Ted Spiller

[Ian Grace]

Ted Spiller recently joined the Register with his red SV 2-seater 'The Red Bomb' - see the website home page. Ted sold his car decades ago but traced it recently and was able to re-acquire it - another 'John Nagle' story.

He sent this a day or so ago:

"I often wonder if there are any members who competed in the Morris 8 Tourer Club in the midlands way back in 1961 on 3rd September. It was a driving test.
There were several Morris Tourers there and one MG. I expected the MG to win and was delighted when I won. I enjoyed the timed driving test, it was great fun and well organized. HAPPY DAYS.

Thank you for keeping in touch, Happy motoring, Ted"

Ted still has the Cup from that day.

So does anyone remember the event, or was perhaps active in the M8TC back then. I have suggested a few names to Ted - Bev Hicks, Frank Ashley, Terry Synnott, Roy Hogg of course - who have I forgotten?

The earliest M8TC Journal I seem to have in my library is No. 7 which is the Winter 1961 edition. No report of any driving tests, so maybe there is a report in number 6?

[Ian Grace]

Ted took The Red Bomb to Newby Hall yesterday and won fourth prize.



Doesn't the Minor look nice with cycle wings.

[Ronald]

ian, just to get dads name out of the fray..... Mum and Dad didn't acquire MT until March '62...... so weren't in the M8TC until after then...

And mum doesn't recognise Teds name either....!

[Ian Grace]

Ronald,

Interesting - I thought your Dad's membership number was number 8, so assumed he was in there at the start? My history of the founding of the M8TC is not what it should be, but I seem to think that it was set up primarily by Bev Hicks and Frank Ashley - late 1959 or 1960?

My M8TC Journal number 7 has the following committee:

Chairman Roy Chasmer
Secretary Bev Hicks
Tresaurer Donald Hicks
Editor Brian Dermott
Committee frank Ashley, Harry Edwards, Clifford Pratt

[Ronald]

Well, mums just had a memory lapse..... and yes Ian, you're right........... it seems they joined before they bought MT, as they had another later minor before that.............. so it seems you know more than we do...LOL!!

[Ian Grace]

LOL!!

So for ten bonus points, what Minor did he own before MT?!

[Ronald]

Apparently a '32 2 seater, CG 884................

[Ian Grace]

Here it is! Owned currently by VMR member Barry Henderson.

[Ian Grace]

So Barry's Minor was probably the eighth car in the M8TC, and very possibly the first Minor!

[Ronald]

Odd how these things come out eh... but apparently that was dads first minor, he 'acquired' it from a squadron leader from Duxford when he was doing his national service....... we have a few pictures of it from a few years back looking much like it does in your picture.....

Freaky eh..!!

Indeed ian.. most likely the first Minor, mum can't remember what cars the others had, but you may well be right......... apparently frank and Terry were up in the midlands, and she also 'thinks' it was primarily set up by the hicks's........

[Ian Grace]

Just got off the 'phone with Barry - great guy. He joined via Alister Reid whom he had been helping with his engine.

Barry tells me that CG 884 was owned by a pilot at and RAF station and one day he went missing. Everyone presumed he was missing in action. The car was left laying about. Apparently Roy was there on National Service and started using it. One day the pilot returned - he wasn't missing in action but had been posted! He saw that Roy was making good use of the car, so handed over the logbook and gave it to him!

Barry acquired the car in 1995 as not much more than a chassis and engine from a chap named Len who had stored it in London for about 20 years. Len had moved to Hastings and was obviously not going to do anything with it so sold it to Barry. He still has some photos of the car pre-restoration which he is going to send me.

So the two stories certainly seem to tie up, and we have another Minor at War! I can definitely see at least two Magazine articles emerging here - on on CG and another on the early days of the M8TC. I'll get Bev and Harry to provide input for that one.

What a wonderful piece of Minor history!

[Highlander]

Yes Barry helped me with my engine and it was Barry who spotted that the pisons were not at tdc and that Sutton Rebore had sold me Morris 8 pistons!!! Barry is a super hands on guy but does not have a computer. Hope to see him this week. Great story and great pictures. Highlander.

[Ian Grace]

This just in from Ted:

"I was the 78th. member of the M8TC with the number 178. Folks I met then were:- Mr. Pearce with his series E, Frank Ashley, Mr Roddick, Brian Dermott with an M.G.. Meeting the then "HON. SEC" Beverley Hicks in his Deer Stalker and of course it was raining !!! Those were "The Good Old Days"."

Here's ths cup he won at Synnerton (Stoke on Trent) for the driving test on 3/9/1961:

[Ian Grace]

As everyone will have seen, Ted was recently taken by kidney cancer, but this morning I received the folowing e-mail from his daughter, Annette:

"Hi Ian,

Thank you so much for your e-mail regarding Dad. I'm replying on behalf of my mother, in case I've confused you! I have forwarded a photo of Dad [see below]with both of his cars, it's quite a recent one and hope it's okay. He has hundreds of photos stored on this computer and I could have spent a whole day enjoying them!

We all really appreciate you sending your condolences,we are still getting used to not have dad around. He is a big miss because he was such a big personality - it's very quiet now without him. The Red Bomb (and the Austin 7) are being taken care of by my younger brother, who will definitely cherish them and keep them in the family. He lives nearby so we will still see the cars!"

Needless to say, I will be inviting Ted's son to join us.

[Toby]

I was saddened to hear of Teds passing, I sorted out some bits for him and spent some time chatting on the phone. Lovely chap, interesting and humourous to talk to...