We have now learned that the rider who was sadly
killed in an accident on Sunday morning was Mr
Neil Christian. He had joined a small group including
Dave Hailwood, riding up from Hertfordshire to
Birmingham to join the ‘Memorial Run’
and through no fault of his own, died at the scene.
As I understand it, they had not got very far
when on a short stretch of dual carriageway, a
car joined the road via a slip road, crossed straight
into the fast lane and collided with Neil’s
bike knocking him into the Armco barrier, then
swerved back across both lanes ending up in a
ditch. The driver had to cut out of the car but
survived. Another female rider was almost hit
but luckily managed to brake in time. Dave was
some distance behind and not involved.
Dave has since spoken to Mrs Christian and offered
our sincere condolences. Mrs Christian told him
that, “Neil died doing what he loved most”.
The funeral will be next Thursday 31st March
and we send our deepest sympathy to Neil’s
family and understand completely what you are
going through.
God bless. Pauline Hailwood
The
2011 Mike Hailwood Memorial Run
"Mike’s fans never cease to amaze
me, and yesterday was no exception. The fine weather
saw around five hundred biker’s gather in
Birmingham, to mark the 30th Anniversary of the
death of Mike Hailwood and his daughter Michelle
by taking part in the motorcycle run to the church
at Tanworth-in-Arden Warks, where they are laid
to rest."
Photo by Anth Andrews/Heidi Bennifer
"I had travelled up early by car to Tanworth
with my six-year-old grandson Mike, and was pleased
to see that there were many riders already gathering
on the village green and around the church.
I had arranged to meet up with Carol Steer the
ex-secretary of Ruckleigh School, Solihull, which
was the school that Michelle and Dave had attended
at the time Michelle was killed. Carol had with
her the current headmistress Mrs Barbara Forster,
who informed me that since Michelle died, they
have annually awarded a “Michelle Hailwood
prize for Art” on their Prize Giving Day.
Michelle had enjoyed art, and I was so very pleased
and touched to hear that she is being remembered
in this way. She is often forgotten in the shadow
of her father, so this means a lot to me, and
I would like to give my sincere thanks to Ruckleigh
School for honouring Michelle’s memory.
It was wonderful when the main procession of
bikes arrived in the village, streaming in on
some truly beautiful bikes old and new, with many
of the riders wearing “ Hailwood”
helmets and jackets. I expect the villager’s
weren’t quite so impressed, and my apologies
to them for any inconvenience; but little Mike
and I loved seeing and hearing all the bikes arrive.
There was a sparkling Honda ‘6’ replica
at the church entrance as a reminder of Mike’s
five World Championship wins riding a Honda. I
don’t know to whom it belonged, but many
thanks for bringing it along."
Photo by Anth Andrews/Heidi Bennifer
"The church was full and the short service
included a tribute from Ken Sprayson the well
known and highly respected welding specialist,
who had worked on Mike’s bikes many times.
And also from John Peters, an ex-Dunlop friend
who also does a wonderful job in taking care of
Mike and Michelle’s grave. Living much nearer
to Tanworth than me, he likes to do it, and he
gives me peace of mind to know that it is well
cared for, so my sincerest thanks to John for
that.
After the service we were led to the graveside
for the final prayers by highland bagpiper Frank
Menzies-Hearn playing the pipes. Frank is also
a Mike fan, and I would like to thank him for
adding this lovely touch to the event.
It was wonderful to see old friends and the incredible
loyalty of Mike’s fans. Thank you for all
your stories, photos and pieces of memorabilia
that you brought along to show me. I know that
I speak for Mike too when I say how much your
loyalty is appreciated, you are all amazing. Also
a special thanks to Ted and Norma for your very
kind gift, I’m sorry I don’t have
your contact details to write and thank you personally.
ITV4 filmed some of the proceedings and interviewed
me as part of a documentary which is being made
about the TT, so presumably it will be shown sometime
in June.
