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Great story, as always, John. Your reminiscences make me homesick for my mother country, which I left at the age of 23, 50 years ago this coming April. How the time has flown…
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<div>Mike<br>
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<div dir="ltr">Michael Marr<br>
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<div>Mobile: 630-202-0065</div>
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<div>Sent from my iPad</div>
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<blockquote type="cite">On Feb 11, 2023, at 11:12, John Macartney <johnbmacartney@gmx.com> wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr"> Hi, Don,
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<div>I met Sir John on many occasions, though only as a child. When Dad left Standard (temporarily in 1945 on health grounds - he had seven duodenal ulcers) Black was a regular visitor at our home, usually on his way home. He arrived in late 1944 just after
my birth and said “I’ve come to see the son and heir. I hope I’m not too late?” to which my mother replied, “I’m sorry Sir John, but you’re too late. He was put to bed an hour ago and cannot be disturbed”.</div>
<div>As Ma said on several occasions in later years, “that was the only time I ever refused him and he was as meek and apologetic as a lamb.”</div>
<div>But he came on many other occasions as I grew older and I remember him as kind, generous and very interested in my progress at school - about which the less said the better.</div>
<div>John Black has not enjoyed a favourable press, mainly from Graham Robson, who never knew him AFAIK, and who has most unjustly portrayed Black as an ogre and “a man with a Stalinist management style”. When I worked at Standard Triumph in the 60s, many of
my colleagues at all levels were longstanding supporters and advocates of their former boss and wouldn’t hear anything to his discredit. Yes, he had mood swings, yes he could be an absolute s**t if the mood took him and he certainly didn’t suffer fools. But
he was fair, kind and took a detailed interest in every employee, most of whom he knew by name and he also knew a great deal about them. This is largely because he made a point of going anywhere in the plant on a daily basis quite alone and talked to everyone
he met. Additionally, on Mondays he made a point of welcoming new intake at their workstation. On Fridays, he visited every employee who was leaving, wished them good luck and if they had performed their jobs well, he assured them another job at Standard would
be found if their new job didn’t work out.</div>
<div>It was those little things - and so many more about the man - that endeared him to so many on aspects of an amazing man who Graham Robson has grossly and unjustly misrepresented on many times in print.</div>
<div>I well remember Blacks memorial service in Coventry Cathedral in Jan 1965. More than sixty years later, that service is still a landmark event in the building history because the number of attendees vastly exceeded those who were there when members of
our Royal Family were present. They crammed more than 5000 Standard Triumph employees and retirees in the building and there were another 2000 odd outside sheltering from a blizzard. People don’t turn out in those numbers in bad weather and the cold because
they’ve nothing better to do. They were there because a certain man had helped them enjoy a better life or had done something for them as individuals that they never forgot. That’s some epitaph!<br>
As an aside, I do a range of talks in the UK on a number of different automotive subjects and automotive people for clubs and societies and on the people side, it’s about 50/50 in the popularity stakes between William Morris (Lord Nuffield, another amazing
man and philanthropist) and Sir John Black. I look forward to the day when the scales tip 60/40 in favour of Sir John.</div>
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<div>Cheers, Jonmac<br>
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<div id="AppleMailSignature" dir="ltr">Sent from a piece of electronic papyrus I found in King Tut’s tomb</div>
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On 11 Feb 2023, at 12:23, Don Hiscock <<a href="mailto:don.hiscock@gmail.com">don.hiscock@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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<div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">Jonmac, did you ever have a chance to be in a room or at some event with Sir John? Seems like with your and especially your father's long association with S-T that might have happened at some time. There
can't be many in this group who could say that...</div>
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<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Feb 11, 2023 at 4:31 AM John Macartney <<a href="mailto:johnbmacartney@gmx.com">johnbmacartney@gmx.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
February 10th is the day. I no longer have a Standard or Triumph car to drive, but I still celebrated the event. I drove my large convertible of Swedish origin to his former home near where I live which for many years has been a *very* expensive hotel and restaurant.
Mindful of our stringent UK laws relating to DUI, I resisted the temptation for a pint of my favourite brew but enjoyed an excellent cup of freshly brewed coffee. Then I paid the check. Frightening! Nonetheless it was worth the trip. You can find out more
about the venue at <a href="http://www.mallory.co.uk" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">
www.mallory.co.uk</a><br>
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Jonmac<br>
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Sent from a piece of electronic papyrus I found in King Tut’s tomb<br>
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