About Andy Lambert History in vehicle recovery and at Brooklands

<body text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#0080FF" alink="#00FFFF"> <div align="center" style="color: #000000; margin: 0px; background-color: #ffffff"> <center> <table style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor="#111111" cellSpacing="3" cellPadding="3" width="750" border="0"> <tr> <td width="738"><font face="Arial"> <img alt="Geoff and I at St Barnabas Church Southfields 1964" hspace="6" src="images/brothers.jpg" align="right" vspace="6" border="0" width="275" height="271"> <p>My full name is Andrew Lambert (universal know as Andy) of Fareham near Southampton, England. I have had a fairly successful life and made a name for myself in several very diverse areas, here is a brief background to that.</p> <p>I was born back in1946, lived in London's Replingham Road Southfields (above the co-op) and grew up around the Wandsworth area, with my older brother - <b>Geoff.</b> That's us two on the right (on his big day)</p> <p>My first School was <b>Riversdale School</b> in Southfields, then later I went to the (then new) <b>Elliott Comprehensive School</b>, up on Putney Common. Old Elliott pupils might like to know there is a Elliott School Egroup <a href="http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Elliott_School">here</a> as well as a fascinating website.</font></p> <p> </p> <p><font face="Arial">When I left school, I first worked for <b>Decca</b>, located in what was then the 'rough end' of Battersea (is there a posh end?). <i>What an education that was, </i>talk about the swing sixties!  </p> <p>My father was sadly killed during this time and so I had to do my growing up quickly. Fortunately I was amongst friends (a tough bunch of Battersea 'rockers') and that no doubt is where I developed a love of fast mechanical things (as well as leggy females). See the picture below showing of some of the 'gang' I hung out with then (Christine and Colin, leaning on a BSA Goldstar. Derek, Me and Penny, just some of the 'The Battersea  Jets'). </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="738"><font face="Arial"> <img alt="Baseing our lives on West Side Story, we were some of the Jets." hspace="6" src="images/the_gang.jpg" align="left" vspace="6" border="0" width="275" height="248"> <p>Around that time, my good mate <b>Don Freeman</b> introduced my to the world of 'motor cycles' and my projected carrier in the electronics industry, started to move irrevocably towards the wonders of the combustion engine. </p> <p>I stayed with electronics for a bit longer joining <b>Redifon</b> (part of the Redifusion Group) at Wandsworth, around 1965. I then worked for <b>DER</b> at the Mitchem Depot and <b>CES</b> (Croydon) as a service engineer. </p> <p>I had a short break where I married my first wife <b>Barbara</b> and we moved to Cornwall. Here I worked again as a TV repair man, in and around the Portscatho area. <br> <br> It was a wonderful place to live and I even became an 'guest' Cornishman, still having several friends in this part of the world today. Employment however was very hard to find and in the end we decided to move back to London. </p> <p>When we moved back from Cornwall we first lived in Surbiton and I joined <b>Surrey Typewriters</b>, where I found I could sell things! I ended up virtually running what was then, the 'new' Electronic Calculator Division. I also learnt a lot about 'surviving in a business world', from the greatest of salesman <b>Trevor Dean. <br>  </b></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="738"><font face="Arial"> <img alt="The Forge Poynings Sussex" hspace="11" src="images/forge.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="275" height="175"></font> <p><font face="Arial"><b>Into Recovery</b><br> Although the first part of my life (and then the last part of working life) were involved with electronics, my 'true love' has always been <b> vehicle recovery</b> and all the remarkable people in the industry. </p> <p>I attended my first breakdown with <b>Forge Garage of Poynings</b> down in Sussex (with whom I was working through my holiday), in the summer of 1965 and become hooked (no pun) on  recovery vehicles. </p> <p>Right is a picture of the first 'breakdown vehicle' I ever drove, well over forty years ago (aged 19). Since then I have driven everything from a Mk1 Land Rover, up to a Ford Transcontinental, towing almost everything including a damaged but fully loaded petrol tanker! <br> <br> Little did I  know at the time, that I would be associated with vehicle recovery for the rest of my life. Or could I guess that at the end of  my active career (forty years later), 'The Good and the Great' of the industry would to my internal pride, make me a <b>Fellow of The Institute Of Vehicle Recovery</b> and award me with this gold truck. </p> <p> <img hspace="9" src="images/ivraward.