Kevin’s Chronicles
After decades of hard work, building an institution up was a proud achievement, but having it all taken away was a bitter pill to swallow…
Part 10 of our homage to scooter legend Kev Walsh. After decades of hard work, building an institution up was a proud achievement, but having it all taken away was a bitter pill to swallow.
In 2009 it was 30 years since Kev had become general secretary of the LCGB. Though he was only part of a group who had revived it in 1977 he finally become its recognised leader just two years later. From the moment he took control there was only one thing he ever wanted, a club to unite all Lambretta enthusiasts, one they could enjoy being part of and feel involved in. It was an uphill battle from the outset, but no matter what obstacles lay in his path Kev would clear them to make the club even stronger. Not even he thought it would become as big as it did, which created yet more problems.
The more people that joined, the more administration work it entailed. Rallies and custom shows had to be organised correctly to give the members value for money when attending. The club magazine needed to be on time and full of up-todate information. It was okay saying everything would be done, but one person on their own couldn't possibly sort everything out. That's what the committee was for, to designate people to do the right job. Thankfully, there were enough people ready to give up their time to make this happen.
Funds were swelling in the club’s coffers to the point where there was a huge surplus after operating costs.
Paid role
As the club became bigger it soon became apparent that those doing the work voluntarily couldn't cope. Some would retire due to the fact that they had little spare time to carry their duties out. It was common for one or two committee members to quit now and then, but there was always someone ready and willing to replace them. Thankfully, this meant at least the pressure would be off for the time being. This was the end of the 1990s and Lambretta ownership was going through a resurgence. As it did, the membership began to swell even further. Gone were the days of a few hundred members, as this figure was now in the thousands.
Many members were beginning to question q where Kev found the time to complete c all the duties required for him to run the club smoothly, while at a the same time hold down a day job and a spend time with his family. It soon s became apparent that he was struggling s with it all. It was down to a l ot of things, and having time off work due d to being ill with stress and depression d wasn't helping. By 1997 t here was no wayy he could hold down his day job and continue to run the club to the level which was required… certainly as the membership was continuing to increase monthly. Something had to give, and quickly, to alleviate the pressure he was under.
For a while, the talk of paying someone to run the club had been discussed. The club was much stronger financially now and to a certain extent there were funds to make this a reality.
Kev told the club that he was in a position to take voluntary redundancy and in doing so the financial package would leave him better off. If the club now paid him to do this job, the wages required wouldn't be so great. It was put to the vote and passed. From then on the general secretary's job would be a paid role.
Emergency meeting
The first year in which he was paid to run the club was 1998. With everything in place and nothing else to distract him, everything would run much more smoothly. There was a problem though, because the vote on paying someone to run the club wasn't an overwhelming majority. Many members disliked the fact that club funds were being used in this way. The problem was that the job was now too big for anyone to do it on a voluntary basis. For a while club affairs continued, but there were rumblings in the background. Finally, it all came to a head in 2000 at an EGM where Kev was close to being booted out of the club.
The result of the meeting meant he was no longer to be paid for his role and he would go back to a normal day job. This was fine for keeping the members happy, which to him was the most important thing, but where was the time to run the club going to come from? The reality was they had spent three years going round in a big circle and were now back in the same situation they had started with in the first place. Though Kev would still devote all his spare time, he now had to
As far as he was concerned he had put the club before himself and he was bloody proud of the fact.
earn his living elsewhere, so couldn't be constantly at the club’s beck and call.
Beginning of the end
The fall-out from the EGM had left him very upset, but he vowed to fight on. After all, as a group, they had achieved great things and it seemed a shame to throw it all away. Keen to find a quick solution and with the committee down in numbers, Kev's idea was to recruit new people… long-term and loyal members who had put their shift in when asked in the past. People who had been there in the hard times when the club was struggling.
It didn't take long, as a new era of committee members hungry to succeed in what they were doing began to help shape the future of the LCGB.
For a while everything seemed fine. Kev was at the helm steering the ship, reliably supported by those who worked with him. As they did, membership began to grow to unprecedented levels, along with a healthy bank balance. Funds were swelling in the club’s coffers to the point that there was a huge surplus after operating costs. Being in such a strong financial position was what everyone wanted but the question was… What should they do with the leftover budget? Ideas quickly began to circulate, from a museum with headquarters to buying huge collections of vintage Lambrettas. The problem then was, rumours began to spread that money was being sanctioned without everyone being informed.
