Looking for the real Red Robbo (my book). Friday Oct 3rd - DE56 2HE - join us! :)

[motorpunk]

Strikes. More words. Man gets kneecapped. More strikes. 12000 words.

[Lord Sterling]

  On 25/03/2025 at 17:51, comfortablynumb said:

I used to visit various areas of Brum fairly regularly. I even went on holiday there a couple of times, 

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Why?

I used to live there. A couple of days ago, I had to venture into Tyseley. 

[MrBig]

  On 30/04/2025 at 20:23, motorpunk said:

Strikes. More words. Man gets kneecapped. More strikes. 12000 words.

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This will be the strapline on amazon right?

[motorpunk]

  On 01/05/2025 at 07:16, MrBig said:

This will be the strapline on amazon right?

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I’ve gone for something a bit safer.

 

[Snipes]

1200 words deffo demands a hardback!

[motorpunk]

Am deep into the strike action now. It’s never black and white; there are official strikes, local walk outs, ‘downers’ and other shenanigans. All mean the same - production stops. 

[New POD]

  On 02/05/2025 at 11:39, motorpunk said:

Am deep into the strike action now. It’s never black and white; there are official strikes, local walk outs, ‘downers’ and other shenanigans. All mean the same - production stops. 

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Do you have any evidence that some strikes were instigated by management, who due to supply issues wouldn't be able to employ people productively for a few hours, so would suspend a union convenor on a trumped up charge, causing a localised strike with no need to pay workers? 

That's one story we were told by a Polytechnic lecturer in the 1980s who was a manager in the 1970s. 

[motorpunk]

  On 02/05/2025 at 11:56, New POD said:

Do you have any evidence that some strikes were instigated by management, who due to supply issues wouldn't be able to employ people productively for a few hours, so would suspend a union convenor on a trumped up charge, causing a localised strike with no need to pay workers? 

That's one story we were told by a Polytechnic lecturer in the 1980s who was a manager in the 1970s. 

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Zero evidence of that. And nothing I’ve found in my research that suggests the company would do it (70s-80s period). 

[New POD]

  On 02/05/2025 at 12:29, motorpunk said:

Zero evidence of that. And nothing I’ve found in my research that suggests the company would do it (70s-80s period). 

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I have vague memories of the more mature and militant students on our Degree in *Manufacturing Engineering at Coventry having more than one stand up row with the lecturer in "Industrial Management", but there being some truce gained with the understanding that local management were often complicit in manipulating union disputes for their own short term reasons. 

 

*It's now clear to me that our course was designed to turn us all into the cannon fodder for the motor industry, and most started graduate training at Lucas, Peugeot, Ford, and Jaguar.  Nobody went to Rover group because the starting salary was 10% lower than elsewhere. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

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

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

"Hand built by Roberts" 

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no that was the bl ambassador

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

  On 01/05/2025 at 00:56, Lord Sterling said:

I used to live there. A couple of days ago, I had to venture into Tyseley. 

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OI don't diss the peoples republic of tyseley!

[AnthonyG]

Re major crimes, it will be something to do with smuggling samizdat out to Cowley, dobbing in Austin people to the hardcore Morris crew, something like that. 

Cowley doesn’t seem anything like as notorious as Longbridge, nor Canley/Solihull etc. Was there a Robbo equivalent at any of these sites? 

Obviously Speke Triumph was a bit notorious, not sure if this was because it was because of the usual Scouser tropes or because it was genuinely a bit of a mare. It would have been a much newer plant, greenfield site circa 1960  - not that that did Linwood any favours. 

Anecdotally, Abingdon seems to have had the best labour relations by far, probably because they were all personally recruited by/known to Lord Nuffield.

 

[AnthonyG]

  On 30/04/2025 at 20:23, motorpunk said:

Strikes. More words. Man gets kneecapped. More strikes. 12000 words.

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Talking of the IRA, I expect being of Irish extraction and working at Longbridge 1974/5 was a fairly uncomfortable position to be in. 

[motorpunk]

  On 02/05/2025 at 17:09, AnthonyG said:

Cowley doesn’t seem anything like as notorious as Longbridge, nor Canley/Solihull etc. Was there a Robbo equivalent at any of these sites? 

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Absolutely yes there was. And I’ve interviewed him. Alan ‘the mole’ Thornett. I’d rather not spoil the book with what I’ve learned about Cowley but the ‘hanging noose trial’ is a jaw-droppingly mad incident in particular. It’s ironic that he was far, far more radical that Robbo yet Cowley survives to this day and Longbridge is gone. I hope you’ll enjoy the book!

[motorpunk]

  On 02/05/2025 at 17:11, AnthonyG said:

Talking of the IRA, I expect being of Irish extraction and working at Longbridge 1974/5 was a fairly uncomfortable position to be in. 

