I want to win the war against getting older. Impossible of course but I want to win every battle during the war. On my 75th birthday I showed just how fit and strong I was. The next five years proved my points but in a negative way – I let myself down. Too much driving, too much sitting at a computer, snacking, got out of my exercise habits, golf at the weekends only. My reward – a heart attack soon after my 8oth birthday and triple by pass surgery. It was contaminated by a chronic infection that prevented my sternum coming together. Thanks to the brilliant Cardiothoracic team at University Hospital Coventry I am back to normal – just not doing the heavy weightlifting any more…and I don’t need to. The war against getting older is back on!
I was 80 in January 2023. I still enjoy full time work, sport and family life and I intend for this to continue despite the increasing effects of numerous breaks, dislocations and surgeries all over my body. Rugby is a tough sport but it is a wonderful team sport. Motor racing was great when I was starting to feel too old (40) to play the serious rugby I still played at 38. I won quite a few Jaguar and Porsche trophies but ‘Oh for one more game of rugby’
Age-Fit, has developed during the last 15 years – mentally the most difficult years of my life – physical capability reducing during the past five years, frustrating negatives spoiling a what started as a strong business period. Prior to that my gym – StoneleighFit and The Ram Run motivated me to prolong my years of high intensity interval training and heavy weight lifting.
Six years ago my obsession – machine tool engineering – took a positive leap forward and I gave up the gym. Golf became my personal sport and I played 36 holes every weekend but with my increasing lack of care of my lifestyle it was not enough. A lesson learned the hard way
Age-Fit exercises are simple – designed to maintain and, if needed, to develop flexibility and strength around the major joints – neck, back, hips and knees, basically these will benefit the whole body and help maintain a healthy posture and, most importantly, to maintain confidence in your balance.
A major principle of Age-Fit is keeping the mind alert at all times. Conversation, even when exercising, has serious benefits. That is why your memory bank is so important. Despite the deterioration in my lifestyle control my basic fitness was still good enough to see me through the past four months in hospital and building up my memory bank has been a huge positive as well
My memories are from a lifetime experience in international business. A young man building up millionaire companies, having it all taken away by government ineptitude and ministerial lies. My obsession with the machine tool industry that led to my roller coaster life of Triumphs and Disasters, add to these a lifetime in sport, a great family, knowing some wonderful people – no wonder I have a huge memory bank. You are welcome to take a look
- My business life – during 62 years in the machine tool industry I have several times met those two impostors – Triumph and Disaster, and I treat them just the same
- 30 years of major success enabled me to buy the No. 1 UK machine tool builder, Wickman Bennett. It was losing its place as a world leader and losing money. I took it back to the top and to great profit. Then I had to watch it being destroyed in 1992 by the machine tools for Iraq fiasco
- The next 30 years have given me technical achievements and great experiences spoiled by ineptitude and greed
- This link to our website will take you to a lot of information about what we have done
https://www.vtt-wb.com/about-us/
- For me memorable achievements were:-
- – Taking a 3 man family firm to a major engineering group 1961 – 1976
- – Successfully managing the purchase and sale of Timex Dundee plant in 1983 – a potential time bomb – the biggest such deal in history – 2600 precision machines
- – Taking Wickman Bennett back to world class and profitable position 1989 – 1992
- – Taking Webster & Bennett from a reduced position back to world class 1993 – 1999
- My sporting life – my father was a fine athlete and an international AAA coach
- Despite a business life demanding constant world wide travel I was able to compete quite successfully in athletics and enjoyed a first class rugby career that eventually switched to coaching and management
- The downside of rugby is in my injury history. Broken bones – all 5 lumbar vertebrae, leg, nose (8 times), chin, dislocated shoulder (surgery), dislocated ankle, dislocated fingers and thumbs. For 40 years I have used exercise to minimize pain and negatives caused by these injuries
- Playing rugby for England U19 Schools diverted my plans to be a modern languages/PE teacher via Oxbridge to going first to Loughborough Colleges, enticed by the prospect of 3 years full time sport
- A few weeks into the first term playing 7’s for the College I damaged my shoulder so badly that it required major surgery. I could not continue the course. The injury would keep me out of sport for nearly a year.
- My father thought I could help him in his young 3 man business for six months before going back to the modern languages plan. That 6 month plan was to become a 15 years major success in the machine tool industry
- For the new owners of a 2000 people company in Czech Republic I manged the first three years of changes 2000-03
- Webster & Bennett had been destroyed by the VC’s. I bought the wreck, joined a Belgium group and once again took W&B back to world class position 2004-07
- For the Belgian group I spent a year managing one of their companies out serious 2004, In French language
- Late 2007 the Belgians wanted to take W&B to Belgium. I would not support it. The cost to me was very high losing what remained of my working capital – but I retained my integrity
- I enjoyed a first class rugby career with Blackheath, London Scottish and several top Invitation teams until I was struck down with Bronchial Pneumonia and Pleurisy, age 28.
- Six months later I decided to give up my senior rugby ambitions and to play for Old Elthamians and the Invitation teams. My final game, age 50, was for Blackheath Golden Oldies in South Africa against Former Springboks XV
- During my 40’s I replaced my reducing rugby with motor racing – mainly Lister Jaguar XJS, E Types and Porsche 944 Turbo. All the UK major circuits and in Holland, Germany and Belgium. I enjoyed a fair number of wins😇😇
- We were also head sponsors for several Jaguar meetings
Warwick 2007.- In 4 years from almost zero to the UK’s most efficient machine tool builder
What could have been!
Webster & Bennett back to world class for the second time, this time small size with super high efficiency level – 2007 sales 17 machines, £9m, 31 employees. A first class UK supply chain for 30 ton machined castings to high precision spindles.
I could not believe it when the Belgians said they wanted to take the production to Belgium.
To this day I have never been able to answer my own questions – see next section
Such frustration, such anger – was suicide an option? No chance, not for me! Get up and fight back
Having survived psychologically if not financially the government fiasco of 1992 and then my misjudgement in letting the venture capitalists take control of Webster & Bennett in 1999 leading to its first demise I could not believe I was again faced with success leading to the company being destroyed.
I had always been able to handle ‘Triumph and Disaster’ but this time sheer frustration and disbelief nearly tipped the balance.
I had never been so down in my whole life – had it all been a waste of time?
It took me several weeks to recover and then the support of major companies, like Kaiser Rockwell, and our brilliant supply chain persuaded me to continue to fight for the UK
The Belgians then decided to liquidate the company that was full of 90+% completed machines that they bought’for a song’
Some people say I should have ‘looked after myself’ and accepted the financially generous package and moved the company – no!
| Although I have never been able to get the funding to rebuild the company yet again we have continued in a very small way To keep my mind strong and alert I work at it every day |
Far left – Porsche trophies top shelf, Jaguar trophies below
Near left – my 2 best race performances. Win at Silverstone, 2nd at Oulton Park
Near right – Heineken Amsterdam International Sevens. 1981 – 88 we contested six finals, winning two
Far right – my Murrayfield Sevens runners up medal
January 2018 – my last weights session. Target 170kgs deadlift. Achieved 160kgs. Unlikely to have another chance at it
This was just about ego! Deadlift is a single movement. The lifts and exercises I used and trained others on were always compound lifts that worked on strengthening and improving flexibility of the major joints balance and posture.
With all the exercises you can see in the photos in the Stoneleighfit and Ram Run photo files the principles are the same for any one of any age – the only change is the intensity that must be moderated to your current physical condition . However, ambition is a great things and Age-Fit will help you improve. Who would not like better posture and stronger, more flexible major joints?
