Interesting to see FB 8163 still has the wartime lamp shields in place that would suggest it was taken of the road during the war as these would have been removed after 1945.

Location: Pembrokeshire

Sunday, 14th April 1975. Me, aged 17 years and 14 days, practising for my (successful) driving test in the RP three days later. The car is still my daily driver.

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E" not a "T".

Martin Prior

Sunday, 14th April 1975. Me, aged 17 years and 14 days, practising for my (successful) driving test in the RP three days later. The car is still my daily driver.

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E" not a "T".

Hi Ru and Charlie, where was the photo of the Maroon Ruby taken ? There is a similar backdrop to the Campsie Fells just around the corner from my old home in Strathblane but obviously...Scotland is a mountainous place with probably lots of similar looking hills/mountains. Great photo anyway.

Location: Ferring, West Sussex.

Hi it was in 1972 outside the Kirkhouse Inn in Strathblane. I still have the car which I bought in 1971.

Thanks for the confirmation Charlie, a little further along the road to Lennoxtown lies Broadgate House (on the left) and four years before your photo in the Kirkhouse car park was taken, the following sights and sounds could probably be heard. The Austin 7 Chummy in embryonic form firstly zooming about the back garden



The next photo was taken from the back door of the same house, revealing the same car and a dog called Sam a doberman pinscher. Looming up in the background are the same hills the Campsie Fells cloaked in snow, not a bad view from a back door ! Sadly, all of this apart from the Hills is gone, the car seems to have got 'lost', Sam, fractured his leg and shortly afterwards died and the garage made entirely of bark (apart from its doors) was demolished by the new owners.

Location: Ferring, West Sussex.

I too frequented the Kirkhouse 50 years ago when I lived in Milton of Campsie( further along the Fells past Lennoxtown.

Although I had the rusty remains of a Nippy, dig out from a cottage at Crinan, I never rebuilt it as I had a hard enough job keeping a succession of Morris 8's on the road , due to the introduction of the 10 year test.

I did know the Abernethy's as I worked beside Ronnie, Tom's brother and also Alex Mitchell as we along helped make periscopes for the British Navy at Barr & Strouds. Alex used his Chummy to work and he lived a stones throw from the Kirkhouse. I was most impressed when he raised the entire roof of his bungalow with car jacks, an ENTIRE storey to make it a 2 storey house!

Shen my Cup Repolca is finished I will take to the Kirkhouse Inn!

Regards
Bill G

Sometime later Bill, Tom Abernethy , with some assistance from Alec did the same thing at his but an'ben in Gartmore.
It's now almost impossible to believe it to be the same house.

Location: Bristol

I remember helping Alec 'raise his roof' under an inch at a time with hydraulic rams then screwing up manual ones, then starting the whole process over and over again and praying that there wasn't a strong wind at some critical phase. Have got some photos somewhere of the event, but failed to get the 'rising from death' image that I wanted as Alec and my sister Mairi's house was next to Strathblane's Kirk and cemetery !



However, talk of 'rising from the death' is relevant in another way as some of the photos I've posted were only returned to me recently after 'missing' for 50 years. They were in a primitive book I wrote at the time of my pretty abysmal restoration and turned up thanks to a fellow in my university year who works in Canada finding it along with some other books in his late father's basement in Glasgow ! The other car in the photo was Alec's Chummy.

Location: Ferring, West Sussex.

Yet another strange body which did not appear in 'The Source Book.'

