Jump to content


Photo

Ian 'Puddle-Jumper' Raby


  • Please log in to reply
48 replies to this topic

#1 Puddle Jumper

Puddle Jumper
  • New Member

  • 4 posts
  • Joined: January 07

Posted 24 January 2007 - 19:32

Hi All :wave:

I was surfing around the web this evening, and googling my grandfathers name, when all your posts came up. My grandfather was Ian 'puddle jumper' Raby (hence the username). I am very interested if any of you have any info, stories, and especially pics of him. Obviously i have info from my father about grandpa and could give you all, who are interested, any info that i can supply from ian jnr, but would love any of your stories or memories. Good or Bad !!!

Look forward to your (if any!) replies

Ian Raby jnr jnr! :)

Advertisement

#2 Ray Bell

Ray Bell
  • Member

  • 80,052 posts
  • Joined: December 99

Posted 24 January 2007 - 19:37

Welcome to our little hiding place, and so glad you were googling...

We have a number of children and grandchildren of here, so you're in good company. As various members reveal all about your grandfather, however, we'd probably expect you to come out with some of your own stories.

#3 Twin Window

Twin Window
  • Nostalgia Host

  • 6,611 posts
  • Joined: May 04

Posted 24 January 2007 - 19:45

Originally posted by Ray Bell

We have a number of children and grandchildren on here, so you're in good company.

Indeed we do, and therefore you are!

Welcome, 'jnr jnr'... :wave:

#4 Bjorn Kjer

Bjorn Kjer
  • Member

  • 3,682 posts
  • Joined: February 06

Posted 24 January 2007 - 20:16

:wave: On the thread " Who was this ?" is a story on Raby! But you have to ask Twinny how to find it , cause I cant!

#5 David Beard

David Beard
  • Member

  • 4,997 posts
  • Joined: July 02

Posted 24 January 2007 - 20:23

Ian Jnr Jnr

My dad always called an Austin Seven a "puddle jumper". Does that connect in any way with your grandfather's nickname, as you understand it?

#6 Twin Window

Twin Window
  • Nostalgia Host

  • 6,611 posts
  • Joined: May 04

Posted 24 January 2007 - 20:25

Originally posted by Bjørn Kjer

:wave: On the thread " Who was this ?" is a story on Raby! But you have to ask Twinny how to find it , cause I cant!

Are you mad, Bjørn?

I think what you're referring to begins here...

#7 Puddle Jumper

Puddle Jumper
  • New Member

  • 4 posts
  • Joined: January 07

Posted 24 January 2007 - 20:33

DAB

I'm not too sure..... will have to ask my father.

I know dad used to race an A40 with puddle jumper on the boot!!

#8 Doug Nye

Doug Nye
  • Member

  • 11,524 posts
  • Joined: February 02

Posted 24 January 2007 - 23:08

Ian Jr - welcome to TNF - I do indeed remember your late grandfather and presumably your grandmother very well. His Brabham-BRM BT3 was the very first Formula 1 car I actually touched, and helped he and his mechanic push it about. It was in the otherwise deserted paddock at Brands Hatch one weekday soon after I started work there in 1963. My editor on 'Motor Racing' magazine, John Blunsden, was doing a track test on it. Your grandpa was extremely nice to me as an 18-year spotty 'erbert freshly recruited onto the staff, and I was enthralled by what was going on...to be, in effect, "on the inside" at last!

Jimmy Clark was testing the works Lotus there - sometime later I think - not that particular day, and I have a much cherished photo of him with Colin and the boys in the little layby at the top of Paddock Hill from which testing often ran in those days. I'm in the background wearing a hefty black pullover which my Mum had specially knitted for me to keep out the cold down there in Kent. She thought it was somewhere near the South Pole, I suspect. Jimmy was bothered that 'Raby' was out on the circuit at the same time, and since there were slippery patches on the course he didn't want to happen upon the Brabham at an inopportune time. I'm pretty sure your Grandpa was running-in his rebuilt BRM V8 engine that particular day.

Later - in 1967 - he and his wife were very jolly dinner companions in a restaurant out in the boondocks near Jarama where he was driving in the Madrid GP F2 inaugural. Next day at the circuit in 110-degree heat, he bought me an ice cream. Top man, I thought, attempting to consume it before it vapourised.

