Half Moon Bay Memories & El Granada Observer

as told to me by Joni Keim. It goes something like this: Richard English owned an XKE in Half Moon Bay, a car that he loved, but while the body was in perfect condition, the engine was flawed.

Richard wanted an XKE with a perfect engine AND a perfect body.

His quest took him to Marin County, where an XKE with a good engine was for sale. But the body was blemished. Maybe he realized that you can’t have everything– because he bought it–and then, discovered that, with his great height and long legs, he couldn’t fit inside the sports car without banging his head.

The solution came quickly–He grabbed an axe and began tearing a hole in the roof’s cool metal, an opening large enough for his head of red hair to poke through.

(Do NOT attempt this –Photo courtesy Joni Keim; to visit her website, click here

A while ago I posted a story called “The Three Richards;” to read it, click here

The story begins: “Three Richards but I have a photo of only one.” At the time the only photo I had and posted was of Richard “the Englishman” Henry. I didn’t have a photo of “Rotten Richard” or of Richard English, not to be confused with Richard “the Englishman.”

Now, I am thrilled to report, I have three photos of “classic” Richard English, a very tall, red-headed charmer who passed away too young, too young (in his 50’s a couple of years ago.)

In the 1970s and early 1980s Richard was always leaving town, which meant there had to be a big, loud and warm going-away party in Princeton-by-the-Sea or Miramar Beach. When he soon came back there was no party but hugs all around.

Richard was ready to make you laugh hard most of the time–but he could also make you cry just as easily and just as hard.

Thank you Joni Keim for the photos. Joni lived in the “Quinta Marta” house in Montara in 1972. Click here for Joni’s website.

(Photo: Classic Richard English, photo courtesy Joni Keim)

(Photo: Richard English with Joni Keim.)

Guess who? Guess again.

I’ll give you a clue. Everybody knows him. He’s an accomplished musician and he writes for Half Moon Bay Memories & The El Granada Observer.

Give Up? Look closely– deeply into his eyes.

It’s Fayden Holmboe of Half Moon Bay, circa 1970s.
Do you want to read Fayden’s work? Click here

**** Photo courtesy Joni Keim, a Petaluma resident who lived in the lovely “Quinta Marta” house overlooking the sea in Montara in 1972. To learn more about Joni’s consulting business, click here