President, Patron and Founder Member Over The Years

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President
The President is a senior Member of the Club whose experience, advice and influence is of benefit to the Club. This post is non-executive in that it does not have a portfolio of responsibility. Election of the President is by postal ballot of the membership

The Club has had three Presidents…

1. Philip Conrad Vincent (1949-1979)*
Issue no. 1 of MPH lists Philip C. Vincent A.M.I.A.E., A.M.I.P.E. as President. There could hardly have been any other choice than the man who gave his name to the company, and our machines. Neither does it seem necessary to give any details of P.C.V. since most Members will know the story, but in the event that you do not, then the following bibliography would be useful.

The Vincent HRD Story, Roy Harper, Vincent Publishing Co., 1975. P.C.V. The Autobiography of Philip Vincent, Vincent Publishing Company, 1976. Tales of the Snarling Beast, Philip Conrad Vincent, Motorcycle Sport, Nov. 1966 continuing (through Drawing Board to full bore, etc.) to the mid-1970s.

P.C.V. remained the Club’s President until he died in March 1979 – by this time listed as C.Eng. M.I.Mech.E. A.M.I.P.E., for ‘Chartered Engineer’, Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ – successors to the automotive engineers, and Associate member of the Institution of Production Engineers.

2. Philip Edward Irving (1979-1992)*
P.C.V. was succeeded as President by Phil Irving from the 1979 Annual General Meeting, the earliest occasion that the Club had to discuss a new President.

Philip E. Irving, M.I.Mech.E., M.S.A.E., Int.A.M.I.P.E., had been listed as the Club’s Vice President from MPH no. 1 in 1949. This, too, was a fairly obvious choice, and Phil Irving’s contribution to the design and stature of Vincent-HRD hardly needs outlining. From his arrival in the UK, on the back of John Gill’s ‘round the world’ Vincent H.R.D., P.E.I. came and went at the factory, but nevertheless managed to be the major engineering influence. Again, those who do not know enough might read some of his books such as: Phil Irving an Autobiography, Turton and Armstrong, 1992. Tuning for Speed, published in various editions from 1948 to at least the 1970s, and the motorcycle tuner’s ‘bible’ throughout that period. Motorcycle Engineering or Motorcycle Engineering, also produced in various editions, including Clymer, Motorcycle Technicalities, replicating many of P.E.I.’s articles for ‘MotorCycling’ as ‘Slide Rule’. Re-published by Turton and Armstrong, 1983,

P.E.I. actively served the Club, writing many times in MPH, and had many achievements to his credit subsequent to his Stevenage days, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix winning Repco Brabham engine design, which was a major factor in gaining his award of a M.B.E. (Member of the British Empire), so that his final MPH listing read Philip E. Irving M.B.E., F.I.Mech.E., M.S.A.E.Aust. (Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Member of the Society of Automobile Engineers Australia – I presume). Philip Irving died on 14th January, 1992.

3. Bryan Phillips (1992-Date)
Following on from Phil Irving, the Club elected Bryan Phillips as President, and it is his name that appears in MPH from December 1992 to the present day. Bryan had previously served as the Club’s Hon. Chairman from 1966 to 1991, in other words a full 25 years! Not only that, but Bryan had previously served in one of the most onerous of Club posts, that of Hon. Secretary, having taken on the job as ‘Acting Hon. Secretary’ in the wake of a major Club trauma in the mid-1960s, and also of Hon. Social Secretary. In addition to this there are many other jobs Bryan has done for the Club, internationally, nationally, and at a local level (especially in the Aldershot Section). Bryan, of course, still takes a very active part in all aspects of the Club, and makes himself available for most Club business meetings (Executive Committee and General Committee), as well as writing regularly in MPH, so that he should be a familiar figure to all, and needs no further introduction.

Patron
Deirdre Vincent-Day (2002-Date)

The position of ‘Patron’ is relatively new, first appearing in MPH for December 2002. It arose out of a concern by the Club to retain a formal contact with the Vincent family. Since the passing of PCV, and then his wife Freda, only informal contact had existed. As a result of discussions at the 2002 Annual General Meeting, and an approach by the Executive Committee, Deirdre Vincent-Day filled the position of Patron. Deirdre is the only daughter of Phil and Freda Vincent, and took the name Vincent-Day on her marriage to Robin Day. Deirdre and family have attended a number of events, sometimes even by Vincent, but Deirdre has a profession and cannot spare as much time as we might like. It is hoped that Deirdrie's son, Philip Vincent-Day, will retain a continuing interest in his family heritage.

Founder Member
W. Alan Jackson
*
The name of Alan Jackson is another that appears on the cover of MPH no. 1, although only in the post of Hon. Secretary. To Alan, however, we all owe our Club, as it was Alan who started the ball rolling by circulating a letter proposing a Club, late in 1949, and it was from that ‘acorn’ that the VOC has grown.

As Hon. Sec. it was Alan that got the Club onto a sound footing, already in the third MPH a healthy Membership was apparent, and he announced that the VOC was ACU affiliated, a discount was available from the RAC, an Isle of Man HQ was organised, and Avon had presented their Avon Trophy – still the Club’s major sporting trophy to this day. Alan worked at Kings of Oxford, which was a major Vincent dealer at the time, and, like many of the owners of the time, was young and keen on the sporting side of ownership – MPH used to have a regular feature entitled ‘H R Deeds’.

Alan continued as secretary until April 1952, only to have his ‘rest’ interrupted later in the year when he stood in as acting Chairman, until Bill Hindes took over (a name we shall meet again). Afterwards Alan became interested in sailing, and spent much of his time in the Mediterranean, and had only sporadic interaction with the Club thereafter – such as in 1965 when a proposed spares funding arrangement led to an EGM of the Club, which he attended.

In recognition of his contribution to the Club, the fourth Annual General Meeting in 1952, voted Alan a Vice President of the Club, which remained the position until 1981 when the Club rules were revised regarding Vice Presidents (with a five year tenure). Although Alan’s Vice-Presidency was not in question, and he was very active in the affair, he did not feel able to do other than maintain unity with some other VPs of his era who resigned their positions. Fortunately for the Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club, he did feel able to continue his association with the Club as its ‘founder’. Although Alan died in 1992, his name continues to be listed in MPH as the ‘Founder Member’ in his memory and in recognition of his part in the Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club story.

*Deceased

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Graham Smith

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