South Yorkshire Times May 6, 1967

Father and Son Winners of 60 Trophies at Boat Racing In Four Years

Thurnscoe has a speedboat “clan” which in four years and 160 trophies and beaten the best in England.

Mr Joe Gill, insurance broker and garage proprietor, of “Glenn’s worth”, high Street, Thurnscoe and his son, Kenneth, a 19 year old dental student at Newcastle University, and their first ever race and went on to win ‘nationals’.

The whole thing started when chemists, while a student at Wath grammar school four years ago, decided that he would like a boat.

“We bought one,” Mrs Gill said this week, “but we found out that it was not the sort he wanted with it when we visited the Book Show soon afterwards and he saw a speed boat. He just said ‘Phwa!’

After his remark

“we bought a speedboat and called it ‘Phwa’ after his remark. Later and Kenneth was almost on his own licence we added ‘Phred’ to the stable.

“They don’t seem to be able to do any wrong. Joe won his first National race and Kenneth was third in the same way.

“They were amazed to find money in their troughers, and we all had dinner from the proceeds.

“The real anchor of our team is Bernard Dransfield, our two hire firm manager. He is a wizard with any machinery, but usually gets wet when there is a race. He has got the boat back in the water when they have seen impossible to mend.”

Ken and his father have quite a following. Mrs Gill says she meets lots of people who say how much they enjoy to watch them racing. And whenever Ken and his father are in a race, the Gills, the Dransfield and Ken’s girlfriend, a pharmacology student at London University, and her parents:. “We have some great times,’ says Mrs Gill.

Helping hand

The Gills are sportsmen. They will drop back even from a winning position to help a competitor in difficulties.

The Mr Joe Gill himself narrowly escaped death a couple years ago when his boat capsized and the “jack plug” which should pull out to stop the engine in such an event failed to operate. He was saved by Mr Tommy Williams, a well-known water skier, of new Holland, was due to give a demonstration to a television crew of “flying” on a kite while water-skiing. He cut his leg on Mr Gill’s propeller and had to postpone the show for a few hours.

The Gills love the atmosphere speedboat racing and the people in and around it.