It took me a little while to find my way, but I got on the right track eventually... and very soon found the house I remember dropping into a few years ago. No car in the carport...
Rocket Street is where George Reed moved to many years ago. The house had been nicely done up and it was quieter than his former abode in a busier part of Bathurst. Today he rarely leaves the house, of course.
George is now 93. In January he'll be 94. His face is showing signs of torment, the left side being badly drooped, and he's usually wearing a headset to hear the talking books that take up a lot of his time. When it's gone, there's still a black band around his head for some reason or other.
When I called in, his sister in law ushered me to a chair right near him so he could hear me when he fitted up his hearing aid. It took him a while to remember me, which he put down to some kind of an age-related problem.
He proceeded to talk with me for over an hour about many subjects, but mostly racing now and racing years ago. He knows full well he saw the better era... but his active mind still takes in information about modern racing and modern cars.
He talks about people he knew, their strengths and their weaknesses. He talks about cars he built and cars he beat and cars he liked, and other cars. Cars have been his life, and when you're 94 that means a lot of cars.
I think it's time there were a few George Reed stories on this forum...
Rocket Street revisited.
Started by
Ray Bell
, Oct 19 2004 14:56
7 replies to this topic
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#2
john medley
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Posted 19 October 2004 - 22:56
For me, George is a bit special . I lived in Bathurst as a boy and saw his cars on the streets. Still a boy living in Sydney I wrote to him seeking information and whereabouts of Monoskate. He sent me a large photo with the details on the back ( typically, when I finally met him 25 years later , he said " Didnt I send you a photo of Monoskate a while back?")
He started in " carsport" ( his term) in the late 20s , and never stopped . To everyone else it was a big deal but not to George when he drove wife Norma's shopping car in a Pit Straight ( Mt Panorama) sprint to beat John Dawson Damer's Lotus 49. It was just a little Holden Torana , but George had stuck a turbo on it. One of his cars won an Australian Grand Prix and several others went close . Even when he "retired" from front line motor racing he continued to play with his and others' cars.
The preparation of my Bathurst book couldnt have done without George . I stayed at his place , he shared his memories , photos , and memorabilia -- and obviously enjoyed it . Just in case I'd overlooked anything he later sent me audiotapes and albums all annotated .
I enjoyed his company . I too must call in to see him.
He started in " carsport" ( his term) in the late 20s , and never stopped . To everyone else it was a big deal but not to George when he drove wife Norma's shopping car in a Pit Straight ( Mt Panorama) sprint to beat John Dawson Damer's Lotus 49. It was just a little Holden Torana , but George had stuck a turbo on it. One of his cars won an Australian Grand Prix and several others went close . Even when he "retired" from front line motor racing he continued to play with his and others' cars.
The preparation of my Bathurst book couldnt have done without George . I stayed at his place , he shared his memories , photos , and memorabilia -- and obviously enjoyed it . Just in case I'd overlooked anything he later sent me audiotapes and albums all annotated .
I enjoyed his company . I too must call in to see him.
#3
Ray Bell
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Posted 19 October 2004 - 23:15
Maybe you and I could encourage him a little, John...
He started audiotaping his biography... or at least his memories of his life in chronological order. But he ran out of steam somwhere along the line.
I wonder if we can get him restarted?
Of course, he is fairly hard to understand now as he speaks with the remaining half of his mouth, all the ravages of time allow him to control. But I'm sure it would be better for him and for us if he did complete this job...
He started audiotaping his biography... or at least his memories of his life in chronological order. But he ran out of steam somwhere along the line.
I wonder if we can get him restarted?
Of course, he is fairly hard to understand now as he speaks with the remaining half of his mouth, all the ravages of time allow him to control. But I'm sure it would be better for him and for us if he did complete this job...
#4
Ray Bell
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Posted 20 October 2004 - 06:24
One of the things that always strikes me is how much regard George has for 'Pratt'... Warwick Pratley...