My final thanks go to Jon Price, the organiser
of the event. Without a police escort this year,
it can’t have been easy getting 500 or so
bikes organised through the streets of Birmingham
and out to Tanworth, so very well done Jon and
many thanks to you for all your work.
When I took little Mike home to his mum and dad,
he told them, “ it’s been a very special
day for us” and indeed it was, but very
sadly it was overshadowed by the tragic accident
of a rider who had set out to join the run with
a small group including Dave Hailwood, riding
up from Hertfordshire. The accident was so severe
that afterwards, none of the group felt able to
continue and went home. We will make a further
statement when we have more details and have spoken
with the family concerned. Needless to say our
thoughts are with them. Dave would like to send
his apologies for not being there yesterday, but
hopes that you understand."
My very best wishes to you all. Pauline Hailwood
Photo by Anth Andrews/Heidi Bennifer
Photo by Robert Deloyde
Photo by Robert Deloyde
Photo by Anth Andrews/Heidi Bennifer
The
Mike Hailwood Memorial Run - revised time
PLEASE NOTE - revised time is now 11.45am
at Bracebridge Street B6 4PF and not 11.30am.
THE MIKE HAILWOOD MEMORIAL RUN SUNDAY
MARCH 20th 2011
500 Riders expected.
REVISED MH RUN START TIME 11.45am at Bracebridge
Street B6 4PF
To: TANWORTH IN ARDEN, WARWICKSHIRE
St Mary Magdalene : Tanworth Green, East side,
Tanworth-in-Arden, West Midlands, B94 5AL
This years run (2011) will start slightly later
at 11.45am so as to ensure we do not interfere
with the previous service and the congregation
leaving the church and village.
Last year there were lots of complaints about
West Midland's Police insistence in driving down
the dual carriageway between Maypole and Portway
at speeds between 15 - 30 mph.
CAN I ASSURE EVERYBODY THAT WM POLICE WILL NOT
BE WITH US THIS YEAR AND I WILL BE LEADING THE
PROCESSION MYSELF AT A SPEED MORE IN KEEPING WITH
A MOTORCYCLE EVENT!
We also have a new route this year that will
completely avoid Moseley and Kings Heath and give
everyone a much easier and enjoyable riding experience.
(No, its not down the motorway!)
Pauline & David Hailwood will be with us
this year. Pauline is going straight to the church
and David will join us at Bracebridge Street and
ride in the procession.
Ken Sprayson and John Peters will talk about Mike
at the church service which will be around 30
minutes long.
Please remember that Tanworth in Arden is a very
small village with extremely limited parking around
the village centre , PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON OR
AROUND THE VILLAGE GREEN, we have exclusive use
of the school car par at the rear of the church.
The procession will arrive in convoy in the village,
please follow the marshals instructions and proceed
past the village green & church to the school
car park.
Can I ask everyone to enter and leave the village
with an appropriate speed and noise level.
The
Mike Hailwood Memorial Run
Sunday March 20th,
11.30 am 11.45 am
from The former Norton factory, Bracebridge Street,
Birmingham.
This years run is a very special one with both
Pauline and David Hailwood attending, there will
also be a short service at St Mary Magdalen's
church at Tanworth in Arden where Ken Sprayson
will speak about his memories of Mike.
Can I ask you all to make a big effort this year,
which marks the 30th anniversary of Mike's death
and also of course of his daughter Michelle.
It's important that this great man is not forgotten
and this memorial run is one of the ways we can
ensure that Mike's memory is kept alive. Please
do publicise the event with your friends and at
your club or any way you can. We had 400 riders
last year so lets see if we can better that this
year. There will be off road parking at the school
again and there is plenty to do in the area afterwards,
the National Motorcycle Museum is close by too.
We will probably have a Police escort, government
cuts willing! Also there is talk of a new route
through Cotteridge but don't hold your breathe!
We thank CAROLE NASH INSURANCE for sponsoring
this event.
