138 replies to this topic

[Terry Walker]

As I prepare for my forthcoming UK trip, I'm compiling a set of notes like these:

ASTON MARTIN

1912. Henniker Mews, Callow Street, Fulham Rd, Sth Kensington (Bamford and Martin)

Callow Street is a short street running south off Fulham Rd. Henniker Mews is a U-shaped street with both ends on Callow. It is 3 blocks northeast of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. South Ken tube station, Exit Sth Ken station, walk southwest along Old Brompton Rd to Drayton Gdns, TL into Drayton Gdns, continue to Fulham Rd. Cross Fulham Rd, turn right (SW) along Fulham Rd for 1 block: 1st left is Callow.

1920: 53 Abingdon Rd, Kensington High Street, Sth Kensington (Bamford and Martin)

Abingon Rd runs south (left) from Kensington High Street about 3 streets west of the Kensington High Street Tube station. (Site now "Vantage Place". Luxury Homes. Plaque.) Killing 2 birds with one stone, it is only a block or two to Cosworth’s Shaftesbury Mews premises. (Stratford Rd crosses the foot of Abingdon Rd.)

COSWORTH ENGINEERING

1958: Shaftesbury Mews, London

Shaftesbury Mews is near Earls Court. By tube, go to Earls Court underground station; exit into Earls Court Road. Cross over Earls Court Road to the opposite pavement, turn left, ie north, along Earls Court Road, continue north to the A4 (West Cromwell Rd). Cross over West Cromwell Rd, keep on past Lexham Gardens on right, then turn right into Stratford Rd. Shaftesbury Mews is a short way along Stratford Rd, to the left (north).

1959: 43 Friern Barnet Rd, Friern Barnet

The nearest tube station is Arnos Grove. You exit onto the northern side of Bowes Road. Turn right (west) and walk along to the big roundabout where Bowes Rd, Friern Barnet Rd and Waterfall Rd meet. Bear left along Friern Barnet Rd and look for No 43.

1961: 2 Kenninghall Rd, Edmonton, London

There is no handy tube station. However, it is just off the North Circular Road (A406) near the Meridian Way (A1055). Coming from the west, turn left into Montagu Rd, then curve right into Conduit Lane (actually, the layout of the roads forces this). Kenninghall Rd is the first road on the right, just past the park. It is a cul-de-sac.

SURTEES RACING ORGANISATION
709 Banbury Ave, Trading Estate, Slough, Bucks

And so it goes, I hope.

Is it time for a TNF thread that becomes a detailed nostalgic tourists guide to premises and circuits past?

[MCS]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Is it time for a TNF thread that becomes a detailed nostalgic tourists guide to premises and circuits past?

I think you've just started one Terry! Well done!!

[Terry Walker]

Another one, which is in walking distance of my UK accomodation:

FRAZER-NASH (AFN) LTD

Falcon Works, London Rd, Isleworth

London Road Isleworth isn't all that long, but exactly where was the Falcon Works? My modest bet is the premises are long gone.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
[B

1959: 43 Friern Barnet Rd, Friern Barnet

The nearest tube station is Arnos Grove. You exit onto the northern side of Bowes Road. Turn right (west) and walk along to the big roundabout where Bowes Rd, Friern Barnet Rd and Waterfall Rd meet. Bear left along Friern Barnet Rd and look for No 43.

[/B]

Amazing! I never knew that-must have walked past #43 many times as I lived in Friern Barnet 1962-72-they had left before I arrived-unlikely to be anything to see but for the record the rail station at New Southgate is nearer than Arnos Grove.

[Terry Walker]

Thanks Rob - All I have here in the southern hemisphere is a Nicholson Streetfinder of London with the tiniest Underground map you have ever seen on the back cover. V hard to read. So a certain amount of guessing takes place.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Thanks Rob - All I have here in the southern hemisphere is a Nicholson Streetfinder of London with the tiniest Underground map you have ever seen on the back cover. V hard to read. So a certain amount of guessing takes place.

I strongly recommend http://www.streetmap.co.uk in that case!

[f1steveuk]

[i]SURTEES RACING ORGANISATION
709 Banbury Ave, Trading Estate, Slough, Bucks

[/B]

I thought the last Surtees factory was Edenbridge, now sadly a housing estate just off the high street?