"He had the killer instinct," George says, and relates that his family were hard-headed in business and so was Warwick on the track. I think he was also saying that his family were all the same kind of players that Warwick was too.
I recall that once George told me about the time Warwick outran an outraged husband by jumping over a series of Bathurst back fences...
"He had the killer instinct," George says, and relates that his family were hard-headed in business and so was Warwick on the track. I think he was also saying that his family were all the same kind of players that Warwick was too.
I recall that once George told me about the time Warwick outran an outraged husband by jumping over a series of Bathurst back fences...
#5
john medley
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Posted 20 October 2004 - 11:43
I agree with you about George's respect for Warwick Pratley 's driving. Not only do I recall his words but that part of the Bathurst book that deals with Pratley's remarkable 12 months or so from October 1950 to the end of 1951 comes directly from George. In fact , despite George's attempts to manage Pratley's driving ( dont go over 110 mph, dont use gearbox to slow down , drive to win on handicap ... at higher speeds my cars get The Yaws ( Monoskate did that to JM once at Lakeside , not a pretty experience!!)) , it may well be that Pratley was , in that time period , one of Australia's best ... or that is what the record shows . To the little boy John Medley at that time Pratley appeared quite conservative initially but a genuine goer in the 1950 -- 1951 period.
The best photo that suggests this is on P129 Bathurst book with the road registered Skate 2 slithering on about neutral steer through Hell Corner Pratley looking very relaxed but doing it far better than an offline Reg Nutt ( Talbot Darracq) and an understeering Julian Barrett ( the BWA about to do its worrying lift-the-tail swing axle thing!) behind him . The numbers are instructive too : the handicappers thought that Cars 18 ( BWA) and 21 ( Talbot) were going to be considerably quicker than Car 27 ( Skate 2) , but not so... again, Pratley's driving ?
I was on the inside of that corner that day and I can remember Pratley arriving just like that , except for a small boy even more so -- because the bloody bellowing tyre-shrieking thing was Pointing Straight At Me . I was there in 1952, too, but pretty blase when Ian Mountain's dark blue MYF Ford V8 did exactly the same thing .
You wont be able to help yourself, Ray -- another opportunity to post your Warwick Pratley photo !
The best photo that suggests this is on P129 Bathurst book with the road registered Skate 2 slithering on about neutral steer through Hell Corner Pratley looking very relaxed but doing it far better than an offline Reg Nutt ( Talbot Darracq) and an understeering Julian Barrett ( the BWA about to do its worrying lift-the-tail swing axle thing!) behind him . The numbers are instructive too : the handicappers thought that Cars 18 ( BWA) and 21 ( Talbot) were going to be considerably quicker than Car 27 ( Skate 2) , but not so... again, Pratley's driving ?
I was on the inside of that corner that day and I can remember Pratley arriving just like that , except for a small boy even more so -- because the bloody bellowing tyre-shrieking thing was Pointing Straight At Me . I was there in 1952, too, but pretty blase when Ian Mountain's dark blue MYF Ford V8 did exactly the same thing .
You wont be able to help yourself, Ray -- another opportunity to post your Warwick Pratley photo !
#6
Ray Bell
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Posted 20 October 2004 - 12:27
Well, if you insist...
George was also an inveterate Club member... he held office in the club and took his responsibility to contribute seriously. He was a CAMS steward for many years.
Which leads to a story he told me... he was a Steward at Gnoo Blas one year, about 1958. During the day he had cause to talk to Ray Wamsley, who was there with the Alfa Tipo B with its GMC engine.
"How's it going?" he asked Wamsley... as you would.
"Oh it's okay, but I have a problem around 100mph where it's impossible to steer, but you dirve through that and it's okay," said Wamsley.
George told me that he was there with two other Stewards... one local man (Keith someone...) and someone up from Sydney. The Sydney man then chased up Wamsley, having overheard the conversation, and banned him from further participation in the meeting.
