My WIP book about Red Robbo, and Longbridge stuff.

[motorpunk]

On 25/03/2025 at 14:17, Pieman said:

Former Communist Party HQ in London?

This. The building had been bugged and was part of a dodgy financial matrix where the KGB funded British communists, but sadly that money never reached the likes of Robbo on the frontline.

[motorpunk]

Bit held up. Have two large features to write for ClassicRetroModern mag (on a Zastava and the Porsche 924, if you’re asking), plus a chunky feature on modified Fiats for a completely new mag which isn’t launched yet so I won’t name it here, and I appear to have caught bloody Covid again in Italy last week, plus work takes me to Scotland, London, Denmark, Newcastle, London again, Paris and maybe Dublin in the next couple of months. I am knackered.

[Matty]

We can wait 🤣

As an aside, lent the Roy James book out to a mate. Doesn't do cars, big football man who has just snapped his knee ligaments playing so laid up. Will be interested to see how he gets on with it.

[motorpunk]

Oh yeah, and I’m driving up Pikes Peak in May in a probably-broken M5. First world problems…

[inconsistant]

3 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Porsche 924

 

[IronStar]

On 27/03/2025 at 11:11, motorpunk said:

Bit held up. Have two large features to write for ClassicRetroModern mag (on a Zastava and the Porsche 924, if you’re asking), plus a chunky feature on modified Fiats for a completely new mag which isn’t launched yet so I won’t name it here, and I appear to have caught bloody Covid again in Italy last week, plus work takes me to Scotland, London, Denmark, Newcastle, London again, Paris and maybe Dublin in the next couple of months. I am knackered.

Zastava? 👂👂👂

I have to admit I haven’t had the patience to read a book in ages, but this one I’m buying and reading as soon as it comes out!

[Carl1981]

On 15/03/2025 at 22:09, New POD said:

4 of those prefabs are for sale currently. 

Until about eleven years ago, I lived on Central avenue. We were there for about 10 years, and we completely renovated ours back to something like original.

We bought the house because I’m an Austin / Leyland / Rover / Jag  nut! That’s taking things too far! 😂

The houses were built in 1917 for the workers before there were any other significant number of houses or significant population to work at the factory. They differed from other period pre-fabs as these were wooden construction catalogue houses (Aladdin homes) shipped over from the US. My great Grandads cousin was a carpenter who worked on the assembly. 

the ‘village’ was originally going to be an oval shape (you can see the end of this in the first picture above) when viewed from above but the second phase of the project was lost at sea. Sunk by a U boat!

the Austin Village is a lovely little community and feels so out of place there. It’s unfortunately not actually a village at all and it’s surrounded by the most depressing suburban council estates. 

the people that lived on the Austin Village then were very proud of the history of the place.

[Carl1981]

Finally, my mother met Red Robbo at some sort of event in Rubery town centre whilst pregnant with me (about June ‘81).

she said he was lovely guy and that they had a bit of a chat. Apparently he jokingly wanted her to name the baby after him, she thought no way is my son going to be called Derek. But she did make my middle name Robert which she thought was close enough, embarrassingly! 

Quite why she felt a need to honour his request I’m not sure 🤔 although he was seen as a local hero by my parents generation 🤷🏻‍♂️

[New POD]

25 minutes ago, Carl1981 said:

Until about eleven years ago, I lived at number 65 Central avenue. We were there for about 10 years, and we completely renovated ours back to something like original.

We bought the house because I’m an Austin / Leyland / Rover / Jag  nut! That’s taking things too far! 😂

The houses were built in 1917 for the workers before there were any other significant number of houses or significant population to work at the factory. They differed from other period pre-fabs as these were wooden construction catalogue houses (Aladdin homes) shipped over from the US. My great Grandads cousin was a carpenter who worked on the assembly. 

the ‘village’ was originally going to be an oval shape (you can see the end of this in the first picture above) when viewed from above but the second phase of the project was lost at sea. Sunk by a U boat!

the Austin Village is a lovely little community and feels so out of place there. It’s unfortunately not actually a village at all and it’s surrounded by the most depressing suburban council estates. 

the people that lived on the Austin Village then were very proud of the history of the place.