YC4818 with late 1928 nickel rad but scuttle headlamps. My AD tourer YC5012 is registered feb 1929 and has Lucas R47 headlamps. Curious to know if scuttle headlamps were correct.
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

Not sure what body you're referring to Tom, but maybe the following photo would cheer it up a bit ! While I was a wine waiter and hall porter at a fancy hotel at Coldstream (escaping my father with the anticipated results of my A Levels!) I went out with this super girl, who was one of the waitresses who loved the wee car. While I was there I also remember the clutch slipped on accelerating and I could see the flywheel moving forward a tad. Stripped it down with what few tools were available, cut out a 2mm thick piece of card the same profile of flywheel clutch fibre and went down to local garage and asked mechanic to rivet it on behind it. 'No way I'm going to do that sir !' was his curt reply. It's for an Austin 7, I said, 'It'll be ready for you this afternoon'! Got me back to Glasgow (for some odd reason, still have the piece of card)! In reply to Dave's post, it is easier to point out what was wrong with YC4818 than right with it, so it was by no means a 'reference work'. Even one of the hood locking mechanisms was missing and that side was tied to the wing with string and the chrome mirror was bolted on utilising both ends of an open-ended spanner ! Happy Days before what was happening in the real World became apparent !

Location: Ferring, West Sussex.

Bill Sheehan writes:

1977 - I've always regarded members of the Bristol A7 club as rather a hairy lot (no mention of the ladies here), but am wondering now if they also have a semi-naked fetish? Ian Dunford at the Roach farm pre Bailleau, dressed similarly as in the recent posting with Ruby & trailer. (The blonde was my wife (the same brunette in the '25 Chummy in an earlier photo!)





Next Dave Collins using his bathroom at the Isle of Man, same uniform.




Early 1980s - Many Forum members will remember Tom Duxbury and his Pearl. He and his female entourage dropped in on me as I was leaving to navigate in a Day Trial with the VSCC in the old Roller. Piled them into the back for a scenic tour, including over our West Gate bridge which gives an overview of Melbourne's city buildings.




1982 Close shave - Picture a Ruby, my only transport, only 3 owners, never restored, cracked leather seats, paint mostly rubbed through to undercoat, car which I refused to "restore", parked on kerb. A drunk driver got out of control at a roundabout up the hill, came down wrong side of road, mounted kerb & nature strip, demolished a 6' high brick wall. Photo may show panels touching, but there was in fact a gap of 2" between pick-up & Ruby wing. Ruby lived for other days.

As an update to the first of Bill's photos, here is the same car last week in Newtonmore with my daughters and their friends:






Also a picture of me a few months back impersonating my father - my wife now insists I sleep on the sofa for some reason??




Charlie Carpenter is hoping to recreate the 1972 photo of him, his brother and the car shown above soon

No need for a DNA test, Ruairidh!

Ian giving the saloon a wash:

Mike/Ian - 1 - would that be Dan Burt in the foreground? Is he still around?
2 - re-reading my previous post, I hope no-one got the impression that the Rolls Royce was mine - it used to reside near Tony Press' house (may still do). My only RR possession has been a Wedgewood saucer, a specially limited-production with the RR logo - and I won it in a raffle!
Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Dan Burt is verry much still around Bill, I am in regular contact with him.

He lives in Adelaide and has recently required his original Chummy back - it now resides in Oz with him. I will try and alert him to this thread as the story is a good one!

Hi Bill. Ruairidh has just alerted me to this thread. I know Euroa and used to come through every year. I am planning to head your way this December. We must get in touch. I'm about to post in A7 friends with my story. Cheers!

Location: Aldgate, Adelaide, South Australia.

Thanks, Ruairidh for alerting me to this thread. Here is my story (from my FB page)of the younger me with Krystal. She now sits in my shed, and will be taken for a run next Sunday with the A7 Club of SA for Sir Herbert Austin's 150th Birthday bash. She is about to have a complete overhaul and tidy up. Hopefully some photos later. Can someone tell me how to upload pics to this site?

"My 'new' car - 1929 Austin 7 KR1079
How often do you get the chance to buy your first car back, some 40 years later? I drove her whilst in England recently, and Tony Hursey, the current owner and an old friend, has kindly offered her to me - the 'original and rightful' owner. [She had done little driving in some 30 years with the new Bristol owner and sat in a shed for most of that time, then Tony bought her about 10 years ago and got her mobile again] So I'm now arranging shipping, and she should arrive in about 8 - 10 weeks time.

