23 replies to this topic

[mclaren_jk]

hey everyone
you may remember me posting asking about tom pryce and pembrey a couple of weeks back. well, thanks to everyone who got in touch! the site is now up at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk...pages/tom.shtml

additions will continue to be made to this as time goes on.
there's space for people's own comments and submissions about tom too (but bear in mind this isn't designed for f1 afficionados!)

thanks again to everyone
james

[KJJ]

Was Tom Pryce really born in Ruthin? I know all the sources say this but the GRO Index says Wrexham and I've heard that he was born in a village on the border called Rossett. Does anyone have his birth certificate?

Glad to see the BBC doing its bit to remember Tom, and I, for one, welcome the fact that the site is designed for a general audience rather than F1 fans. The comments section should prove very useful, the posts about him growing up in Nantglyn, near Denbigh, for example.

[mclaren_jk]

i presume that being a ruthin resident, his mum might have gone to wrexham for the sprogging. but in the grand scheme of things, does it matter? :-D

[ian senior]

Absolutely splendid, James. Strikes exactly the right note - gives you the "essential Tom" for the uninformed, but still appeals to the enthusiast.

[mclaren_jk]

thanks ian - that's what i was aiming for. nice one!

[KJJ]

Originally posted by mclaren_jk
i presume that being a ruthin resident, his mum might have gone to wrexham for the sprogging. but in the grand scheme of things, does it matter? :-D

Yes, I think it matters, it may as well be right as wrong.

[mclaren_jk]

fair point. can you remember where you heard evidence of his being born elsewhere? what's GRO?

[KJJ]

GRO is the General Register Office, which is the government body responsible for registering births, deaths and marriages. You can look up the indexes on various sites but you have to pay for a certificate. If no-one on TNF has ever got hold of Tom's birth certificate, then I probably will buy one and let you know what it says.

Rossett......... well I think I read that on the BBC's North East Wales site last year, the forerunner to your new site.

[mclaren_jk]

hey kjj - well if you can get hold of a birth certificate, i for one would be very grateful.
j

[ReWind]

How do you pronounce "Pryce"?
I would do it like "price".
But somewhere I've read it was "priss" instead.
Can anyone say for sure?

[Twin Window]

Pronounce it as you would when enquiring about 'the price of fish'. Definitely not 'priss'.

[MCS]

Just had a look at the site James - very well done.

As you know, there are a number of us here who were very great admirers of Tom.

A splendid effort. God bless.

[mclaren_jk]

Originally posted by ReWind
How do you pronounce "Pryce"?
I would do it like "price".
But somewhere I've read it was "priss" instead.
Can anyone say for sure?

hey rewind...
'price' is the anglicised form - in the 19th the welsh language was banned from being spoken in schools etc, and a lot of tradtional welsh names were anglicised. price comes from 'ap rhys' (meaning son of rhys). pryce is a bit of a half-way house, and some welsh speakers will still nod to the original form by pronouncing it 'preece'... but in tom's case it's definitely pronounced 'price'.


mcs - thanks for your very kind words, i really appreciate it.
james

[mikedeering]

Didn't he pole at Silverstone in 1975, rather than Brands in 1976 (where the Ferrari's took the front row) as the text reads?

That aside, an excellent article pitched at the right level.

[mclaren_jk]

yes you're right. changes to be made asap.
thanks mike...

[Pedro 917]

You can put this on your site! Some of us here at TNF witnessed that great achievement:

[mclaren_jk]

hey pedro.
could you email me james.mclaren@bbc.co.uk with full details of what this is,what the date was, who took the photo etc etc? need to be completely precise on all the details before putting it up!
thanks so much for this mate
james

[Pedro 917]

Hi James,

I'm at work now, it was my brother that scanned this document and sent it to me to put it up here.
These are the official results of the 1st official practice on Friday before the British GP at Brands Hatch, July 1974. Tom clocked fastest time and won the 100 bottles of Champagne that came with it. I have some pictures of that day, I believe I've put them here at TNF a while ago. I'll check it out tonight and send you the pictures.

[mclaren_jk]

thanks pedro!
take care
j

[mclaren_jk]

new slideshow up today - great photos from Luc Ghys.

[DN5]

What a super site

On my list of favorites.

Thanks James


Geoff

[mclaren_jk]

wow, thanks geoff.
thanks for eveyone's kind words. feel free to add your thoughts / memories on the site via the 'your views' link...

[Richard Jenkins]

Apparently the Pryce born in Rossett rumour has come up again asks one of my contributors, who is normally quite accurate.

 

He mentions this report where Mr Williams seems very precise about Pryce's life - http://www.leaderliv...ocumentary.aspx, but I would've thought if Pryce was born in Rossett, it would be more widely reported, surely?

 

Did anyone or does anyone have a copy of his birth, or death certificate?

[Richard Jenkins]

The certificate was ordered recently and came back that Thomas Maldwyn Pryce was born in Trevalyn Manor County Maternity Home in Rossett, Clwyd on the 11th June 1949.

 

I cannot believe that someone as high profile as Pryce is/was, and also someone who has had a biography written on him by a normally thorough motorsport author can have such an important aspect of his life wrong for so many years.

 

Anyway, webpage changed accordingly.