Kevin’s Chronicles
Friendships made within the scootering fraternity are like no other and last for life, one chance encounter opened up a whole new world…
Part 2 of our homage to scooter legend Kev Walsh. This episode unravels the story behind the Tudor museum of lost treasures.
Kevin Walsh had, over time, built up many strong friendships within the scootering fraternity and a great many of these became very long-lasting. It was obvious that his role as the leader of the LCGB for all those years, combined with his duties at other organisations within the industry, had made him incredibly well known and recognised. Knowing people by association is one thing but gathering them as friends is another. His generous and kind personality meant that he had this effect and his circle of friends would only continue to grow.
Sort it out
Eric Tudor was a Lancashire lad who had been repairing scooters at home for years. Like so many others working out of their shed or garage there came a time when the inevitable move to a larger business premises beckoned. Having gained a reputation for a wide range of scooter work it wasn’t long before a new customer would appear at his door. That person was none other than Kevin who required some help with, of all things, his Vespa! Eric duly obliged and though originally it was an association by work, soon it would blossom into a great friendship between the two of them. Though Eric would work on anything you cared to take along to him, his big passion in life was undoubtedly for the Lambretta. Perhaps having that in common is what brought them more together, who knows but it certainly helped.
It had gone from getting a simple repair done to being great mates in a short space of time with scooters being at the hub of their friendship. Eric by now had moved his business into new premises which were gargantuan in size. So much so there was ample space left over even after he equipped it all out. It got Kev and Eric thinking what could be done with all this huge empty space; it seemed such a shame to waste it. There were discussions and ideas exchanged between both of them but for now, that was all it was going to be. The cheap rent of the whole building, a disused woollen mill, made it an inviting and affordable proposition to anyone who wanted to use the space.
Rekindling a dream
For years anyone who wanted a nostalgia trip when it came to the Lambretta would take a trip Mike Karslake’s museum in Devon. Over the years thousands of Lambretta enthusiasts from the UK and around the world had visited there to pay homage to his huge collection of machines
and memorabilia. Not only that but also becoming like a home to the LCGB with annual rallies and events being held there. No one could forget Mike’s long-standing association with the club going all the way back to its BLOA days in the early 1950s either. Sadly after Mike’s passing in 1990 the subsequent selling-off of the museum’s collection began and three years later it had all gone or certainly been dispersed among different collectors. There was the Nigel Cox collection in Weston-super-Mare which in itself was stunning but it had no real tie to the LCGB. There was no doubt that it had left a gap within the Lambretta community which if possible needed filling.
This is what got Kev and Eric thinking; what if they could set up a new Lambretta museum to replace it? It could be linked to the club and be of benefit to the growing membership. Talk is one thing but getting something done is another and setting up a new museum wasn’t going to be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. There was no denying there was enough room; the mill Eric had taken over would have ample space for many machines. The problem was, where would they come from? This is when the reality of the idea hit home and very quickly. Okay, you have the space available at a cheap affordable price but where do the funds come from to put the exhibits in? Both of them were excited by the idea and though Kev had the daily running of the LCGB as well as his other duties to consider, this was his new project and one he soon got stuck in to. Likewise, Eric was just as keen about the idea and together they began to make plans.
An empty room
Usually, a museum comes about because a huge collection of exhibits already exists and somewhere is needed to house them all. Kev and Eric’s idea was to do it the other way round. They had the building, all they needed now was something to put inside it. Eric had amassed his own collection of various Lambretta models over the years and they were going to be stored in the mill regardless. Kev also had several machines and with all his travels and escapades on them, they were becoming quite revered in their own right. The rest in the meantime would, if the idea was accepted, come from what the LCGB owned.
For a while the club had been purchasing machines which were included under the running of ‘LPS93’ which was set up after Mike Karslake’s passing. He had originally formed the Lambretta Preservation Society (LPS) to keep the Lambretta name going during its demise after production finished at Innocenti. The LCGB then formed LPS93 (93 standing for the year it was formed) to keep Mike’s memory alive. It seemed like a good idea to house their collection where the public would be able to view them as it would be a shame not to put them on display.
It would be a waste to lock them away and do nothing with them. Club funds needed to be spent wisely and if it was on something no one would ever see, what was the point? The machines had been paid for by the members so surely they had the right to say what happened with them. Whether Kev’s proposal would be accepted no one knew but at least his idea meant the machines were being put to some sort of use.
