My brother never really spoke too much about his feelings but I always knew how he felt about our relationship. Never more so when I went to visit my Dad in the US. I was there a week or so and had a phone call from Nina to tell me he felt vulnerable when I was not around. It is funny to think that he wanted me around so much because my life was never complete unless he was around too.
One of my fondest memories about Tommy was his susceptibility to be easily swayed, especially when it came to buying cars. Tommy passed his driving test first time when he was 17 years old. 33 years a driver and an amazing 23 different cars over the years. Many were repeat buys! Four Supras, four Audi TTs, three MG BGTs, an MGB roadster, two MR2s, three Astra GTEs, two Golf VR6s, two Mini Cooper S, and I am sure I have missed a few. We travelled far and wide to buy cars. At first it was relatively close. Lakeside sticks in my mind (he swapped his first MR2 for a Golf VR6). On the way home I commented on how ‘boxy’ it was compared to the 2 seat sports car he had just swapped it for. He swore at me and said I had just planted a seed of doubt in his mind and by the time we arrived back at his house he had decided to sell it. He swore he would never go car shopping with me again. Of course we did and I had to promise before each trip I would keep my mouth shut. Of course I tried to abide. The most epic trip however was a few years ago when he had sourced what would have been his fourth Supra in Ayr, Scotland. The trip excited him. He had planned it all. George would drive us to Stanstead, we would fly up to Glasgow and get a train to Ayr. Due to track problems we had to change for a bus service in St Johnston. Ayr in January is freezing. Tom and I were huddled next to each other on the bus trying to keep warm when we saw a local walking about in a T-shirt and shorts. We looked at each other and Tom’s face said it all!! When we arrived after a five hour trip that started at 7am, he made me promise not to force him into buying it. I didn’t need to. After deliberating over lunch, he decided he didn’t want it. We were in Ayr with no plan on how to get back to London. The reverse trip must have cost him a lot but the look on George’s face when he came to pick us up from Heathrow was priceless! He did eventually buy Supra No.4 – from a farmer in Yorkshire. I drove it once and told him it was rubbish. He sold it and bought his fourth and final Audi TT.
I miss him every day but am glad I have so many fond memories of this wonderful man it was my honour to call ‘Brother’. So many people have commented on how ‘cool’ Tommy was. He was unique and his ‘coolness’ was absolutely effortless. He didn’t have to try. He was just Tom - my wonderful, perfect brother.
My brother never really spoke too much about his feelings but I always knew how he felt about our relationship. Never more so when I went to visit my Dad in the US. I was there a week or so and had a phone call from Nina to tell me he felt vulnerable when I was not around. It is funny to think that he wanted me around so much because my life was never complete unless he was around too.
One of my fondest memories about Tommy was his susceptibility to be easily swayed, especially when it came to buying cars. Tommy passed his driving test first time when he was 17 years old. 33 years a driver and an amazing 23 different cars over the years. Many were repeat buys! Four Supras, four Audi TTs, three MG BGTs, an MGB roadster, two MR2s, three Astra GTEs, two Golf VR6s, two Mini Cooper S, and I am sure I have missed a few. We travelled far and wide to buy cars. At first it was relatively close. Lakeside sticks in my mind (he swapped his first MR2 for a Golf VR6). On the way home I commented on how ‘boxy’ it was compared to the 2 seat sports car he had just swapped it for. He swore at me and said I had just planted a seed of doubt in his mind and by the time we arrived back at his house he had decided to sell it. He swore he would never go car shopping with me again. Of course we did and I had to promise before each trip I would keep my mouth shut. Of course I tried to abide. The most epic trip however was a few years ago when he had sourced what would have been his fourth Supra in Ayr, Scotland. The trip excited him. He had planned it all. George would drive us to Stanstead, we would fly up to Glasgow and get a train to Ayr. Due to track problems we had to change for a bus service in St Johnston. Ayr in January is freezing. Tom and I were huddled next to each other on the bus trying to keep warm when we saw a local walking about in a T-shirt and shorts. We looked at each other and Tom’s face said it all!! When we arrived after a five hour trip that started at 7am, he made me promise not to force him into buying it. I didn’t need to. After deliberating over lunch, he decided he didn’t want it. We were in Ayr with no plan on how to get back to London. The reverse trip must have cost him a lot but the look on George’s face when he came to pick us up from Heathrow was priceless! He did eventually buy Supra No.4 – from a farmer in Yorkshire. I drove it once and told him it was rubbish. He sold it and bought his fourth and final Audi TT.
I miss him every day but am glad I have so many fond memories of this wonderful man it was my honour to call ‘Brother’. So many people have commented on how ‘cool’ Tommy was. He was unique and his ‘coolness’ was absolutely effortless. He didn’t have to try. He was just Tom - my wonderful, perfect brother.