I would venture Cyrstal Palace as there is so much left, is well worth a visit, and Berbie Ecclestone's first Brabham works, in Weybridge, having got the address handy, but it's in the Marlboro Grand Prix Guide for 1973. Oh and of course the Tyrrell Yard in Ockham

[Terry Walker]

Thanks F1steveuk.

Believe it or not: the Surtees address came from Who's Who 1969, which I happen to have.

Don't have the Marlboro Grand Prix Guide, any year. Tyrrell's yard address is also unknown to me so far, like the exact location of RRC Walker's Pippbrook Garage. Hence this thread.

[simon drabble]

whilst you are in South Ken you should go to Reece Mews and Queens Gate Mews and feast your eyes on what Wykehams, and Gergor Fisken have in their showrooms (I know that Bill Wykeham is about to have a Brabham BT8 and Gregor has one already in his!)

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Another one, which is in walking distance of my UK accomodation:

FRAZER-NASH (AFN) LTD

Falcon Works, London Rd, Isleworth

London Road Isleworth isn't all that long, but exactly where was the Falcon Works? My modest bet is the premises are long gone.

If it's long gone you may still be able to locate the original site. Seek out a reference library which has old editions of "Kelly's Directory". This was published annually and included a street-by-street , building-by-building listing. It's a long time since I've used one, but IIRC the listings would go something like:

London Road, Isleworth (North side)
Odd numbers 1-27
[Here is First Avenue - see page XXXX]
Odd numbers 29-59
Falcon Works
[Here is Second Avenue - see page YYYY]
Odd numbers 61-99

etc, etc.

That would show you that, although not numbered, the Falcon Works were on the corner of London Road and Second Avenue. Streets are seldom completely renumbered, so the site should still be identifiable, even if there's a block of flats there now.

[BRG]

Tyrrell Racing Organisation

Long Reach, Ockham, Woking, Surrey, GU23

Long Reach is a country lane south of Ockham village, leading to West Horsley. The site of the old Tyrrell wood yard and subsequently the racing team HQ is just north of the junction with Green Lane, on the west side of Long Reach. It is now a small industrial estate and is barely visible from the road being located behind some trees and in a slight dip. Look for the sign to ‘The Tyrrell Building’.

http://www.streetmap...p=newsearch.srf

McLaren Racing

a) 1966-197?: Colnbrook

Can anyone help?

b) 1970s to 1980s: Woking

Boundary Road, Woking, Surrey, GU21

Follow Boundary Road from Woking town centre, past the recreation ground on the north side to a sharp right hand bend. The old McLaren buildings are directly in front of you.

http://www.streetmap...01270&ay=159540

c) 1980 something(?) to 2004: Sheerwater

Albert Drive, Woking, Surrey, GU21

The former TAG McLaren buildings are in the Woking Business Park, northeast of Woking town centre and about ½ mile from the Boundary Road site. They face the road and still (AFAIK) display have the TAG logo.

http://www.streetmap...01970&ay=159660

d) 2004: Paragon

Not a former premises, but for the record it lies to the west of the A320 Guildford Road by Dunford Bridge, north of Woking and south of Ottershaw with the entrance off the roundabout at the junction with Martyrs Lane
.
http://www.streetmap...p=newsearch.srf

Connaught

Portsmouth Road, Send, Surrey GU23

On the B2215 (the old A3 London to Guildford road now bypassed by the newer A3 Ripley By-Pass) just northeast of the roundabout at the junction with A247 Clandon Road and A247 Send Barns Lane. Not much to see as the old buildings were demolished a few years ago, but there is now a new office block which is at least named after Connaught and features a suitable logo.

http://www.streetmap...03840&ay=154710

[Rob29]

Originally posted by f1steveuk


I thought the last Surtees factory was Edenbridge, now sadly a housing estate just off the high street?

I would venture Cyrstal Palace as there is so much left, is well worth a visit, and Berbie Ecclestone's first Brabham works, in Weybridge, having got the address handy, but it's in the Marlboro Grand Prix Guide for 1973. Oh and of course the Tyrrell Yard in Ockham

Address for Brabham in 73 GP Guide;Canal Yard,Weybridge,Addlestone,Surrey.Has photos of the premises-but I doubt the wooden shacks are still there! Of course you will be visiting the museum at the old Brooklands track nearby?

