Atlantic and Phil Jays

Colin who now lives in Australia has kindly sent some history on a couple of boards on the blog - which he used to own ! They are the Phil Jay swallowtail (above right) owned by the Gul collection and the raspberry ripple Atlantic (below right) owned by Alex. Happy to say Colin still surfs every day over in Oz , and has  fond memories of surfing back here and hanging round Phil Jay's surf shop in London.-
''Hi Al , I follow you website keenly and was surprised to see a couple of my boards on there.
 Being born in 1958, I grew up in Leytonstone, London and our family went to the IOW at least three times a year, literally every Christmas, Easter and summer holidays every year until I was 20. It was always the IOW! We always stayed at Taylors caravan site eveytime, now Sandhills at Whitecliff Bay.
 I learnt to surf there in the very early 60's on several LILO surfmats, purchased in Sandown and we made regular trips to Compton Bay. I spent all day every day, rain or shine in the sea.

The only surf shop in London during the early 70's was Phil Jay in Wandsworth and so I used to get the tube over there from the East End every holiday and stock up on surf mags and gloat over all the boards. I managed to save up, I think it was £40 and headed to the shop. It was always touch and go if he was going to be there or open!
As you entered the shop, he had the counter on the left inside the door and board racks along the left hand side and on the back wall. There on the back wall was the Atlantic. I took to the shape and colour and bought it. It must have been in 1970/74? I surfed the board in Cornwall, Devon and the Isle of Wight. It even had a trip to Kimmeridge Bay..it went so well.
 In 1976, I went to UNCW, Bangor North Wales to study Marine Science..the Atlantic went with me. For a period of 1976/79, I surfed the Atlantic at Rhosneiger, Hells Mouth, Abberfraw, the Gower peninsula; every weekend the board was in the ocean.
From the summer of 1976; each and every holiday period after that all year round I worked as a temp lifeguard in Tower Hamlets pools. I saved some money to buy a car and a new board. I had kept up my holiday train journeys to Phil Jay's shop and wanted a "swallow tail". I was torn as I saw a new roundtail Atlantic yet decided on the brand new Phil Jay...6'6" swallow tail. £ 80.00 Armed with a new car, 2 boards and loads of lavender Waxmate and a few bars of the Orange Stuff...surfing became an easy task in Wales and it strengthened my passion.
 The Atlantic got a tiny hole in the hull at Kimmeridge Bay and thats the small clear bump that's there.I filled it with resin from Strand Glass in Ilford. The fin box got damaged at some rocks in Rhosneiger, when a mate ran it aground. I never got the time to repair it as I was studying for finals.
 The Phil Jay was a good board but not a versatile as the Atlantic. The rubber patch on the Phil jay has some history too. I noticed it was mentioned on your blog. My sister ordered and bought me a "Powercord" from the USA. This must have been in 1977/78. We saw the advert in an American Surfer magazine for Control systems in Santa Monica and it took 8 weeks to come over. It was a heavy black cord with a velcro ankle band in red white and blue stripes. The cord was attched by the rubber pad I stuck on the board with Bostik!
 I went to the Middle East forex broking and then down here to Sydney. I saw an advert for GUL, stating that they were looking for 60/70's boards to start a museum. As my parents had retired to the Isle of Wight and taken the boards with them, I thought it a good idea to donate them so that they would survive.   I contacted GUL and they went to my parents home in Bembridge and collected the boards and put them in the museum. GUL thanked me by giving me a couple of GUL mugs...which I still have and use today!
 I still surf every day! Kind regards Colin.

Colin's old Atlantic of St Ives , right , bought from Phil Jay's surf shop, Wandsworth ,see pic below.

And on the Phil Jay tip , heres another of Phil's labels 'Pure Juice' , shaped by Australian Kevin Cross ( Creamed Honey ) who shaped a bit for Phil here and there. This one looks mid 70s and is very colourful ! and in great condition too. Thanks to Jake for sending in the photo.

And still continuing on the Jay tip - although a bit more obscure - this is a classic set of mags which Darren has picked up recently - a  set of Ripples, brought out by Lowestoft Surf Club in the 70s and edited by Neil Watson. Along with them comes British Surfer 5 & 6 , Surfing in GB by Carl Thompson - and a really rare little book about surfboard construction written by St Ives' Charles Williams (Atlantic surfboards ) and Colin Prior . Would like to have a look at this sometime ; apparently it doesnt have photos in but does have hand drawn pictures. Must date from around 1970 . And it was sold from Phil Jay's London shop, as we can see by the stamp.
That Phil Jay gets around.

Thanks to Colin and Darren.