Austin Healey Club Celebrate the Life of Roger Menadue On Sunday May 18th a Church Service was held at St Peters Church, Barford, near Warwick. The service was led by The Reverend David Jesset and the organ played by Mr. Trevor Barr.
The Address, text below, was given by John Mead, a Club member and friend of Roger.
Following this was a photo call for several of the cars which
Roger had help to build back in the 50's & 60's.
It was very impressive to see the Healey marque well represented. Then, a short
ride away to The Honiley Court hotel for a luncheon where many friends and colleagues
celebrated the Life of Roger. Special Guests were Jock Reid and his Wife Cecily
(Jock worked with Roger in the 50's and also has many fond memories of Roger)
and Margot Healey.
A DVD compiled by Team
Thicko in the USA was shown. This had Roger and Geoff discussing the design
of a 100S under restoration in the States, and debating why certain features
had come about as a result of racing experiences.
St Peter's church, Barford, Warwickshire.
Lunch at Honely Court Hotel followed by speeches and a video of Roger and Geoff courtesy of Team Thicko, USA.
Roger was born in Newquay on the 23rd August 1912. He was known to us all as Roger and to some of his family his full title was 'Reginald Devious Menadue. It appears that it was impossible to get him to disclose any facts which he did not want to disclose. I myself, as well as many others, I would imagine always only knew him as 'Roger' and it was not until I attended his Funeral that I became aware that his current Christian names were 'Reginald Davis' I have made inquiries about this and it appears that he became known as 'Roger' at an early age because of a cousin also named Reginald Menadue, which caused some confusion; so our Reginald became Roger. His middle name Davis originated from his Mothers maiden name which is well known Cornish custom. I hope this satisfies the confusion regarding the different names.
I first met Roger at International Healey Weekend at Charlecote in 1987. Donald Healey was ill and had asked Roger to attend to represent him. I found Roger with his Volkswagen camper and after introducing myself took him for a ride in my sprite. He was delighted and said that it was many years since he had been out in a sprite and proceeded to remoniss with his memories relating to the designing and racing the cars. On the last day of this event Roger invited my son Paul and myself back to his camper and sat us down inside. He asked us if we would like a drink and proceeded to open a secret compartment panel in the van from which he produced what appeared to be a bottle of supermarket wine. Roger said "Don't take any notice of the label, it's good straight malt whiskey. I'm not supposed to drink that, would you like a drop?" We had a few drops and listened to a few of Roger's famous 'stories'. He then demonstrated to us his starting handle adaptation to the engine . He reckoned it was the only Volkswagen van with a starting handle. "All cars should have one" he reckoned. From then on we kept in regular contact.
When I returned home from this first meeting with Roger, I spoke to my neighbor Dorothy Hurley who I new hailed from Newquay, and asked her if she had ever heard of anyone called Roger Menadue. She gave an instant indication of recognition and said "Oh yes those Menadue boys, they were always up to no good". She told me her parents had kept a small corner shop in the next street to the Menadue residence and that she could tell me a lot about the Menadue boys. It is perhaps best not to delve to deeply into many of Roger's up to no good' actions, but I understand that as a teenager his pride and joy was his air rifle, with which he was highly proficient, which gave an indication as to his future years when he was always highly proficient at everything he became involved in. It appears that one of his delights was to shoot the washing off the neighbor's washing lines by the 'devious' action of shooting off the clothes pegs from long range.
Roger later worked as an apprentice at a local garage and he reckoned that was how he became adept as a 'Mr. Fix it'. In those far off days motor cars were not so numerous as now and the availability of spare parts was not too good in the far South West, so when a customers car had to be repaired, you had to fix it with what was available to hand. From what I know of him Roger was supreme at this type of work.
I think we are all familiar with Roger's many years of involvement with Donald Healey. When he was asked by Donald to join the new Donald Healey Motor Company, he agreed to do so but under certain conditions which included that he would be answerable only to Donald himself and that his time would never be suspect or checked on. I can recall him telling me with amusement that his initial contribution to the new firm was a large box of second hand nuts bolts and other fixings, that he had collected whilst working for Armstrong Whitworth during the war. Roger said that working on an aircraft, if you undid fixings you always had to replace them with new ones. It seemed a shame to scrap the old ones, so he collected them. It appears that Roger's bits and pieces became a valuable company asset.
Roger became the head of the experimental department responsible for the building of prototypes and works competition cars and of course attending at major competition events, where he got to know many of the major personalities of the motor racing world. All who knew Roger could not fail but sit back and listen in complete wonderment at his great 'stories' of this golden era. Such as how he never used a torque wrench in his life but had a steel bar which he used to tighten up fixings by 'feel'. He recounted the problems that a team of Nash Mechanics had when preparing one of the works Nash Healey engines which kept blowing head gaskets. When they left for lunch Roger crept into the workshop and torqued up the head in his usual manner and the problem was solved. Another of his favorite stories was that of the Nash Healey success at LeMans 1952. The car built for the event was written off in a crash in the Mille Millia and on his return to Warwick after the event. Donald said to Roger "Well that's it, we got an entry for Le Mans and no car". To which Roger replied "I'll build another one". Donald replied "Don't be silly Roger we've only got a few weeks. You can't possibly build another car in time" Roger insisted "You let me and Jock get on with it and leave us alone and we can do it". So they did and finished the car in lees than a fortnight. The car finished Le Mans in third place overall behind two works Mercedes and in front of another. After the race the Mercedes team manager came to the Healey pit and said "Of you I am making an official complaint. This race was to be Mercedes one, two and three. Your car, from your insignificant little company, has spoilt this. I will see that you never race at le Mans again". He was told to *** off. Mercedes did in fact lodge an official complaint about the Healey's being allowed to compete at Le Mans in the future but the complaint was rejected by the authorities.