I was always fascinated by his proud Union Jack badges on his cars, and the fact that his business in Brighton was named 'Empire Cars'. Somebody told me he was in the League of Empire Loyalists, but I never discovered if this was true or not.

His Zandvoort crash and the injuries and apparent maltreatment which led to his early death caused much dismay amongst the racing community. By no means the world's fastest driver - but I remember him as a really genuine enthusiast and a nice man.

DCN

#9 Paul Rochdale

Paul Rochdale
  • Member

  • 1,281 posts
  • Joined: September 04

Posted 25 January 2007 - 12:30

I've owned five Citroen 2CVs and all were called puddle jumpers for obvious reasons. Ian jr jr, I have PM'd you - I see you live in Kent like me :)

#10 Barry Boor

Barry Boor
  • Member

  • 11,546 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 25 January 2007 - 14:10

Lowering the tone somewhat, but this may be the only slot race Ian Raby/Gilby B.R.M you will ever see:

Posted Image

#11 HDonaldCapps

HDonaldCapps
  • Member

  • 2,482 posts
  • Joined: April 05

Posted 25 January 2007 - 17:53

Originally posted by Doug Nye
....but I remember him as a really genuine enthusiast and a nice man.

DCN


Exactly.

I always seem to be fascinated by such people. I have always thought that they lent something to the proceedings that would otherwise have been missing.

And, I do remember the track test conducted by DCN's boss very clearly....

#12 Doug Nye

Doug Nye
  • Member

  • 11,524 posts
  • Joined: February 02

Posted 25 January 2007 - 21:49

PREE-cisely! Which is why the reintroduction of private entries into Formula 1 would so enliven that currently deadly-dry, over-corporate and charmless closed shop. :o

DCN

#13 Ray Bell

Ray Bell
  • Member

  • 80,052 posts
  • Joined: December 99

Posted 25 January 2007 - 21:51

Originally posted by HDonaldCapps
Exactly.

I always seem to be fascinated by such people. I have always thought that they lent something to the proceedings that would otherwise have been missing.....


And, of course, is one of the things that's missing today!

*edit*... Doug got in before me! And used much more descriptive words!

#14 Udo K.

Udo K.
  • Member

  • 655 posts
  • Joined: September 01

Posted 25 January 2007 - 22:48

Originally posted by Puddle Jumper
Hi All :wave:

I was surfing around the web this evening, and googling my grandfathers name, when all your posts came up. My grandfather was Ian 'puddle jumper' Raby (hence the username). I am very interested if any of you have any info, stories, and especially pics of him. Obviously i have info from my father about grandpa and could give you all, who are interested, any info that i can supply from ian jnr, but would love any of your stories or memories. Good or Bad !!!

Look forward to your (if any!) replies

Ian Raby jnr jnr! :)



Please send me a pm with your e-mail. Have a couple of Eifelrace pics for you.

#15 Twin Window

Twin Window
  • Nostalgia Host

  • 6,611 posts
  • Joined: May 04

Posted 26 January 2007 - 00:30

Originally posted by Doug Nye

PREE-cisely! Which is why the reintroduction of private entries into Formula 1 would so enliven that currently deadly-dry, over-corporate and charmless closed shop. :o

Yes, it would enliven it to a degree, but F1 would nevertheless remain a desperately dour affair. And I'll wager that it wouldn't be enough to entice you into a return to said paddocks, Doug!

Even when the manufacturers bugger-off (which they certainly will do) plastic cars that emit a noise akin to a computer-generated sound effect, driven by mollycoddled overgrown PlayStation experts (who were quick in karts and have fat necks), that are *raced* on homogenised tracks complete with an all-enveloping safety net will sadly continue as the norm regardless.

Unless the F1 rules are changed so radically that a field of Lola T330s [or the like] becomes the norm, it will never, ever hold the remotest appeal for this former appreciator of the brave men who not only possessed skill, bravado, character and guts but who also raced primarily (ok, initially in some cases) for the sheer hell of it.

