1966 was not a particularly good one for "Team Eta". We managed a 3rd place at the London Area Rally and 5th at the Nationals in FAI. We found the engine was losing 3 or 4 mph at the end of the day's racing and on examination we found a build up of varnish on the piston skirt which could be removed with a scouring pad and washing in ether.

If Ken thought the motor was a little tight he would use a little diamond paste using one of three grades on the piston, put the piston back in the bore push it up and down three times then wash the hole assembly in ether and lots of brushing. On one occasion Lyndon Bedford decided to clean and take a little off the piston. Unfortunately he stopped for lunch before reassembling the engine and in the process forgot to wash it out. He promptly wore it out when he ran the engine up!

There was more to life than racing of course. On one occasion I was shopping with my girlfriend Shirley in Watford when she threw a metal stud in her stiletto. I suggested that we stopped at Ken's factory to see if he could improvise something and much to our surprise Ken said that the factory made the screw in studs for high heels (as well as engines). He unscrewed the thread left in the heel, found a matching stud and screwed it in. Ken then said "I think we should test the heel under load" so Shirley was "persuaded" to walk round the factory with all the male staff watching, circuit completed, shoe fully operational.

Then one day I was presented with an ultimatum every team race pilot dreads. Shirley had had enough and wanted to get married. We all know the problems involved in such a venture: no more happy hours spent in the workshop till two in the morning; no more long test sessions on some aerodrome and certainly no new Audi motor car. The thought of giving all of that up was just too much. Obviously the situation needed a lot of deliberation so after due consideration (all of five nanoseconds) I decided to select select another girlfriend. After all I had three other girlfriends on the go at the same time so it was just a matter of taking each in turn to a rally and see which one coped with the riguors of a days racing. I remember John Franklin wondering where I kept finding new girlfriends. I settled for Ann incidentally.

Coincidentally a few years ago Ann decided to buy two sofas and wanted them hand made to and I found there was one company in Watford making to order, would you be believe it the address was Ken's old factory. After Ann decided on style and colour the manager took use round the workshop guiding us through the assembly from start to finish. The factory still looks very similar inside and out and I told the manager my involvement with Ken and the model engines and he said "I've got something you would be interested in this poster was on the factory wall when we moved in" He then gave me the poster shown below.

I've also included a few photos taken at the world champs. The French racer used r/c equipment to adjust the compression but it was banned from use. I shall never forget talking to the German team manager he had the breath of a lion!