New Kid on the Block

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Got it Hedd.

[David Stepney]

Thank you everybody for your words of welcome.

Thank you hedd for the early photo of TH 4219. I recall that. when I bought it, it was on late Ruby 17 inch wheels, presumably because 4.50 x 17s were fitted to cars like Ford Pops and the like. As a result, they were in cheap and plentiful supply both new, as remoulds or from your local scrapyard. It must have been repainted before your photo was taken. When my boss and I repainted it, it was coach painted and didn't have the coachline on it (I never got around to it.) Looking back, I was horrid to that little car when I was 18/19. I am glad it has survived. I treat the present one with kid gloves.

[fatcatvera]

Hi David, just a quick note to say we saw you on sunday right near the north end of Bala lake - you must have been heading down from Llangynog ~3pm. You were very recognisable and made us smile, but you probably didn't notice the red Porsche heading towards you!

Ray

[AustinWood]

Cambridge was a hotbed of Austin Sevens in the 60s. I spent many happy hours drinking tea with Ray Walker in his workshop in Perowne Street.

[Hugh Barnes]

It's still a bit of a hot bed now, purely as a result of the enthusiasm of the much missed Ray Walker and his never ending supply of tea....

[AustinWood]

Ray was a huge help in my early days of Sevening. After I moved to Weston-Super-Mare I used to catch up with him every year at Beaulieu. As you say Hugh, much missed.

[Chris Garner]

Ray Walker!  Memories of the cracked tortoise stove, the upstairs floor groaning under the weight of spares, great stacks of aluminium heads. jumble of cars and bits. A lovely man with a wealth of stories. Yes, much missed.

[Hugh Barnes]

For those of you who don't know of Ray Walker, he ran a garage in Cambridge for many years (I think he opened it in 1948?) and focussed on his beloved Austin 7 for many years. Many of us in Cambridge owe our Austin 7 ownership to Ray. I attach a photo supplied by his son, Gerald (who also sadly died last year) that shows the yard in 'the Garage' as it was always simply referred to, taken i the 1960s...


  64309469_10158545540629951_3710653329139826688_o.jpg (Size: 89.96 KB / Downloads: 229)

[Robert Leigh]

Mary Walker, Ray's widow, now has YB 7720. I suspect that the Ruby at the back is AEW952 which I eventually bought for spares. That registration is now on my Ulsteroid by a rather devious route.

[David Stepney]

Hi David, just a quick note to say we saw you on sunday right near the north end of Bala lake - you must have been heading down from Llangynog ~3pm. You were very recognisable and made us smile, but you probably didn't notice the red Porsche heading towards you!

Ray

Thank you Ray. I was coming back from Llandderfel having been for a small lunchtime drink. Yes, I saw the Porsche, but I was too late to acknowledge the wave!