They were real men, real sportsmen and real heroes. (And, yes - I certainly do include all the females of those bygone days too).

#16 sterling49

sterling49
  • Member

  • 10,917 posts
  • Joined: September 06

Posted 26 January 2007 - 09:16

Originally posted by Twin Window

Even when the manufacturers bugger-off (which they certainly will do) plastic cars that emit a noise akin to a computer-generated sound effect, driven by mollycoddled overgrown PlayStation experts (who were quick in karts and have fat necks), that are *raced* on homogenised tracks complete with an all-enveloping safety net will sadly continue as the norm regardless.



:lol:


So aptly put, tell it like it is Twinny, I agree 100%. It would have to be something pretty exceptional to entice me to attend again....and pay the exhorbitant prices expected :eek:

Great thread this, I used to watch Ian race but never quite knew who he was, other than he was a true enthusiast, we need more of his style again.

#17 Claus Myhr

Claus Myhr
  • New Member

  • 4 posts
  • Joined: October 06

Posted 26 January 2007 - 17:16

Hi IAN RABY jnr jnr,
your grandfather must be a very good fellow!
In a german racing book for the 1967 racing season I found this words:
"Ian was a patriot.Ian was a gentleman in the sense of the word.A gay 47 years old racer by passion.How he loved his world of roaring engines! No,Ian didn`t have the ambition to win big first prices!He was his own sports fan.How enjoyable it was to exchange a few friendly words with Ian and his wife! How enjoyable his humor:Once he competed in a car with a very low ground clearance.They called it the "Puddle Jumper".Ever since that name was neatly painted on his (preferably) red formula cars.He was slightly superstitious:his cars had to be red,a 13 was a red rag to him;and he carried a rabbit`s foot charm with him when racing.Ian drove an elderly Brabham BT 14. With this he had the mysterious crash at Zandvoort.We shall miss our friendly
senior among the Formula 2 boys sadly!"
Perhaps I own your grandfathers formula junior:the ENVOY.
Please look at the Envoy thread.
I bought the Envoy with red frame colour and red body colour.Do you know colour of the ENVOY,which your grandfather drove in 1960?

#18 HiRich

HiRich
  • Member

  • 388 posts
  • Joined: May 06

Posted 27 January 2007 - 13:50

Grandpa Raby had a long career in the 500cc Formula III series (of which you can find more at www.500race.org ). He was a significant player, if not of the top order. Unfortunately, we haven't got a biography for him, though he is on the priority list. But unlike the bigger, more prestigious series, getting adequate information together can be a bit tricky.

A few points I can make:
- He did not appear in the 1951 Who's Who book (between the '51 and '52 series), so probably wasn't involved at that point. Of course, he may have been racing elsewhere.
- He may have raced 500s in 1952, but the first record I have is the Coronation Meeting, 24th May 1953, at Brands Hatch (in those days, Brands was run by the Half Litre Association, and all meetings were exclusively for 500s). The report in Iota magazine makes no direct mention of him, but he ran in the Junior Race (making the final), the Open Challenge Race (did not qualify from his heat), and the Junior vs Senior Handicap race. Junior races were open to those who had not scored a podium in a class race, so we can assume that he was still in his early days.
- He's at Brands again in June, August, and October, Crystal Palace in July & September, and in August has a go at the Commander Yorke 100-mile race at Silverstone (one of the big 500 events of the year) - retiring with a thrown chain.
- The Iota report from Brands, October, apears to show him in a 1948 Cooper-JAP Mk II. This would add weight to the idea that it was his first car and was still getting the hang of the racing game. He took a third in the Junior Final and a second in the Sprint race for JAP-engined cars, so he was clearly making progress.
- I see nothing for 1954, but in 1955 he appears to still be in the Junior class. He did win the 500cc class at the Brighton Speed Trials. I believe he had graduated to a much more modern Cooper Mk VIII or Mk IX. He continued winning in '56 and '57, now running with the big boys like Jim Russell and Stuart Lewis-Evans.
Although I have no records of it, I believe he also made trips to Scandinavia for the big International races in the Summer.

I should point out that I'm working from my own records rather than the "Black Book" - the latter will have more references, if perhaps less detail.

