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Cooper Car Club Annual Luncheon – 3rd March 2013

This was a rather special day.  The Cooper Car Club lunch started as a gathering of ex Cooper employees from Surbiton and Byfleet, joined by a few Cooper owners.  This year it was a heartfelt tribute to someone who fell into both categories – Terry Kitson – Terry helped put together many of the chassis that we are racing today – then in retirement he acquired, restored and competed in a beautiful Cooper T72  ,R3-10-64 - and then, only a few months ago, kindly offered to take over the running of the Club from longtime Chariman and Secretary, Richard Neale – sadly only days before Richard was due to deliver the paperwork, Terry died, very suddenly and unexpectedly – but he had chosen the ‘Barley Mow’ at West Horsley as the venue for 2013 – a venue with iconic motoring connections, back in the 80’s as base for Eoin Young’s Motoring book emporium and the scene of his regular lunches with Harvey Postlethwaite (based at Tyrell’s timberyard down the road), Autosport’s Nigel Roebuck and many others; and more recently as a VSCC meet.

500 racer Shirley Monro (ors Till) and Terry’s warmhearted wife Vivienne jointly continued the plans, and it was lovely to see Vivienne again amongst all the Cooper friends.  The guest list, too, covered a wide spreak of Cooper, 500 and FJ interests.  Duncan (with Mair) was fortunate to seat himself next to Rodney Tolhurst, the man who almost singlehandedly supported Historic Formula Junior during the late 70’s and 80’s, moving it with Alan Putt from a battleground for old and rather bastardised racers, to a true Historic Formula, gathering a collection of race cars that were all regularly used, of which we will not see the likes again – at one time, 24 Coopers, FJ, F1, Sports; Elva 100’s; 4 FJ MK II Gemini’s, a Mk 3A and Mk 4; Bandini Sports found by Ad den Teuling in Holland, a “Bandini” FJ; the Ausper T3; the Emeryson Elfin Mk 2;the T52 Cooper-Lancia, which Rod believed had a Renault box rather than a Citroen ERSA, a couple of Surtees F1, TS19 and TS20 and even that whale of all time, the Marina Rolls-Royce Sports!

Time moved on, and Rod departed the scene for steam boats, planes, even a steam train from a Welsh Quarry, that now runs on a local narrow gauge line, and a miniature steam railway in the garden.  Friend and fellow racer of Cooper T67, Bill Burrows was there too; with Ollie unwell, Dick Crosthwaite was alone, still busy with various Auto Unions, commenting that almost every M-B and A U at Goodwood last year had been through his hands.  FJ Dolphin and Cooper 500  owner David [and Michelle] Woodhouse brought the Cooper Mini Van; Neil Hodges his Mk8 500 in Swedish colours, joining a Cooper “Bobtail” sports brought by Bob Searles: sadly missing were Brian Jolliffe, now out of the induced coma, following a heart attack, in Southampton Hospital, and Rod Jolly, still in Australia; but Cooper stalwart Peter Jackson, was of course there, as was Michael Waller, now ex-owner having sold the T56 to Anthony Goddard, but with his Bristol ‘teardrop’ on display.  Keith Messer represented the HF3’s; it was also very good to see Jon Milicevic, with Mary and daughter Laura – and Jon plans to be back on track soon.

500 OA Chariman Nigel Challis was in his usual good form, looking forward both to the major 500 race of the decade; the Commander Yorke Trophy race at VSCC Silverstone; already the 43 entries are spoken for and to the trip to collect the Trimax for the Avignon Motor show, while Stuart and Roy Wright were much in excitement over the ‘Flash Special’ which Duncan pointed them toward some three years ago. 

A nice occasion in sunny Surrey. By DCPR

Continued by David Woodhouse;

A super lunch was preceded and followed by lots of warm friendly chat, Cooper car-related matters, stories and racing talk. Cooper items were available for sale, including magazines, old photos, patches and badges. I picked up an original 13 X 8J Rosepetal race wheel for one of my race car projects, and the proceeds contributed to wine for the tables, thanks to Richard Neale's generosity. Now I have to find a matching wheel or three.....!

Following the luncheon, I drove to Hollyfield Road with the Cooper Mini Van for a trip down memory lane. If ever there were a building deserving to be preserved for its connection to the development of the British Motor racing industry, it is the Cooper Hollyfield Road building whose architect was Cooper designer Owen Maddock's father. For those who are unaware, Cooper had three sites at various times during their racing days, but the Hollyfield Road facility was Cooper's home through their heydays of racing and single-seater production.



I plan to take a similar trip out to the ex-Cooper Works Building at Canada Road, Byfleet; the site of the famous picture of 'six of the best' Cooper Car Company Works Mini racers lined up for photo call before the 1968 season. I hope to bring you pictures of that little adventure shortly.

My poor Michelle (now pregnant wife!!!!) was bounced and buzzed by the van for nearly 3 hours at motorway speeds from Worcestershire to the reunion in Surrey! What suffering our beloved cars inflict on those closest to us!