VSCC Hereford Trial

The VSCC held its popular annual Herefordshire Trial under a cloudless sky on February 14, entries numbering 106. Twelve sections had to be attempted, the two Slaughters omitted as too rough for pre-war cars after an off-road event had chewed them up. Hamish Moffatt had organised the other excellent hills and he supervised the trial in his OM. Of these hills, Bearwood reminded Lakeland competitors of the notorious Drumhouse, as it had a rocky surface and a very steep final gradient. A stop/restart was also included and competitors were urged to walk up first. Even experienced drivers such as Seymore Price failed the restart, but his son Simon by determination and bouncing, got away, both in Ulster A7s, and Simon Diffey in Moffatt’s Brescia Bugatti likewise, only to have the engine expire.

At one time the foot of this hill was occupied by a line of A7s and Tidcl’s sports-type 12/4, a reminder that the entry listed 44 Baby Austins. Ward Hill proved difficult until it dried out and there Purnell had a long pause curing his Singer Junior of fuel blockage. Shooters was a long section in fine open country, with three hairpins and a final grass ascent. Harry Stringer and his Stadium A7 looked a likely outright winner until he missed one of these turns. Both Edwardians got up, Roscoe in his Overland, Fenton in the Buick and Telford defeated wheelspin and coaxed his Model-B Ford saloon to the summit. J Bullett in this A7 was one of those making a model climb here. The famous ex-Sandy Skinner ‘Wooden Austin 7’ was out again in the care of Briscoe, who was finding it non-adhesive under the prevailing conditions. Excellent that the outright joint winners were Ian Williamson in his historic s/c 939cc ‘Cream Cracker’ MG, and Barry Clarke’s A7.