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="350" height="194">As you will read shortly, when I left the front line of vehicle recovery, it was to develop IT systems, to ease the incredible load on control room staff and drivers. </p> <p>Within five years of us starting, 95% of UK Recovery operators were using our <b>Turbo Dispatch</b> communication system. Much has been written elsewhere about this and how it changed the industry for the better, therefore I don't intend to dwell on it here. </p> <p>In 2006 The Institute awarded me this incredible <b>Green Flag Trophy</b>, for the contributions my peers thought I had made to the recovery industry. It is a couple of foot long and so bloody heavy, you need a full size flat bed to get it home. </p> <p>When I finally retired I thought it was all over and I could get away from Recovery Vehicles, but again I was honoured to be asked to become the fourth  trustee in <b>RISC UK</b> (The Recovery Industry Support Charity), along with my old mates <b>Brian Hagen, Tom Johnson</b> and a new friend <b>Debbie Hewitt. </b><a href="http://www.riscuk.net">Read about RISC</a> <br>  </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="738"><font face="Arial"><font size="3">Anyway back to the summer of 1965 - From that turning point  on, I spent every spare moment nights and weekends, as a 'part time' recovery driver. My speciality being working the Kingston Bypass, and if you knew the bypass  when South Lane was still a crossroads, you will understand what it was like. Still I lived through it and sadly there were some that did not. </font> <p><font size="3"> <img alt="Sweet Felicity (we both have had a Good Life)" hspace="8" src="images/fk.jpg" align="left" border="0" width="179" height="164">First I 'part timed' for <strong>Windmill Coachworks</strong><strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">, (then in Molsey opposite the police station).</strong> Next I joined<strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400"> </strong><strong>Instant Service Garage</strong><strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">, in that most famous of suburban roads - </strong><strong><i>The Avenue Surbiton</i></strong><strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400"> (never did get to meet </strong></font>Felicity Kendal <font size="3"> <strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">though). It was interesting 'fighting for work', in those days when only a few motorist belonged to one of the 'motoring clubs'</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">Finally I joined </strong><strong>Cambridge Coachwork</strong><strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">s</strong>, on the Cambridge Road Kingston. I went full time around 1971 and soon after that started <strong>National Rescue</strong><strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">, as a division of </strong><strong>Cambridge Coachworks</strong><b>.</b><br>  </font></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="738"><font face="Arial"><font size="3"> <a href="http://www.vehiclerecovery.org/" target="_blank"> <img alt="Fishing for cars 2am. The Thames at Sunbury" hspace="6" src="images/fishing.jpg" align="right" vspace="6" border="0" width="400" height="190"></a>What followed, were probably  the best years of my life. We did not have much money but I loved the work, even if it was 'non stop' 24Hrs a day. </font> <p><font size="3">The incredible joy and </font></font> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Arial">camaraderie,</font></span><font face="Arial"><font size="3"> of working with those recovery drivers and police officers I knew at that time, will remain with me forever. </font></p> <p><font size="3">They were all characters and I have not meet their like since. Nor do I expect to, because today our behaviour would not be 'politically correct'.</font></p> <p>If any of you read this: Jaws, Phil the Gypsy, Snake, Sunshine, Alan the Poet, Trio, Trigger, Stitch, Grisly, Chunky and so, so many others - Thanks for all the fun we had.</p> <p><font size="3">If you have time please read my <a href="http://www.vehiclerecovery.org/">Recollections of Vehicle Recovery</a> (also link on the main home page), to get a feel for those incredible times. It seems imposable today to believe that such things happened then, but happen they did and you can see some of the photos to prove it. </font></p> <p> <img alt="Yes that is a young 'swifty' on the right (me in the middle)" hspace="8" src="images/cb.jpg" align="left" border="0" width="369" height="283">During the time at Cambridge Road Kingston not only did we start National Rescue, we also broke in to CB. To be part of the legalisation of CB in the UK, we converted an old wooden hut (on the front of the coachworks) in to a Shop, and called it <b>The Rabbit Rabbit Hutch</b> (were we the original nerds?). </p> <p>Once again I found I could sell things and enjoyed doing it. This made me slightly question my vocation.