the beverley hill billies

[kitkatjeff]

There used to be a big group of racers from Humberside, better known as east yorkshire. Forgotten there names now but their "leader" was Stu Leaning, last heard of as busy touring all over Europe. Hope he has his glasses fixed!! Used to run a variety of outfits, quite a few imps, known as the hessle specials after there local scrap yard.

[RP]

I remember him, used to have "Leaning Andrews" painted on the side of the fairing - thought that was the driver's stage name for a while until I discovered his surname actually was Leaning and the passenger was a chap called Andrews

[Eddy Wright]

Yea! I remember him too had a really nice missus.

[Big Tim]

Saw Stu Leaning for the first time in many years at the Southern 100 this year (in the pub of course), he hadn't changed - even still had the round specs I always laugh when I hear the amusing stories of his racing career, such as the time he fired the bike up at home and drove it into the wall of the house ! I'm sure Geoff will tell some of them in his own inimitable style when he reads this section. Also mooching about with him in the pub was Russ Arundale, better known as "Big 'Arry", who had a go on an F2 for a while in the nineties, and usually knocked about with that lot. There were also a few more undesirables there ( ) whose names I have forgotten in the midst of time ! I didn't speak to them for all that long, after someone smacked me across the back of the head with a metal tray, much to their amusement

Simon Christie, another of Stu's former passengers is still racing, and won the Derby Phoenix F1 championship this season, and has built an F2 for next season.

[oldbelly]

Steve Pullan will remember Stuart Leaning. During a practice at my first TT in 1988 we were leaving Handleys approaching the following left right left bit (I dont know if that section has a name) when we came accross a massive accident. Steve had run into the back of Stuart. They were both going at their "race pace" apparently but the difference in speed had been vastly different. Enter Tony Darby complete with a new fairing (carried onto the ferry by hand) to repair Steves bike, for what was to be Tonys first TT.They had to go out and do three laps in the last practice to qualify. They did and eventually finished 10th in one of the races.

[Ian E]

Darby, he's special.. will always do his his best to get you out the Carp, while with the other hand eat you out of house and home.

[kitkatjeff]

one of the best stories l heard about stu was before l started racing with howard. Stu was at cadwell on the club curcuit and he overshot the hairpin and into the straw breaking his glasses. They duct taped them back together again and sent him back out for the next race. Another time at elvington, howard "lent" me out to a sidecar racer from Selby, (l forget his name but his passenger used to be owen blanchard and he was known as an absolute lunatic on a bike) We got black flagged and eventually pulled up just after the paddock esses only for Stu Leaning to smack us straight up the back end. He hadn't even seen us!!!!! Good job we weren't so politically correct in those days as stu had a real liking for "rear ending people" Just remembered the name of the driver l was with that day, a lad called Kieth Telford, a funny story about him was he took his bike to be scrutinered at mallory and it failed as there was a tube with a crack in it. He returned it for scrutineering having hacksawed the tube out and raced!!

[realroadracer]

We could probably start a new website with Stu Leaning stories! The thing is: Stu tells them better than anybody. My personal favourite was when he crashed at Croft during the annual Battle of Britain meeting. I believe this was a joint bike/car meeting and held to raise funds for former RAF personnel (I could be wrong). His brakes failed going into Tower and he crashed through an advertising hoarding (leaving an outfit-shaped hole). According to Stu the first guys on the scene were a couple of old RAF blokes with handlebar moustaches who congratulated him on a "wizzo prang" and assured him the "old blood wagon will be along in a jiffy". Stu was actually pretty badly hurt and he had broken his back. Later that evening Stu woke up in hospital connected to a bleeping machine by the usual array of wires etc. Upon being asked by Stu if he would be fit to race the following weekend, the doctor replied "Well, if you're still alive in the morning, we'll talk about it then". Stu was so alarmed by this news that he "stayed awake all night watching the blips on the screen in case it stopped" !

[bludge]

(don't blame him, i'd do the same)

[bluemartincbx]

Having passengered all the `beverley hillbillies` at some time or another, i can say that we had some great times back then. As Geoff said Steve ought to make a new section for Stu Leaning, his stories are many and legendary! One that Howard Langham might remember is when racing at Croft Howard crashed exiting the chicane, the race was stopped so the ambulance could get onto the circuit to attend the incident, Stu [always rode with tunnel vision] never saw any flags and as he came out of the chicane ploughed straight into the side of the ambulance! In Stu`s words they just walked round and picked him up and loaded him in as well!!
My last race was with Arry the dog [Russ Arundale] at Cadwell in the 90`s

[kitkatjeff]

Don't think it was tunnel vision that stu had, he just couldn't see anything!!!! Racing used to be a pure laugh in the 70's, l think this is probably why we had such a poor reputation in those days. lf you could get it to run you would race it and never mind if you left a bit of debris behind after your race. As they say we could have a whole section dedicated to stu leaning for his antics on and off the track. Would be nice to think that as the classic scene becomes more popular we could get some of the old characters back out again. Just think, push starts with zimmer frames!!