Saturn 23

I remember Bill Marriot very well. He was a chargehand and a nice bloke.

Sorry for the late reply. Ron Gibson did race motor cycles in the late 30s early 40s. Gordon Wilson owned a Velocette KTT Mk 8 and a Manx Norton. Ron would also have raced these. The Velo was burnt in the great storage fire at Tinsley during the 80s and last I heard the Manx Norton was still going strong, but that was ages ago.

Gordon Wilson, Ron Gibson and Roy Walker raced in a load of races in the late 30s and early 40s. Gordon Wilson owned Manx Nortons (one still remains somewhere out there) and a KTT Mk8 Velocette. The Velo went into storage at the big depot near the Wicker one week prior to the biggest fire in Sheffield stince the blitz, which was said depot! Hence no more Velo. However, I have some photos of them racing. Ernie Walker used to race sidecars but I have no photos.

Gordon Tools was purchased by the Walter Lawrence Group in the early eighties. They bought it for three basic reasons - the forge, the marketing and a Taiwanise importing operation. It did fit nicely into their portfolio as they already owned Wilkinson pliers and Sheffield Steel Products (car tools like pry bars, axle stands. etc.). SSP was located near the M1 at Tinsley and there was room to expand, so the two Walter Lawrence guys involved in the running of Gordons decided to close down the operation on Rockingham Street and move Gordon Tools to Tinsley. They moved the forge - you never move a forge as the foundations are so deep (over 20 feet in this case) it is never viable. They closed down the Taiwanese operation and finished off the marketing. They also sacked vertually all the factory staff (nearly 100) thinking the SSP people would be able to do all this work. They kept some chargehands I believe.In the first year they lost something like a £million! Not sure what happened then as I was long gone thank goodness, but Gordon Tools is now owned by Record Ridgeway and no long trades. What a shame. Gordon Wilson must be turning in his grave. Hope this helps.

Spooky! What sort of noises did they hear? I used to work late most nights and was often the last to leave, but I didn't hear any noises. However, I did work at the other end of the building. The small room at the top of the stairs was the directors' dinning room and the larger one next to it was the board room. I wonder if they here noises in the new building or did they disappear with the stairs.

There was a short flight of stairs from the canteen to the office block. Ron Gibson, the MD at the time, collapsed with a stroke on these stairs and died shortly afterwards in hospital.

Imps might have been rare but blokes autotesting 3.5 ton Ford trucks - well that's a totally different ball game!

I agree that Nigel was by far the best codriver - car manager, but for road rallying navigation I still go with Phaffy. A big mistake would be if he read a 60 as a 30 once in two or three rallies. However, he never bought maps and tended to borrow them at the start - a practice that I never appreciated!

I also remember all the above as I was a S & H member but joined 111 MC as they seemed more involved with road rallies. Wasn't it a 111 event that Barry Marshall rolled on in quiet a big way. He should have stuck to the roundy round stuff! My rallying days were in the 1960s - 1970s, which most consider was the haydays of rallying, or am just rembering through rose tinted glasses. I consider Martin Phaff to be the best local road rally navigator of his time.

Hi I would love to see Ernie's racing photos. Is there any chance that you could send them on e mail?

Yes I remember Lily and definately Ernie Walker. I have a photo of Roy Walker, Gordon Wilson, Ron Gibson and Ernie Walker with a Manx Norton and Velocette KTT outside the old packing room of Gordon Tools. They all raced bikes with Ernie racing sidecars. There was also a salesman called George 'Clip' Crawshaw who successfully raced speedway bikes in his youth.

There is more than one Ivy Cottage in Sheffield. The one to which I refer is at Wire Mill Dam in the Mayfield Valley. I have seen paintings of it before as it is quiet pretty. It is a double brick cottage knocked into one with a couple of slightly smaller stone ones built onto the left side. It dates from 1756ish.

One more try - JP/JO?

Dixie Wilson died of cancer at the age of 48, as she didn't smoke and hardly drank there seems to be no reason for her getting this awful illness. Gordon, her father, also died of cancer at the age of 52 so there may be so genetic link. Both died far too young. Tommy competed in the Tulip Rally in 1968 and "fell off" a mountain in the French Alps. His Cooper S needed a new body shell but was driven home although he retired from the event. The crew were uninjured. He went on to compete in many rallies and even won some. The house in Filey was the scene of many great parties. Did you go to any? If so are your initials BM? The house I have been told has now been converted to flats.

Not sure if there is now - but back in the 80s Hanrahans certainly did - any one remember the Mars Bar????? For my sins (or more to pay for uni) I was one of those waitresses and Mr Oakley once asked me out and I said no!!!!! why I ask my self now.... I rememeber back to the way he was eating his dinner and thats what put me off......