Kev was well aware of the fact and did his best to calm the situation. As far as he was concerned, no money would be spent outside of the daily running of the club unless it was decided on by the members. The museum idea was always thought to be a good one and had been supported since the days of the LPS being disbanded. Ways of raising money in the past had been thought of with members becoming patrons. That was beset with many problems and had been dead in the water for quite a while. There was the failed attempt at a museum with Eric Tudor, and Kev still hadn't forgotten the resentment that came his way when he presented the idea at an earlier AGM.
The problem is, though, that when you have a lot of money to hand, the temptation to spend it becomes greater. At the end of the day it was the club’s money and the members were part of the club, so it would be a combined decision if and when it happened. It was beginning to cause a bit of friction, which was quite ironic. After years of wishing that the club one day would be in a strong financial position, now it was, there was a tone of unhappiness about it all.
Breakdown
Personally, for Kev, it was not a great time in his life. Still struggling with stress, depression and a breakdown in his marriage, things were taking their toll on him both physically and mentally. This all saw him taking his eye off the ball when it came to club affairs.
He began to feel the committee starting to take over from him and make decisions on matters without him.
Slowly Kev gathered his life back together, but as far as he was concerned there was a split beginning to form between him and some of the main committee members. In his mind, he felt they were trying to take full control and push him out. While he was still there nothing could happen, but the internal battle would soon begin to affect the club as a whole. Kev then made a decision,
one which he often later reflected on by saying: “I have regretted that outburst ever since and will do so for the rest of my life.”. Things had come to boiling point and at an ill-tempered meeting, he personally pointed his finger at those he wanted to be rid of from the committee. The problem was, Kev had shown his hand so they knew what was coming at the next AGM. In his mind this would give them time to rally enough support, possibly preventing them from being removed. The tension between the two sides escalated, with Kev being on his own. It cut a frosty atmosphere between them and personally he was very upset that it had become like this. It now meant a power struggle for control of the club and he knew in his heart it would be damaging.
Hardest decision of his life
In the summer of 2009, Kev thought very hard about his next move. Knowing the looming AGM could tear the club apart, he made the decision to stand down as general secretary. He believed it was the right thing for the club he loved so much, but felt his hand was forced by the animosity of others. The resignation was done in the summer months through the pages of the club magazine and came as a complete shock to each and every member, I'm sure. This way, Kev hoped there would be no in-fighting, no splits between supporting groups and hopefully a new beginning, one that he would not be part of any more. After 32 years at the helm his time was done, handing over the reins to the committee he had welcomed in only a few years earlier.
He was devastated that something that had become such a major part of his life would be no more. It seemed hard to believe that it had ended this way,y but there was no going back on his decision. As far as he was concerned he had put the club before himself and was bloody proud of the fact. He wasn't going to give up his membership and if he didn't like their decisions, he could now challenge the committee as an ordinary member.
He knew the club inside out and what made it work, so it was easy for him to pick holes in what they were doing. He could become a social commentator on affairs of the LCGB, knowing many supportedpp his comments, even if nothing g changed. From now on he was free of responsibility regarding what happened to the LCGB, even though he would watch it like a hawk.
Not finished, just yet
Not one person can say they are responsible for shaping the scooter scene over the last 40 years. Kev, whether anyone thinks to the contrary, was responsible for a major part of it becoming what it is today. He wasn't after admiration or medals, he just wanted it to be good for the masses. Even today arguments wrangle over whether he was treated unfairly and question him standing down. Perhaps he should have fought to the end, but as usual he put others before himself.
Not running the LCGB had left a big hole in his life, and perhaps others in his position would have simply bowed out of the scene. Not Kev, he was a fighter and swiftly made a move. He had set up a new business, Kev Walsh Promotions, and was now running parts fairs, including the jewel in the crown, Wicksteed Park. A deal had been agreed and he now had sole control of them with no one being able to interfere. It wasn't easy, they were hard work and some didn't turn a profit. They made him a living though, and also made him feel part of the scene he had helped create. Though he would never get over what had happened with the LCGB committee, he was happy with his life, which was all that mattered.
Next month: The legacy that is Kevin Walsh.