Club News, January 1954

North London M.C.
The annual dinner and dance of the North London M.C. took place on November 27th at the George Hotel, Enfield, Middlesex. This was the first dinner held by the club since its re-formation 18 months ago and was attended by some 40 or more members. The club’s president, Professor A. M. Low, D.Sc., the distinguished scientist, was, unfortunately, on this occasion unable to be present due to a previous engagement but a novel feature of the evening was a speech made by the Professor on a magnetic tape recording machine which was played back after the dinner. During the course of his amusing and enlightened speech Professor Low complimented the club on the large number of successful motoring events which it had organised during the last year.

For the last competitive event of 1953 the North London M.C. have organised a further event in their series on curious places and things to be found in and around London. This event is entitled “Curiosities of London” and will take place on Sunday, December 13th, and will start from Tally Ho! Corner, Finchley, at the junction of the Great North Road and Ballards Lane, at 2 pm. Tea has been arranged at the end of the event and there will be a social hour or two after tea. The entry fee for motor cars will be 2s. 6d and for motor-cycles 1s. 6d. All details of the run will be handed to competitors at the start.

All members and their friends and any motorist or motor-cyclist interested in joining this old-established club or taking part in the above event will be very welcome. Applications for membership should be forwarded to the Hon. Secretary: G. F. Luck, 27, Ferney Road, East Barnet, Hertfordshire.

Herefordshire M.C.
Despite the patches of thick fog which covered some parts of Hereford and the surrounding district on Saturday evening, November 28th. there was an excellent turn-out of about 15 cars for the Herefordshire M.C.’s Treasure Hunt, which started from “The Plough” at Canon Pyon.

A course of about 40 miles had been planned by the organiser, E. J. Read, with map references locating three controls, at England’s Gate, Munstone and Stoke Prior, where competitors received a list of various odd articles which they were to attempt to collect, gaining marks for each one brought back. To add a little more difficulty, at England’s Gate, instead of being handed their list of objects. they were informed that this was hidden within 25 yards of the signpost at the road junction. After much frantic searching by the light of torches and car lights along the hedges, grass verges and even in rabbit-holes, the missing list was found on the top of the signpost!

A most remarkable selection of objects to be collected included a boltin of straw, a frog, various coins of given dates, certain items of attire (both male and female), etc. Any rumours which may have prevailed that lunatics were at large in the area that night may now be dispelled. Should anyone have been stopped by motorists with a request for a horse’s collar, a nutmeg or a mouse, these were only some of the members pursuing the search! All the controls had to be visited not later than two hours from the time of the start, to avoid penalty, and anyone returning to the finish at Canon Pyon later than 9.45 p.m. was liable to be disqualified.

When stock was taken of the remarkable collections brought in it was found that for first place there was a tie between the club chairman, Dr. C. W. F. McKean. of Leominster (Jowett Javelin), and reliability trials exponent P. M. Appleton, of Bodenham (Buckler), the runners-up being Misses Weaver and Bott (TC M.G.), which was a good show on their first attempt at this kind of event.

The several members who either failed to arrive or arrived too late at the start owing to fog, certainly missed a most pleasant evening’s sport.

The Dewar Challenge Trophy
The Committee of the Royal Automobile Club has approved an amendment to the terms of award of the Dewar Trophy, presented annually by the R.A.C. for the most outstanding technical achievement accomplished during the year under the current rules of the International Sporting Code and the competition rules of the club. The amended terms of award are as follows:—

(1) The Dewar Challenge Trophy may be awarded annually by the Royal Automobile Club on the recommendation of its Technical and Engineering Committee for the most outstanding British technical performance in the field of automobile engineering in each calendar year (i.e., from January 1st to December 31st inclusive). If in a particular calendar year there has not in the opinion of the Technical and Engineering Committee been a performance of sufficient merit, it may recommend that the trophy is not awarded for that year.

(2) Consideration for this award will generally be confined to the achievements of British subjects normally resident in Great Britain:
(a) Under the current regulations for R.A.C. certified trials;
(b) Under the current rules of the International Sporting Code and/or the general competition rules of the R.A.C.;
(c) In research, development and production in any of the branches of automobile engineering, including those concerned with components, accessories, equipment, fuels and lubricants, it being understood that usually the vehicles or apparatus with which the achievement is associated should be primarily of British origin.

Southern Jowett C.C.
Nearly 50 members and their friends attended a cocktail party given by the Southern Jowett C.C. on November 29th, at “The Denmark,” Old Brompton Road, S.W. Topics of conversation, all inclining towards motoring, were many and varied and with the Motor Show fresh in people’s minds the new models found their way into the discussions. The past season’s sporting events were unofficially analysed, but the inconclusive wrangle over the pro’s and con’s of the Javelin and Jupiter was probably to the forefront of the conversations.

The club is holding its annual dinner and annual general meeting on Wednesday, January 20th, at the Abbey Hotel, Park Royal, N.W.

Sunbeam Register
The Roesch Talbot contingent of the Wolverhampton Sunbeam Register now exceeds 50 and it is thought that, to make the link with the past complete, Darracq cars of the S.T.D. era should be admitted to membership. This costs 15s. per annum and includes six issues of the Register’s printed journal Sunbeam.

It is planned to commence the 1954 season with a social next month, in or near London. Later the usual rallies, concours d’elegance and similar events will take place. Hon. Registrar: Mrs. W. Boddy, Carmel, Wood Lane, Fleet, Hampshire.