I'd bought her in 1965 as a wreck when I was 16 from a back garden in Portishead (near Bristol, England) for 2 pounds 10s ('Are you sure you want it?') and pushed her back to Clapton Farm a mile away. After the first restoration (I did it again later) I drove her to school when I was 17 once I'd got my licence. Meanwhile I'd joined the Bristol Austin 7 Club and had some wonderful adventures. Runs and tours of England, Ireland, France etc. Great days, great people, great Club. I'm about to join again! [Indeed I have, with my original membership number!] Paul Verney sold her for me in 1975 when I'd decided to stay in Australia.

She is virtually the same as when I left her some 40 years ago. Same hood, seats etc which I'd made in the late 1960s. Body and paint the same with just a few marks. Same SU (non-original) carb. I drove her while in England recently - still goes like a rocket, but Tony has improved the decoupled brakes a lot! I understand she has done no more than 500 miles since I sold her.
She still has the stainless exhaust system I'd made at Rolls Royce (Aero) while an apprentice, and nickle plating done there for a packet of fags - the currency of the day!"

She arrived in Oz last February - a great thrill for me, and has the same Kent number plate here - KR 1079. When I look at the work I'd done I say to myself: 'Not too shabby!' Virtually everything is the same as I'd left her: I'd done all mechanicals, made the hood, seats, sidescreens, painted, electrics etc etc.

Location: Aldgate, Adelaide, South Australia.

Dan - email me the photos and I will post them for you.

And no-one has answered my question yet - was it Dan in the photo? I'm sure we wouldn't recognise each other nowadays anyway. I thought I remembered him being in Oz once, but presumed he was back in Old Blighty and wasn't sure he was still vertical! Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

I didn't because I couldn't Bill - my guess would be that it is not Dan but as I wasn't born when the photo was taken I am not best qualified to make such assumptions :)

Here are Dan's photos:

At 17






Racing in Ireland







Pulling Krystal up the dunes in Wales (?)



Brittany



Now - reunited

Thanks for uploading these pics, Ruairidh. I have to say I love your pics above - wonderful happy kids, and your impression of Ian - so lifelike!!! Cheers, Dan.

Location: Aldgate, SA Australia

Hi Dan

Great to see you are still Sevening and in your old Chummy!!
The photographs of the 1971 or was it 1972? Irish holiday bring back super memories.
The sand racing on the beach organised by the locals instead of their regular horse racing was brilliant. Even the bit where we had to drive in and out of a stream halfway down the beach before turning round a wellie and heading back.
The centre photo may have been taken when we went off piste and you started the peat fight at the top of the track. I remember you being floored by a well aimed clump of peat delivered by Dave Blessley.
The picture of the Chummy loaded with wood ready for our final evenings BBQ on the beach. I seem to remember the main component of the bonfire being a large tree dragged down to the beach by a tractor!!

Enjoy the Chummy
Gordon

Location: North Hampshire

From Dave Mann:

Hi Ruairidh
Please can you post the attached photo on the Austin Seven Friends forum. Does anybody recognise this RN which was at Beaulieu in 1968? Regards Dave Mann

Ruairidh Dunford

Bill Sheehan writes:

1977 - I've always regarded members of the Bristol A7 club as rather a hairy lot (no mention of the ladies here), but am wondering now if they also have a semi-naked fetish?



Next Dave Collins using his bathroom at the Isle of Man, same uniform.

Location: N W Kent

Stuart - Great shots of No.40, particularly the second one. Being in the borrowed Dunford Cabby (now with Ruairidh) I was much more sedate at the same spot, but must admit I have a photo somewhere showing the Cabby 3-wheeling around the hairpin on the T.T. Course! Do you still have the same Special? If not, is it still alive? Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Hi Bill,
Can appreciate that having an A7 "going tricycle" on a corner must have been even more "interesting" when it was a borrowed car!

