An Inherent Obsession for Collecting

By H. W. Shutler

Harry retired from business in 1990.

He joined the Vintage and Veteran Club (VVC) in 1969, serving on the committee for 10 years and was Chairman for 3 years. Honorary Life Membership of the VVC was bestowed upon Harry in 1996.

He is still the current Club Dating Officer, a position held for the past 29 years. He also held the position of Vehicle Dating Chairman for the South African Veteran & Vintage Association (SAVVA) for 14 years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491880159

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AuthorHouse™ UK

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© 2014 H. W. Shutler. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or .transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/13/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8014-2 (sc)

978-1-4918-8015-9 (e)

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Contents

Preface

The Family

The Family

All so Long Ago, on the Far Side of Yesterday

Their Greatest Hour

Images of Decades and Views that Change from One Generation to Another

Entering the Annals of History

The Wireless World of Yesterday

The Spirit of Britain

Continuing the Series of Discovery in Grandpop’s Garage

Bradburys in the First Johannesburg to Durban Race

Family

Family Links

History Repeats Itself

Summary of the 1922 Miners’ Strike

How it all Began

A Case of Two Young Men on a Motor Cycle

Three Young Men on Three Motor Cycles

The Experimental Years

The Bioscope and Entertainment

British Iron

My Infinitesimal Start on Four-Wheel Vehicles

Years Later

The End of the Fabulous Fifties

The 1960s—New Horizons

Old Vehicles are an Amalgam of Pleasure

The Model A Ford

The Exciting, Naughty 1970s

1973—The Twin Towers

1973—New York

The Day that Shook the World

The Seventies—Continued

1975—A Gentleman’s Conveyance

1976—P & M Panther

The Spirit of Ecstasy

The Art of Vehicle Conservation

Auto Jumbles

The Loveliness of England and the Land of Tradition

A Reflection of Quality—1978

Barre Niort

Mercedes Benz Cabriolet

Rallying

A Story Related from an Austin Seven Club

Ford Castrol Diamond Jubilee Tour Incorporating the 22nd Veteran & Vintage National Tour—1978

Rallying

The Search for and Acquisition of a DJ Rally Machine

1980—The Years of Consolidation

1981—Family

1982—Women’s Suffrage

1982

1983

Discovering the Adler

1983—DJ

1984—Acquiring the 1934 Ford 5 Window Coupé

1985—Sometime, Somehow, Somewhere—Luck and Happiness

1985 Finding another Rolls in Cape Town

1986—World FIVA Rally

A Fantastic Motor-Cycle of Yesteryear

1987—The Transport Museum

1988—Steam Trains

1990—The Railton Saga

1990—Quiet Corners of Past Reflection and Retirement

Brough Superiors and George Brough’s Last Ride

New Rules of the Road

The Mother Lode

Years 1990 through to 2000

Various Things I Dreamed of Achieving

Years 2003 to 2008

2003—Health Problems

2007—Biological Clock

Original DJ Results

Commemorative Certificates

The Hobby of Collecting

Time Passes, Generations come and go—yet the Obsession of Collecting Continues …

Acknowledgements

Author’s Note

Time is a Thief

Epilogue

Illustrations

Symbols

1922 Miners Strike

News ClippingThe Fordsburg Fighting

A

Adler

1904 Adler motor cycle

AJS

1924 AJS Big Port 350cc motor cycle

Albert Wallis PlaceLetterhead

Austin

1934 Austin Seven

1955 Austin A50

B

Badge

Isle of Wight

Somerset

Barre Niort

Barre Niort motor cycle as seen in Beaulieu New Forest, UK

c. 1920 Barre Niort 175cc 2-stroke motor cycle

BMW

1935 BMW R 12 motor cycle

1936 R5 BMW 500cc motor cycle

Brough, GeorgeNews clipping

Brough Superior

1932 Brough Superior Austin 4-cylinder Reproduction

1938 SS80 Brough Superior V Twin 1000cc motor cycle

1938 SS80 Brough Superior V Twin 1000cc motor cycle with sidecar

Brough Superior Austin 4-cylinderNews clipping

Brough Superior Factory

Drawing of Brough Superior replica built by Albert Wallis

Harry on Albert Wallis Brough Superior

News clippinga sound investment

Stamp1930 Brough Superior bespoke luxury motorcycle

B.S.A.

1921 Colonial type B.S.A

Grandfather Foster with daughter Inez & son Hubert on his motor cycle

C

Carbide lamp

Carisbrook CastleHospital ship during World War I

Collectingvarious collections

D

Durban to Johannesburg (DJ)

1982 News clipping

Certificates of previous entry

Poster with 1904 Adler motor cycle

E

East London Rubber CompanySparking plugs catalogue

Empire State Building

F

Feeler Gauge for 1904 Adler motor cycle

Fiat

Fiat Tipo 500 Topolino

FIVA

1986 World FIVA Total Rally

Ford

1928 Model A Ford Roadster

1934 Ford V8 40a Coupé

Foster

Grandfather Fosters garage

Grandfather Foster with daughter Inez & son Hubert on his motor cycle

H

HarrisPat Harris and Harry

I

Indian Dispatch Tow

1939 Indian Dispatch Tow

Indian Dispatch TowPhotocopy from The Iron Redskin

J

James

1930 James V Twin 500cc motor cycle

Johannesburg Centenary 1986Souvenir publication with mayoral dedication

Johannesburg to Durban (JD)

