Just a few facts about Bourne in Lincolnshire it is a famous market town and it is reputed to be the birth place of Hereward The Wake the last of the English. Also famous as the birth place of Raymond Mays motor racing driver and ERA manufacture.Thomas Raymond Mays (GB) 1 Aug 1899 - 6 Jan 1980
Raymond Mays was one of the most famous British drivers in the 30s. However he will always be best known for his involvement in promoting and developing the ERA and BRM projects. He was born in Bourne, Lincolnshire in 1899 as the son of one of Britain's pioneer motorists. After serving in the First World War he started racing in 1921 with a Hillman he persuaded his father to buy for him and won first time out. He specialized in hillclimbes and sprint events racing Hillmans, Bugattis, ACs and Vauxhalls. With the aid of Victor Riley he built the "White Riley" and with the sponsorship from Humphrey Cook the project developed into the ERA. Mays was co-founder and head driver of the team and the cars were built on his home yard at Bourne. Mays was a fast and clean driver who demanded the most from his cars. In 1937 ERA and Mays dominated the Voiturette season but soon afterwards declined as the Italians took up the challenge. In 1939 Mays raced his ERA as an independent. After the war Mays continued to compete but after a while he became fully engaged in promoting BRM as England's new hope in GP racing. He therefore retired from racing after the 1949 International Trophy. Died in Bourne, England 1980.
1934: 1 Nuffield Trophy (handicap) / DNF (heat) Dieppe GP / 2 Mountain 1935: DNF Mannin Moar / 1 Eifel (Voiturette) / DNF German GP / DNF Mountain 1936: DNS Tunis GP / 1 Shelsley Walsh (mountainclimb) / 4 JCC 200 (Voiturette) / 1 Mountain 1937: 1 British Empire Trophy (Handicap) / 7* Campbell Trophy / 4* Campbell Trophy (Voiturette) / 2 Isle of Man (Voiturette) / 1 Picardie (Voiturette) / 1* Albi (Voiturette) / 1 JCC International Trophy (Handicap) / 2 Swiss GP (Voiturette) / DNF JCC 200 GP / 1 Dublin (Voiturette) / DNF Donington GP 1938: 1 Picardie (Voiturette) / 1 Mountain 1939: 2 Nuffield Trophy (Voiturette) / DNF French GP Bourne is also home to the Bourne Wheelers Cycling club which is still quite active and strong and has a long tradition.
Thats all for now. Keep those wheels spinning, in your memories if not still on the road. Be lucky Mick Butler Huntingdon UK.