Club Affairs, February 1954

North Devon M.C.•
The North Devon M.C. will run their annual Houlford Memorial Trophy Trial on February 14th. The clubs invited are: Taunton M.C., Bristol M.C. & L.C.C., Plymouth M.C., London M.C., and S.U.N.B.A.C. Awards are the Houlford Memorial Silver Challenge Bowl and souvenir for the best performance, North Devon trophy and souvenir for second best performance, the Haslam trophy and souvenir for best performance by a North Devon member, first-class awards for the next best 10 per cent., and a team award providing there is a minimum of three teams.

The trial is open to cars conforming to the 1953 R.A.C. regulations. There will also be an award for pre-1953 cars, providing there is a minimum of three entries. Regulations are available from the club secretary, S. J. Guard, 32, Vicarage Lawn, Barnstaple.

Allard O.C.
Short and witty speeches characterised the annual dinner and dance held on January 12th by the Allard O.C. at Frascati’s Restaurant. Almost 100 enthusiasts and their guests were present. The speeches were contributed by Major-General Griswold, U.S.A.F., Sydney Allard, A. G. Imhof and Raymond Baxter, who replied to Imhof’s toast to the guests in his usual manner. Mr. Sydney Allard, subsequent to the speeches, denied that he had personally drafted them all, so many were the tributes paid to our cheerful president and the cars that bear his name.

After dinner the cups and awards for 1953’s events were graciously presented by the charming Mrs. Griswold, amid much applause for the various winners.

The next club meeting will be by invitation of Shell-Mex. Ltd., on February 9th at 7 p.m., at Shell-Mex House, Strand, W.C.2, to see the latest Shell films, including the “1953 Mille Miglia,” “Logbook, 1953” and “The Moving Spirit.”

The Old Merchant Tailors’ M.C.
It has been brought to the attention of the committee of the Old Merchant Taylors’ M.C. that unauthorised car badges are being manufactured and have been supplied to certain shops in the country. They state that the official car badge is only obtainable from the secretary and no responsibility can be accepted for any imitations which are in existence.

Mid-Surrey A.C. The annual dinner-dance and prize distribution of the Mid-Surrey A.C. was held on January 15th, at the Bull Hotel, Sheen. Over 80 members and their friends wined, dined and danced, and shared reminiscences of a successful past season. A handsome collection of club silverware adorned the top table and was duly presented to the award winners by Mrs. Bunty Bird, the club’s assistant organiser-in-chief. The main award was the handsome Glickstein Trophy for the M.S.A.C. “200” Rally, and Mr. E. N. London, of the Brighton & Hove M.C., was able to collect this before leaving, with the club’s best wishes, to start in the Monte Carlo Rally.

Preceding the prize distribution there had been some commendably brief but witty speeches. The hon. secretary, Mr. V. H. Tuson, proposed the health of the guests, regretting the absence, through illness, a Mr. Kensington Moir, and welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Curtis (alias Antone). Michael May, of Alvis fame, replied, and Captain C. B. Phillips then proposed the health of the club, to which Professor A. M. Low, the president, replied in a typically delightful manner. An enjoyable three hours of dancing brought the evening to an all too early conclusion.

Herefordshire M.C. January Jaunt (Jan.16th)
On the brightly moonlit evening of January 16th a novel and lighthearted event described as the “January Jaunt” was held by the Herefordshire M.C. and organised by P. M. Appleton. About a dozen cars and their crews assembled at the starting point, a quiet junction of by-roads in the Bodenharn-Marden area, from which point they were sent in various directions.

Code words had to be located at certain points and it was necessary to collect such items as a Sunday paper (1954), a packet of potato crisps, a clean jam jar and a bottle of a certain brand of ale rarely found on sale hereabouts. In fact, only one inn in the district retails this brand and a little local knowledge saved much time. Several facts such as the names of a village postmaster and of the licensee of a named inn had to be found also. The high spot of the route was, however, a “haunted” house at Wellington which had to be visited. Here such devices were used as an electric fence, trip wires, bells and a faintly illuminated skull and cross-bones, which perils even the lady competitors managed to withstand.

All routes converged on Messrs. James Fryer’s Garage in Hereford, where drivers and navigators were obliged to perform a novel test without their cars. They were placed standing in a box, had to get out, the driver convey his navigator in a wheelbarrow on a given course, re-enter the box, pour the previously obtained beer into the jam jar and drink it, eat the packet of crisps and at the same time read a passage from the Sunday paper, all of which was performed against the stop-watch. At the conclusion of this entertainment all adjourned to the conventional supper rendezvous and finish at the Kerry Arms Hotel, where the results were announced as follows: —

1st A. E. Bengry (Fiat 1,100).
2nd: J. E. Bott (Riley 2 1/2).
3rd: R. M. E. Mayan (M.G. TD).