A Dampener On the Festive Season

[rf84]

Hi Ken,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you in particular for your contribution to this Forum. I always enjoy your writings and photos.
The article you refer to is, in my opinion, the best summary of NZers in motorsport I have ever read. Having been born in Hawkes Bay and living most of my life here, it was good to see mention made of the HB contingent-Steele, Dale and Leo. Perhaps worthy of inclusion would have been Bill Hanna (Havelock North) who was mechanic to Denny Hulme and George Lawton to the UK and Europe when they went there on The Driver To Europe scheme. Though not originally from HB, Alastair Caldwell did spend four years working with Bill at Havelock North Motors. I had the opportunity to spend some time with Alastair recently and he told of his time at Havelock North Motors and how his association (and subsequent disassociation with Bill) led to Alastair going to the UK where he joined McLaren.
Another Hawkes Bay product (I have it from a reliable source Dewar was born in Wairoa) who was omitted from the article was F1 mechanic Dewar Thomas.
The article is quite outstanding-thanks for bringing it to our attention Ken.