Miscellany, March 2003

In Gordon Cruikshank’s interesting account of a return to Blandford circuit he referred to Major PM Braid’s accident, in which his Cooper ended up on the roof of the Guardroom.

I remember seeing this. Michael Tee, Motor Sport’s photographer, took pictures of the car on its astonishing perch. I suggested to Michael that he get on his Norton and ride quickly to London, stopping to ring the newsdesk of one of the leading evening newspapers. “They would pay well for the film,” I assured him. So off he went. On the Monday I asked him how it had gone. He had decided to go home to Homchurch first, and by the time he had negotiated London and got there, it was too late for Fleet Street’s deadline.

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Michael E Keller has sent me his commendable The Graham Legag: Graham-Paige to 1932 (Turner Publishing Co, PO Box 3101, Kentucky, USA, ISBN 156311-470-4). It covers not only Graham-Paige but also Paige cars and commercial and farm vehicles, Jewett, Graham Bros, Paige-Detroit and G-Boy vehicles. It covers the work of the Graham family in incredible detail, competition work included. Marendaz’s racing Graham-Paige is shown but Keller thought ‘Cannon Ball’ Baker raced at Brooklands, mistaking him for dear old G L Baker who won the last BARC race in a Graham-Paige after many races in his sleeve-valve Minerva.

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The Hornet Special Club, founded in 1950, caters for the well-liked sports Wolseley Hornets, like those in Hutchins’ team which won the LCC Relay Race at Brooklands in 1932. It has a spares service and a magazine. Its secretary is Chris Hyde (01929 471630).