LAMBORHINI MUIRA SV RHD
Discussion
Roger, I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread so far. Each post just gets better. Very interesting cars & back stories.
I grew up down the road from Southend airport, no doubt would of seen your planes whilst watching plans taking off from the run way after my paper round back in the day.
Sorry to hear about your dear wife.
I grew up down the road from Southend airport, no doubt would of seen your planes whilst watching plans taking off from the run way after my paper round back in the day.
Sorry to hear about your dear wife.
Roger Collins said:
Sorry a PS Reading a couple of responses Yes the reason l made my posting on my Motorola 8000 l was prompted by the coverage on the BBC. So whilst writing l thought the Air Call story would interest as well,
no need to apologise.These postings are like an onion, there are more and more layers, each one adding ot the enjoyment.
Watch some more tv and recall more memories please!
How about some more of the 'interesting' characters you have met on your journies?
There have been a number mentioned already, I'm sure there are many more ......
Roger Collins said:
Something completely different and Off tangent...
One warm day on Sunday 20 July 1969 whilst I was living in Jordans near Beaconsfield, Bucks I decided
to have lunch with my friend Valerie Thorpe whose father was a director of the department store - Howells of Cardiff and she lived in Ink Penn Common which was close to one of my regular haunts - the Olde Bell, Hurley Berkshire. I was particularly excited as the Appollo 11 moon landing was scheduled that day. A couple of months before that day I had bought one of the first ever portable televisions. In order I did not miss the big event after lunch I drove the car to the riverside at Marlow and placed the TV on it's roof. Passers-by were intrigued with what they were seeing so we had an excited crowd watching Neil Armstrong first steps on the surface of the Moon. Mobile phones were primitive in those days and only the previous year I had an Air Call in-car phone installed and the equipment is shown with a 1.5metre permanent aerial on the car All calls were via an operator and I had my own unique air call identity. Because there were no satellites then it was all through land-based aerials, mainly located in cities or alongside trunk roads so quite restricted. Then the world changed after I moved to Somerset in 1977. A new handheld battery-operated portable phone called a Motorola 8000 was introduced and I just had to have one. So out went the Air Call system and the convenience of my Motorola which incidentally cost a massive £3000 then. The battery life was a maximum of 30 minutes and needed something like a 10-hour charge so I went out with 3 spare charged batteries. Move on half a century and no one, unless they are my age ,would know what it was like - happy days
Your mention of Air Call is bringing the memories flooding back. My Late Dad had it fitted to his V-12 E Type in either 1972 or 73. I can Still remember his call sign which was “ Topaz One Zero Eight “.One warm day on Sunday 20 July 1969 whilst I was living in Jordans near Beaconsfield, Bucks I decided
to have lunch with my friend Valerie Thorpe whose father was a director of the department store - Howells of Cardiff and she lived in Ink Penn Common which was close to one of my regular haunts - the Olde Bell, Hurley Berkshire. I was particularly excited as the Appollo 11 moon landing was scheduled that day. A couple of months before that day I had bought one of the first ever portable televisions. In order I did not miss the big event after lunch I drove the car to the riverside at Marlow and placed the TV on it's roof. Passers-by were intrigued with what they were seeing so we had an excited crowd watching Neil Armstrong first steps on the surface of the Moon. Mobile phones were primitive in those days and only the previous year I had an Air Call in-car phone installed and the equipment is shown with a 1.5metre permanent aerial on the car All calls were via an operator and I had my own unique air call identity. Because there were no satellites then it was all through land-based aerials, mainly located in cities or alongside trunk roads so quite restricted. Then the world changed after I moved to Somerset in 1977. A new handheld battery-operated portable phone called a Motorola 8000 was introduced and I just had to have one. So out went the Air Call system and the convenience of my Motorola which incidentally cost a massive £3000 then. The battery life was a maximum of 30 minutes and needed something like a 10-hour charge so I went out with 3 spare charged batteries. Move on half a century and no one, unless they are my age ,would know what it was like - happy days
Out with him one day we saw someone lying on the pavement bleeding profusely from a wound. A few people were standing there, but not helping. Dad stopped and called the operator up to get an ambulance sent. He then dashed over and administered first aid until the ambulance arrived. He must have given up on Air Call, as his Ghibli that he bought in mid 1974, didn’t have it.
Roger Collins said:
Oh ye of little faith. In my twenties living in nearby Beaconsfield and Jordans I was a very regular visitor (weekly) to not only the Olde Bell Hurley but to the Compleat Angler at Marlow as I was good friends with the then Italian owner of both establishment's daughter.
Interesting, Giulio Trapani (spelling?) if I recall? My parents/grandparents were friends of his wife and he. Speaking of Henley on Thames, I recall being told of an 'incident' whereby a Miura in for servicing at Mike Spence's place in town needed to be road-tested, so one of the keen mechanics volunteered. Upon 'giving it some' up The Fairmile it came to light that the rear clamshell hadn't been fastened correctly, and soon blew open being torn off the back of the car!
My dad said the car was in the workshop for some time whilst they had to wait for a replacement to be shipped across from Italy, dread to think what that would have cost.Roger Collins said:
The architect who designed Mick Jagger's villa on Mustique as well as my own was super Italian chap Mario Spinella who sadly died far too young in his 50s as he was good fun as well. This is our villa that we built between 1985 and 1987 at Rose Cottage St Vincent overlooking Young Island, My wife, two sons and I absolutely loved being there 
Roger, I assume you moved the cottage on….If so, you may be interested in this
https://www.libertyproperties-svg.com/property/ros...
What a wonderful way to spend my lunch hour reading this; thanks for sharing Roger. The DC3 is by far my favourite aeroplane. They have fascinated me from a very young age (probably from watching old war movies and reading Commando comics), and I had many many Airfix models sitting on shelves and hanging from my bedroom ceiling. Always wished I'd had a chance to fly in one, but that ship has probably sailed (plane has flown?) as I doubt there's many left in service now. Closest I came was while working in Peru in the 90's, and the company I worked for wanted me to travel from Iquitos to Cusco with some oilfield related equipment. It looked as if I would be travelling on an old cargo DC3 with a couple of other chaps, however for one reason or another the DC3 left with only the cargo and I had to take a commercial flight. I was gutted.
Roger Collins said:
The architect who designed Mick Jagger's villa on Mustique as well as my own was super Italian chap Mario Spinella who sadly died far too young in his 50s as he was good fun as well. This is our villa that we built between 1985 and 1987 at Rose Cottage St Vincent overlooking Young Island, My wife, two sons and I absolutely loved being there
Bit of a step up from Lysander Road. Still, Lysander is much handier for the tube. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff