Welcome to Brian Woolley HQ - in memory of my father whom I could describe as a potentially charming, polymath, with a photographic memory. Like many of his generation, he liked to chain-smoke unfiltered cigarettes and he certainly enjoyed a drink. Not only was he an expert 50cc 2 stroke motorcycle engineer, but he was also a gifted Dixieland Jazz clarinet player; subjective fact. When someone asked the well-known jazz musician Sonny Monk if he'd heard of Brian Woolley, Sonny replied in astonishment "Heard of him? Has an artist heard of Picasso?" (He really was that good). He also found time to run a family business, write books and numerous articles, build cars and participate in the occasional hill climb . . .
Here he is test-driving one of his machines. Presumably the cigarette is in his left hand!
Here he is test-driving one of his machines. Presumably the cigarette is in his left hand!
Brian riding a recently restored vintage motorcycle
Some of my earliest memories are of my parents having parties at our bungalow in Shepshed, Leicestershire [England]. Often Dad's entire jazz band would rehearse in our living room! Below are pictures of the two EPs he released on the Esquire Record label - recorded in 1957-1958.
|
|
|
Esquire label 45 rpm, four track EPs
Brian and Marjorie Woolley had two children - me and my younger brother Guy - who wasn't yet born when this picture was taken. I believe it's outside The Plough Public House in Normanton on Soar, where I had my first taste of beer (shandy in fact - another early memory) around the time of this photograph:
Left to right: Bruce, Marjorie and Brian Woolley