We spend 5 years living in Rednal. I never even knew it existed. 

[Carl1981]

6 minutes ago, New POD said:

We spend 5 years living in Rednal. I never even knew it existed. 

I’ve known it as long as I can remember… when I was a kid my Dad would use the village as a cut through on the way to my Nan’s house; purely so that we could ford the River Rae at the back of the village 😂

usually in an Allegro or a Metro, which would occasionally conk out for a minute or two just the other side of the river 🤣🤣🤣

[motorpunk]

1 hour ago, Carl1981 said:

my Dad would use the village as a cut through on the way to my Nan’s house; purely so that we could ford the River Rae at the back of the village 😂

usually in an Allegro or a Metro, which would occasionally conk out for a minute or two just the other side of the river 🤣🤣🤣

You Dad sounds like a great bloke 👍🏼

PS - Your anecdote above is the only instance I’ve heard of Robbo ever properly laughing, by the way. I’m meeting some old friends of his in April, where I hope to learn a bit more about his personal life. 

[Rustyrotavator]

Ive Just listened to BBC Radio 4 Archive on Four today. saturday night, should be available on iplayer or bbc sounds, was excellent.

'As a child, Nathalie Olah would ask for toy garages and racing tracks for Christmas. Every person in her family drove a Rover car. Most of them worked at the vast car plant at Longbridge, southwest of Birmingham, at the foot of the Lickey Hills where Tolkien had been inspired to write The Lord of the Rings. Cars, to her, were just as fantastical. Nathalie revisits the story of Britain's leading volume car producer, from its origins in 1904 to the iconic Mini, the much-derided Austin Allegro and the suped-up 'boy racer' models of the Phoenix Four, through years of industrial disruption, nationalisation, foreign ownership and bankruptcy. With voices from the BBC Sound Archive and new interviews with former Rover employees Alison Debenham (track worker), Giovanni Esposito (chassis engineer) and Ian Murter (showroom salesman).'

[Rustyrotavator]

A Child of Rover  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029hks

[grogee]

Post-Robbo picture, but I thought maybe @motorpunk would enjoy. 

"Hand built by Roberts" 

[motorpunk]

Thanks for the messages and info above. It all helps to paint a great picture. Another gem from the national archives…

[lesapandre]

Courtway House. An 8-storey tower block constructed 1958 - owned by Birmingham City Council.

A bus ride from the former factory.

[Lord Sterling]

On 29/03/2025 at 08:09, Carl1981 said:

Until about eleven years ago, I lived on Central avenue. We were there for about 10 years, and we completely renovated ours back to something like original.

We bought the house because I’m an Austin / Leyland / Rover / Jag  nut! That’s taking things too far! 😂

The houses were built in 1917 for the workers before there were any other significant number of houses or significant population to work at the factory. They differed from other period pre-fabs as these were wooden construction catalogue houses (Aladdin homes) shipped over from the US. My great Grandads cousin was a carpenter who worked on the assembly. 

the ‘village’ was originally going to be an oval shape (you can see the end of this in the first picture above) when viewed from above but the second phase of the project was lost at sea. Sunk by a U boat!

the Austin Village is a lovely little community and feels so out of place there. It’s unfortunately not actually a village at all and it’s surrounded by the most depressing suburban council estates. 

the people that lived on the Austin Village then were very proud of the history of the place.

Interesting. Unused to drive quite often through the Austin Village estate and have pics from around the time you there.

At that time, I was tearing around Birmingham in a either a 1987 White Rover Sterling or a champagne silver 1990 Rover Sterling. I used to drive around Longbridge a lot as it was only up the road and took pics of the Sterlings I've had on the plinth outside Q-gate. I used to live in Birmingham 29.

[lesapandre]

On 29/03/2025 at 22:34, grogee said:

Post-Robbo picture, but I thought maybe @motorpunk would enjoy. 

"Hand built by Roberts" 

The David Bache 'scallop' well on display there. Highly disliked by his successor Roy Axe and partly responsible for his downfall.

But BLMC had a habit of dumping those who outlived their welcome - body designer Roy Haynes replaced old hand Dick Burzi in 1968 as part of the boardroom coup that made BLMC.

