Radio le Mans: Which year did they start?

[Ferrari Spider]

Matt, count me in I've been involved in book production of varies sorts and writting articles for magazines.  Would be keen to get involved so count me in even if it is to pull shots together and speak to people and get their memories.

Be happy to contribute in any way.

All the best Peter

[Nordic]

I have photos availabe from 1980 (my first year ) to 86 when I got fed up with carrying a camera everywhere.

Mostly of the cars but a few of other things, little mini, drag racing in Houx etc.

[Werner]

Amazing that my one year old thread got restarted...
Anyway, the subject has changed, may we we should continue this discussion in a new thread. The idea of a book is very interesting. On www.lemanszone.de are more than 400 pics from the years 1985 - 2004, for most pics I still have the negatives and would provide them

Cheers

Werner

[Steve Pyro]

The book sounds a first class idea.  As a great deal of those at the race don't actually see much of the racing, there must be scores of amusing anecdotes and photos floating around.

My crew have their share of stories and photos.

[jpchenet]

I'm a relative newbie with only five years under my belt, but I already have a few stories to tell. Abs and Ballast (aka The Fat Lad) have 14 years behind them now so I'm sure they'll be able to contribute as well.

[hgb]

Amazing that my one year old thread got restarted...

I only just realised... whow, Auntie J did some good digging.

[Matt Harper]

I think it's encouraging to see that there is some interest in a project like this.
Firstly, I must point out that I am not a professional writer and I've personally never published anything more involved than a service engineers newsletter. That said, I know a few people (and now Peter too, of course) who could give help and guidance.
Two books precipitated this (I'm not claiming this as my idea - I merely hijacked someone else's idea on this thread). The first is called "A Day In The Life Of A Nation", which is a large format book full of colour DPS images of life in the USA all taken on one particular day. There is only minimal copy, basically describing when and where the shot was taken. It's a compelling album, which I found hard to put down ("A rip-roaring pot-boiler that has the reader spell-bound from first page to last" - Charlie Bloggs, Cleckhuddersfax Chronicle).
The second is another hardback, large format book called "The Long, Long Day" This is a photo-record of the 1986 24 Hour Race, produced by Nissan Motorsports Europe. Not sure if it was ever offered to the general public (I used to do some marketing work for Nissan and they gave me a copy). It is somewhat biased, in that it focusses on the two Nissamax Group C cars, that were pretty mediochre, but it is beautifully presented and very atmospheric. Again, it's light on copy, but a nice thing to browse.
I would be very keen to see images of both the race and the 'side-show' from the last 30 years or so - but I'm based in the USA - not UK, so mailing them could be troublesome and expensive. Is it possible to post onto a picture hosting site, so that editing could become a group effort? What I'd be looking for are images that tell a story, or are unusual or emotional. How do we progress this, I wonder?     

[Steve Pyro]

Matt, I've a subscription to the Webshots photo hosting service that allows unlimited files of any size.
http://community.webshots.com/user/route66weasel

I would happily receive and upload photos to this central repository from any interested participant.

[Ferrari Spider]

Matt, i like the ideas that you have suggested.  The most important thing is to decide what the book is to be about.  You have already said that it should be about the fans, would this be all fans or the various groups that make up club arnage?
Would it be about just LM or do you think we should now include ALMES ?

I like the day in the life but it could be extended to the whole year from coming back from one year and all the intermediate to the next year.

Also don't get hung up a book theme, we could do an e-book either paid for as a download or sell the actual disc.  The disc could also have moving images as well, i'm sure there must some good footage out there.

Anyway there are a few thoughts, lets throw it open and see what other suggestions come forward.

Peter

[Bobblehat]

Over the last few years I have been trying to find the time to get my self started with a book of stories about British at Le Mans from the fans point of view.

My plan was/is to start with first races and work forward decade by decade with photos and stories, how they traveld there what the entertainment was like camping and facilties etc.

The hardest will be the first races as the people who were there will now be late in years or, unfortunatly, not with us any more. But I am sure that the many car clubs and the likes of the Brooklands Socitey could help.

If a project like this comes off. I agree that it should be a high quality production. But I know the cost of producing such an item - I worked in the printing world for a quite few years, working on top end print works (still have a few contacts, might be able to help there) - also it will be a very specilised book, with a limeted readership. I suggest it is done by subscription. With the subscribes names in the back of the book.

[Matt Harper]

OK - it will be easy to let this kind of whither on the vine - so here's a thought. I've been going to Le Mans since 1983 and probably have about 500 photographs (other than the regulation half-a-car and blurred fairground shots, which might make an amusing book in their own right). I go to Le Mans with 15 other dudes, who also have the same quantity of celluloid and digital gems/rocks. If you have a collection of Le Mans snaps that 'say something', email the 5 best ones to me at mharper6@cfl.rr.com and let's see if we can get this thing off the ground.

[Auntie J]

Hi, sorry it's taken me a while to respond. The Brits at Le Mans book is a racing one with some anecdotes, a chapter on each 'era', and if you'd like to contribute some stories I am sure they would be given consideration. I think they'd like to include one or two. At the moment the author wishes to remain anonymous but I'll alert him to anything here. HOWEVER, it strikes me that there is indeed room for another book about the Le Mans Experience, as there must be 10,000 different 'Le Mans' in people's heads. Still no sign of the group who came to Radio Le Mans that I missed?

I've found an old interview about Radio Le Mans and it looks as though my first year was 1988, so it did start in 1987, to confirm. A company called Personal PA came up with the idea, then Harry Turner and the late Jim Tanner had the licence, later bought by Haymarket, publishers of Autosport. Harry, where are you now? Edinburgh last I heard, but we've all lost you ... Hindhaugh's trying to find you!