Steve Reid.

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Dollyman1850

Original Poster:

6,319 posts

257 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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I am sitting at the Keyboard wondering how to write this message.

Many of you will have known that Steve Reid has bravely fought Cancer over the last 2 - 3 years.

It fills me with great sadness to have to report that Steve's battle with this hateful disease ended on the Morning of Tuesday 18th August 2015.

The TVR world at large has lost one of the marques great characters and one of the most knowledgeable enthusiasts and specialists that TVR has ever known.

I have asked many folk over the past few days how best to sum Steve up. Grumpy Old Bugger, seemed to be mentioned most frequently smile

I am writing this having lost a true friend. Steve didn't make friends lightly, he would never suffer fools lightly.. In the TVR world he would classify you as old school or a tyre kicker..I feel very proud to have been regarded by him as one of the former.

Its fitting that towards the end a gathering of many of his closest friends took place and in a way, Only Steve would end up having a party back at his place just before his death rather than after it. Such was the measure of the man and also the regard in which he was held by so many.

Many stories were told on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before his passing. some not repeatable on this forum but all extremely funny.

I guess that there will be many wanting to share their own stories regarding Steve and I hope you will post them on here so we can all remember a true friend and a True TVR enthusiast.

I am posting a few pictures taken of Steve.

one picture was taken only 4 weeks ago. It is personal to me, a culmination of a very long held ambition to build an old TVR and go racing. I will treasure this memory and the help given to me by my great mate for the rest of my life.

Also one with his best mate and best Man Simon which I took on the morning of Steve's wedding to Lil.

Steve leaves a legacy of Friends, and an unsurpassed knowledge of the early cars. Steve also leaves his Soul mate Lili Reid. Lili simply was Steve's rock and has cared for Steve in his final months like no other. Lili is a very very special Woman whom Steve loved very very much.

So there you have it.

The passing of Steve Reid. quite simply Mr TVR. i hope everyone will raise a glass and share a memory or two.

I am proud to have known this very very special man.




TvrJohn

1,059 posts

262 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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How sad, heard the talk on the grapevine from a fellow TVR owner a few weeks ago
RIP

Graham

16,369 posts

291 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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I met steve a fair few times, when racing TVR's or at odd events, we even accidentally ended up at his place to look at TaVR M for the old chap, we were just round the corner were looking at ads whilst we had lunch and phoned up, and I still hadnt managed to put 2 and 2 together before we turned up..

Spent rather longer there than anticipated looking at all the cars and chatting about things TVR.


He will be missed not just by his close friends and family but the TVR Community in general.


Great that he got to see you race.


Cheers
G

Terminator

2,421 posts

291 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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First met Steve many, many years ago when I popped in to see him on my way back from Blackpool.

I last saw him at last year's pre-80s meeting.

One of the great characters of the TVR-world, he'll be missed.


intermediate

176 posts

232 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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There are few people you can count on to answer any TVR question. Steve was one of them. A great personality, I have fond memories of our last Goodwood picnic (rather liquid than solid). Our deepest sympathies to family and friends.

GAjon

3,804 posts

220 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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Very sad news, glad to have known him, grateful for his help and assistance on several occasions in past years.

John.

ATE399J

729 posts

244 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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Sad news.
I remember calling him to buy parts only for him to tell me where to get them cheaper! Always good for a long chat about the cars and, sometimes, the characters that surrounded them.
Always helpful and always willing to give generously of his time.
RIP Steve.

ephemera

215 posts

166 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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Very sad news, my condoleances to his loved ones. I remember him simply as THE person to get me into TVR's. I visited him around 2000 looking for a Vixen and what struck me were two things: In the morning when I arrived, he first drove all his cars outside and left them idling to warm up. I thought, what a wonderful thing to do in the morning, inspirational ;-) And the second thing was that he told me that he had taught his wife to determine what the fluid was when there was a little puddle on the floor, preferably by tasting it ;-) I thought, what a wife! I am still trying to convince my wife but she is still refusing. RIP Steve.

pete.reeve

516 posts

290 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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Sad news indeed. I never had the pleasure of meeting Steve face to face but he gave me great information and huge encouragement when I was building the Vixen. In the days of yore, he had actually owned it. He was also very helpful with parts to complete the job. One of the last messages I got from him was that he was keeping his beady eye on me and the car. I will miss that beady eye….. Neil – please accept my deepest of condolences and also please share them with Steve’s Lili. Rest In Peace Steve. Long live TVR