He did this without reference to the other Stewards... George told this as if the Sydney Steward was not only out of order, but also showing a tendency towards being unduly superior.
George was also an inveterate Club member... he held office in the club and took his responsibility to contribute seriously. He was a CAMS steward for many years.
Which leads to a story he told me... he was a Steward at Gnoo Blas one year, about 1958. During the day he had cause to talk to Ray Wamsley, who was there with the Alfa Tipo B with its GMC engine.
"How's it going?" he asked Wamsley... as you would.
"Oh it's okay, but I have a problem around 100mph where it's impossible to steer, but you dirve through that and it's okay," said Wamsley.
George told me that he was there with two other Stewards... one local man (Keith someone...) and someone up from Sydney. The Sydney man then chased up Wamsley, having overheard the conversation, and banned him from further participation in the meeting.
He did this without reference to the other Stewards... George told this as if the Sydney Steward was not only out of order, but also showing a tendency towards being unduly superior.
#7
Ray Bell
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 11:49
Talking to George about the A V Turner incident he mentioned 'stupid' accidents...
MacLac at Point Cook was one he mentioned and frankly I've forgotten the other one. But he also mentioned 'stupid' hillclimbs, insisting that Razorback was one of them.
MacLac at Point Cook was one he mentioned and frankly I've forgotten the other one. But he also mentioned 'stupid' hillclimbs, insisting that Razorback was one of them.
#8
davidsmanson
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Posted 26 October 2004 - 14:32
Was looking through 1930s events on another quest altogether - but found 'G.Reed' driver of B.S.A.Scout (for Heaven's sake, what next?) - entered for Cessnock Mount View hill-climb held 22 May 1937, and the following day, driving a B.S.A.Scout - well, he was apprenticed to Stan Hill, the agent. George (young George?) had several other appearances in the Small Arms products. I won't go into my views and experiences of 1930s BSA vehicles - but didn't they, indirectly, give us the Vintage Sports-Car Club movement? It's a wise child that knows its' own father.
As for Rocket St., Bathurst acknowledges strange cultural fore-runners (not the only echo of the Industrial Revolution in this Outpost of Empire). Think also of Miss Traill's House, where a complete set of Picasso lithographs was almost destroyed by being kept under the bed in the spare room). Almost opposite the Knickerbocker Hotel, where any racing driver with cash in his pocket put up, is the Technical College with a plaque announcing intellectual descent from Michael Faraday. The Knickerbocker iis probably where Ed Waters stayed, when he became the only person to race in the 'British Empire' in a supercharged Bentley with charcoal gas producer. Across the Park is the Park Hotel, whence Thomson and Holmes started (twice, due to torrential rain) on their 1900 journey to Melbourne, in an absurdly under-powered steamer (1 cylinder, 2 3/4 ins x 3 ins, perhaps).
Point is, am writing this past midnight and can't verify details. Perhaps I should give up. Eheu, fugaces anni,
David Manson.
As for Rocket St., Bathurst acknowledges strange cultural fore-runners (not the only echo of the Industrial Revolution in this Outpost of Empire). Think also of Miss Traill's House, where a complete set of Picasso lithographs was almost destroyed by being kept under the bed in the spare room). Almost opposite the Knickerbocker Hotel, where any racing driver with cash in his pocket put up, is the Technical College with a plaque announcing intellectual descent from Michael Faraday. The Knickerbocker iis probably where Ed Waters stayed, when he became the only person to race in the 'British Empire' in a supercharged Bentley with charcoal gas producer. Across the Park is the Park Hotel, whence Thomson and Holmes started (twice, due to torrential rain) on their 1900 journey to Melbourne, in an absurdly under-powered steamer (1 cylinder, 2 3/4 ins x 3 ins, perhaps).
Point is, am writing this past midnight and can't verify details. Perhaps I should give up. Eheu, fugaces anni,
David Manson.
