Its all Over.

Kevin H · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-11, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janne

It does almost sound like (a suggestion that) Mr Crook had something to do with the theft.

I must have missed something

Quote:

Mr Tony Crook was, is and always will be a true, oldfashioned Gentleman!

Providing that;

you didn't work for him
you were not a member of the press
you were not an officer of the BOC
you were not an editor of the BOC Bulletin
you hadn't said anything publicly about BCL that he didn't like
you didn't sympathise anyone who said anything publicly about BCL that he didn't like

GREG · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-11, 09:22 AM

I think you could easily get Kevin's points up to 10 or more, but overall I think we should be grateful he kept things going for so long ?

I must admit that I am fascinated by the unknown history of TAD Crook and would love to see a detailed Biography of his life.

I know he was born in Manchester and his parents were coal merchants, but where did all the money come from to start racing and eventually own a prestige car manufacturer ? There seems to be very little information out there about family, siblings , where he met his wife and how he became sole agent for BCL.

Maybe he made all his money from scrap metal heists, but somehow , I doubt it :-)

geo · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-11, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREG

I think you could easily get Kevin's points up to 10 or more, but overall I think we should be grateful he kept things going for so long ?

I completely agree: against all the odds, this eccentric and gifted fellow kept the firm going whilst many similar outfits folded decades ago.

Other than once negotiating the purchase of a used Bristol, I only ever had social conversations with TAD Crook and have to say that on every occasion one would have described his manner as gentlemanly — in fact, I recall my wife expressing the opinion that he was far too much of a gentleman to be a car-salesman!

Considering quite how long so many of the BCL staff worked there (and well beyond normal retirement in some cases), clearly not everyone would agree with Kevin's point about working for him being unrewarding!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREG

I must admit that I am fascinated by the unknown history of TAD Crook and would love to see a detailed Biography of his life.

Again I agree, other than remembering the odd advertisement for Bristol or Arbarth-specified Italian cars when he was trading in Esher (?), I found little about him when I had a few hours of research time that I should have been devoting to other research matters.

George

Ferrington G · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-11, 08:37 PM

Tony Crook was born in Chorlton cum Hardy, South Manchester. His money came from the family coal mines, hence being able to purchase Alfa 2900 whilst still in the army.Quite a roughtable chap I'd say, certainly in his early life, but an eccentric gentleman running an eccentric car firm, with all it's fowballs. Shame he was bought out in hindsight.

browning l · #5 (**permalink**) 08-03-11, 10:11 PM

On the other hand, by selling he was able to get out with his sale proceeds, and no longer had the worries of keeping things going.

GREG · #6 (**permalink**) 09-03-11, 01:22 AM

An early TAD Crook pic

Janne · #7 (**permalink**) 08-03-11, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin H

I must have missed something

Providing that;

you didn't work for him
you were not a member of the press
you were not an officer of the BOC
you were not an editor of the BOC Bulletin
you hadn't said anything publicly about BCL that he didn't like
you didn't sympathise anyone who said anything publicly about BCL that he didn't like

No, I was just a potential customer. That bought a used car from another vendor. And then consulted mr Crook innumerable times over the next 5 years.

The boys at the Chiswick workshop seemed to have liked and respected him.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe he was/is a bad, bad man.
But he kept Bristol alive for decades.....

Kevin H · #8 (**permalink**) 09-03-11, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janne

The boys at the Chiswick workshop seemed to have liked and respected him.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe he was/is a bad, bad man.

My comment about those who worked for him was based on the impression I got at the Chiswick workshop when a call came in from "the Guvnor" (on the phone). But it could have just been a bad day.

I don't think he is a bad man and I didn't say he was, as you full well know. However, I have heard from numerous people over the years who have been on the receiving end of his vitriol. He had quite a reputation for it on some circles. Setright resigned as the BOC Bulletin editor because of him!

As for keeping BCL going, I think it's wonderful that he did, a great achievement, but he didn't do it for us, he did it for him.

GREG · #9 (**permalink**) 09-03-11, 12:46 PM

[quote= Setright resigned as the BOC Bulletin editor because of him![/QUOTE]

That's not what he said ! He wrote that he was resigning because he didn't feel he could keep impartiality and integrity whilst serving the club and being a motoring writer. And someone had suggested that he was on the BCL payroll.

I have also heard he was a nasty piece of work at times but lets not make things up !

Kevin H · #10 (**permalink**) 09-03-11, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREG

That's not what he said ! He wrote that he was resigning because he didn't feel he could keep impartiality and integrity whilst serving the club and being a motoring writer. And someone had suggested that he was on the BCL payroll.

I have also heard he was a nasty piece of work at times but lets not make things up !

I'm not making anything up - I don't need to. Just relaying what my understanding is. Specifically the story was that LJKS resigned from the Editor job because he was fed up with TADC trying to control what was (or was not) written in the BOC Bulletin. But let's face it, LJKS was too much of a gentleman to say that publicly.

Where did he write what you said?

GREG · #11 (**permalink**) 09-03-11, 02:04 PM

One of the cars I bought came with a disc of old bulletins and this is the final paragraph from 1976. No mention of Crook.

Members will be kept informed of developments — but probably not by me. As a motoring writer it is professionally imperative that I maintain an impartiality which I have gradually learned is not compatible with my serving the Club either as Chairman or as Editor. From what has been said to me, it seems possible that for me to maintain such uncompromising impartiality while holding either of my present offices might prejudice the future of the Club. On the other hand I am still smarting from suggestions that I had been paid or rewarded in some way for doing public relations work for Bristol Cars — suggestions which are of course wildly erroneous. I do not think that I owe the firm or the Club any favours nor, I hope, any apologies; but it is time for me to go.

GREG · #12 (**permalink**) 10-03-11, 10:55 AM

I have shown the evidence for my opinion but is there any for yours ?

LJKS was known as a Gentleman that made a lot of mistakes and got a lot of things wrong !

Crook was known as a Gentleman that got a lot of things right.

I have never spoken to either but my opinion is based on fact and not hear say.

Of course TAD Crook ran Bristol for him and not for us, but he had the bottle to keep throwing his own personal money in for years whilst it was loosing money because he beleived in the cars and cared for the people ?

But we agree on most points :-)