30-second board

Four years apart — but a world of difference

With echoes of the VSCC’s ‘See Red’ meeting still reverberating in the woods around Donington, we slip back to the 1930s with this pair of programmes. Only four years apart, they indicate how far the Midlands circuit had advanced in stature. On one, the restrained, factual presentation of a regional motor club; on the other, the bold, modern graphics of a prestige international meeting organised by the BRDC.

Inside, the prizes reflect this: in ’33 the best you could hope for was a tenner and a tankard; at the later event Raymond Mays would carry off a full-size replica of the bronze statuette which formed the British Empire Trophy, plus a £250 purse. And given that a cold luncheon at the Hall was 2/6d (12-1/2p), and that you could stay the night there for 8/6d (42-1/2p), £250 was quite a packet. In fact, it was one sixth of an ERA.

Interestingly, the flag signals in 1933 were very different: pale blue meant ‘keep left’; dark blue meant ‘caution’, while the yellow signified ‘stop instantly’. Why not try period signals at next year’s ‘See Red’?