I'm not personally aware of any of his 500 cars still being in circulation. However that would partly be because the history is harder to trace and verify than other, bigger series, and perhaps because a "Raby Car" could be either one he drove, or one he sold through the business.

I know of a couple of pictures in print, but I'm currently sans scanner (and with a couple of hundred scans already lined up). i have only one passport-style image on file, which Google Image has probably already turned up for you. So if you PM me an email address, I'll add you to my "To-do" list. Equally, we would be happy to add a biography page on our site if your search is fruitful.

#19 Ray Bell

Ray Bell
  • Member

  • 80,052 posts
  • Joined: December 99

Posted 27 January 2007 - 22:11

Rich... if you have a reasonable digital camera you can generally avoid having to scan such pics... though the quality is never going to be quite as good, of course.

But it's quick and easy.

Advertisement

#20 HiRich

HiRich
  • Member

  • 388 posts
  • Joined: May 06

Posted 28 January 2007 - 13:13

I'm as bad behind the camera as I am in front of it ("lens-breaking" to coin a phrase), so no camera.
The scanner is on loan to a friend, and I just need to book in a day or two there working through about 100 Autosports (random images and articles) and Iota magazines (planning to produce pdfs that we can make available). So they should be available fairly soon.

#21 Bjorn Kjer

Bjorn Kjer
  • Member

  • 3,682 posts
  • Joined: February 06

Posted 11 February 2007 - 15:15

I think it would be great to get some respons from "puddle jumper".!

But I have to ask again ANY info on Ians transport of his F1 car in 64????????????

#22 HiRich

HiRich
  • Member

  • 388 posts
  • Joined: May 06

Posted 13 February 2007 - 12:14

Just a note to say I haven't forgotten the scans. I'm just too tight to fork out for a new USB scanner, and am struggling to make the time to borrow the old setup donated to a friend.

#23 Puddle Jumper

Puddle Jumper
  • New Member

  • 4 posts
  • Joined: January 07

Posted 18 February 2007 - 18:00

Sorry not to have posted earlier, my computer has been in for emergency virus repairs!

Bjorn, I have spoken to my father about how my grandfather travelled to races, and he remembers driving a VW transpoter, towing an open trailer with fitted tarpauling as a cover.
The cars he remembers taking like this were the Brabham, the cooper bobtail T39 ex peter gammon and a turner sports!

Jnr Jnr :)

#24 gerard BARATHIEU

gerard BARATHIEU
  • Member

  • 399 posts
  • Joined: August 03

Posted 18 February 2007 - 20:15

Its a pitty not to seen a photo of IAN RABY with yhe old BRABHAM !!!

#25 Gerard Gamand

Gerard Gamand
  • Member

  • 1,086 posts
  • Joined: January 07

Posted 18 February 2007 - 20:41

I'm absolutly no sure but does it be Ian Raby ?
I think so

Posted Image

#26 Bjorn Kjer

Bjorn Kjer
  • Member

  • 3,682 posts
  • Joined: February 06

Posted 18 February 2007 - 20:44

:wave: puddle jumper , I have PMed you !
Bjørn

#27 Squire Straker

Squire Straker
  • Member

  • 95 posts
  • Joined: March 06

Posted 18 February 2007 - 21:45

Ian Raby appeared at Kirkistown in 1963/4 driving the Gilby BRM. There was fantastic anticipation that he was going to blast the circuit record held by Brian Naylor. However I recall that the car was incorrectly geared and he toured around, but what a fantastic noise. Ian was collected at the Liverpool boat on the morning of the race by Gerry Kinnane and towed to Kirkitown behind his van, later to be returned. If he received any starting money it was worth it for the sound. We had to wait for Brian Gubby to at Dunboyne in 1965 for the same wonderful V8 tune!
SS

#28 Puddle Jumper

Puddle Jumper
  • New Member

  • 4 posts
  • Joined: January 07

Posted 19 February 2007 - 19:14

Bjorn,

My PM email address is still down. Please email to..... ianraby@hotmail.com

jnr jnr ;)

#29 piperp2

piperp2
  • Member

  • 67 posts
  • Joined: March 05

Posted 22 February 2007 - 16:46

Puddle Jumper

Fantastic to see your thread, I am researching info on the Hume Cooper which your grandfather Ian Raby raced in F2 in 1960. It appears he sold the car from his Empire Cars business to Ronald Wrenn and John Langton. I hope to soon have some colour photo's and some archive cine footage of the car racing in some non-championship F1 events in 1961.

