WST, count me in for $10 in the name of The Vulture
GJB O:-)
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From: Wm. Severin Thompson <wsthompson@thicko.com>
To: Healey list <healeys@autox.team.net>
Cc: vintage race list <vintage-race@autox.team.net>;
british-cars@autox.team.net; 'Gary S.' <speckman@coredcs.com>; Don Thompson
<thickocrew@aol.com>; rcbrown@ihmail1.ih.lucent.com; spritenut@exit109.com
Subject: Visiting Roger Menadue... and paying an old debt.(long)
Date: Friday, October 17, 1997 7:57 PM
To all,
Next week, I begin a whirlwind tour of Europe (business...mostly) that
includes..
Geneva on Tuesday, Oslo on Wednesday, Stockholm on Thursday, London on
Friday, Dusseldorf (sp?) on Monday, Paris on Tuesday, back home to
Chicago on Wednesday. Whew!
The good news is that I'll be able to visit my good friend Roger Menadue
in the UK over the weekend. I'll take the train down to Cornwall
Saturday. Roger's picking me up, giving me a tour of the famous Healey
sights. I'll be spending the night Saturday with his family. A dream
come true.
Roger has been a house guest of ours for a week or two at a time in the
past. He's even been our honorary Crew Chief for Team Thicko at Road
America and Blackhawk Farms. What a thrill to have the head of Donald
Healey's Experimental Department wrench on your race car.
In a recent letter, Roger talked about how he was reunited with the
Nash Healey that placed 3rd overall at LeMans in 1952...their best
showing ever. Amazing thing was Roger built the car IN TWO WEEKS.
Anyway, I'm going to share something with all of you at this point. In
his letter, Roger was so proud of the results... he named off all the
finest sportscars in the world that they beat with this old "slogger"
they'd built. The sad part of the story, was that he and Jock reid, his
assistant were going to share the "Mechanics Prize"... which was roughly
100 pounds sterling (sorry, couldn't figure out how to type the sign).
Anyway, as Roger's story goes, someone decided that they needed the
money more than Roger and Jock, and they never got a penny.
45 years later, it's clear in Roger's letter that this slight still
hurts.
So, here's my idea. I'm soliciting donations of $5, $10, or $15 dollars
from the Healey and racing faithful. I'd rather see the donations remain
small so more can participate. When I see Roger, I want to present him
with a plaque commemerating their accomplishment, and give him the 100
pounds sterling (wish I knew how to type that symbol). Obviously, we (I)
can't afford to pay the interest on the "debt" since 1952. But I thought
as a gesture of love, respect, and gratitude from the faithful was in
order. This man built over 30 cars that ran at LeMans during his career.
After pledges total 100 pounds, (about $150 USD), all other pledges will
be returned.
Interested? Time is short, so if you're interested, I must rely on your
pledge... that is e-mail me a response with your donation, I'll cover
the cost up front, and expect your check in the mail.
I'll tell Roger that we expect him to take Jock Reid out for a pint and
dinner with the money. (By the way, Roger's pension from the Donald
Healey Motor Co., from which he retired from in 1969 is about $6 a
month...)
I'll take lots of pictures and post them to the Team Thicko web site at
<http://www.thicko.com>.
Bottom line, Roger's a special man. At 85 years old, we won't have him
forever.
Wm. Severin Thompson
Team Thicko
20560 W. Woodland Ave.
Lake Villa, IL 60046
(847) 356-8810
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