Surtees Racing Organization;Station Road,Edenbridge,Kent.

[Terry Walker]

Fantastic!

As soon as I hit London I'll pick up some A-Z county maps, eg Surrey, and with these instructions I should find them all. Subject to borrowing my brother's Alfa while I'm there. Pics of course, plus detailed how-to-get-there's for future TNF tourists, all posted on TNF.

The research facilities here in Perth Western Australia are a touch parochial (believe it or not, I'm the only authority on local motor racng!) , and the Internet is hit-or-miss. So it's a bit of a struggle. But once in London there's always the weird technicolour outfit that replaced the old British Library, so I can hit that too.

The nice thing about TNF though is that someone has certainly been there, done that, and got the sore feet to prove it.

Edit: yes .. Brooklands last trip, 2004. Great place, mind boggling. Looking at Babs gave me hige respect for the sheer guts of those old record-breakers - and Brooklands kings.

[f1steveuk]

Originally posted by Rob29
Address for Brabham in 73 GP Guide;Canal Yard,Weybridge,Addlestone,Surrey.Has photos of the premises-but I doubt the wooden shacks are still there! Of course you will be visiting the museum at the old Brooklands track nearby?

Surtees Racing Organization;Station Road,Edenbridge,Kent.

Many thanks, makes me look far less of an idiot!! Fantastic little book that Marlboro guide!

The Tyrrell factory is, as was, the wooden shed should be a listed building by now! Yesterdays Racers Vol 2 was shot there, (I was presenting it) and it was much as when I first visited in 1974!!

The Brabham works at Chessington became Activa (still owned by Bernie) but that closed recently.

Along with Crystal Palace, Goodwood at West Hampnett near Chichester is worth a visit, IF you can get to walk around the circuit, again a lot of history there. Rodmarten Mews, behind Baker Street has a load of lock ups that were once used by the likes of Sammy Davies and Sir Malcolm Campbell, but they're only lock up garages!! Coopers were in Surbiton weren't they?

[Vitesse2]

McLaren at Colnbrook:

17 David Road, Poyle Estate, Colnbrook, Bucks.

Still there in 1978.

Any particular ones you want, Terry? I have a stack of old yearbooks from the 50s to the late 70s ....

[f1steveuk]

I can recomend www.multimap.com just type in the post code and it tkaes you staright there, and prints out directions!

[Terry Walker]

Here's another I found on the net ...

LOTUS CARS

1957: 7 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey

The nearest tube station is Turnpike Lane. This is at the intersection of Westbury Ave, Green Lanes, and Turnpike Lane. Follow Turnpike Lane to the west - it is straight, and crosses under a set of railway bridges. First turn left after the bridges is Tottenham Lane. Planning permission has been sought to convert the former Lotus works at No 7 into a Lotus Museum.

1959: Delamere Road, Cheshunt. (Now a furniture factory. Next door to Tesco HQ.)

[f1steveuk]

I have a book about Lotus, by Pritchard I think (it's at my home, and I'm not there!) that shows the factory today, still a furniture shop, but still with Chapman's mod's to the building. TNF's GaryC photograhed one of the old Cooper buildings recently, more or less unchanged.

BRM's building's are still very present in Bourne and I think there is a little left of Weslakes in Rye.

[Terry Walker]

Coopers: 243 Ewell Rd Surbiton, but that was, I think, the garage and offices. The "works" was nearby.

[Vitesse2]

In 1969 Cooper were in Byfleet: Canada Road, Oyster Lane.

A few others from the 1969 FIA Yellow Book:

AC, High St, Thames Ditton, Surrey

Brabham, Weyford House, Woodbridge Meadows, Guildford, Surrey

AAR Inc, Wootton Road, South Ashford, Kent

Elva Cars, Purley Way, Croydon

Emery Cars, 2 Aspenlea Rd, London W6

Ginetta, West End Works, Witham, Essex

Lola, 826 & 839 Yeovil Road, Slough

Nomad, 34 St Peters Square, London W6

Parnell Racing, National Works, Bath Rd, Hounslow, Middlesex

Piper Cars, Campbells Garage, Station Approach, Hayes, Bromley, Kent

Unipower, Aintree Rd, Perivale, Middlesex

McLaren are shown as at 5 David Road in 1969, so presumably they later moved to a bigger unit.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by f1steveuk
I can recomend www.multimap.com just type in the post code and it tkaes you staright there, and prints out directions!