#30 Barry Boor

Barry Boor
  • Member

  • 11,546 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 22 February 2007 - 20:12

I would love to see some photo of the Hume.

I might make a slot race version.

#31 Rob Ryder

Rob Ryder
  • Member

  • 2,602 posts
  • Joined: June 00

Posted 06 March 2007 - 19:32

I'll let you guys do a positive ID on this.. Brabham BT3 BRM?

A clipping sent to me by Bjørn Kjer from an unidentified Danish magazine (1964).

Posted Image
The caption just says "Ian Raby & John Blunsden"

Rob

#32 Alan Cox

Alan Cox
  • Member

  • 8,397 posts
  • Joined: March 03

Posted 06 March 2007 - 21:56

It is, indeed, the ex-Jack Brabham BT3 from 1962, re-engined in 1964 by Ian Raby with the BRM engine from the Gilby.

The photo must have been taken at the time of John Blunsden's track test for "Motor Racing" magazine, as mentioned in Doug Nye's earlier post, and which was included in their "Motor Racing Book of Track Tests" compilation.

#33 Rob Ryder

Rob Ryder
  • Member

  • 2,602 posts
  • Joined: June 00

Posted 06 March 2007 - 22:05

Thanks Alan :up:

#34 Macca

Macca
  • Member

  • 3,725 posts
  • Joined: January 03

Posted 06 March 2007 - 22:35

Posted Image

photo copyright Eric Bryce

Ian Raby at the 1965 International Trophy, with Rindt, Gardner, Spence and Stewart. Interesting to see that while other drivers wore 'jet' helmets and Dunlop overalls, Raby still favoured a t-Shirt and a pudding-basin helmet.

Paul M

#35 Alan Cox

Alan Cox
  • Member

  • 8,397 posts
  • Joined: March 03

Posted 07 March 2007 - 17:40

What a smashing picture, Paul. Have you any others by Mr Bryce?

#36 Andrew Kitson

Andrew Kitson
  • Member

  • 2,535 posts
  • Joined: July 03

Posted 07 March 2007 - 17:43

Who is the tall chap with the glasses - Nick Syrett?

#37 HistoryFan

HistoryFan
  • Member

  • 7,825 posts
  • Joined: November 07

Posted 20 October 2010 - 18:22

I didn't find I thread about him. So perhaps we can discuss a little bit about him. I had some questions:

1) He built an own F3 car. What was it called? Had he also plans to build a own F1 car?

2) He drive a Brabham Lotus in F2 in 1967. Was that a Lotus engine? Were there more Lotus engines? An own built engine by Lotus or only re-named? What engine was that? Who designed that?

3) He died in a crash in Zandvoort, two months after the crash. What was happened?

4) How good was he really?

#38 MCS

MCS
  • Member

  • 4,687 posts
  • Joined: June 03

Posted 20 October 2010 - 18:28

I didn't find I thread about him. So perhaps we can discuss a little bit about him. I had some questions:


Go here: http://forums.autosp...amp;hl=Ian Raby


#39 Vitesse2

Vitesse2
  • Administrator

  • 41,776 posts
  • Joined: April 01

Posted 20 October 2010 - 18:31

The F3 car he designed was the Envoy. But beware, this will take you down all sorts of strange avenues - some of them Welsh! :lol:

Advertisement

#40 f1steveuk

f1steveuk
  • Member

  • 3,588 posts
  • Joined: June 04

Posted 20 October 2010 - 19:28

Strangely I meet a lady the other day that was the girlfriend of Raby's business/racing partner, which led me to read the other thread, to try and confirm what she had said. I don't actually recall seeing it mentioned, and I was wary of commenting, still am a bit, but she was of the opinion that Ian Raby was on the point of being released from hospital, when he suddenly took a turn for the worse. After he died it transpired he had been given blood contaminated with Hep' A (I think that's what she said) and it was this that had killed a near fully recovered Ian Raby. Has anyone else heard this?

