Wroxton pub to hold fitting memorial day for '˜kind-hearted' Rick

A memorial for a Banbury resident who was '˜a fantastic problem solver and mechanic' will be held at the White Horse pub in Wroxton.
Rick Collins pictured in 2013 at the Weird and Wonderful Wheels event, held every year at the White HorseRick Collins pictured in 2013 at the Weird and Wonderful Wheels event, held every year at the White Horse
Rick Collins pictured in 2013 at the Weird and Wonderful Wheels event, held every year at the White Horse

Rick Collins was an infamous petrol head and well known around pubs in Banburyshire but sadly died unexpectedly on November 14 aged 66.

His funeral was held away from Banbury but Peter Thornhill, landlord at the White Horse, is holding an event to remember Mr Collins on Sunday, January 31, and is hoping those living in and around Banbury can come along and attend.

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Paying tribute to Mr Collins, his partner said: “Having been a resident of Banbury and its surrounding area for the past 30 years, Rick could always be found propping up the bar in a number of pubs most notably the Blinking Owl in North Newington and the North Arms and White Horse in Wroxton.

“Many people who knew Rick would often seek him out at one of these establishments to seek expert help and advice for a number of problems but, mostly, anything mechanical or car related. A genuinely kind hearted and thoughtful person always more than happy to help anyone with anything that he could.

“Rick was an infamous petrol head and had a well founded reputation for being a fantastic problem solver and mechanic. Amongst all of the jobs which Rick had over the years the one which most captivated him was working as a builder and mechanic for the British Formula 1 inshore power boat racing team.

> There was always a car build in the go, most recently he built two very successful race cars in the 750 motor club. The first was a 750 formula car named poppy and the second was a 750 trophy series car named kermit which raced tracks across the country in the 2015 season. He was never happier than when tinkering in his garage with one of his card coming up with ways of making it faster. Nothing short of a perfectionist, he would spend hours perfecting his card until they were the best that they could be and this was a quality appreciated by all in the racing world and further afield.

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“During his years, Rick touched many people’s lives and his passing had been an unexpected and painful loss for many.”

There will be a memory book for people to sign on the day and Mr Thornhill has also asked for people to bring along photos of Mr Collins

Anyone wanting to attend should email [email protected]

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