Well, that would be nice, but I'm working with pre-postcode directories! Plus the Post Office sometimes change them: the village I grew up in used to be RG11 and now it's RG34!

[Terry Walker]

I'm overwhelmed.

Thanks Vitesse2. There's probably heaps of others, but right now I'm up to my chin in addresses and sinking fast. Also it's approaching my bed time. (11 pm down here, and I'm now officially a senior. Horlicks, or a brandy? Actually, it was a Foster's.)

I can't help thinking there's an entire book lurking here for some enterprising TNFer. Sort of like the Good Pubs Guide, the "Good Dead GP Premises Guide" perhaps. Maps, pics, anecdotes. I'd buy one.

While I'm on the ground I'll naturally investigate handy pubs as well. Perfect start-finish lines and pits stops for any walking tour. The English Pub is one of the great contributions of the British people to the rest of the world.

(OT, there's one of those Miniature Village tourist things not far from here, and it has the Red Lion pub at Avebury in miniature. I have had quite a few happy pints in the real one in Wilts, hopefully waiting for one of those stones to move. When they move, it's time to leave.)

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Terry Walker

LOTUS CARS
1957: 7 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey

The nearest tube station is Turnpike Lane. This is at the intersection of Westbury Ave, Green Lanes, and Turnpike Lane. Follow Turnpike Lane to the west - it is straight, and crosses under a set of railway bridges. First turn left after the bridges is Tottenham Lane. Planning permission has been sought to convert the former Lotus works at No 7 into a Lotus Museum.

Hornsey (overground) station is right next door

[f1steveuk]

Originally posted by Vitesse2

Well, that would be nice, but I'm working with pre-postcode directories! Plus the Post Office sometimes change them: the village I grew up in used to be RG11 and now it's RG34!

works with addresses and town names too!!

[bschenker]

Brabham, Weyford House, Woodbridge Meadows, Guildford, Surrey

This is BRO = Brabham Racing Organisation the Racingteam

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Rob29

Address for Brabham in 73 GP Guide;Canal Yard,Weybridge,Addlestone,Surrey.

Surely they were in Chessington by 1973?

On the subject of those great little Marlboro books, have you seen the first one - the 1971 review/1972 preview edition? It had some of the F1 drivers' home phone numbers in it! As a result, this enthusiastic fifteen year-old rang the shared Schenken & Ganley household and wished Howden a Happy New Year for 1973!

Originally posted by Vitesse2

McLaren at Colnbrook:

17 David Road, Poyle Estate, Colnbrook, Bucks.

Still there in 1978.

Handy to know!

March's first two premises are still in use in Bicester (pronounced 'Bisster', Terry - naturally!) if you have chance to venture westwards.

[Doug Nye]

Cooper's factory in Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, is little changed with its bow front and penthouse former design office - but it's now the area police traffic car garage (hunted turned hunter?).

The old Team Surtees factory was still there a few months ago just under the bridge on the northern entry to Edenbridge from Sevenoaks, first industrial building on the left with a surfaced forecourt sloping down to the main road.

The old BRM works in Bourne is now part re-developed - the old raceshop is now an auctioneers' premises, but some of the former ERA then BRM works houses the Delaine bus garage. The wall at the back of a car park there against the Spalding Road has some large circular orifices in it - the old extractor fan ducts for the famous V16 BRM engine test cell of which this wall was originally a part.

The old Brabham (MRD) works beside the Wey Navigation canal lock was still largely intact last time I saw it, while Jack's BRO race shop in Woodbridge Meadows, Guildford, is still there I think - though we locals always refer to the area as 'Station' Meadows. On the south (west) bound A3 dual carriageway there's a large rly bridge dead ahead, a PC World superstore on the right and an industrial estate to the left. Turn left into there - the road veers hard-left but go straight on into the estate and the former BRO premises is down there on the left.

