24 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

In normal circs I would not bother you all with this - but last Friday's Tony Rudd Memorial service - held in Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk - proved such a special occasion I thought perhaps you might appreciate news of it.

The Abbey is beautiful, not far from Hethel and Ketteringham Hall - Lotus land, where Tony ran Lotus Engineering for ACBC and subsequently Team Lotus too - from 1968 into the 1990s. Friday in Norfolk was a lovely cool - not cold - December day with a low sun beaming in through the stone-built Abbey's high windows. A large congregation gathered - a British motor racing who's who, plus the likes of yrs trly and some fellow scribblers.

Jackie Stewart delivered a eulogy which was absolutely brilliant - the wee Scot at his matchless best - staggeringly articulate and deep thinking, intensely personal, insightful, compassionate, funny... I've never heard him speak better.

He explained how surviving racing drivers of his generation probably have a different view of death from most other people...

"During the 1960s we got so used to losing friends almost on a monthly basis. We grieved for them, sure, but to us they were never really gone. They remained with us – and they are honestly with us still. They have never truly gone away – they have simply gone to some other place. To us, therefore, death has never been final. Our friends hadn't really gone - they really have lived on, every one of them, within those of us who have survived. And their survival in this way is a source of happiness to us who can never forget them.

"There's not a day goes by I don't at some point find myself thinking of one or more of them - of Jimmy and Jochen and Piers and Mike and Bruce and Francois - of Ken Tyrrell, and now of Tony - and they certainly – every one of them - live on in me...

"If we have souls, I am sure they are found in our friends' memories and minds and consciousness.

"As long as we have our memories , nobody is ever lost to us - they live on….and Tony lives on in all of us who were lucky enough to know him, to work with him, to live with him, to respect, and like, and love him.”

JYS told how Tony provided a calm, stable, reassuring virtual father figure to supervise his initiation into Formula 1 in 1965-67. Indeed his presence at BRM was a major factor in Jackie's decision to sign with the Bourne team in preference to any other.

He repeated his often-heard admiration for the way Graham Hill – his team leader – accepted him into the team and never stinted in his support for Jackie, his freely-given advice and good counsel having played a major role in the young Scot's racing education...

Jackie recalled how Tony had nicknamed Graham ‘Grand-dad’ and how in what today would be called de-briefs Tony would say to him, “Grand-dad says his car’s overgeared – how was yours?” – or “Grand-dad’s seeing 11,200rpm at Masta – what are you getting?”...or "Don't you worry about that - I'll clear it with Grand-dad...!".

Our clergyman friend Canon Lionel Webber gave the lesson, opening it immediately after JYS’s tour de force with the line “After the Lord Mayor’s Show, the dustcart – thank you Jackie for the finest memorial service eulogy I have ever had the pleasure to listen to…”.

Lionel then went on to suggest that somewhere ‘up there’ Tony had just been reunited with ‘Chunky’ who had a scheme afoot to redesign the Pearly Gates – ACBC had the vision, ACR the cool-headed engineering nous to make their redesign work well…and to keep on working.

And after the Scottish pipe band rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ and that magnificently moving hymn “I vow to thee my country” – as Tony’s old mates and drivers and mechanics and fellow engineers and family members filed from that magnificent Abbey church … the roof timbers began to drum, then tremor, then shudder.

It was Tony’s daughters’ sublime farewell – a recording of the V16 BRM in full-throttle action – supercharged exhaust stubs wailing, that fantastic ‘Brammm-baaaaahhhhh!’ shut-throttle din on the over-run then that characteristically lusty, ear-splitting, spine-tingling, chest-thumping blare on full throttle under load...

And Lionel strode across to the sound system, advised the verger this was a unique moment of particularly special import, and then he reached out and wound the stereo system’s volume almost literally through the roof. It was deafeningly realistic - and utterly sublime.

I swear dust came showering down from the Abbey’s ancient oaken rafters.

And I wasn’t alone in thinking I could hear Tony’s characteristic little chortle of glee when his sums had just come out right…and the machine had at last begun to run clean, bug-free, world-class…the object of Tony Rudd's entire life.

DCN

[rdrcr]

Doug,

Thank you for your communiqué on the memorial service. Fitting words by Sir Stewart - sounds like a most reverent and moving tribute to Tony Rudd.

I think perhaps, his resting in peace will be occasionally dotted with the cacophony of engine notes like the one you described.

RIP Mr. Rudd.

[Roger Clark]

Many thanks for sharing that with us.

[Ruairidh]

DCN, there have been a number of times in your writings that your recounting of an event has stopped me in my tracks and your description and your take on what you are describing have comingled with my thoughts and just, stuck with me. So it is with the description of Tony Rudd's memorial service. It is a rare gift, and I - for one - deeply appreciate your sharing it.