Pete & Marion x

Sonus

294 posts

190 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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That is very sad news. I only spoke to him a few times on the phone and was hoping to meet him in person some day to talk Daimler V8 powered TVRs in detail. Please pass on my sincere condolences to his family.

chris52

1,560 posts

190 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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I only met Steve a couple of times once at his home and the other time at the pre 80's. But here on the forum he has always helped and when he said do it this way you knew that is was the correct way. He will be sadly missed especially by his loved ones and close friends but also on here.
RIP sTeVeR

Chris

Rocket 88

67 posts

207 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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Well done Neil for being brave enough to start this sad post. I first spoke to Steve in the mid 70’s when I was looking to purchase a Tuscan. He didn’t have one for sale so our paths didn’t cross for another 20 years or so.
In the mid 90’s we were re-acquainted through a mutual friend when we used to have regular trips to the NEC for the classic car shows and a group from Yorkshire would meet up with a group from Cheshire where Steve was RO for the region at the time. We seldom got to see any of the cars on display as we seemed to spend most of the time in the bar talking about cars. Steve was very knowledgeable and we would learn far more from listening to his “opinions” than visiting any of the stands. At the end of the show we would drive to the Green Man at Middleton and have a great meal and some more beer (except for the designated driver of course) and some brilliant crack.
That was when I first got to know Steve and it took most of the 20 odd years since, to get to the point where Steve and I became firm friends. As the saying goes, good things are worth waiting for. Now that he has gone I feel a great sense of loss. Fortunately, I have some fond memories of Steve and even though he was a grumpy old bugger he was always fun to be with.
RIP Steve
Roger

RFC1

1,107 posts

204 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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I only ever spoke to Steve on the phone, but was always helpful, honest, and sometimes quite blunt ! And given the probable nature of some of my questions he had every reason to be so..biggrin

A sad loss in TVR circles and an irreplaceable one to his wife and friends.

RIP Steve.

Sandy

GPW41

150 posts

150 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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RIP Steve

Life is too short

Dave

BOMBER123

193 posts

142 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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Steve was known to my friends & I as TVR man , I guess our paths first crossed approx 20 years ago ( time flys ! ).

To this day I do not know why we hit it off , but we did & we had some great adventures over the years , way too many too mention

One of my favourites is was when he transported my old lambo urraco to silverstone with me for a magazine photo shoot, finally got there after a 3 hour drive in the pissing rain & the thing wouldnt go ! Steve ended up towing me round the track in his estate car with the camera man hanging out of the back of it ! It made the magazine & they air brushed the rope out. Best of it was we finally got back to Warrington & settled down in the Parr arms , had a belly full of beer each, we forgot the old lambo was sat on the trailor behind his car at the front of the pub , after the session Steve calmly just got back in his motor & tootled the lambo on the trailor back to his pad , we unloaded it next day !

Lil & Steve , became great friends to myself & Karen , It was great to sit up with them both a couple of Saturdays ago untill 1.30am Sunday morning having a drink or three ! Steves knowledge is beyond belief both on life & TVRs ,he reeled off so much information that night, that knowledge has now sadly gone , but we will never forget that night , I know Steve & reflecting now I think he knew that night we would perhaps not see each other again , very very clever man Steve !

Yes we all know he could peel an orange with his hand still in his pocket but I guess that was his charm


Thoughts are with Lil & all Steves other Petrol head friends we met at the wedding & his 65th

Jon Driver

ps , sorry about my grammer

RetroWheels

3,385 posts

278 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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I only met Steve on a few occasions - always at Oulton Park.
Always i found him friendly and knowledgeable, interesting to listen to, and always ready to offer advice.
Steve will always be synonymous with Classic TVR to me ,and whenever JCU 701 was in the paddock i would wander over and we'd very soon be immersed in great TVR discussion.
A nice guy - R.I.P.


clive f

7,250 posts

240 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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such sad news, a great loss to the TVR community , I haven't spoken to Steve since the last April Chatsworth gathering which was a couple of years ago? and after just reading this I`m in shock, RIP Steve.

DavidY

4,474 posts

291 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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A very sad loss, I first spoke to Steve, 25 years ago when looking to buy my first M series car, and over the years I had with TVRs got to know him, our relationship changed from being that 'Grumpy Old Bugger', and me that 'Youth from the South' into a friendship, and we would always have a good chat when we met. Steve's knowledge on classic TVRs was enormous.

He will be much missed, and my condolences go out to his family.

plasticpig72

1,647 posts

156 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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sad news,
i only know of him from his fantastic support to the TVR forum, always ready to help.
A great loss
R.I.P. sTeVeR
Alan

Walter Cash

71 posts

274 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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Absent Friends