[motorpunk]

6834 words. This takes us (I’m writing in reverse order, as usual) from his death to c.1986. The meaty stuff starts soon…

 

[holbeck]

Have you thought about contacting Chris Tarrant?

Robbo appared on Tiswas and was flanned by the Phantom flan flinger!

Pretty sure Tarrant alluded to interviewing Robbo several times in the 70s when he was a reporter for ATV local news

[motorpunk]

22 hours ago, holbeck said:

Have you thought about contacting Chris Tarrant?

I hadn’t, but thanks. It’s all-but impossible to reach such slebs. They have booking agents and managers and probably no interest in helping a penniless writer.

[motorpunk]

Another 1000 words done today. Now in 1984 and debunking production claims. Sounds dull but is very interesting. 

[lesapandre]

6 hours ago, motorpunk said:

I hadn’t, but thanks. It’s all-but impossible to reach such slebs. They have booking agents and managers and probably no interest in helping a penniless writer.

Seems the ATV archive is based at the University of Lincoln. Might have something 🤔 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Archive_for_Central_England

[Imhotep]

On 29/03/2025 at 07:09, Carl1981 said:

Until about eleven years ago, I lived on Central avenue. We were there for about 10 years, and we completely renovated ours back to something like original.

We bought the house because I’m an Austin / Leyland / Rover / Jag  nut! That’s taking things too far! 😂

The houses were built in 1917 for the workers before there were any other significant number of houses or significant population to work at the factory. They differed from other period pre-fabs as these were wooden construction catalogue houses (Aladdin homes) shipped over from the US. My great Grandads cousin was a carpenter who worked on the assembly. 

the ‘village’ was originally going to be an oval shape (you can see the end of this in the first picture above) when viewed from above but the second phase of the project was lost at sea. Sunk by a U boat!

the Austin Village is a lovely little community and feels so out of place there. It’s unfortunately not actually a village at all and it’s surrounded by the most depressing suburban council estates. 

the people that lived on the Austin Village then were very proud of the history of the place.

I used to go around there back then, mostly because my friend was at Newman University and I didn’t really have much to do while waiting for him sometimes so my other friend and I used to drive about round Longbridge/Northfield/Kings Norton while we waited. Nice area that. South Birmingham always did seem a lot nicer than North Birmingham IMO (I’m from Erdington, not far from M6 J6, so quite north…)

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Another 1000 words done today. Now in 1984 and debunking production claims. Sounds dull but is very interesting. 

Took the afternoon off, then? 🤣

[AnthonyG]

On 30/03/2025 at 09:30, motorpunk said:

Thanks for the messages and info above. It all helps to paint a great picture. Another gem from the national archives…

I wonder what the ‘Moscow compact car plant’ workers made - presumably the Moskvitch as I think the smaller rear engined thing that looked like a NSU prinz knock-off (Zaphorzets?) was made in Ukraine.

[IronStar]

37 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

I wonder what the ‘Moscow compact car plant’ workers made - presumably the Moskvitch as I think the smaller rear engined thing that looked like a NSU prinz knock-off (Zaphorzets?) was made in Ukraine.

Yes, under MZMA, later AZLK. Moskvitch-408 was a then-current, newly launched car there.

[High Jetter]

51 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

I wonder what the ‘Moscow compact car plant’ workers made - presumably the Moskvitch as I think the smaller rear engined thing that looked like a NSU prinz knock-off (Zaphorzets?) was made in Ukraine.

It's late, but did the Zap not preceed the Prinz?

[comfortablynumb]

I think I'd give the Chris Tarrant angle a shot anyway @motorpunk

From what I've seen of his TV stuff, he has an interest in transport and travel, like his 'extreme railways' series, and I'm sure I've seen him covering some motoring related items as a budding reporter.

Apparently he's a really approachable bloke too.

I know what you mean about layers of management before you anywhere near him, but hey, nothing ventured and all that?

Good luck 👍

[motorpunk]

Just under 10000 words. Have given Harold Musgrove a good kicking. Am curious if he’s still alive, he’d be 95ish now…