Rescued By Radio

In 1947 the Junior CC, with the Jersey MC/LCC organised the first international road race to be held in Britain after the war, a notable milestone won by Reg Parnell’s Maserati. The race was repeated in 1948, when Bob Gerard’s ERA was victorious. Having published reports on both these fixtures, we were ready to continue the dose in 1949, when the international flavour was enhanced by the Maseratis of de Graffenreid, Villoresi and Chiron.

To suit our deadline the best way to see it was to fly out and back. The weather was atrocious, and after what seemed about the right flying time an aerodrome appeared; photographer Michael Tee remarked to me how much Jersey Airport looked like Croydon. Alas, it was Croydon; the radio had failed and the pilot refused to proceed blind. All we could do was drive dejectedly back to the city office. Then an idea occurred to me. In those days the BBC gave good commentaries on such events, before TV took over. Anyway, I rushed out with a notebook, turned on the car’s radio, and was able to do quite a reasonable account of how Gerard’s ERA won again, beating the two-stage Masers and a Ferrari.