1913 News clipping

1919 Route Schedule for original run

M

Manning, Charles

Mascot

Collection of vehicle mascots

Mercedes Benz

Rolls RoyceIn Memoriam, re Spirit of Ecstasy mascot

Rolls RoyceSpirit of Ecstasy

Mercedes Benz

1937 170v Mercedes Benz Cabriolet

1958 220s Mercedes Benz Cabriolet

1958 220s Mercedes Benz Cabriolet & 1958 220s Mercedes Benz Coupé

Invoice for 1968 Mercedes Benz 280 SEA

Mercedes Benz Mascot

Miss South Africa 1982Invitation to the crowning

Morris

1936 Morris 8HP Tourer

Motosacoche

1935 Motosacoche 500cc motor cycle

P

Paterson

1915 Paterson

Pennyfarthing bicycle

P & M Panther

1929 P&M Panther Sloper OHV 300cc motor cycle

Pontiac

1939 Pontiac Opera Coupé

Pratt, David BeresfordNews clipping

R

Railton

1938 Railton Tourer

Railton Tourer at Brooklands4 wheels off the ground

Richmond, Cyril

RoadsThe mud roads of days gone by

Rolls Royce

1933 20/25 Rolls Royce

1933 Rolls Royce chassis

1935 20/25 Rolls Royce (Windover Sports Saloon)

Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Clubletter to Harry

Spirit of Ecstasy Mascot

Spirit of Ecstasy Mascot, re, In Memoriam

S

Scott

Ron & Anna Scott

Ron & Ann Scott and Lorna Shutler

Shutler

Harry

Harry and Pat Harris

Harry & Lorna

Hayley and Angela in the Austin J40 Roadster Pedal Car

Lorna

Lorna and Craig with 1904 Adler motor cycle

Ron & Ann Scott and Lorna Shutler

Shutler, Great-great-grandmotherGeorge InnNewport, Isle of Wight

Shutler, Harry (1st)Grandfather Harry & Grandmother Susan

Shutler, Harry (2nd)

Shutler, NeilNeil and Norman Shutler

Shutler, NormanNeil and Norman Shutler

Sparking plugs catalogueEast London Rubber Company

Stamp

1930 Brough Superior bespoke luxury motor cycle

1958 220s Mercedes Benz Cabriolet

Steam Locomotive

Sir Nigel Cresley 1930s Streamlined Locomotive

Studebaker

1956 Studebaker Power Hawk

T

The loveliness of England

Three young men on three motor cycles

Twin Towers

The buildings in 1973

V

Verwoerd, HendrikNews clipping

Vintage motor cyclesHarrys motor cycles on display to celebrate 80 years of Motoring

VVC Club registerList of Harrys vehicles

W

Williamson

1912 Williamson 964cc motor cycle with wicker sidecar

Willy

1948 Willys Station Wagon

Wolseley

1920 Wolseley Doctors Coupé

Womens Suffrage

Woolley, Clive and Son

World War I

Carisbrook CastleHospital ship

World War II

PosterDespatches from the Home Front

PosterThe Spirit Of Britain

Z

Zündapp

1933 Zündapp K800cc flat 4-cylinder motor cycle

An Inherent

Obsession for Collecting

by H. W. Shutler

Preface

My intention was to write a memoir encompassing some of our family history, for our daughters, grandchildren and family and including motoring reminiscences of some of the cars and bikes in my life; also the great influence that my Grandfather Foster and my father had on my obsession, and the primary influence of our involvement with period machinery dating from the 1930s.

Once infected with the disease called collecting old vehicles, one has it for life. There is no cure—believe me!

The expert term for phenomenal memory is Hyperthymestic Syndrome derived from the Greek words Thymesis (for remembering) and Hyper (for more than normal). I find the older I get, the worse my memory functions, but it’s amazing how one remembers all the happenings in one’s extreme youth, like photo albums of the mind that are a true representation of the facts.

I read somewhere that a book should provide three topics.

To tell a story

To trigger memories

To attempt to evoke certain moods of the present

A clever lady, Heather Ruddock, made a statement to this effect: When a senior citizen dies, usually a complete library of memoirs is lost. Therefore it is imperative to tell your story before it is too late, and not according to other people’s standards but in one’s own words.

This account of my obsession for collecting is associated mainly with early motor vehicles and extends to the discovery of objects that are interesting, historic or old.

The immense satisfaction and joy of D.I.Y. restorations, particularly of vehicles that when complete can once again be driven or ridden, is fantastic. One acquires expertise and knowledge during these projects.

Collectors with similar objects are approached and usually become friends with whom to compare ideas and swop items. Somehow, collecting is an appetite that never seems satisfied and it develops into a kind of madness.

One also has to realise that the owners of rare vehicles are merely the custodians for a period of time. I have found myself exchanging correspondence with people from all over the world in the collecting game.

There are all types of collectors, including the wheeler dealers, the cheque book restorers, the hoarders and the true collectors who collect for the love of old machinery and other objects.

The Family

As an octogenarian left over from the 20th Century, it is clear when reflecting back to topics from before World War 2 how one’s heritage and formative years play a big part in future decision making. Our family was working middle class and this background probably heavily influenced the effect of the depression of the 1930s. The Wall Street Crash in the United States of America resounded throughout the world. The hardship of two world wars instilled in our family life circle a high premium on saving and economy. An economy built on borrowed money is built on borrowed time!