David
Hailwood Leaves Hailwood Motorcycle Restorations
I have stepped down from my position with Hailwood
Motorcycle Restorations to pursue another opportunity
in the motorcycle industry. I took the position
in early 2008,and have enjoyed working with the
company's vendors and customers. Initially, it
was with great pride and great satisfaction to
see the Hailwood name associated with this new
venture. Due to a change in circumstances, I want
to alert friends and family - as well as vendors
and customers of HMR -- that the Hailwood family
is no longer associated with HMR. After a brief
transition period, the Hailwood name, and associated
trademarks, shall be discontinued from use. As
a former goodwill ambassador for the company --
and employee -- I wish the new owners god's speed.
For HMR's vendors and customers, I wish to make
it clear that neither I, nor any other member
of the Hailwood Family, shall be responsible for
any of HMR's obligations.
For Love of the
Sport. -- Dave Hailwood
- August 2009
An
Audience with David Hailwood at the Manx Museum
Motorbike enthusiasts
and racing fans will get the chance to meet and
pose questions to the son of TT racing legend
Mike Hailwood at “An Audience with David
Hailwood” in the Manx Museum Lecture Theatre
at 2pm on Saturday 30th May. Admission is free.
David will talk about his father’s racing
career and his own life-long interest in motorcycles.
Members of the audience will be invited to pose
questions to David during the one hour session.
Matthew Richardson, Curator: Social History for
Manx National Heritage said:
“Mike Hailwood, arguably the greatest ever
British motorcycle racer, raced on the Isle of
Man between 1958 and 1967 – some of his
finest moments were as a factory rider for Honda,
including the Honda’s first ever TT win
in 1961, and the famous diamond jubilee TT of
1967 when he battled for the Senior TT title with
Italian Giacomo Agostini. “In 1978, when
Hailwood spectacularly returned to the TT, he
reportedly drew an extra 50,000 fans to the Island.”
TT visitors can also see the 1961 TT winning machine,
on loan from the National Motor Museum, and other
Hailwood memorabilia as part of the exhibition
‘Honda – The Golden Age’ in
the Manx Museum temporary exhibition gallery.
The exhibition will be open to the public from
30th May to 5th September 2009. Admission to the
Manx Museum is free.
To coincide with this spectacular new exhibition,
Manx National Heritage and the Isle of Man Steam
Packet Company are launching a competition for
visitors to win a trip to TT 2010 for 2 riders
and 2 motorcycles. The competition will run for
the duration of the exhibition. Entry forms will
be available from the Isle of Man Steam Packet,
The Isle of Man Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal
in Douglas and all Story of Mann heritage sites.
For a chance to win, fill in an entry form and
hand it in at any Story of Mann heritage site.
NCR
- Mike Hailwood TT Replica Unveiled
Pauline & Dave Hailwood and NCR are extremely
pleased to announce the new NCR Mike Hailwood
TT replica motorcycle.
Pauline and Dave were the proud guests of Michele
Poggipolini CEO of the Bologna based NCR factory
at the unveiling of the new machine at the EICMA
motorcycle exhibition in Milan, Italy on Tuesday
4th November.
They had been given a preview by Mr Poggipolini,
his family and team, in Bologna prior to the exhibition
and were overwhelmed at the design, and extremely
high quality of this fabulous new bike. The sight
of it brought tears to Pauline’s eyes and
she and Dave agreed that this beautiful machine
was the most perfect tribute to Mike that they
could have hoped for.
Whilst retaining reminders of the original Isle
of Man TT winning 1978 NCR/Ducati, this new machine
has the very latest technology including the suspension
that will be used in next years Moto GP bikes.
As NCR are specialists in high quality metals,
manufacturing parts for Ferrari F1 and Aerospace,
much of the bike is made from Titanium making
it extremely light but extremely strong.
This new masterpiece doesn’t come cheap,
but what do you expect for such perfection? For
more information and photos please visit: www.ncrfactory.com
Pauline and Dave would like to send our sincere
thanks to Michele Poggipolini,
Joe Ippoliti and the rest of the NCR family and
team our sincerest thanks and best wishes.
