JowettTalk

Note George Green signature Hi Keith,
I hope you don't mind me emailing you, as i don't own a Jowett nor am i a member of the club . My father-in-law, Ernest Duckworth, died recently aged 95 and worked for Jowett in Bradford. My wife is clearing out his possessions and has come across a certificate dated March 1949 in respect of completion of an Advanced Service Course for 2 and 4 cylinder models including the Javelin and the Bradford van. It has 2 signatures on it, one is 'E.G.Green - service manager' and the other is what looks like 'L. Leif - director' however, i'm not sure about the latter.

I've taken a basic black and white scan of the certificate so you can see it. If it would be of any interest to the club we 'd be happy to send you the original, if not we're happy to keep it for its memories.

Best wishes, Peter Whiteley

I think this is totally cool. Such a nice piece of Jowett history and a personal memento for the family. I think it's great they are willing to offer it up to the club. Personally, I would frame it, hang it on a wall and keep it as a family history.

It does make me wonder though. A few years ago, I took my dad's photos of various early '50's races in New York and Pennsylvania and donated them to the Watkins Glen racing museum. Some of the photos were of the Glen; just spontaneous, really amateurish snaps of he and his buddies prepping a car that was entered.

I could have held on to them and looked at them once in a blue moon until I auger in. But I figured they were better saved in a file cabinet where someone might pull them out for a look, rather than likely end up in a dust bin when someone is going through my detritus.

So, I hope someone thanked them for this gesture.

Hi Peter,
I am the Press Officer & Librarian of the Club and would be delighted if you wanted to donate this Certificate to the Club Archive.
My details are:- Noel Stokoe, 16 Eskdaleside, Sleights, Whitby, North Yorkshire. YO22 5EP

There was another reference to a "Grosvenor Garage " in Buckingham Palace Road London , I think by Jack Moon in connection with Rally events, in Jowett talk recently . I wonder if there is a connection, although there is a Grosvenor Garage in Bradford which seems more likely ? perhaps the family would know ? Bob

Noel. I have the certificate.
Bob. Family lives in Halifax.

Presumably Grosvenor were the main distributor in Bradford and Mr Duckworth worked for them , maybe they registered all the factory cars , sold them on etc . It is a good piece of memorabilia , do we give donors Honorary Membership as a thank you ? Bob

As Press Officer of the Club I have had numerous donations of handbooks etc over the years, a letter of mine published in The Daily Telegraph in the late 1990's generated over 350 replies, plus a further 250+ after a similar letter of mine was published in the Saga magazine. So the simple answer to Bob's question about honorary membership is, no we don't. The reason being is that we would have had far more honorary members than actual members by now if we did......
Noel

Thanks Noel, It is good to be busy with all this material from the past but I quite see that Hon Membership may not be the way to go . I am always impressed with the interest in Jowetts from people outside the Club ,a sort of" supporters " branch or is that the "former employees" ? regards Bob

I am glad some have enjoyed this piece of memorabilia which is why I shared it on-line with you. I wish more of such artifacts were available and encourage you all to seek them out, scan them in and put into the Gallery or in JowettTalk.