THE ARTISTIC RACING DRIVER
Born in Aykley Head, County Durham, his father, John, was a veteran of the First World War – a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA), who went on to own two shipyards in the North East of England as well as the Sunderland Forge and Engineering Company.
Leslie’s mother was Amelia Rachel (always known as May), the daughter of another County Durham shipbuilder. She was a motoring pioneer.
Leslie’s father died when he was just ten.
The following year, his grandfather, Sir James Marr, also died, and Leslie immediately inherited his title, becoming the Second Baron Marr of Sunderland at the age of eleven. He never used this title.
Leslie was educated at Shrewsbury School, before he went to Cambridge University to study engineering. He graduated in 1942 – and joined the RAF as a technician.
Leslie was posted to Palestine where he took up art. He proved to be extremely accomplished. His first ever painting was called ‘Self Portrait in a Shaving Mirror’.
When Leslie was demobilised at the end of the war, he signed up to life classes at the London Art School in Pimlico.
Shortly afterwards, he met Dinora Mendelson in a pub in Fitzrovia, London. She was carrying a portfolio of life drawings by the artist David Bomberg, her stepfather. Leslie was blown away by the standard of them
He persuaded Dinora to introduce him to Bomberg, who agreed to allow him to attend his classes.
After this, Leslie studied art at Borough Polytechnic (now the London South Bank University).
Whilst there, Leslie hired the upper floor of an old bookshop and created the Borough Art School for his fellow students. He also took on the tenancy of the shop as well – ‘The Bookworm’.
In 1948, Leslie married Dinora, who was the daughter of London antiques dealer Jacob and his estranged wife, the artist Lilian Holt.
Leslie and Dinora’s marriage lasted just two years.
The Borough Art School was dissolved in 1950 and Leslie went travelling, initially in the United Kingdom, and then in Europe. He was painting the whole time.
Leslie loved working outdoors – the wilder the weather, the more he enjoyed it. His landscapes were noted for their vibrancy.
Leslie discovered the joys of motor racing. He drove in various minor races at circuits like Snetterton and Silverstone. At the Curragh, he just failed to take the track record from his all-time hero, Stirling Moss.
Leslie said his closest rival was Jack Brabham.
Leslie bought a single decker London bus which he used for transportation to races. To earn some extra money, Leslie advertised Dunlop on the side of his bus.
In spite of her racing past, his mother, Amelia, hated him racing. She insisted Leslie phone her after each race to prove he had survived.
The Coronation Cup was held at Crystal Palace and was televised by the BBC.
His mother owned a television set and watched it – only to see Leslie leave the track and crash into a wood for the worst accident of his career – thus far. She never watched Leslie race again.
He made his Formula 1 debut in the 1954 British Grand Prix, driving his own Connaught car. Leslie came thirteenth.
Leslie’s second major race was the 1955 British Grand Prix, but a damaged tailpipe and brake failure caused him to spin off the track. He never raced at this level again.
However, Leslie did win the non-Grand Prix Cornwall Formula 1 race and the 1956 New Zealand Grand Prix, though neither were officially sanctioned races. In the latter, he beat Stirling Moss to his great delight.
At a race in Invercargill, Leslie was hit on the head by a stone which flew up from the road, causing him to crash, and leading to serious injuries.
Leslie decided to retire from racing.
He subsequently took up film making. He was persuaded to do a film about Unilever. It won ‘Documentary of the Year’. Leslie commented, “It must have been the only entry.”
Shortly afterwards, Leslie abandoned film-making and went back to his first love – art.
In 1962, he remarried. His second wife was Lynn Moynihan, and they had two daughters, Rebecca and Joanne.
Many years later, the couple moved to Arran but eventually divorced.
Leslie met Maureen Monk at a garden party in Norfolk and they were married soon afterwards. Leslie was eighty years old.
They moved into the village of Gimingham near Cromer, and Leslie converted a double garage into his studio, which he used for a new hobby – photography. He also became a keen organic gardener.
He regularly had shows in major art galleries, including an exhibition entitled, ‘Leslie Marr at Ninety’.
He continued to paint into his late 90s.
Leslie died at home in Gimingham, just short of his ninety-ninth birthday. His daughter, Rebecca, had predeceased him.
Leslie donated his body to the medical school at the University of East Anglia (UEA).
His cousin, Alan Marr, succeeded him as the Third Baronet.
The London Gallery, Piano Nobile, said of him, “Marr belonged to a significant generation of artists that transformed the appearance of painting in post-war Britain. His genius is recorded by the work he leaves behind.”
RIP – Racing Inspired Pictures.