Back to the Weybridge/Brooklands/Byfleet area in Canada Road off Oyster Lane ( with the Byfleet Banking of Brooklands Motor Course visible at the foot of gardens of the houses on the left ) the last major factory building on the right at the end of the cul-de-sac which is Canada Road was the Cooper factory in the Chipstead Motor Group/Cooper-Maserati era 1966-68 - where the boy Ron Dennis used to be out the back cleaning freshly-imported Moskvitches.

The old McLaren works at Colnbrook was second from the end on the left of David's Road, which is (or at least was) another cul-de-sac, just short of a playing field, soccer pitch, behind a tall chicken wire fence.

It was on that field that we photographed and studied the newly launched M16 Indy car, and in the road we were shown the new M7s-M19s...

Gawd awmighty - thinking about it, it seems like yesterday - John, Fergie, Charlie, Il Grande John, Tony, Stokesie, Aubrey, RM, Bruce, Denny...all there talking, listening, laughing...sharing... - ....shining.

DCN

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Here's another I found on the net ...

LOTUS CARS

1957: 7 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey

.... Planning permission has been sought to convert the former Lotus works at No 7 into a Lotus Museum.

Indeed...
http://www.historicl...seum.htm#museum

[Vitesse2]

Terry, you might find this thread useful:

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=64736

There was another one about addresses in counties north of London, but I can't remember what it was called.

[bradbury west]

Terry,

Shaftesbury Mews for Cosworth.

I think you will be there in spirit only at the first Cosworth works, but the mews were converted to desirable townhouses/flats some time ago when they were sold for development. I think that was when the lease ran out in the early sixties.

I know it is all about "being there", which is why I did the same thing visiting Levin among others, when I was in NZ a while back.

Roger Lund.

[David Holland]

Shaftesbury Mews is indeed luxury flats, I was there a few weeks back. It's easy to find just off Stratford Road and was actually the garages/workshop of John Campbell-Jones who told me he could have been the Cam in Camworth, but was more interested in racing than engine building!
The mews were on short lease, a gift as such from his uncle which explains why they were demolished to make way for the flats in the 60s.

The Lotus works in Hornsey is very easy to find and is now a Jewson (Builders/Timber Merchant) depot, so it is very easy to visit and walk around it. Jewson have also sponsored David Brabham & Allan McNish in the past - so that's another GP racing link.

[Terry Walker]

Two birds with one stone:

Surtees and Lola, practically next door at Slough Trading Estate. Close enough for one to walk over to the other and borrow a cup of horsepower.

How about a few wild cards:

V W Derrington
159-161 London Rd, Kingston on Thames
Works: Clifton Garage, Clifton Rd, Kingston on Thames

J A Prestwich
Northumberland Park
Tottenham N17

Turner Sports Cars
Pendeford Airport, Wolverhampton

Vandervell Products
Western Avenue, Acton W3

Abbey Panels
Old Church Road, Little Heath, Coventry


My ad-hoc directory, garnished with Multimap extracts, is ballooning merrily, thanks to the encyclopedic memories of TNFers.

RRC Walker, Pippbrook Garage, Dorking? Or am I wrong?

[TonyCotton]

Kieft were at Derry Street Wolverhampton, and although the factory is now an MOT garage it's still fairly recognisable from the 1950's photos.

Shorrock Superchargers were in a factory on the Walsall Road in Willenhall, which is now occupied by an electrical wholesaler (Lockwells).

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Two birds with one stone:

Surtees and Lola, practically next door at Slough Trading Estate. Close enough for one to walk over to the other and borrow a cup of horsepower.

How about a few wild cards:

[
Turner Sports Cars
Pendeford Airport, Wolverhampton


My ad-hoc directory, garnished with Multimap extracts, is ballooning merrily, thanks to the encyclopedic memories of TNFers.

RRC Walker, Pippbrook Garage, Dorking? Or am I wrong?

I think this place (the airport) is now Pendeford Business Park. It was also the home of DKR scooters, a firm with which Cyril Kieft was involved.