<font size="3"> </font></p> <p><font size="3">So in 1985 myself and a genus called <b>Ian Lane</b>, started <strong>Motor Trade Software. </strong>A software company producing programs for the motor trade and vehicle recovery operators. I was MD of that company, until we sold the software part off, in 2002. </font></p> <p><font size="3">My only brother <strong>Geoff</strong><b> </b>worked for <strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400">BT</strong> as an engineer, but like me spent his spare time around the recovery scene. In 1982 he joined me at National Rescue full time and when I left to expand Motor Trade Software in the nineties, he took over and still owns The National Rescue Group today.</font></p> <p>As for me? Well until recently I was MD of the <b>Mobile Tracking Systems</b> Who's main products are vehicle location devices and guess what? Their largest customer sector, is the UK Recovery Industry. </p> <p>In 2007 I retired from Mobile Tracking Systems and intend spending my time working for <b><a href="http://www.riscuk.net">RISC</a></b> (the Recovery Industry Support Charity). I will also spend time at Brooklands, with the occasional Aircraft Recovery being undertaken, no doubt and we have also invested in a <a href="http://www.ourapartment.net">Holiday Home</a> to let out or enjoy ourselves.    </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <div align="center" style="color: #000000; margin: 0px; background-color: #ffffff"> <center> <table style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor="#111111" height="2602" cellSpacing="3" cellPadding="3" width="772" border="0"> <tr> <td width="996" height="19"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td vAlign="top" width="987" height="390"> <p align="center"><b><font size="4">At Home</font></b> </p> <p align="left"><a target="_blank"> <img alt="Wife, Amateur Model and above all Friend - Christine" hspace="3" src="images/wife.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="225" height="305"></a>My second wife the lovely <b>Christine</b> comes from the Sunbury area, where she lived until we were married. She went to Kenyngton Manor School and then worked for <b>Airfix </b>/ <b>Crayon,</b> both at Sunbury and Staines offices. </p> <p>We become a couple in 1982 as a result of circumstance totally beyond our control, or (at the time) our desires. We married a couple of years later. </p> <p>Christine has done a little amateur modelling and her natural good looks and charm, complements one of my favourite hobbies - Glamour Photography. This has resulted in three Glamour Calendars, some pictures in a couple of lingerie catalogues and for a short while, her own Glamour website.   </p> <p>However, don't let her looks fool you, she is a competent business lady and home keeper. She helped me raise my first daughter <b>Sandra</b> and presented me with a second one called<b> Caroline</b> in 1984. </p> <p>Lastly she successfully managed the MTS Group with me (she might say despite me) until we sold the company and retired in 2007. </p> <p>Next to the family, her big love is her collection of pussy cats. She currently has two real one, plus a couple of hundred model ones. She even sometimes got to drive my 'British Racing Green' Jaguar cat (shown below) during the eight years it was my daily transport.  </td> </tr> <tr> <td vAlign="top" width="996" height="2137"><font size="3"> <a href="http://www.familylambert.net/andy/images/wild_cat_large.jpg" target="_blank"> <img alt="The other Cat my BRG Jag, speeding at Brooklands" hspace="6" src="images/wild_cat.jpg" align="left" border="0" width="300" height="200"></a>My own interest are varied, although they tend to be with mechanical things. I seem to be able to take nice photos and have a large collection of unusual pictures from my years in recovery, some of which you can reach from the main home page.</font> <p><font size="3">As already stated I enjoy glamour photograph, although I am only allowed to use my wife as the model (again some examples can be reached from the main home page) and some of my pictures of the recovery of the warship <b>Mary Rose</b>, have been good enough to be used on the Mary Rose internet Site. <br> <br> I also enjoy making home moves with my SVHS and more recently Digital Video systems. After some twenty years as a SWL (Short Wave Listener), in 1972 I passed my Radio Amateurs License and hold the callsign <b> <a href="http://www.g8her.com/" target="_blank">G8HER</a>.</b> If any 'fellows' read this - best 73's.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Boating has formed a large part of my life as well, with most of my boats being moored in the Solent. You will find some pictures of them in the hobbies picture gallery.<br>  </font> </p> <p> </p> <p><font face="Arial"><b>Brooklands</b></font><br> <font size="3">For the last twenty two years, I have also been working as a volunteer for <b>Brooklands Museum.</b> Myself and a team of very special guys (and the odd girl), have been responsible for transporting most of the museum's major exhibits. I have now lost count, but the number of aircraft road transportations  I have been involved with, must have exceeded one hundred by now. This includes aircraft as big as the Viscount <a href="http://www.vsp.org.uk/">Stephen Piercey</a> and as special as Concorde. </font></p> <p><font size="3">The volunteers are a unique bunch of people and you never know just who you are working with on a project. </font></p> <p> <img alt="Capt. Jock Bryce OBE" hspace="6" src="images/jb.