Congratulations are due to team (1) for being the first ‘Bank team’ to ever qualify for the 2nd Round of the competition (the first two teams qualify). This result being an obvious reflection of sound preparation work: it should be added that team (2) were somewhat handicapped by the fact that one of their members was unavoidably delayed and was required to complete the question paper in less than half the allotted time.

Team (1) confidently entered the District Winners Competition of the West Midlands, held on Thursday 24th February, with high hopes of reaching the Championship Final and a chance of winning the coveted ‘Colmore Depot Trophy’.

Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed when finding the standard of questions and competition of a high nature and finished in a disappointing 9th position – better luck next time.

This year’s R.E. Gillies Rally takes place on 14th May and will cover approximately 150 miles in the Snowdonia region. The event will start at Mold, Clwyd at 10p.m.on Saturday evening and finish at the same place on Sunday morning at 9a.m. As this, at the moment, is the only event in which the Motoring Section directly competes with other TSBs it is hoped that we will be well represented.

Members are reminded that the Motoring Section meet on the first Wednesday of the month at the Guild Club, Station Street, at 9p.m., and anyone wishing to participate in any discussion relating to motoring topics will be made most welcome.

Bob Fernie.

The Motoring Section entered a team of 3 cars into the R.E. Gillies Trophy Rally which was held overnight on the 14th & 15th May 1977. The event started from Mold, Clwyd on Saturday evening and covered some 150 miles in the Snowdonia region of Wales finishing at the Clwyd Suite, Civic Centre Hall, Mold in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

The team attained their highest Gillies placing by finishing a creditable 5th out of 25 teams, with special honours to be attributed to Gordon Hancock who finished 2nd out of the 74 individual entrants in his Vauxhall Viva. A really magnificent effort by Gordon considering he had never previously entered this type of competition.

Many of the 74 drivers were forced to retire during the rally as the going became increasingly difficult and even seasoned Gillies campaigners admitted that this was possibly the most arduous rally they had encountered.

                The Bank placings were as follows:

                2nd    Gordon Hancock & John Rogers

                54th    Brian Godwin & David Parkes

                68th     Chris Houghton & Stephen Pink

Congratulations to Wales and Border Counties T.S.B., the eventual winners of the '1977 R.E. Gillies Trophy Rally.'

The first 'Treasure Hunt' of the year, organised by Mr. S. E. Wright and myself, took place on Sunday 12th June starting from Solihull Civic Hall Public Car Park and finishing at the Punch Bowl Inn, Lapworth. The event was held in torrential rain and congratulations are due to all competitors who battled through atrocious driving conditions and managed to complete the 32 mile course and solve the majority of the 57 clues.

After the drivers and their passengers had dried out and partaken of sandwiches and liquid refreshment, the prizes were presented by the Club's President Mr. B.R. Endall.

The results were as follows

        1st    D.J. Parkes         prize - Car Fire Extinguisher

        2nd    T.M. Murphy        prize - Self Standing Hazard Warning Triangle

        3rd    R.F. Parker         prize - Car Hydraulic Bottle Jack   

        4th    S.R. Prince          prize - Car First Aid Kit

        Booby Prize H.G. Heath    prize - Tin of Car Polish

HELPFUL HINT

*************

A good way of preserving good electrical contact when replacing a car light bulb is to smear petroleum jelly round the base of the bulb before re-fitting. Apart from avoiding the bugbear of the inevitable awkward removal of an untreated bulb it also eliminates faulty earthing which is one of the major causes of electrical troubles.

Bob Fernie.