[Terry Walker]

Many thanks to everyone. The list now looks like this:

AAR Inc
Wootton Road, South Ashford, Kent

ALLARD MOTOR COMPANY
24-28 High Street Clapham

ALTA CAR & ENGINEERING
Fullers Way, Kingston Bypass, Surbiton, Surrey (street no?)

ARNOTT RACING CARS
Whitchurch Lane, Edgeware, Middlesex

ASTON MARTIN
1912. Henniker Mews, Callow Street, Fulham Rd, Sth Kensington (Bamford and Martin)
1920: 53 Abingdon Rd, Kensington High Street, Sth Kensington (Bamford and Martin)
1925: Victoria Rd, Feltham, Middlesex (Renwick and Bertelli).*
1947: Hanworth Park, Feltham, Middlesex (David Brown)*
1957: Tickford Street, Newport Pagnell (David Brown)

BENTLEY
1919: ? Mews, off Tottenham Court Rd
1921: Oxgate Lane, Cricklewood

BRABHAM
(1969) Works: Cnr Cox Lane and Robeuck Rd Chessington Surrey
(1973) Canal Yard, Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey.
(?) Weyford House, Woodbridge Meadows, Guildford, Surrey

BRM (& ERA)
Spalding Road, Bourne, Lincs

BUCKLERS
67 Caversham Road, Reading

CHEVRON
105 Chorley Old Road, Bolton, Lancs

CONNAUGHT
Portsmouth Road, Send, Surrey GU23 (modern Connaught House on site, close to junction A247)

COOPER CAR CO
Cooper garage: 243 Ewell Rd Surbiton, Surrey
Cooper Works: Hollyfield Rd Surbiton (street no? Now Police building)
Later: Canada Road, Oyster Lane, Byfleet, Surrey (Chipstead Group)

COSWORTH ENGINEERING
1958: Shaftesbury Mews, London (now luxury flats)
1959: 43 Friern Barnet Rd, Friern Barnet
1961: 2 Kenninghall Rd, Edmonton, London
1964: Costin House, St James Mill Road, Northampton, England NN5 5TZ

DAVRIAN
65 North Street Clapham

V W DERRINGTON
159-161 London Rd, Kingston on Thames, Surrey

ELVA CARS
London Road Garage, London Road, Bexhill on Sea, Sussex
Elva Cars, Purley Way, Croydon

EMERY CARS
2 Aspenlea Rd Hammersmith (off Fulham Palace Rd)

FRAZER-NASH (AFN) LTD
(1926 on) Falcon Works, London Rd, Isleworth (close to Wood Lane)

GINETTA
West End Works, Witham, Essex

HAWKE
1971: Rear of 146 High Street, Waltham Cross, Herts

HWM
New Zealand Ave, Walton on Thames (now Aston Martin dealership)

KEIFT CARS
Reliance Works, Derry Street, Wolverhampton
Although the factory is now an MOT garage it's still fairly recognisable from the 1950's photos.

LISTER ENGINEERING
(?8 cavendish Ave Cambridge?)

LOLA CARS
826 and 839 Yeovil Rd, Slough Trading Estate

LOTUS CARS
1957: 7 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey (Now Jewson, timber merchants)
1959: Delamere Road, Cheshunt. (Now a furniture factory. Next door to Tesco HQ.)
Ketteringham Hall Norfolk
Hethel Industrial Estate, Potash Lane, Hethel, Norfolk NR14 8EY, England

MARCH
March Engineering, Murdock Rd Bicester OX6 7PW
March racing Limited, Telford Rd Bicester OX6 0TZ
March Wind Tunnel, composites shop: Top Station Road Brackley Northants NN13 5UG

MCLAREN RACING
1966-1970s: (No 5 and later) No 17 David Road, Poyle Estate, Colnbrook, Bucks.
1970s to 1980s: Boundary Road, Woking, Surrey, GU21
1980’s to 2004: Sheerwater: Albert Drive, Woking, Surrey, GU21 (TAG building)

MERLYN
Colchester Racing Developments, Little Bentley, Colchester.

NOMAD
34 St Peters Square, London W6

PARNELL RACING
National Works, Bath Rd, Hounslow, Middlesex

PIPER CARS
Campbells Garage, Station Approach, Hayes, Bromley, Kent

J A PRESTWICH
Northumberland Park, Tottenham, London N17

SHORROCK SUPERCHARGERS
Empress Works, Walsall Road in Willenhall, Staffs, which is now occupied by an electrical wholesaler (Lockwells).

