The Roaring Season

The loss of David cuts deep.
It was so much more of a shock to me - as I had emailed David only 18 days ago ...and had a cheery reply from him.
I had the 250F Maserati book written by David and I finally met him about 7- 8 years ago and reading his works had already given me an insight into his amazing mind.
I visited him when he was living in Vartry Rd in Tottenham and we also had many lunches during my UK visits.
Both of us being born in NZ meant a lot of ground was covered during our annual lunches in London - when I went over for the Goodwood Revival. A a lot of time was spent rehashing our parallel childhood days in Auckland.... as well as “car stuff”.
An astounding fact emerged during one of these lunch chats: David used to stay with his grandfather on some weekends in Parnell, a near-city suburb in Auckland.I actually lived 200 yards from that very house.... however we had never met.
I went to Auckland a couple of years ago and took photos of the actual street and his late g/father’s house and sent them on to David. He was like a kid when he saw them, telling me later he had also sent them on to his sister, who I think is still in NZ??? I knew little about his family.
Amongst the many roles in his life, David worked for some time as a Parliamentary reporter in Wellington, NZ -and when I said that when my wife and I were in Wellington, we had dinner at a hotel right across the road from the Parliament buildings. David said ”Oh boy, we “lived there” after work, having a beer or 3!
One of nature’s characters and sadly missed by all who had known him ..and had benefitted from his “human hard drive” memory abilities.
RIP David

Chaps, David's service will be held at 11am Friday, which is midnight Friday in NZ time. So, we can't be there, but let's raise a glass to David on Friday wherever we are, for his amazing understanding, sympathy for and knowledge of NZ's racing history, and for sharing it with us all.
Cheers, David.

Regards Glenn Ducey.

I certainly will be Glenn. This is certainly a sad loss. Not just the loss of knowledge but the touch of humour behind them. I am one of the many on here who never met David, a great disappointment to me now, it just reminds me how much knowledge needs to be shared and gifted to others, a gift David was always willing to give.

RIP David.

Sean McBride

Top idea Glenn

Agree Glenn, must get the timing correct - he will notice!
Cheers

I'm sure my friend David Beard will not object to me posting these here for you all:







Farewell, David.

I too would like to say farewell to one of MOTORSPORTS more interesting characters having met him a couple of times in the late seventies and had similar interests the history of the sport. We had a couple of great conversations, Farewell David we did not know each other that well but we may meet up somewhere else sometime in another life to talk Motorsport history.