Dear FOTers
Yes I did have quite a singing voice whilst I was in the Church choir, BUT
It broke when I was about 15 and that was that. I still sing occasionally
but only to the very loud accompaniment of a full orchestra. My 'piece de
resistance' is singing my favorite song 'Little ol wine drinker me' whilst
the orchestra's playing the Dam Busters march, or singing 'Steam Heat' to
the music of 'Oh for the wings of a Dove' played by the brass band of the
South Humberside Institute of Technology (this seat of learning had an
unfortunate title and became ever known as SHIT).
As for my title 'The Banner Lane Swingers' I thought it appropriate to
mention because the TR story started in experimental whilst it was at
Banner lane. The first prototype TR2's were built there; as were the first
competition TR2's -'MVC 575' the Jabbeke speed record car and OVC 276 the
1954 Alpine and Mille Miglia car.- Strangely the Banner Lane plant is the
only surviving main building of the old company left (albeit for M.H.
tractor manufacture). Even stranger is the fact that MVC 575 still survives
(albeit in bits) and OVC 276 is still being driven on the roads and looks
superb. The only other building still standing is the Allesley Service
Department (where the Competition Department was based from 1956/7). It
still looks exactly the same but has been used by another company for many
years.
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