SURTEES RACING ORGANISATION
709 Banbury Ave, Trading Estate, Slough, Bucks
Edenbridge: Kent. (The old Team Surtees factory was still there a few months ago just under the bridge on the northern entry to Edenbridge from Sevenoaks, first industrial building on the left with a surfaced forecourt sloping down to the main road.)

TOJEIRO AUTOMOTIVE DEVELOPMENTS
A shed at the back of the pub in Arrington, about seven miles north of Royston.
Then Middle Garage, Barkway, Nr Royston, Herts.

TURNER SPORTS CARS
32 Merridale Rd, Wolverhampton

TYRRELL RACING ORGANISATION
Long Reach, Ockham, Woking, Surrey, GU23

RRC WALKER
Pippbrook Garage, Dorking, Surrey

WILLIAMS
(1970s) 361 Bath Road Reading. Frank Williams early HQ

[Paul Butler]

Originally posted by ian senior


I think this place (the airport) is now Pendeford Business Park. It was also the home of DKR scooters, a firm with which Cyril Kieft was involved.

It is indeed with what used to be Birmingham Midshires Building Society Head Office (now part of Halifax) based on it.

When I first moved into the Wolverhampton area many years ago the mechanic that my then fiance used had a shed down there which was very evocative of days gone by. I drive past the place on a regular basis. This mechanic (who we still use) used to race bikes and karts in years gone and has many a tale about beating Nigel Mansell in his day (how tall these are I've yet to find out).

Turner Sports Cars - my next door neighbour knows someone who was involved with these (he - ndn - was a designer for various industries in and around Wolverhampton/West Midlands) so I'll tap him up and see what he can add to this.

Oddly enough (and vaguely on topic) a friend of mine who is a decorator was doing some work around my house one day and saw all of my pictures etc. He then mentioned that a regular customer of his was Cyril Kieft who then lived not far from me! His impression of him was that he was a solid chap who was very modest about his achievements.

[Charles Helps]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Many thanks to everyone. The list now looks like this:

...
LOTUS CARS
1957: 7 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey (Now Jewson, timber merchants)
...

I think you could make the year 1952. Nigel Allen: "At the end of 1951 just before Christmas we took over the place at Tottenham Lane", from Peter Ross's LOTUS - THE EARLY YEARS 1951 -1954

Before that Colin Chapman and the Allen brothers built the Lotus Mk 3 at the Allens family home in Vallance Road, Alexandra Park

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
My ad-hoc directory, garnished with Multimap extracts, is ballooning merrily, thanks to the encyclopedic memories of TNFers.

RRC Walker, Pippbrook Garage, Dorking? Or am I wrong?

Drive through Dorking on the main street (A25) heading west, left at the big roundabout leaving the town, into Deepdene Road, heading north for London - one click down to the first left and there on the corner stands Rob's old Pippbrook Garage. Turn left into that road and as I recall it the former RRC Racing workshop site is in a yard off to the right just as the road begins to curve back into central Dorking. I just checked on Google Earth and the coordinates - for anybody wishing to programme his cruise missile - are approximately 51 degrees 14 11.69 N – 0.19 degree 37.25W. I was asked to stop there the morning after the Race of Champions weekend fire in 1968, and the devastation was just awful to see - worst of all the Dick Seaman Delage...or what remained of it.

But they bounced back, didn't they? And back at Brands Hatch, too. Hurrah!

DCN

[RTH]

In the early 70's Hawke Racing Cars were in the wharf warehouse buildings by the river in central Ware right next to D. J. Sportscars who were big fibreglass panel makers for road cars as well as racing car makers. Just across the river from both of them was David Renders Warecrete readymix and concrete manufactured products business, he of hillclimb and Lotus 76 fame.

.......I once went there to view the Ex - Hans Stuck March 741 complete with running DFV and it's Transit Transporter ........but turned it down because I thought the £6000 asking price for the lot was a bit strong !!!!!!!!

