My Memory's.

I doubt that they are many radio crews that have not known June, from rounding up radios for events, to running radio control.

I will always remember June from those early days, a flurry of e-mails and meeting her in some wood at an ungodly hour, usually in the dark, to collect the marshals packs.

She had a unique rapport with radio crews and any event she ran control on was well supported.

June has helped me on many occasions, rounding up crews and also running control on some Marches events.
Always cheerful and aways with good tales to tell.

I know over the last year or so she has been unable to attend the events she so enjoyed, I also know how much that would have hurt her.
Motorsport consumed her life and, in better times there were very few weekends where she would not be in control at an event or filling a radio post, usually as start radio.

I am proud to have known her, I am proud that she lists me as one of her friends on her website.

My condolences to her family and friends.

Chris Gibson, Marches 8, (formally Dean 27)

June for a while, was a member of the Forest of Dean Motor Club and I know has many friends in the Motor club.
June also supported the Hillrally club and Marches 4x4 she will be sadly missed by all that knew her.

Back in 2005 June wrote some articles for the FODMC club magazine which I have reproduced below.
These give a little insight to how motorsport became part of her life.

How did I get hooked on motorsport ?

A gentle stroll back with June.

I was fated, from the day I met the guy who was equally fated to be my husband.
He had a 1934 Rover 14 which had been the works hack throughout WW2.
He bought it for 100.00, tweaked it, then sold it for 700.00, [a good price because cars were hard to get] to buy the furniture when we married in 1948.

Our first date was to Prescott Hillclimb, 1947, where I learned the hard way that elegant shoes are not made for motorsport events.
I met Stirling Moss at a motor club event and his advice to watch the telegraph poles to see which way the roads going has stuck in my mind ever since [NB the wires do cross the road sometimes though!]
Stirling Moss and I were born in the same year and I think hes a better driver than I am in spite of his advice.

I was allowed to have a provisional licence to drive after I had passed the exam, my Dad set on the workings of the internal combustion engine, though I didnt get a licence until we saved for 11-years for our next car, [200.00 for a new Anglia] having a mortgage and two sons in the interval, but occasional visits to Shelsley etc. could now be managed.

I certainly remember the 1950 Grand Prix at Silverstone, when about 10 of us squeezed into a Mk1 Land Rover and I was 8-months pregnant.
The next car was a Cortina not a Lotus unfortunately, though I got 86mph on the clock on the VERY new M1, but I was working for a car bodyshop and although I was titled MDs secretary I roadtested customers cars while fetching parts from Singer, Rootes etc., so I drove everything from Minis upwards. I even drove a Rolls into a ditch and through a hedge, when the hydraulics failed at a crucial moment. Luckily it was going into the shop for a respray anyway.

When BL took over Rover, as the wife of a manager I was allowed a new car each year.
I had three Herald Convertibles, which both sons passed their tests in and which cost a mere 8.00 per month, inclusive of everything except fuel.

Then I had three MGBs at 10.00 per month.
Each of these had at least one hole in the silencer box and I could not understand how it happened, until many years later my younger son, who had started an apprentices car club at that time, confessed that hed been setting up 12-cars in them and 4inch ground clearance was hardly sufficient for the whites.

The last MG went when we faced redundancy and redundancy pay had not been invented.
One son at college and one Mech.Eng.apprentice to keep and we kept a village shop in Cornwall, where I had a disgusting Austin 1100 for cash and carrying and my better half drove a half-ton ancient van delivering groceries all over the Lizard.

A job offer brought us to North Hants in 1976 and I had a Mini Countryman, but I kept wearing out the CVJ,and could not persuade Deg to buy me a Mexico but he compromised on an Escort 1600 sport.

We were spectators at Mallory, Silverstone, the Dukeries, but also walked up the Brecon Beacons etc. just for the exercise.

In September 76, I fell down the stairs headfirst and was taken by ambulance, three days a week,for 7 months of physiotherapy. I knew the ambulance drivers very well and one of them was Colin Turvey, who was organising a team of marshals, known as Rent a Rabble, to help out on rallies.

When my husband died 18months later, I carried on as a bit of Rabble, we acquired some of the first 86 radios with the Forest callsign, and helped on the Scottish, the Castrol, the Wyedean, single-venues etc etc. about 40 events per year. 2004 was the first time since 76 that I havent worked on the big one for four days and nights or more. Well, its not the RAC any longer. I was even stage commander on the Wyedean for two years and if no member of FOD club is listening Ill tell you a story about the last time!

We were BMRMC members, then a few of us were asked to set up BRMC and I was told I was the Secretary.

Training days were organised, so I've squirted fire bottles at blazing dirty oil, then when the SAFETY group was formed, learned how to get your foot from under a pedal when you've hit a tree, how to cut the lock out of a car door, how to cut the roof off to get you out etc.

I tried co-driving once! If I look at a map in a moving car, I feel very ill.
I guess Im a bit too ancient to renew my competition licence and have a thrash around a forest, though it would give you all a chance not to be last, as that would be reserved for me.

Some must be wondering, since June has the callsign Forest 2, just who Forest 1 is, well the answer is above, Colin Turvey from Rent a Rabble.

Is it any Better Now ?

June continues her stroll back to the early days.

I guess competing in motorsport is for the young, brave and mechanically-minded. So I had to put up with holding clocks and shoving cars out of ditches, although younger son occasionally recruited me as part of a service crew - to make the coffee.

He serviced for Roger Platt, whose original co-driver was Russell Brookes, and Malcolm Patrick, who had a posh car each year - TR7/8 I think. Servicing was in any space we could find on a grass verge.

Just as servicing was somewhat dis-organised, so marshals were spectators who pushed cars out of ditches.

The first training days I know of were organised by the Rally Marshals National Register and the keen guys and gals could achieve Black and/or Gold status. [I still have the book listing members and their grades, dated 1981 and there are some very familiar names in it!].

We did fire training, timing etc. and even radio training.

Rescue and recoveries tended to be anyone with a bit of string until the Safety association came into being.
Then training days and lists of necessary equipment for those mad enough to purchase suitable vehicles, then spend a fortune on the right kit, began to happen.

I wish competitors [and some organisers!] would realise that licensed Rescues and Recoveries must attend training and assessments each year, are not professionals, but know more than the local recovery guy about getting cars out of ditches etc. in stages.

In the early days, radio ops. could only talk to Mike control - now Mission control - and the very few other radios.

On many events, the stage commander would ignore radio ops. or give them silly junctions and no stickers or crisps.

We got fed up with S/Comms on the Scottish, as any goodies were ONLY for marshals - radios were those who wanted to keep their feet warm. And this attitude after we'd staked and arrowed the whole of Ae made us a bit peevish.

Control licences had not been invented, and after controlling Down Ampney, I suddenly felt guilty. Was I entitled to Control radios on an event? I asked the boss - who else but Mike S ? - who said it was OK for me to control single or multi-venue events.
I believe that was 1980.

I only do multi-use events now as my brain is far too overcrowded. [Did I hear someone say "is that the reason your assistant did most of the talking on the Showground 11/12/04?". No - he wants a Control licence, so I let him have lots of practice!].

June Aslin - Forest 2