Roger continued with his work for many years producing cars for Le Mans and Sebring etc. including the production of all of the famous Healey 100 S. He was rightly very proud of the fact that one of his sprite coupes was the first British car to finish at Le mans in 1963 and won the Motor trophy for the first British car Home with Roger being awarded a trophy as the best Mechanic at the event. Roger would tell with great relish that before the results were announced he said to Donald "Well we have won the motor trophy for the first British car to finish". Donald replied "Don't be silly Roger, that award will go to the ford that won the race". Roger replied that the ford may have been a British entry but it wasn't a British Car. Roger went to the authorities and expressed his thoughts saying that the ford was an American car made with American car parts, where there sprite was a British made car from all British parts so it should be awarded the trophy, and it was. Roger had triumphed, and Donald was thrilled and amazed at Roger's powers of persuasion.
I suppose that the most significant part of Roger's involvement with the Donald Healey Motor Company from an Austin Healey viewpoint is Roger's work with the Healey 100. It is sometimes said that without Roger's action regarding the 1952 Earls Court Motor show there would not have been any Austin Healey's. When the prototype 100 was completed Donald was not happy with it, particularly with the front end. Roger's opinion was that it would be a winner. It had been intended to exhibit the new car at the show but Donald now had his doubts and was against it being shown. Roger insisted that he thought it should be shown. It appears that Donald did not actually order Roger not to take the car to Earls Court but he definitely did not instruct him to take it there. However, Roger being the strong willed man he was, transported the car to the show where it was displayed on the Healey stand, albeit with its front hiding behind a pillar. We all know what happened next, Leonard Lord, the Managing Director of the Austin Motor Company saw the car, was impressed by it, struck a deal with Donald and the Austin Healey was born.
Roger's long association with the Healey company also developed into a great personal friendship with Geoff Healey and the two worked closely together that Geoff often spent his lunch break with Roger in the workshop, discussing the Business of building cars with him. The story goes that Donald became aware of this practice and admonished Geoff, telling him that as a Director of the company he should spend his lunch break in the Directors room provided for the purpose. Geoff was not happy with this so a compromise was reached whereby Roger had his lunch in the directors room with Geoff.
Roger eventually retired and returned to live in Cornwall but his services were often still required by the company and he became involved in the construction of prototype Rolls Healeys and also in design problems with the Jensen Healey.
Roger retained his almost life long friendship with Donald Healey right up to Donald's death, and in Donald's later years used to take him out once a week to visit their favourite pubs. He also retained his warm friendship with Geoff Healey and frequently went on fishing trips with him.
When the Donald Healey Motor Company closed down, Roger continued in his own sweet way tinkering in his work shop, designing all sorts and manner of things, such as an automatic fully adjustable clay pigeon thrower which involved the use of a car starter motor, and converting a lawn mower engine to run on paraffin for use on a fishing boat. He was also busy working away at some project or other. On one occasion when I rang his home his Daughter Gaye answered. I asked if Roger was there and she replied, "Well he is and he isn't". I asked how come she told me, "Well he's about a foot up the chimney". "Doing what!" I said. Gaye explained that there had been a draught problem with smoke being blown down the chimney into the house. Roger had designed a wind reflector and was in the process of fitting it in place. A man in his mid 80's, but that was Roger.
After my first meeting with Roger he became more involved with Austin Healey Club affairs. His first Austin Healey Club 'job' was when he came to Swindon to present the prizes at our autotest presentation party. Roger was delighted to do this and said that this was the first time he has ever asked to do such a thing and often spoke about it in future years. Roger was a regular attender at our Sprite birthday party events which he greatly enjoyed and spent many happy hours talking to members about their cars and telling his 'stories'. I remember spending even more happy hours following the events taking refreshment in local hostelries, sometimes to the early hours of the morning. I remember. One such event when we finished up at my home where Roger entertained us with more of his stories, and sampling good whiskey until we finally retired at about 4.30am. Roger never seemed to get tired, and he was always cheerful and full of energy. Very proud of his achievements with the Donald Healey Motor Company and right down to the end of his life, full of interest in the cars, and always ready to give advice when it was requested. When I was involved with racing and rallying sprites Roger was always available on the end of the phone to give help. I could ring about a problem and Roger would quickly come up with an inspired answer, which would leave me thinking, 'why didn't I think of that', who better to ask advice about competition Sprites!
Apart from his great knowledge about Motor cars Roger was famous for his love of colour which was demonstrated by his spectacular dress sense, which include his famous pink trousers. To say nothing of his Rupert Bear ones and his magnificent multi-coloured ties. What about his odd different coloured socks!
After a short illness Roger died at his old hometown of Newquay on the 12th March this year. His ashes were later scattered at one of his favourite fishing spots at Rock near Padstow.
I am very honoured to have been given the opportunity today of speaking to you about Roger. A man I feel very privileged to have been able to regard as a friend. I feel sure we are all very happy to be gathered here today to give thanks to god for the life of Roger and to be gratified by our recollections of this great Cornishman and Engineer.
I feel sure that he his still at it there in high, tinkering away and solving all sorts of problems for the benefit of all. I am also sure that if he is ever promoted to the rank of Angel, he will not be wearing the traditional white robes, just think of as many colours as you can, that will be Roger.
In conclusion I want to show you this arm band. It was given to my son Paul by Roger. It is the official pit entry arm band for le Mans 1961 used by Roger. When translated from the French it says simply 'Mechanic'. I put it to you that that is Roger.
THANK YOU GOD FOR ROGER. PLEASE LOOK AFTER HIM FOR US
John Mead.