[Terry Walker]

Hi RTH

I have exactly 3 1:25,000 maps of UK - one was of Hertford and Ware, dated 1956. Now, where oh Ware was Hawke?

[RTH]

Great map Terry , this is only about 10 miles from me .

Hawke & DJ were very close to where the river goes under the road, on the eastern side on the north bank of the river. Actually the road layout etc is virtually unchanged.

[Terry Walker]

H'm. A bit hard to get more central than that!

Ware is not that far from my brother's laboratory at Ridge, near South Mimms. Not too far from Cheshunt, either. Definitely on my "can do" list.

[RTH]

..........oooh...... Ridge is were Bill Friend and I think his brother Roger who had a Lotus 78 at one time lived, they also built a replica of the Lotus Mk 1, - had a fantastic replica of the Thames Trader flat back truck that Lotus used in period .......often with a double deck trailer in tow as well !


Bill Friend Racing also sold spun aluminium 1930s replica aerodynamic mirrors and other remade artifacts.

The PRS formula Ford constructor had a factory in Welwyn Garden City.

Andy Diamond who raced Mallock U2 clubmans cars went on to build his own Diamond Clubmans cars in Codicote near old Welwyn.

John Britten ( now a co-owner of the Brands Hatch group ) had a retail sportscar business in Arkley near Barnet raced MG Midgets and then his own Arkley car derived from a Midget.

[Terry Walker]

Not a bad little pub at Ridge, too. Also Shenleybury within easy reach (G Hill's grave).

I remember the Arkley, though only as a name. Sprite based?


EDIT: damn. Missed your last line.. a senior moment.

[bradbury west]

IIRC Roger is Bill Friend's nephew

RL

[Terry Walker]

Of course, the Connew HQ can't be missed.

This map shows the Library at Chadwell Heath where the first colour photos of the complete Connew were taken, after the car was pushed down the High Street. The car was built in a lockup just off the High Street, which is also the Romford Road.

[Terry Walker]

I've added a few more items to the Tourist Guide, on the Archie Scott Brown front, thanks to the TNF thread about him:

Archie Scott Brown

Home: 17 Portugal Place Cambridge (Chesterton Rd (A1303), south along Magdalene, Portugal Place 2nd on left after crossing Cam. Plaque.

"If you ever pass by the Cambridge Services on the A14 ( was A604) between Huntingdon and Cambridge - note the derelict garage next to the Travelodge on the opposite side of the A14 from the services - this was Archie's old garage business." (Andrew Kitson, TNFer)

Also Lister , except that I don't know where in Cambridge the Lister works was (or still is). I suspect the address I have, 8 Cavendish Ave, is the Lister residence, not the Works.

And I'm now looking for a couple of extra exact locations in Guildford: the John Coombs garage, apparently on the Bypass not far from where Mike Hawthorn crashed, and the location of the Hawthorn crash itself. Mentioned a few times in TNF, but not accurately enough for me to pin down. The Hawthorn grave site and the former TT Garage premises I can find easily enough.

Are there any further Must Not Miss sites, not already on my earlier list, around Guildford to make a full day's wandering?

[Macca]

As you drive south on the A3 up the hill away from the town, there is a semi-circular curve in the hedge on the left-hand side.....I've always understood this was the site of Mike's crash. About two hundred yards further up the hill is a big garage on the left - at the far end of it is a single-storey white building which housed a body repair business last time I looked - that used to be Coombs Garage.


Paul M

[Terry Walker]

I've bumped this thread because I am about to clamber aboard the Jumbo and fly north for the summer. I'll be doing my on-the-ground research and producing the first entries in the TNF Tourist Guide to Former Premises in the immediate future, and posting them on TNF as I go along.

If I can cross-thread for a moment, which I often do when I'm working on cars, in the late 50s the late Geoff Goddard lived at Balmoral Gardens, Ealing, just a brisk walk from where I'll be staying from Friday a.m. on. Also, Whitney Straight lived an equally brisk walk from home down Windmill Lane, at "The Aviary".

[Vitesse2]

Terry: if it's not too late, I did ask a while back if you were going to be bringing any of your books and/or dvds with you for sale. I'm sure I'm not the only TNFer north of the Equator who'd like one!

Are you heading west of Reading?;)