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Oh yes. The communists were brilliant in trying to improve relationships amongst the workforce. I’ve delved deep into that topic. Have just finished a short chapter on ‘the red reverend’ and his work in the West Mids. There were a few workplace sackings and punch-ups around the IRA. This is also why the book is ‘looking for…’, I want to explore these peripheral characters and themes. It’s fascinating.

[motorpunk]

Oh. Hot off the press! Nice words 😎

[St.Jude]

  On 01/05/2025 at 00:56, Lord Sterling said:

I used to live there. A couple of days ago, I had to venture into Tyseley. 

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And that’s just the queue for the tip!

[Lord Sterling]

  On 02/05/2025 at 18:40, St.Jude said:

And that’s just the queue for the tip!

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That, is exactly where I was 😟

It wasn't too bad tbf, probably due to the booking in thing.

[St.Jude]

  On 02/05/2025 at 18:42, Lord Sterling said:

That, is exactly where I was 😟

It wasn't too bad tbf, probably due to the booking in thing.

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Did they ever find the football of radioactive material? That went missing during the late 90’s I think.

My mom and sister are still there, a few weeks ago my sister said the bin men were heckling people taking their bin bags in to it but she didn’t know if it was bollocks or not.

[Lord Sterling]

  On 02/05/2025 at 18:44, St.Jude said:

Did they ever find the football of radioactive material? That went missing during the late 90’s I think.

My mom and sister are still there, a few weeks ago my sister said the bin men were heckling people taking their bin bags in to it but she didn’t know if it was bollocks or not.

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No idea. The tip and people tipping seemed relatively chilled. No rushing about etc... the workers seemed pretty chilled too. It's a bit of a small place for large recycling place.

[R Lutz]

  On 27/04/2025 at 17:06, motorpunk said:

Met some Brummie communists. I don’t think they liked me much. Am sad because I am genuinely writing a balanced view on Robbo’s life and I suspect they think I’m doing a hatchet job like the tabloids did. I’m not sure I have much more time or patience to develop this relationship with them further, I have a book to write!

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What the fuck are they upset about? THEY WON. I remember attending Longbridge either for the MG6 or MG3 launch and there was the Communist Chinese flag flying over the entrance of Longbridge. They should be doing cartwheels at getting their way. 

Note; I think I blogged this for AROnline at the time I took the photo as I was covering the MG3 launch for China Car Times. 

[Matty]

Yo @motorpunk. What's me chances of getting this in time for August? I did last years holiday on searching for the real weasel so im hoping for the Robbo book in time for this years jaunt 😁

[Snipes]

  On 03/05/2025 at 21:41, R Lutz said:

What the fuck are they upset about? THEY WON. I remember attending Longbridge either for the MG6 or MG3 launch and there was the Communist Chinese flag flying over the entrance of Longbridge. They should be doing cartwheels at getting their way. 

Note; I think I blogged this for AROnline at the time I took the photo as I was covering the MG3 launch for China Car Times. 

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They have the flag but that's about all that's left of Chinese communism. 

[motorpunk]

  On 03/05/2025 at 21:44, Matty said:

Yo @motorpunk. What's me chances of getting this in time for August? I did last years holiday on searching for the real weasel so im hoping for the Robbo book in time for this years jaunt 😁

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I’m doing my best! Might be tight for August. Can you DM me? 

[Matty]

  On 04/05/2025 at 08:20, motorpunk said:

I’m doing my best! Might be tight for August. Can you DM me? 

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I was just joshing pal. I'll just as happy read it in autumn! I'll get confessions from quality control as well as I keep meaning to get it. Then I've got one anyway.

My non car pal loved the Real Weasel by the way 👍

[bangernomics]

  On 30/12/2024 at 16:09, Scruffy Bodger said:

Do I remember Iian Tyrell on one of his videos saying that when he trained with Rolls Royce they didn't use torque wrenches and were taught to tighten stuff up until it just felt right?

My dad served his apprenticeship at RR in the late 60’s and into the early 70’s.

It was precise, the right tool for the right job. Something he carried through to many areas of his life.

He has some interesting stories of bits being smuggled in to be chromed etc and stuff being smuggled out too.

[motorpunk]

15000 words done. The writing normally comes pretty easily but this one has fought me a bit. Now into 1979 which is a really juicy year. His twin brother has just been beaten up.

[lesapandre]

  On 02/05/2025 at 13:59, Noel Tidybeard said:

no that was the bl ambassador

 

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That's actually Cowley on the line - some of the folk are presumably extras but some were workers? It must have been filmed after shutdown for the night?

Quite an expensive thing to do to take the actors and crew there just for a quick joke sequence. But a fun thing to do.

Even though the Ambassador was badged Austin it was Oxford built.

[motorpunk]

Really, really difficult part to write now. Who grassed on him to management, and when, and what were their motives. I’ve met people, made calls, read mountains of documents, and was told “do not libel me” by one of the protagonists. Writing such a book is so much harder than knocking out 1000 words on nice old cars for the mags. 

[New POD]

I think you've moved from motoring journalism to historian.