The H&H Team

Simon Hope

Simon Hope, the MD and chief auctioneer, has been auctioning in specialist commodities for the best part of thirty years.

An avid classic car enthusiast, he bought his first classic car (a 1947 Sunbeam Talbot Ten saloon) whilst at University. Since then he has owned various vintage and classic cars over the years including Jaguars, Astons, Rileys, Ferraris and many more!

He also races with the many clubs and associations around the world and in a variety of vehicles from single seaters and sports racers to saloon cars and presently a Ford Mustang.

Damian Jones

Damian admits to being somewhat obsessed with motor cars.

The son of a car-enthusiast barrister, he grew up to the sight and sound of what we now regard as classic vehicles. The die was cast in 1997 when he spent his holidays from Edinburgh University acting as a porter for Sotheby’s car department.

Once graduated, he returned to Sotheby’s full time and worked there until their withdrawal from car sales. Determined to remain within the top echelons of the auction profession, he then joined Brooks as house manager before moving to Cheffins in 2001 and onto H&H during 2005.

He has a catholic taste in cars and is interested in most marques of most eras. He has already owned a variety of classics and his current ‘toy’ is a 'Heinz 57' 1934 Alvis Special.

George Beale

A pharmacist by profession, George had done his fair share of scrambling as a youngster.

George first established his engineering skills in 1971 by manufacturing replacement parts for the AJS 7R and Matchless G50. Two years later he became a racing sponsor and by 1980 was running the biggest private racing team in Europe.

Riders such as Roger Marshall, Mick Grant, Jeff Sayle and Graeme McGregor achieved many successes – not least winning two races in the Isle of Man TT in one day.

He also managed the British team in 1980, which featured all the notable UK riders of the day, including Barry Sheene.

In 1986, he purchased virtually all the ex-works Suzuki racing bikes, as ridden by such heroes as Barry Sheene, Randy Mamola, Mick Grant and Graham Crosby. Still manufacturing parts for the 7R and G50, he then moved into the restoration of all types of classic motorcycles and within three years was building complete replica bikes of unrivalled quality. He is now widely known as the man who painstakingly recreated the Benelli Four and a batch of six factory-sanctioned Honda Sixes, as ridden by the incomparable Mike Hailwood. That the first of the run was bought by Honda itself is tribute enough to his abilities.

Adam Sykes

Adam joined the team in 2006 as a ‘Trainee Auctioneer’. The youngest member of our team, he has since progressed to run the Automobilia Department and has begun to infiltrate the Car Department already consigning a number of vehicles.

He has petrol in his veins, having spent his childhood travelling the country helping his dad unearth Triumph TRs and related parts for the family business TR Bitz.

Adam has restored a number of vehicles in his spare time, although his true passion lies in racing 1960’s single seaters; competing all over the UK in his Cosworth powered 1960 Lotus 20/22 Formula Junior and 1969 Merlyn Mk11A Formula Ford.  Adam’s personal collection of varied machinery includes a 1934 Singer 9 ‘Le Mans’, 1932 Hillman Minx Tourer, 1969 Triumph TR6 (built to full race specification), 1966 Honda 500cc racer, 1957 MV Agusta TR125, two 1960s Honda CB450s, two penny farthing bicycles and much more.

Paul Adams

Paul joined the team in 2005 as our bicycle specialist, and has grown this department from nothing.

Born in Birkenhead in 1942, he is the curator of the cycle museum in Walton Hall near Warrington.

Founded in 1997, the museum was in fact originally housed in a former police station in Runcorn and opened by none other than Her Majesty The Queen. However it quickly outgrew the old shop hence the move.

David Hawkins

David spent his formative years in Essex, but was educated in Lancashire – a part of the world to which he has now returned.

His extensive auction career began with the post of administrator for Sotheby’s car department in 1990. He progressed via cataloguing to the role of consultant. He then moved to Brooks in the late 1990s and acted as the motorcycle departments second in command until leaving in 2001.

David’s passion for motorcycles began early on and his eclectic collection of machines includes a totally original 1911 Bradbury, a 1962 Gilera, a Rickman Metisse MKIII scrambler and the pretty Moto Guzzi Le Mans MKII.

Ronn Middleton

Born in Manchester, now residing near Southport, Ronn joined the team in 2008 as a consultant for the motor car division; however he is now also a regular face at each auction.

His distinguished history in motor car event organisation began over 15 years ago when he became a Motorsport Association (MSA) Clerk of the Course for Speed events and later also a Senior Rally Official. He has arranged many Classic Car Road events including 9 years at the helm of the Lancashire Automobile Club’s Coast to Coast.

His claim to fame was working alongside famous names as Richard Burns, Colin McRae, and Ari Vatenan firstly as a Prodrive support vehicle driver and later as VIP co-ordinator for the British Rally Championship.

Ronn first owned classic cars in the 1960’s, starting with Austins then Rover 2000, Moskvich, Jaguars, 1929 Essex Super 6 and an MG B through to his present toy, a 1975 Rover 2200 SC P6.

Stewart Parker

Stewart has a foot in both four and two-wheeled camps, but has been involved in motorcycles all his life, with a particular affinity for the vintage and veteran eras.

A chartered mechanical engineer, Stewart currently owns a pair of 1926 Nortons, a 1923 Indian Powerplus and a 1903 Royal Enfield.

He is a member of the Mid Lines Section of the VMCC Committee, and has organised several bike runs including an increasingly popular pre-40s one. He has also completed several Pioneer runs on his Royal Enfield. Stewart is based in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.

Nik Askins

Nik joined the team in January 2001 with the aim of taking on some of the companies IT projects and bringing them under more in-house control. Only a year later he was producing the first colour H&H catalogue and has managed every one since.

With so many auctions under his belt he is a familiar face to all, being part of the team that helps customers part with their money at each sale.

Although still having a large involvement in other company projects such as auction flyers and the website, he has since expanded into managing the companies finance and storage departments.

A keen footballer, he plays for the famous (in Warrington at least...) Bonafides six-a-side team every Tuesday but not being a northern lad has followed Tottenham Hotspur passionately for as long as he can remember.

Deanne Walsh

Deanne joined H&H in 2007 as Office Manager, looking after the Team and our customers to ensure that everything goes to plan both back at Head Office and at Auction.

Born in Thelwall (of viaduct fame) alongside raising her family she studied for a series of business and management related qualifications, finally in 2006 completing the Chartered Management Institute post-graduate Diploma in Management Studies.

Previously, Deanne has worked for a number of pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in a variety of roles, from Sales Administrator to Customer Service Manager. She has lots of experience in project teams including the UK site closures and transfer to worldwide sister sites for both GlaxoSmithKline and DeWitt.

Colin Goodwyn

If you have a lorry-full of Automobilia to setup in one day, Colin is your man!

Following an advert in our Classic Times Magazine, he answered our call for an auction porter to help with the Automobilia sale setup and smooth running.

Several years and many auctions on, anyone in the company will tell you we discovered the right man for the job.

Tony Price

Tony, a long time friend of our MD Simon Hope, joined the team a few years ago to help make the setup of every auction go as smoothly as possible.

And being the very presentable gentleman he is, was soon 'working the door' selling auction catalogues and being the first friendly face everyone gets to meet on their way in at venues.

George Turner

George, or 'Mr World In Action' as he has also been called, joined the team shortly after purchasing the Douglas Bader Alvis at one of our Buxton auctions.

A cameraman for Granada TV for many years, where his wife also works, he has led an interesting and varied life travelling around the world to cover some of the biggest news stories.

From being shot at, to hanging out of the door of a flying helicopter while filming, he now has the relaxing job of putting together our auctions and events.