John
Maris
Last Saturday (11th October), on his way back
from a Mike Hailwood Lodge meeting at which he
was elected to serve as Worshipful Master next
year, John was in a collision with another motorcyclist,
and sadly he was killed outright.
John had been approaching a right hand bend with
a van coming from the opposite direction, as it
got close to John, two motorcyclists overtook
it on the wrong side of the road and one of them
hit John. It's thought that John saw it coming
and tried to stop, but he was unable to avoid
the oncoming bike.
It had been John's idea to form a motorcyclist
Lodge, and he was to have taken part in a 100
mile ride on a moped on Sunday along with another
brother, Bob Pearce, who completed the run and
raised about two hundred pounds for the TT Riders
Association. Sponsorship money that John had previously
collected will be added to that raised by Bob,
and forwarded by the Lodge.
John's widow, Joan, has asked for donations at
the funeral to go to the TT Riders Association
as John would have wished.
The Hailwood family send our sincerest condolences
to Joan and their family, and to Michael Adams
and the bothers of the Mike Hailwood Lodge.
For more information about Bike Safe, road safety
program please www.bikesafe.co.uk
Silverstone
celebrates 60th Anniversary in style
Those attending the recent Bennett’s British
Superbike Championship round at the popular Silverstone
Circuit in Northamptonshire, were treated to a
spectacular Parade Lap of some of the most iconic
machinery ridden by former champions and legends
of motorcycle racing history.
Some of those famous riders were Ron Haslam riding
a 350cc 4 cylinder Honda, Stuart Graham on a 1960s
Matchless G50, Trevor Nation on a 1980s KR 500
Kawasaki, Steve Plater on a 1978 650cc Suzuki
RG500, Tony Rutter on a 1983 Ducati 750 F1, Niall
MacKenzie on a 1991 Yamaha YZR 500 GP, and John
Chapman rode a 500cc 4 cylinder Honda, to name
but a few.
Our own Dave Hailwood, representing his father
Mike, rode a 350cc 4cyl Honda, and also assisted
the organizers in bringing some of the riders
and machinery together for this special event.
Much more historic machinery spanning a variety
of categories and championships was
also on public display, and the BSB racing was
extremely exciting, with Shane Byrne on his Airwaves
Ducati, clinching the 2008 Championship. So there
was plenty to please and interest the fans on
and off the track and everyone agreed that it
was a fantastic day.
We would like to send our own congratulations
and thanks to Richard Phillips, Managing Director
of Silverstone Circuits Ltd., and all at Silverstone,
and look forward to the next exciting 60 years
!!
Photo by Carole McLatchie Photography –
and Silverstone Circuits Limited.
Dave
Hailwood at WSB Brands Hatch
Dave Hailwood can be seen a lot more around the
UK circuits now he has moved back to the UK.
Dave poses behind 500cc Honda-4 Replica.
Dave and Mike Jnr.
Thanks to Hayden Williams for
taking the above photos and Mike Williams for
sending them.
Dave with the 500cc Honda-4 Replica owned by
Ron Mullin. Photo by Clive Challinor.
Dave
Hailwood Initiated as a Mason
Dave Hailwood was initiated into the “Mike
Hailwood Masonic Lodge” No 9839
on Saturday 6th September 2008 by Michael Adams
who is the Founding Secretary and Worshipful Master.
The ceremony was held in Rugby, Warwickshire
at the premises of the newly consecrated Lodge
and attended by more than 80 other members who
came from all over the country, the Isle of Man
and one who gave greetings from Japan.
Dave found it hard to remain composed when he
saw how many people had arrived and couldn't believe
how far people had come for the event. He said,
“I came to realise that a great honour such
as this only comes once in a life time and I am
proud to be a part of it. I had to breathe very
deeply on a number of occasions and was truly
touched by the sincerity of everybody. I would
like to thank you all for your devotion to my
father and his memory, surely he would have been
humbled by your kindness and generosity.”
