CONTACT: Spring 1978
At the Annual General Meeting of the Motoring Section held at the Guild Club on Wednesday, 18th January the following
officers were elected for the ensuing year;
President B.R. Endall
Chairman
D.J. Parkes
Vice Chairman
B.W. Godwin
Secretary
R.J. Fernie
Asst. Secretary
S.E. Wright
Treasurers
T.M. Murphy G. Hancock
The Annual Adult Colmore Depot
Road Safety Competition for this year has been cancelled due to lack of support.
On Tuesday evening, 14th February the Motoring Section
organised a factory visit to Fort Dunlop. The tour commenced at 7.00p.m.and the group spent an interesting two hours being shown the
various aspects of tyre production from the mixing of the original compounds to the finished article. After the tour the group enjoyed
a splendid buffet reception organised by the catering staff of Fort Dunlop. The Section’s President, Mr. B.R. Endall, then proposed
a vote of thanks to the guides and staff for their kind attention and hospitality.
The forthcoming events in the Section's calendar
will be the R.E. Gillies Trophy Rally on April 23rd, ‘Treasure Hunts’ in late May and July, a visit to the West Mercia Police Headquarters
and a trip round Ansells Brewery.
Wishing you all trouble-free motoring during the summer holidays.
Bob Fernie
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Did
you know?
That the first Datsun car (1933) was in fact designed by the late Lord Austin, and that Datsun continued to build Lord Austin
designed cars until quite recently, the last being the “Cambridge”
That the first BMW car (1928) was designed by Lord Austin?
That Lucien
Rosengart, Managing Director of Peugeot, built Austin cars under licence?
That the body of the Volvo 1800 was made at the Morris plant
and apart from the electrics (German – Bosch) this “Swedish” car was built from British components and assembled at the Wolverhampton
works of Jensen?
That SAAB cars have a British Leyland designed engine, British gear-box, final drive and other units?
That the
body panels of some Renault models are produced at the Morris plant?
Perhaps foreign cars are more British than we think they are!
CONTACT:Summer 1978
The 13th Inter-Bank Car Rally for the ‘R.E. Gillies Trophy Rally’ took place on Sunday, 23rd April 1978.
The rally started
at 9.15a.m. from the T.S.B. College at Shirley, Solihull and the first car was ‘flagged off’ by the Mayor of Solihull. After completing
in excess of 150 miles driving, comprising of six separate sections requiring different types of navigating techniques, the rally
finished at the North Staffordshire Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent, where the Dinner and prize-giving took place.
The Bank entered two teams
of three cars each and finished in the following order:-
4th
- G.R. Hancock & J Rogers
18th -
R. Snow & B. Stokes
19th - D. Parkes
& B. Godwin
22nd - S. R. Pink &
D. Hoare
35th - D. Pratt & P. Fox
47th - R. Cridge & G. Davies
Out of the 13 teams who
entered the rally, the Birmingham Municipal T.S.B. teams finished as follows:-
Team 1 : (G. Hancock, D. Parkes & S. Pink) – 3rd
Team 2 : (R. Snow, D.
Pratt & R. Cridge) – 10th
Gordon Hancock deserves special mention as he gained honours for the Bank, winning the L & M Trophy for the leading Vauxhall car. Congratulations are due to Lancashire & Cumbria T.S.B. who were the outright winners.
The first ‘Treasure Hunt’ of the season took place on Sunday, 21st May and covered some 35 miles of Warwickshire countryside
between Solihull and Henley-in-Arden. Unfortunately the earlier part of the event had to be re-routed onto main roads as the R.A.C.
would not grant a permit for the lanes intended to be used in the original plans.
Despite all hazards and accusations (unfounded) of
dubious directions all competitors found their way to the White Swan Hotel at Henley-in-Arden and thankfully partook of liquid refreshments,
and the sandwiches provided.
From the 25 cars that entered the event the prize winning places were as follows:-
1st - J.O. Fraser - prize - Starter Jump Leads
2nd - D.J.Parkes - prize - Car torch
3rd - J.W.M. Hemming - prize - Fire Extinguisher
Ladies Prize - Miss V Halfacre - prize - Car First Aid
Kit
Booby prize 25th - K. Allen - prize
- Car Leather
A full list of placings can be found on Newsletter No. 61 dated 8th June 1978.
The warehouse discount
scheme is still flourishing and members of the Motoring Section requiring parts or accessories for their vehicles should contact Steve
Wright (Hall Green Reserves).
Hope to see as many people as possible on the next ‘Treasure Hunt’ on Sunday, 13th August.
Bob Fernie,
Secretary.
CONTACT: Christmas 1978
The second ‘Treasure Hunt’ of the year took place on Sunday, 13th August and was organised by David and Jeanette Parkes and Brian and Freda Godwin. The event started from the Public Car Park, Knowle and covered some 35 miles of the Warwickshire countryside. Although the weather was not good the rain held off for most of the afternoon and so the occupants of the 30 cars that entered the hunt arrived at the Kings Head, Aston Cantlow, in good spirits and ready to consume the “ploughman’s platters” that had been provided for them.
The
results were duly announced at 9.00p.m., and the prizes presented by the Section’s President Mr. B.R. Endall.
1st. Lesley Hemming - Car Inspection Lamp
2nd Brian
Dipple - First Aid Kit
3rd Roger Parker
- Car Head Rest
4th Mike Pitkin
- Battery Charger
Ladies Prize Janet Davis
- A ‘Smurf’ sporting a TSB badge
Booby Prize Phillip Brookes - Polish & Leather
On
Wednesday 13th September a party of twenty visited the West Mercia Police Headquarters at Hindlip Hall, Fernhill Heath, near Worcester.
The visit consisted of a guided tour of the Main Operating Room, a ‘Midlands Motorway Links’ control room, the ‘Black Museum’ and
the Police Social Club. After the tour had finished the party were invited to use the facilities in the bar of the Social Club and
thus a very interesting evening ended in convivial surroundings.
On Tuesday evening the 24th October a party visited Ansells Brewery,
Aston, to gain an insight into all aspects of brewing with special reference to the mechanics of the production line and canning factory.
Safe
driving over the festive season.
Bob Fernie.