Acknowledgements
To Bob Burlington, Austin ex-apprentice and lifelong Longbridge devotee whose unceasing research and investigation helped tremendously.
To his friend, Paul Fox, whose panache when delving into the registers of births, marriages and deaths enabled me to piece together Leonard Lord’s early life and family background. Also for Paul’s visits, on my behalf, to museums, archives and sundry other locations.
To two of Lord’s surviving relatives, Guy Breeden and Mrs F A Q Blundstone. The former, Lord’s grandson, for agreeing to write my foreword, and for Mrs Blundstone’s recollections of my subject.
To the late Barry Walker who helped start the ‘ball rolling’ by his own interest in Leonard Lord and for his contribution to my knowledge of Austin commercial vehicles. Also to Barry’s circle of contacts, especially Chris Smart for many contributions but particularly sifting the archive after Barry’s untimely death and processing dozens of Mrs Blundstone’s pictures. In addition, my thanks to Ian Elliott.
To Geoffrey Rose OBE, who, again, sadly, never lived to read the book and especially to Bill Davis and Bernard Johnson. Bill Davis, as deputy managing director of BMC knew Lord at board level and as the senior surviving executive of the company showed me great kindness in sharing anecdotes and memories. Bernard Johnson received his indentures from Leonard Lord personally and was of immeasurable assistance on the technical details of Austin vehicles. And to all the other ex-Longbridge apprentices who shared their expertise and memories - Tony Ball MBE and Jon Nightingale with their knowledge of sales and administration; Roy and his late wife, Josephine (Jo), Dunnett (née Harriman) for their recollections of George Harriman and Jo for her memories of family life in the Lord household; Major Haynes with his experiences of the engineering department, introduction of computers and the Austin Works in general; Vaughan Hatton who researched Lord’s one time home (Lambury) near Limembury Point; Norman Milne for statistics and observations; Bob Myers who worked on product development and Mike Sheehan whose knowledge extends from the pedal car factory at Bargoed through a period at Land Rover to involvement with BMC overseas.
In addition my gratitude to Austin/BMC personnel, who were not apprentices, and other individuals from the ‘Longbridge family’ - Godfrey Coates, whose late father, George, had been with Herbert Austin since the early days and spent a lifetime at the Works my thanks for his reminiscences. Also, the late Aubrey Edwards, for his knowledge of the company’s publicity machine; Ingrid Greening for her wide-ranging memories; Geoff Iley, of Morris, MG and BMC quality control and to Paul Ragbourne long-term colleague of Bernard Johnson in engineering development who helped with information on Lord’s secretarial arrangements and other personal details.
To Ralph Clarke in South Africa for sharing with me his recollections of Lord and the operation of the Austin plant in that country and to Ron Sheldon who patiently facilitated that input.
Of vital importance to my research was the contribution of Dick Etheridge Junior who, with enormous magnanimity, unstintingly shared his late father’s record and reminiscences of the industrial disputes at Longbridge in the 1950s and 60s. This previously unpublished material is of tremendous value in recounting the life of Leonard Lord and I am deeply indebted to Dick who continues to be a guide and mentor.
On the club scene, my thanks to David Whyley of the Austin Counties Car Club whose encyclopaedic knowledge of post-War Austins was of great help. To Chris Garner of the Pre-War Austin Seven Club for his support and enthusiasm; to Tony A Osborne of the Federation of Austin Clubs, Registers and Associations; Jim Stringer of the Vintage Austin Register for his wise counsel and also Bob Wyatt MBE president of that organization. In addition, to the members of the Daimler and Lanchester and Singer owners’ clubs while not forgetting the Morris Register and the help given me by their historian the late Harry Edwards and Register member, the late Geoff Creese.
In addition, and very importantly on the Morris and Wolseley front, my thanks to Norman Painting, leading historian of Morris Commercial Cars and an expert on the early years of Wolseley. To Ian Grace for other help in this area and to Peter Seymour whose contribution both directly and through his excellent books was an invaluable source of information on Lord, The Nuffield Organization and aeronautical matters.
Also, in the aircraft world, to Les Whitehouse of the Boulton Paul Association for his extensive correspondence with me on Boulton Paul Aircraft Limited. To Bernard Shaw for his additional guidance on this subject and his willingness to check my aeronautical history. Also in this field to Gerard Ferris.
To genealogist Patrick Stokes who researched Lord’s trans-ocean voyages in minute detail.
To Timothy Richards, an ordinary enthusiast, for his encouragement and the many snippets of interesting information he forwarded. In similar vein to my friends Kelvin Price and Michael Loasby.
To Paul Rogers, BBC Radio Archer’s historian, for fascinating and generous input associated with Leonard Lord’s passion for that programme.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh’s private office for pursuing relevant matters with Prince Philip on my behalf.
Also to the staff of Birmingham Museum and the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. In addition, to The Guild of Motoring Writers for their help in identifying the correspondent ‘Cambrian’.
To Robert Orford of the Oxford undertakers, Cowley and Sons, who took the time and trouble to research the details of Leonard Lord’s funeral.
And last but not least to my wife, Dolores, who has put up with Leonard Lord and me for the last quarter century!
If, by oversight I have omitted any organization or individual from this list I sincerely apologize. No discourtesy or ingratitude is intended. I am extremely indebted to every one of the people who have helped me with this work.
This book has received funding from The Authors’ Foundation, which provides support for historical biography. It is administered by The Society of Authors which is an organization devoted to protecting writers and representing their interests. I am grateful to the Foundation and the Society for honoring me with financial contributions to the costs of a work such as this.
