
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=30812

REMEMBER THE KINCRAFT?
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ght=angleboxes

OLD SNETTERTON PHOTOS
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ht=john+woolfe

HISTORIC FORUM PHOTOGRAPHS
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ght=angleboxes

1960s CLUB RACING PHOTOS -1
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...+racing+photos

1960s CLUB RACING PHOTOS -2
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...+racing+photos

Gerry Taylor · 15 Sep 2005, 10:35 (Ref:1408385)

Well, that's my evening sorted out! If I can be of any help anytime with pictures, as I said I do have a number of the old Anglia and its rivals you can have copies with pleasure. Meanwhile, thanks again. Gerry

Andrew Kitson · 15 Sep 2005, 10:47 (Ref:1408394)

You will find Gerry that many of the photos are duplicated on those threads. Just a matter of scrolling through as it would be a nightmare going through the lot to sort them out although TimD had a good go!
I have seen somewhere photos of your roll in the Anglia into the Mallory hairpin!
Sure they were posted here on this site at some point. Your Anglebox was the ex-Roger Williamson car correct?

andy97 · 15 Sep 2005, 11:14 (Ref:1408415)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

Gerry, of course we remember you! Great days. Great to have you join us.
Last I heard of Richard was back in 1986. As a motor sport artist I did a painting of a Sports 2000 car for a guy called Len Foster who sponsored Ian Flux that year. Len came from Stevenage too. During the conversation about Len's involvement in the sport and people we both knew I recall he told me that Richard went to live on the Isle of Wight at Ventnor. All I know I'm afraid.

Gerry, Andrew

There's a Richard Long from Ventnor on IoW who is a regular contributer to the "My Cars" section of "911 and Porsche World" Magazine. He now runs a Coach/Haulage (?) company on IoW and is a regular on the (mainland) Track Day scene with a modified 911 GT3 (previously having dribven a GT2). From the descriptions of life & car adventures in the mag it would seem that this must be the same bloke. Larger than life.

I am sure that the editor of 911 & Porsche World will be able to put you in touch.

Gerry Taylor · 15 Sep 2005, 14:09 (Ref:1408544)

Hi Mate! Gerry here. Thanks for the info' I will certainly give the editor a call, or drop him a line. Many, Many Thanks! Gerry. Its funny isn't it, yesterday I was thinking about my old racing mates, today via this great website I'm closer than ever to finding one of them. Gawd Bless Ya.

Peter Horsman · 15 Sep 2005, 16:23 (Ref:1408629)

Brilliant

Dan Rear · 16 Sep 2005, 11:41 (Ref:1409241)

Gerry/Andrew,

I well remember Terry McN, he lived just up the road from me in Leicester Forest East - or at least his Anglia was on a trailer parked there a lot of the time. Any relation to Paddy McN the Marlboro Liasion/well connected chap, does anyone know? Another Anglia Terry, was Mr Barnes, who suffered an accident on the exit of Gerards in 1970. It happened right in front of my birthday party group, and rather made our day !!

A good school mate of mine's dad was vaguely involved in racing, and had links to a couple of brothers, Leicester based at that time. Can't remember their names but they raced Spec Saloon Minis/Mini7s/Mini Miglias. Their name will come to me !!

Dan Rear · 16 Sep 2005, 12:03 (Ref:1409262)

Got it !!! The 'Edges', David and Ray, the latter of who went on to do Clubmans A and then FF2000 IIRC.

Andrew Kitson · 16 Sep 2005, 13:48 (Ref:1409345)

...and we havent even mentioned John Homewood yet. What a beautifully presented Imp that was.

Gerry Taylor · 16 Sep 2005, 17:04 (Ref:1409463)

Dan, Andrew, I told you not to start me off! Terry McNally lived in Kirby Muxloe, and actually had bits of his engine on the kitchen table, much to the disdain of Betty his wife (who always attended the circuits wearing a chequered skirt Remember?) He did all his own engine work, and was a supervisor with the GPO later BT. John Homewood, well, we had some terrific dices at Brands, where he always beat me. The more I look at this website, the more I go back in time, and recall old mates like Denis Nott, who had a wacking great Rover V8 thing. Stephen Soper (wonder whatever happened to him Ha,ha), Mo Mendham, who was the reason I saw Sky,Tarmac and Sky again at Shaws Hairpin at Mallory Park, he was in the mini that "kissed" the rear corner of the Anglia, and over I went. But there I go again guy's..............By the way Andrew, yes it was Rogers car. Roger liked my Volvo p1800s and so we did a deal, some pound notes changed hands and that was it. He moved on, and I raced the famous Williamson Anglia for the next five seasons (with much success too). Roger was a good mate to me, and was always there with advice. I remember asking him how to get good times round Mallory, and I remember his exact words. "You must enter Gerrards Flat! in Top, and if you exit pulling 8.5, your on for a pole!" I still think about him. Brilliant, happy days. Gerry.