Hidden agenda
With the plan of how the museum was going to be laid out, Kev set off to that year’s LCGB AGM to put his idea across to both the members and rest of the committee. Ever since the museum had broken up members wanted a new museum to be formed if possible. By this time five years had passed and though plenty of healthy discussions had taken place nothing had ever materialised. This is what made Kev feel sure his and Eric’s idea would be widely accepted knowing that finally, they had a solution to the problem.
There was no hidden agenda just a generous offer but it wasn’t seen that way. Many didn’t like the fact he might gain financially and expressed this rather openly in a heated debate.
Kev quickly drew up a vision for how it could grow into something even greater. In the meantime, there was a lot of work to be done but at least his dream of a Lambretta museum remained alive.
With the meeting open, Kev pitched his museum idea in a confident and measured style. Outlining where it was, how much space was available, the costs and most important of all what would be on display. Like any idea or proposal put forward at an AGM, once it has been explained it goes back to the floor for the members to discuss it. This is where it all started to unravel and very quickly at that. Instantly questions were fired across the room from many of those present expressing resentment and firmly rejecting the idea. It soon became apparent to both of them that it wasn’t getting the reception they had hoped for.
Most of the questions fired back surrounded the fact the Eric was a dealer and therefore his business would be gaining an advantage. Why was this a problem though? That’s what confused Kev so much. For so long a place to put a museum was hard to find and in all probability, it was always going to be a dealer with a large premises that was going to be the answer. Buying a building to house a load of machines without any revenue was financially impossible. Nigel Cox had funded his Lambretta museum by running it as a business as well and no one had ever complained about that.
Previously Kev had discussed the idea with two other dealers both of whom had space available but nothing had ever got off the ground. Not only did they have the perfect location but someone who was willing to run it.
A museum is a place people come to visit but employing someone to open it each day and man it is expensive. That’s why a dealer needed to be the one to do it as they would be present at the premises every day regardless. In reality, the curator comes for free. Yes, it is true that Eric’s business would possibly benefit by people spending money with him but he would be paying all the bills and expenditure to keep the place open. There was no hidden agenda, just a generous offer but it wasn’t seen that way. Many didn’t like the fact he might gain financially and expressed this rather openly in a heated debate. Eric had been a long time member of the LCGB so it wasn’t like he was an outsider and he started to find the whole AGM rather upsetting. Kev was just in complete shock not only that his idea had been thoroughly rejected but also that even when he tried to negotiate with the members they didn’t want to know.
Going it alone
It is fair to say that there were some quite harsh lessons to be learned from the AGM debacle. Kev had gone in there almost certain, and without any hesitation, that his idea would be approved. He was, after all, the general secretary and in most people’s eyes the club’s leader. For years he had been the one making important decisions and was widely respected with each decision he made. What this showed though, was that you can’t be right all the
Club funds needed to be spent wisely and if it was on something no one would ever see what was the point. The machines had been paid for by the members so surely they had the right to say what happened with them.
time or expect that every idea you have will be widely accepted. It proved more than anything that the members are the club and that those running it are there to do a job and administrate the will of the members. A thankless task no less and though the committee are responsible for the day to day running of things, that doesn’t mean they are the ones who call the shots. This had highlighted the fact that if the members didn’t like something then they had the power to shoot it down. Kev took it all on board and from then on wouldn’t be so presumptuous regarding the views of LCGB members.
The idea of the museum was still alive but in future would be done just between him and Eric. That didn’t mean that no one else could join in. Certainly if they wanted to display a machine or memorabilia. In the meantime, the race was on to get the mill converted into somewhere that was worthy to house them. Eric’s local scooter club the Lancashire Lions happily obliged, putting in a shift to get the place up and running.
It would be known as the ESP-KW collection, ESP being the name of Eric’s scooter business. Kev quickly drew up a vision for how it could grow into something even greater. In the meantime, there was a lot of work to be done but at least his dream of a Lambretta museum remained alive. In some ways what had happened was probably a good thing even though he didn’t realise at the time. Though he was devoted to the LCGB it had to a certain extent taken over his life. Working on a project with someone else, even though it was Lambretta-related, meant he could get away from the club if he wanted to. It was something they wouldn’t be involved in or how it was run. Perhaps these actions would have big implications many years later. Next month: Racing rivalry and broken bones. Words & Photographs: Stu Owen