© Martyn Nutland 2011
To his friend, Paul Fox, whose panache when delving into the registers of births, marriages and deaths enabled me to piece together Leonard Lord’s early life and family background. Also for Paul’s visits, on my behalf, to museums, archives and sundry other locations.
To two of Lord’s surviving relatives, Guy Breeden and Mrs F A Q Blundstone. The former, Lord’s grandson, for agreeing to write my foreword, and for Mrs Blundstone’s recollections of my subject.
To the late Barry Walker who helped start the ‘ball rolling’ by his own interest in Leonard Lord and for his contribution to my knowledge of Austin commercial vehicles. Also to Barry’s circle of contacts, especially Chris Smart for many contributions but particularly sifting the archive after Barry’s untimely death and processing dozens of Mrs Blundstone’s pictures. In addition, my thanks to Ian Elliott.
To Geoffrey Rose OBE, who, again, sadly, never lived to read the book and especially to Bill Davis and Bernard Johnson. Bill Davis, as deputy managing director of BMC knew Lord at board level and as the senior surviving executive of the company showed me great kindness in sharing anecdotes and memories. Bernard Johnson received his indentures from Leonard Lord personally and was of immeasurable assistance on the technical details of Austin vehicles. And to all the other ex-Longbridge apprentices who shared their expertise and memories - Tony Ball MBE and Jon Nightingale with their knowledge of sales and administration; Roy and his late wife, Josephine (Jo), Dunnett (née Harriman) for their recollections of George Harriman and Jo for her memories of family life in the Lord household; Major Haynes with his experiences of the engineering department, introduction of computers and the Austin Works in general; Vaughan Hatton who researched Lord’s one time home (Lambury) near Limembury Point; Norman Milne for statistics and observations; Bob Myers who worked on product development and Mike Sheehan whose knowledge extends from the pedal car factory at Bargoed through a period at Land Rover to involvement with BMC overseas.
In addition my gratitude to Austin/BMC personnel, who were not apprentices, and other individuals from the ‘Longbridge family’ - Godfrey Coates, whose late father, George, had been with Herbert Austin since the early days and spent a lifetime at the Works my thanks for his reminiscences. Also, the late Aubrey Edwards, for his knowledge of the company’s publicity machine; Ingrid Greening for her wide-ranging memories; Geoff Iley, of Morris, MG and BMC quality control and to Paul Ragbourne long-term colleague of Bernard Johnson in engineering development who helped with information on Lord’s secretarial arrangements and other personal details.
To Ralph Clarke in South Africa for sharing with me his recollections of Lord and the operation of the Austin plant in that country and to Ron Sheldon who patiently facilitated that input.
Of vital importance to my research was the contribution of Dick Etheridge Junior who, with enormous magnanimity, unstintingly shared his late father’s record and reminiscences of the industrial disputes at Longbridge in the 1950s and 60s. This previously unpublished material is of tremendous value in recounting the life of Leonard Lord and I am deeply indebted to Dick who continues to be a guide and mentor.
On the club scene, my thanks to David Whyley of the Austin Counties Car Club whose encyclopaedic knowledge of post-War Austins was of great help. To Chris Garner of the Pre-War Austin Seven Club for his support and enthusiasm; to Tony A Osborne of the Federation of Austin Clubs, Registers and Associations; Jim Stringer of the Vintage Austin Register for his wise counsel and also Bob Wyatt MBE president of that organization. In addition, to the members of the Daimler and Lanchester and Singer owners’ clubs while not forgetting the Morris Register and the help given me by their historian the late Harry Edwards and Register member, the late Geoff Creese.
In addition, and very importantly on the Morris and Wolseley front, my thanks to Norman Painting, leading historian of Morris Commercial Cars and an expert on the early years of Wolseley. To Ian Grace for other help in this area and to Peter Seymour whose contribution both directly and through his excellent books was an invaluable source of information on Lord, The Nuffield Organization and aeronautical matters.
Also, in the aircraft world, to Les Whitehouse of the Boulton Paul Association for his extensive correspondence with me on Boulton Paul Aircraft Limited. To Bernard Shaw for his additional guidance on this subject and his willingness to check my aeronautical history. Also in this field to Gerard Ferris.
To genealogist Patrick Stokes who researched Lord’s trans-ocean voyages in minute detail.
To Timothy Richards, an ordinary enthusiast, for his encouragement and the many snippets of interesting information he forwarded. In similar vein to my friends Kelvin Price and Michael Loasby.
To Paul Rogers, BBC Radio Archer’s historian, for fascinating and generous input associated with Leonard Lord’s passion for that programme.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh’s private office for pursuing relevant matters with Prince Philip on my behalf.
Also to the staff of Birmingham Museum and the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. In addition, to The Guild of Motoring Writers for their help in identifying the correspondent ‘Cambrian’.
To Robert Orford of the Oxford undertakers, Cowley and Sons, who took the time and trouble to research the details of Leonard Lord’s funeral.
And last but not least to my wife, Dolores, who has put up with Leonard Lord and me for the last quarter century!
If, by oversight I have omitted any organization or individual from this list I sincerely apologize. No discourtesy or ingratitude is intended. I am extremely indebted to every one of the people who have helped me with this work.
This book has received funding from The Authors’ Foundation, which provides support for historical biography. It is administered by The Society of Authors which is an organization devoted to protecting writers and representing their interests. I am grateful to the Foundation and the Society for honoring me with financial contributions to the costs of a work such as this.
© Martyn Nutland 2011