How It All Began

A lot of people, including JBA owners have asked me how I decided to start this website and the reasons behind it.

Well I suppose it all started through two people from Glasgow, Mike Cushley and Rob Lightbody.
Firstly when my mate Mike Cushley (another JBA builder) gave me an old computer in 1998. 
It was not at all powerful and had Windows 3.1.1 installed and no internet connection. 
However I was fascinated by it, so much so that it wasn't long before I bought a new one at the end of 98, quite expensive then though. Mike came over from Glasgow and set it all up for me and connected me up to the internet. 

Constantly I kept searching for JBA sites, but could not find any. I visited Rob's site every week as he updated it regularly, the photos were superb quality. It kept bugging me that there was nothing about the JBA Falcon I could find on the internet. Then I thought, could I do a website and include a few pages about the JBA Falcon.  I hadn't a clue how to go about it, but although Rob was using MS Front Page he was with Tripod.Com at that time, so I jumped in with both feet and signed up with them.

Tripod help was pretty good, but not as far advanced as it is now. Rob was very helpful with advice and encouragement through email, although I nearly crashed his computer. Instead of working from the file on my hard drive. I was downloading it from Tripod then uploading it again, with the result Tripod was adding a pop up each time. When Rob checked the page a barrage of pop ups descended upon his screen. He taught me how to use tables and resize the photos in an image editor and not to use the handles in MS Front Page to make them smaller, as the file size remains the same as the large photo.

Rob moved up to an MX5 and on now to the new BMW Mini, Charlie 2. You can visit his website by clicking on his photos above or here. www.roblightbody.com Online 25 years now, almost 300 pages a brilliant site to visit.

It was a short while later that someone told me and gave me the (internet address) URL.
Their web site I thought was brilliant, but I found it hard to navigate and I was lost quite a few times, trying to find my way back to certain pages. 

The JBA Information page was added to this site, to help visitors find their way to important pages on the Factory website.
I emailed Dave and Ken of JBA congratulating them and informing them of my site and asked if I could use their Logos. They granted me their permission.

However I realised much later that this JBA web site had started before the factory website with four pages on Tripod in June 1999. Followed with this site Robbie Gibson. Co.UK registered on 26-Sept-1999 and both sites running online together from start of  October 1999.
JBA Factory Website Registered 24-December 1999 complete site by March 2000. Nominet dates verified.

Often I wondered, whist browsing through other companies web pages, that you had to look hard to see who created the site.
With the JBA site, the Webmaster's details were very much in evidence, on every page, and quite bold too.

At the same time I was working on the start of my own Sports build pages. I was not sure whether to add them to the site or not. However JBA thought I should, even although I was deviating from the Build Manual here and there. JBA were kind enough to check all my own build pages for any errors in the build instructions before they went on line. They sent me articles and photos for the site.

Dave Tennant constantly kept plugging my site in the Owners Club magazine and Leo Groeneweg from Holland.
The site went from strength to strength mainly due to the amount of photographs.
One of the first to send them was Phil Whittaker and Keith Morrish. Alex Sargent and Kim Hollings sent in all the photos for the JBA Javelin pages.

My own domain name was set up in September 1999 and I paid attention to the meta tags ( hidden HTML code, search engines look for) and reached top spot in the search engine rankings, with the Top search engine www.google.com by typing in "JBA Falcon" and hitting the search button.
Or even better clicking on "I'm Feeling Lucky". 
I received emails from around the world.
The guy that is now doing the JBA Factory site altered their tags and knocked me into second place.
Still top though, if you type in "JBA Javelin"
I remember saying this to Ken Jones of JBA at Stoneleigh 2002 and he gave me a look of quizzical disbelief. You know the look I mean. Sort of look we get, when we are reading the build manual " you may have to reduce the flange etc etc".  

I appreciate all your photographs and stories. They are what makes the site interesting to all who visit.  
They are not passed on to other web sites, without your permission. Even then it is only to JBA sites, which are JBA Owners Club Web Sites and the JBA Factory Web Site.

Some people who send me photos ask why, when they right click on them, a pop up notice appears saying Copyright Robbie Gibson.
This is to try and help to protect your photos.
I used the copyright box, after I came across the photo below on the net.

I was totally shocked, he used the same treatment on another two top kit manufacturers cars. Even had the audacity to print "Photo by Courtesy of Phil Whittaker" on this photo and Courtesy of the other manufacturers on their photos. 

Anti-Virus. At the start of the year 2000 my computer was knocked out by a virus in an email attachment, I was failing to update my virus programme, on a regular basis. That taught me a lesson, Panda online sorted it out. Since then I now use Panda which updates itself each time you connect to the internet. 
Every week I run my virus programme on a complete computer test, or if Panda advises me of a new virus by email. They also send a weekly report. 
I have never had any problems since, simply because they are stopped and there have been many viruses caught. 

Zone Alarm is a firewall I use also. It is amazing the amount of attacks to your computer when you are online. It stop viruses and trojans entering through the back door. 
These two products came tops in ".Net" magazine.

Now that I am retired, I have been looking at these pages and think should I do them in a different style, change the colours etc. I just can't make up my mind.
A lot of the pages need revamped and sorted out. The build pages need overhauled and regrouped, which was supposed to be done last year. It will still be a big job.
There are about 105 pages and I honestly don't know how many photos.
All thanks to you all.

My intentions when I started were to have 4 pages about the JBA Falcon, a lot about Dunfermline and Scotland, that is the reason for the Scottish flags at the top of each page.  
Somehow the JBA Falcon took over. I wonder why!!!

And three years on, a link on the JBA Factory Website in 2002. Thanks to Dave and Ken of JBA.

Remember to click on any of the product photos to take you to their Websites.

Safe Driving All the Best Regards Robbie