HE AND HER

DouglasI.O.M. Motor Races.

WE understand that an alteration in the suggested course for the Round the Town race next July has been planned. Instead of using the whole length of the Promenade, it is proposed to use a road turning up into the town about half a mile from the Jubilee Clock and to rejoin the original course at Prospect Hill. The turning is opposite the ” P ” in ” Promenade ” on the plan published in MOTOR SPORT for October, and the other points are also shown there.

The alteration of route reduces the length of the course about quarter of a mile and will involve a right-angle corner leaving the Promenade, another at St. Thomas’s Church, and a hill with a gradient of about I in 20. Finch Road, as it is called, enters Prospect Hill in a direction almost opposite to that of the course, so that the corner round the Government Offices will be almost a hairpin, with an outward camber if taken too wide. Victoria Street, which will be cut out of the course by the new plan, is the principal shopping centre of Douglas, and the shop-keepers will doubtless be relieved at not having their affairs upset by the street being closed. The south end of the Promenade is inclined to be crowded when the Steamers land their passengers nearby,

and probably this also had something to do with the decision.

There are rumours of sandbanks being used on the Promenade to cut down the speed of the big cars. Let us hope that the alteration just made will be considered sufficient handicap for them, otherwise all the fast bits, which are undeniably exciting viewpoints, will be lost.

Monte Carlo Rally Entries.

On going to press we hear that 30 entries have so far been received for the Monte Carlo• Rally, full details of which appeared in our December issue. The list, which contains 13 British cars, is as follows :—

M. Vasselle (Hotchkiss), 0. de Lavalette (Peugeot), H. E. Symons (Sunbeam), Sq. Ldr. J. Fullerton (Sunbeam), Baron de Montpellier-M. Schaar (Chrysler), P. Lecot (Rosengart), H. Brisson (Mathis), Maj. D. E. M. Douglas-Morris (Invicta), H. Th. van Marken (Chrysler), J. Bignan. (Peugeot), C. de Cortanze (Peugeot), Mrs. Montague-Johnstone (Riley), Frau. L. Bahr (Adler Trumpf), Mme. M. Mareuse (Peugeot), Mme. Rouault-M. Quinlin (Saltnson), L. Braillard (Bugatti), P. E. Cremetti (Riley), C. Schade (Mercedes-Benz), Lt. Cr. C. M. Maltby (Riley), F. de Ribeiro-Ferreira (Delage), A. C. Lace (Invicta), Ph.

Runciman—D. E. Cabral (Bugatti), F. Longman (Marlborough-Andre), J. Broere (Nash), Rupert S. G. Riley (Riley), 0. F. Dennison (Riley), V. E. Leverett (Riley), J. Hobbs (Riley), D. M. Healey (Invicta).

An Adventure in Oil.

THE writer once having vis’ted an oil refinery, the romance of this great industry has never ceased to be an attraction. This enthusiasm was recently revived by reading a booklet received from the Shell-Mex-B.P. concern entitled ” An Adventure in Oil” by E. P. Leigh-Bennett.

T be booklet is the outcome of “some days spent in the company of men behind the job,” and describes in vigorous, conversational prose the activities and appearance of the great Shell-B.P.refineries in the United Kingdom, at Shellhaven, Llandarcy, Stanlow, Ardrossan, Grangemouth, Uphall and Pumpherston.

“An Adventure in Oil” is beautifully produced. The varnished cover is a closeup photographic reproduction of the surface of an oil-ditch, with great discs of shiny oil. Then, too, there are 13 full page photographs, and a very useful coloured chart at the end showing all the products derived from the original Crude Oil.

Oil !