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="120" height="150"><font size="3">On one occasion I was unloading the cockpit sections of a Valiant 'V Bomber'. Quietly watching me was an 'old boy' cutting the grass. After an hour or so he had finished and come over to where we were having a break. We chatted for awhile and he seemed to know a bit about the V bombers so I asked him if he had worked on them. "No" he replied "not really, but there are a lot of other volunteers here who did if you need to ask something" he added. </font></p> <p>In the months that followed I got to know this unassuming and gentle man better and found out that indeed he had not <i>worked </i>on them. He was in fact <b>Capt. Jock Bryce OBE</b>, the test pilot who had first flown it, along with the 'first flight' of the Varsity, Viscount, VC-10, Vanguard and BAC 1-11. <br> Talk about respect! <br> <font size="3"><br> Below you can see NRG's <b>Brooklands Belle</b> lifting a nose section on to <b>A3 TUG</b>. The Belle was the last recovery vehicle I was involved in constructing and I designed it in such a way, there was not an aircraft job it could not handle - It was ok with road vehicles too of course ;-)  I also own myself a very impressive AEC Militant Recovery vehicle called <b><a href="http://www.millytant.com/">Milly</a></b> and a Sun crash tender, both of whom now live at Brooklands. </font></p> <p align="center"> <img alt="Loading a Viscount forward cockpit to go to Brooklands" src="images/lift.jpg" border="0" width="750" height="426"> </p> <p align="left">My proudest 'Brooklands' moments were during 2004, when with the aid of a fantastic team. I planned and executed the movement of the <b>Brooklands Concorde</b> DG from Filton Bristol, home to Weybridge. </p> <p align="left">I will not go into the politics of what happened about 'who got what' Concorde here, but all I will say is - </p> <p align="left">While the world's TV watched her sister going down the River Thames on a barge, held their breath as major roads were shut, and applauded as it arrived (a couple of million pounds later) in Scotland. We just quietly got on with the job and with the aid of many old friends from the Recovery industry, brought our Concorde home in bits, down the M4. </p> <p align="left"> <img alt="Picture starting with the day we first saw the Concorde aircraft at Bristol and ending a few months later when we cranned it off at Brooklands. One day, you should ask me about that jumper!" src="images/concorde.jpg" border="0" width="750" height="395"> </p> <p align="left"><font size="3">If you do look at the aircraft recovery picture (link on the main page), you may start to wonder why the vast majority of aircraft recoveries, are undertaken in such foul weather. For those that don't know it is because my good friend <b>Julian Temple</b> (Curator of Aviation at Brooklands Museum) organises it that way, to make it more interesting for us! Lastly for those that don't know - Yes it is that bloody jumper again. It brings me luck and I have been wearing it for difficult museum recoveries, for almost twenty five years.! <br>  </font> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p> </p> <p><font face="Arial"><b>Sixty years young!</b></font><br> <a href="http://www.familylambert.net/60/index.html" target="_blank"> <img alt="The first of the sixty vehicles in one day!" hspace="6" src="images/60.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="300" height="290"></a>Having mentioned <font size="3">Brooklands Museum this is a good place to place a link to an event that took place there in September 2006. </font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">It was a couple of days after my sixtieth birthday and unbeknown to me, some very good friends and a group of my relatives, decided to see how old 'Leadfoot Lambert' would get on driving (or travelling in), sixty odd vehicles in just one day.</font> </p> <p align="left">I was collected by my daughters (complete with a bloody wheelchair) at eight in the morning. The wheelchair was the first set of wheels, out of the sixty items they had planned. I then spent the day driving or travelling in different Road Vehicles, Bikes, Hovercraft, Boats and Aircraft. </p> <p align="left">You can see an assortment of them by clicking<b> <a href="http://www.familylambert.net/60/index.html" target="_blank"> here</a></b><font size="3"> and also get a good understanding of the pain they put me through that day (but which I would do again tomorrow without even thinking).<br> <br> Andy Lambert </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="996" height="20"> <p align="center"><font size="4"> <a href="file:///D:/WEB/Home%20web/lambertfamily.net/index.html" target="_top"> Return the main home page</a></font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p><font size="1" color="#FFFFFF">ext is here to help search engines. 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