In this issue, September 2015, of Vintage Metal there is a review of the latest book from the inimitable Sir Stirling Moss (I seem to have spent most of my life reading his books!), a detailed listing of expenditure on the ‘Caversham’ Car and a farewell to Charlie Urwin, a longstanding and valued member of the VSCC of WA.

The book is Stirling Moss – My Racing Life by Moss with Simon Taylor. It is a high class photo album with chapter headings and very extended captions by Sir Stirling, as told to Simon Taylor. The foreword is by Lewis Hamilton and it is a fascinating book, well worth chasing up at your favourite bookshop.

The Caversham Car is a 1950s fibreglass body on an Austin A40 chassis with A40 mechanicals. The wheels are from a Triumph TR2, which fit the A40 hubs and the steering is rack and pinion. Both of these would have been welcome modifications to my A40 Devon way back when, as would the twin SU carburettors and tubular exhaust, but I was an impecunious university student and such things were the stuff of dreams.

All of the money expended on the car to date is listed and there is also a list of all the people and companies that have sponsored and supported the project.

Charlie Urwin was a major supporter of the Caversham Car project and his expertise with fibreglass was invaluable in preparing the body. He was also unstinting in his support of the club and of two other clubs, the Sports Car Builders Club of WA and the Sports Aircraft Builders Club of WA. He was licensed to build and repair aircraft and was involved in one of WA’s leading speedway teams.

All this and more in spite of being wheelchair-bound since being stricken with Polio at the age of six. He led an active life until shortly before his death at 74, which represented another victory over the naysayers who predicted a life expectancy of less than 50.