dear old fred downes died in 2006 i think, he was a regular at my local hall on a saturday night, the agricultural hall in maidstone and was brilliant on the mike especially if syd cooper was on the bill.

another memory i have of him was when the quinn v bridges _title_ rematch was floating around it was mid august and we hadnt heard a date after max crabtree had got john harris to announce that it was to be at wembley at the end of august. It was early in the evening and Fred was standing next to Peter Sakacs getting a cup of tea i approached and asked any news of the remtch to which fred replied " john quinn no longer works for the dale martin organisation" this was the first i heard he had left and went to work for brian dixon.

Fred did indeed have a antique shop and from what ive was told my mick mcmanus didnt need wrestling but loved it .

didnt we all - in those days

god bless you fred