Dave had been rather nervous as to what the ceremony
might involve, but all went well and although
it was a very emotional experience for him it
was also a very enjoyable day and one that he
will never forget.
Michael Adams said “ It was especially nice
for me, having known Mike and ridden at the same
time, to be able to initiate his son into the
Lodge named after his father.”
Dave and I would like to extend our sincere thanks
to Michael Adams and the other Masons for your
kindness to Dave and also your continued loyalty
to Mike's memory.
Pauline Hailwood
TT
2008
Pauline and David Hailwood will be visiting the
TT.
We are proud to announce that the Mike Hailwood
Masonic Lodge No. 9839 is now official.
Over 150 Masons attended the Consecration at
Birmingham on Friday to see a superb ceremony
performed by the Provincial Grand Master, Right
Worshipful Brother Michael J. Price C.B.E.
David Hailwood, Mike’s son has been invited
to join the new Lodge, and said, “I feel
very shocked and humbled but I’m extremely
proud to accept this honour.” He will be
the first Initiate to the Lodge in September.
The bad weather on the first day’s racing
of this years Isle of Man TT Centenary meeting,
meant that the Lap of Honour had to be postphoned
until Tuesday afternoon.
Pauline Hailwood had been invited to start the
Lap, and representing his father, Dave Hailwood
was to have ridden Mike’s 1978 TT winning
Ducati, prepared by Steve Wynne.
Unfortunately, the new schedule coincided with
Pauline and Dave’s flights leaving the Island.
The organisers tried to change the flights, but
were unable to get them off the Island as everything
was fully booked. There was a suggestion of finding
a private plane to take them back to the mainland,
and re-scheduling their flights back to Spain,
but it all sounded rather expensive and a lot
of trouble for everyone.
So very reluctantly, Pauline and Dave decided
that they would have to keep to their original
flights and miss the Lap of Honour.
Both were very disappointed, but would like to
congratulate and thank the organisers, Paul Phillips
and his team, who had an enormous task in trying
to keep everything going as smoothly as possible,
and also keeping everyone happy. They were very
helpful, did an excellent job, and must surely
be pleased that the event went as well as it did.
Next year is the 30th anniversary of Mike´s
fairytale win in the 1978 TT, so hopefully Pauline
and Dave will be back on the Island again, and
Dave will get his ride.
TT
2007 Centenary Collection released
The
Isle of Man Post Office have just released
details of their 2007 TT Centenary Collection
which included Stamps and Coins featuring
Mike Hailwood.
Pauline Hailwood says "I am delighted
to endorse the TT 2007 Centenary Collection,
partly because my husband Mike Hailwood
has been honoured with inclusion, and also
because this is such an interesting and
beautifully compiled collection.
I am proud to feature the collection on www.mikethebike.com
and have already placed my order for these unique
collectors items, as they are without doubt the
most comprehensive commemoration of a century
of Isle of Man TT racing".
Hollywood is to turn
Mike Hailwood’s life story into a movie.
The producer of the Oscar winning film Capote
– Michael Ohoven - is bringing the story
to the big screen. Written by Paul Pender it chronicles
the heroic life of the 9 times world champion
and features what is being promoted as one of
the “most emotional moments of 20th century
sport” – Hailwood’s victorious
Isle of Man TT comeback. Paul Pender's credits
include the Pierce Brosnan movie EVELYN, BROTHER
CADFAEL with Sir Derek Jacobi, and the first draft
of NACHO LIBRE, the current Jack Black movie.
WATCH THIS SPACE
The
New Mike Hailwood
Mike and Pauline
Hailwood’s grandson, Michael David Hailwood
Beltran was born in Malaga Spain on the 27th January
2005 to Gloria Beltran and Dave Hailwood.
Photo by Carole McLatchie Photography –
and Silverstone Circuits Limited.