driftwood · 16 Sep 2005, 23:04 (Ref:1409645)

why was richard long known as rupert?
he raced the anglia then had space frame imp ( i cant recall if he was the 1st to do so or jeff ward had that honour) its just about the time i was allowed to go racing nearly before my time !!
Homewood had the 1st Davrian floor pan Imp and raced what was the last Frazer imp in kent messenger series ( according to AS article i read)

Gerry Taylor · 17 Sep 2005, 04:01 (Ref:1409735)

Morning Driftwood. Richard named himself RUPERT as he had a large cartoon of Rupert The Bear on his car roof! I called him one day, telling him I was from Express Newspapers, and we wondered when he was going to pay his Royalties True! He spent around five minutes telling me (the Express guy) that it was only a joke, and that he would get it off, and please don't sue! When I told him it was only me, He went Ape......But we did have a laugh about it at the next meeting. Ah, those were the days. I'm not sure about who had the imp first, I'm going to find all this out when I catch up with him. Take Care. Gerry.

driftwood · 17 Sep 2005, 08:59 (Ref:1409794)

thanks for that info Gerry i saw him once as a kid with rupert bear on the car im sure it was the imp at brands in those days he didnt come that far south poor road service made travelling to tracks awkward unlike today ( subject to a contra flow or 2!! ) and with so many tracks having domestics sereis u didnt need to travel the length and breadth of the country

Gerry Taylor · 17 Sep 2005, 16:24 (Ref:1409985)

Driftwood, Yeah the roads were bad back then, and your right that's why some would only race at the track nearest them. But, when your chasing pots, or championships you had to travel. I recall having my mechanic Dave Neale, take the van and trailer with the Anglia on board up to INGLISTON in Edinburgh, while I caught the night train up after work that day! That was a jaunt I can tell you. Here's a few names to conjure with. These were my mentors (and I'm 65 as I said!) LAURIE HICKMAN Ford Anglia, he raced for Castle Service Station, Dudley. IAN MITCHELL Mini, Team Charles Clarke, Wolverhampton, DOUG GRIFFITHS Mini, PETER PROCTOR, Anglia, RAY PAYNE, Hartwell Imp, and dear WILLY KAYE, who spent the money for his wifes new washing machine on an engine rebuild! I often wonder what theyre doing now? What a get together it would be if we all met up again. I'd bet that dear Gerry Marshall would be there watching over us. Bye, Gerry.

driftwood · 17 Sep 2005, 19:28 (Ref:1410049)

your now going backto the late 60`s very early 70`s with those names
ray payne built me an imp engine in 87
my dad started racing saloons in 74 just as space frames came along in 75/6
tony hazlewood has his daf33 and is rebuilding it he was down to me the other day & hopes to have it running by easter 06
if u look trhu the threads for the past 100 days u will find some other saloon threads to wet yr whistle

Gerry Taylor · 17 Sep 2005, 23:18 (Ref:1410123)

Thanks Matey, will do. Gerry.

2F-001 · 23 Sep 2005, 14:16 (Ref:1414892)

Gosh, so many names that I saw racing in my childhood - particularly at Mallory (grew up near the old bit of Braunstone, near LFE and Kirby).

Hello Dan: the Mini-mounted brothers would have been Paul and Greg Taft, perhaps?

re: 'Rupert' Long... wasn't it he who also had a beautiful Imp-enginged Karmann Ghia, based on a McGuire spaceframe or something similar? Or am I confusing him with someone else?

Andrew Kitson · 23 Sep 2005, 14:18 (Ref:1414894)

That was David Enderby I think.

2F-001 · 23 Sep 2005, 14:19 (Ref:1414895)

Yes, it was. Thank you, Andrew!

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