I do still have the same special; of course, like all the best specials, it's never really been finished -I can always find something else to modify or fiddle with. Here's a pic of the the car and I taken on a rally in the south of France a couple of years ago - I suppose this photo would only count as the very slightly younger me and my A7

Location: N W Kent

I think the chap standing behind Tony Russell in your photo in Salisbury Ian ,
may be Steve Kincaid.
Drove his Box Saloon to the North Cape in the early 60s.
Removed and repaired a broken rear spring on the journey.

Location: Bristol

Thought I'd try and revive this excellent thread with the following photo from the same period as most of my previous ones (1965). Funnily enough, it follows on from the previous entry as it features Ian Dunford and Tom Abernethy on the far right of the photo outside an indecipherable pub/hotel but I've little idea who those in the foreground are. I was still at school at the time and the man behind the camera was no doubt Alec Mitchell.
Some of the cars may be of interest too. Where are they now ?

Location: Worthing

I think this is almost certainly The Crown Inn Saltford on the A4 between Bristol and Bath.
The central character is Paul Hatch and on his left John Harper not sure of the third person but you have correctly identified the two reprobates lurking at the back

Location: Bristol

Hello James, great photo, a few years later than 65. The fellow with the long hair is Paul Hatch still in the BA7c and still has the same hair but now white!
I am sure Ian D will be along soon to tell us who the others are.
Pub is the Crown at Saltford near Keynsham it was our home(BA7c)for many years. Cheers Ian M

Location: Bristol

The Chummy to Tom's right is Alex Mitchell's and the RK behind is mine.The very first car we ever owned,and still own.
The Ruby is John's and the RK Paul's
I think the ORT was owned by the late Gwen Lewis.

Location: Bristol

Hi Ian, I looked and looked and thought how the h*ll can he see ORT on one of those plates? Penny dropped Open Road Tourer. Bet you did that on purpose,well and truly caught Ian M

Location: Bristol

blimey -now its 13729 views

and 146 replies...

wot have I started?

I do hope there is more to come ? :)

Sorry Ian.
Couldn't remember the correct numerical designation for the ORT.
Decades ago we had an effort to rename them "Diamonds"but it didn't catch on as half the owners had no idea what we were talking about.

Location: Bristol

Great memories, Gordon. That Irish holiday really was a trip that sticks in my mind. I vaguely recall the peat fight with Dave Blesseley and still have memories of drinking huge quantities of Guinness and Paddy's Irish whiskey, being almost abducted by an old fisherman ('no better man') who wanted to take me to sea (!) and John Fitch falling off a cliff outside the pub. Those were the days! However, I am much more mature now and can't wait to do it all again some day!!!

Location: Aldgate, Adelaide, South Australia

Well Paul, you started this thread, so if you haven't seen enough of that van and your hair style, here you are again (right) with your 1st Seven and your brother peeping over the van, with his 1st Seven too, the 1930 Mulliner and also the current Mrs Mike Tebbett. He keeps threatening to restore her, the Mulliner; please have a word with him will you. On the road to Beaulieu I think.


Here's my own 1st Seven, an extremely tatty Top Hat, suffering from the Trials for which it was converted. Went, handled and stopped well but gradually fell apart around me. Shown in 1965 in a suitably derelict area of Coventry where my college course had 2 portacabins on a bombsite.
Other photo shows its final resting place in my private scrap yard. The other curious car was found in a suburban green house, its chassis went to Terry McGrath, at 10/-, for his racer, with the body from the Tebbett recreation of OK 7095. Gordon Phillips rebuilt the Top Hat body for his own car. Recycling at its best.

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Bill Sheehan writes:

Hi again R. If you don't mind could you post this old photo for me please, with the following caption -
Just to prove I haven't always been biased toward Sevens, here's a shot from the early Sixties of a special built from a Big Seven that had a rotted-out body. In spite of Oz's hot weather we still had plenty of mud! The car was standard and the nosepiece was from my Speedway Midget. After a couple of Observed Section trials I took pity on the rescue teams and withdrew from comps - it was so heavy. Cheers, Bill