Do you know about the Kilburn Mob and the Rudies?

Lloyd Mentore

Guest blog by Bethan Mentore

Family history has always interested me.  Stories of workhouses, coal miners and war heroes are always good for sharing round the dinner table at family reunions.  When I married my husband in 2007 I knew his dad, Lloyd Mentore, was well-known in Brent.

Lloyd had coached Brent Youth football and taught Judo at Poplar Grove on Chalkhill Estate.  His legacy was plain for all to see when 600 people attended his funeral in 1998.  A few months ago I decided to see what I could find out about my father-in-law on the Internet.

 A search via Google came up with Lloyd's name in a forum about skinhead fashion.    This was the post in the forum:

The Kilburn Mob was made up of Black and White Lads, My best mate at School..a Black Lad was Lloyd Mentor,RIP, we both used to go to Judo together in the mid 60s, he was always better than me ..and went on to become a 5th Dan, Lloyd use to work in a Cloths shop on Willesden Lane.. after school and Saturdays, He got me into Skinhead cloths, Lloyd had a Cousin Lenny V, He was a wild Rudie, and about the best dressed bloke in Kilburn and feared,

When we had a fall out with the Blacks, and was at War for a few months, My mate Lloyd kept out of it..also another of my Black mates Ollie a African lad who lived next door to me, Lloyds Cousin.Lenny, also kept out of it , not that he was worried, He was just one of these individuals, who was his own man.

One night we was walking down Kilburn High Road.. Along the High Street. was a Machine Arcade, Outside was a Black Lad.. everyone steamed over to have a go at him, It was my mate Ollie, I just stood with him, He was my School mate and lived next door to me.., Some of the Lads started to turn on Me, But i was not having it. Me and Ollie just walked home.

Lloyd died of a Brain Haemorrhage aged 42.

After reading this we were not only interested to find out who Cousin Lenny V was but also wanted to know more about the Kilburn Mob and the Rudies

If you can throw any light on this please comment below or send me an email at mafran@globalnet.co.uk  and I will pass it on to Bethan