#41 Peter Darley

Peter Darley
  • Member

  • 286 posts
  • Joined: September 06

Posted 20 October 2010 - 20:21

Who is the tall chap with the glasses - Nick Syrett?


Yes ! See also page 12 of "Jim Clark - Life at Team Lotus" for more Ian Raby photos

#42 HistoryFan

HistoryFan
  • Member

  • 7,825 posts
  • Joined: November 07

Posted 21 October 2010 - 15:55

The F3 car he designed was the Envoy. But beware, this will take you down all sorts of strange avenues - some of them Welsh! :lol:


Thank you very much!

#43 Bauble

Bauble
  • Member

  • 1,040 posts
  • Joined: January 09

Posted 22 October 2010 - 18:28

I remember seeing Ian for the first time racing at Crystal Palace in the early 50's in his maroon Cooper Norton, he stood out a he was wearing a 'Corker' crash hat, as worn by police 'silent bike riders' and a short sleeved check shirt, he was a regular competitor in 500cc races, and while never up with Russell, Bueb etc he was usually not far behind. He ranked among my all time favourite drivers.
I have a Ferret Photo of Ian in the Brabham BRM, but I would love to get a nice shot of him in a 500.

He is remembered in my prayers.

Bauble.



#44 Ian Smith - Diz

Ian Smith - Diz
  • Member

  • 425 posts
  • Joined: February 08

Posted 22 October 2010 - 23:03

There was an Ian Raby racing at the Formula Ford Festival meeting at Brands Hatch last weekend.
Could this be the Ian Raby Jnr., Jnr. whoo started this thread?

#45 Eric Dunsdon

Eric Dunsdon
  • Member

  • 1,021 posts
  • Joined: February 08

Posted 23 October 2010 - 14:18

I remember seeing Ian for the first time racing at Crystal Palace in the early 50's in his maroon Cooper Norton, he stood out a he was wearing a 'Corker' crash hat, as worn by police 'silent bike riders' and a short sleeved check shirt, he was a regular competitor in 500cc races, and while never up with Russell, Bueb etc he was usually not far behind. He ranked among my all time favourite drivers.


Bauble.

And one of mine as well. Ian (IE) Raby was a top man, a colourful and lively racer in his 500cc IER-Midget and Cooper Norton and later Cooper and Elva-Climax sports/racing cars. Always approachable in the paddock Ian was one of those drivers that made motor racing so enjoyable in those much missed days. I remember him fondly.

#46 David Birchall

David Birchall
  • Member

  • 3,291 posts
  • Joined: March 03

Posted 23 October 2010 - 17:04

When I finally got to meet George Chapman, the 1965 Canadian Championship winning driver in the Lotus 23 that I subsequently owned, he told me that he had bought the car from Lotus as a kit but Ian Raby had assembled it for him and presumably test driven it and arranged shipping to Canada. There was a red plaque on the dash saying "Ian Raby Puddlejumper" and an address. Did he do this as part of his regular business?

#47 john winfield

john winfield
  • Member

  • 5,640 posts
  • Joined: July 02

Posted 31 January 2016 - 11:04

Here's some footage of Ian enjoying himself at Brands in 1959:

 



#48 Rupertlt1

Rupertlt1
  • Member

  • 3,038 posts
  • Joined: October 10

Posted 31 January 2016 - 16:14

Picture of Empire Cars in Brighton, (appearing by chance, at left):

 

https://revslib.stan...log/zj398bw5251

 

To confirm post #46, Ian Raby exported racing cars, advertising in the Canadian publication Canada Track & Traffic.

John Greenwood of Oshawa purchased a Lotus 7 from him and has it to this day.

 

RGDS RLT


Edited by Rupertlt1, 31 January 2016 - 16:18.


#49 Eric Dunsdon

Eric Dunsdon
  • Member

  • 1,021 posts
  • Joined: February 08

Posted 31 January 2016 - 17:27

Here's some footage of Ian enjoying himself at Brands in 1959:

 

Thats lovely to see. Many thanks from an old Ian Raby fan.