And yes JYS words were absolutely brilliant.

[VAR1016]

Thanks very much Doug; obviously a very special occasion.

And what a splendid idea of his daughters' - a real send-off indeed!

PdeRL

[peebo]

Brilliant, as ever. Felt like I was there. Thanks.

[Joe Fan]

Thanks for sharing this one Doug.

[David McKinney]

Very much appreciated Doug. Thanks
What an incredibly moving occasion it must have been

[Doug Nye]

It was really a very nice tribute - with a reception afterwards in the old Team Lotus race shop at Ketteringham Hall - and the finale at the Abbey was simply EARSPLITTING!!!!!!!!! I really hope no structural damage was done.

DCN

[Gary C]

thanks INDEED for that Doug, especially to read JYS' words.

[Runner]

Thank you for sharing this with us. Very much appreciated.

[D-Type]

Doug, thank you for sharing this with us. The combination of JYS and the V16 is entirely appropriate.

[dbltop]

Thank you for that Doug.

[Vitesse2]

I think my signature says it all, really ....

Thank you for sharing, Doug. Should any of the magazines deign to report this celebration of Tony's life, I very much doubt they will come up with such evocative prose to describe it. And we got it for free!

[antonvrs]

Thanks very much, Doug.
My interest in Grand Prix cars and racing in general began when I was around twelve years old and kind of coincided with the beginning of the BRM saga. I followed their fortunes through the years and when your BRM book arrived earlier this year I devoured it and learned the reasons behind the drama that I had watched for so many years.
Then, when I read Tony Rudd's book came along it filled in more of the history and when I heard of his passing it really touched me.
I almost felt that I had grown to know him through those books and it seems like the end of an era to me.
The job of developing a racing car has always fascinated me and I was able to live it vicariously through your's and Tony's writing.
Thanks again for sharing that final chapter with us.
Best regards,
Anton

[Arturo Pereira]

Thank you very much for sharing this with us Doug. They are with us for sure.

AP

[UAtkins]

I have just watched a 2-hour program - Jackie Stewart - The Flying Scot - on Speed (my apologies to those not in the US) and after watching Tony Rudd contributing to the commentary on Jackie's career; your description of the memorial service was particularly touching. Thanks for sharing this.

Ursula

[Option1]

Like Ursula, I also watched "Jackie Stewart - The Flying Scot" this evening and then to find this brillant piece of writing here has been a particularly poignant end to my day.

Jackie's wonderful words, "If we have souls, I am sure they are found in our friends' memories and minds and consciousness. As long as we have our memories , nobody is ever lost to us - they live on…" serve, in my mind at least, as the raison d'etre of the existence of this wonderful community that is TNF. It's a place to learn and discover, but most of all it's a place to remember.

Thank you Doug, your own words also serve as a wonderful eulogy to Tony Rudd and, in a not insignificant way, as a homage to all the greats and not-so-greats of motor racing who are no longer with us.

Neil

[eldougo]

" Our friends hadn't really gone - they really have lived on."----- JYS.

Thanks Doug for making us feel we where their on such a special day .I can see it through my own minds eye and i well remember seeing that grand old Abbey the few time i went past there .

Doug .

[Ray Bell]

A tantalising thought... that they are still with us.

Indeed, we frequent a place here where they are all still with us, and always will be.

[David Beard]

Doug, thankyou.

This scene set to BRM music?...a fine occasion indeed.


(From the Wymondham Abbey Website....I trust they will be adding sound soon)

[Dennis Hockenbury]

Originally posted by Ruairidh
DCN, there have been a number of times in your writings that your recounting of an event has stopped me in my tracks and your description and your take on what you are describing have comingled with my thoughts and just, stuck with me. So it is with the description of Tony Rudd's memorial service. It is a rare gift, and I - for one - deeply appreciate your sharing it.

I agree with the sentiments expressed so well by Ruairidh.

Also, my thanks Doug for sharing your account of the Memorial Service for Tony Rudd. A very special man, a brilliant engineer, and a life well lived.

[Kerb Bouncer]

I got chills reading Sir Jackie's words and hearing your description of the BRM engine sound-off. Thanks much Doug.

Mike

[Mike Argetsinger]

Thank you Doug. I am confident that all TNF readers feel as privileged as I do to have that first hand account - and beautifully told.

[smithy]

This probably isn't the sound clip actually used but for the rest of us probably a hint of what it was like:



Stick with it - about 1:45 in the BRM blasts past the microphone down the straight and then on the brakes..... blip, into fourth..... blip, into third.............. blip, into second...................... and then back on the throttle out of Copse.

The sound (even on my crappy PC speakers) is, well................ awesome.