The 35th Gloucester Trial

(December 5th) (Pictures on centre pages.)

The 35th Gloucester Trial of the London M.C., starting from Birdlip on December 5th, was well up to standard, attracted an entry of 39 trials specials and concluded soon enough after mid-day for competitors and marshals to return to their hotel and see the Television Trial on television sets kindly installed for the purpose by A. G. Imhof.

Going down on the Friday in the Motor Sport B.M.W., we again stayed comfortable at the “New Inn,” Gloucester, and next morning set out for an imposing number of “sections” situated in a damp wood, final progression being on foot across a large field and down a particularly slippery downhill lane.

At the first “section” nearly all competitors failed on the first sub-section, which must have been very dull for them. Indeed, considerable difficulty was experienced getting to the start and G. Pettitt, who tried a new spot when he did get there, had no more success than the others on the gradient itself.

The next “sections” were almost as difficult, although some succeeded. On one a very tight turn had to be negotiated — if you could get that far.

But the “Gulf” was a much better section — long and sinuous and muddy to a severe degree only near the top. As we got out a Venus “Streamline” pencil to write our notes, thoughts strayed to racing cars, but claps from the spectators brought us to earth in time to observe H. R. Smart make a very big effort which just got him up clean.

D. W. Watkins’ Dellow Mk. II failed in sub-section 7, but although W. H. H. Darling’s Spence VII nearly came to a standstill it somehow recovered, the passenger adopting a sidecar technique on the bends. B. Wattridge’s Spence V went alarmingly up the bank to fail in sub-section 6, G. S. Edwards took things carefully in his Bardon, making a good assault until he stopped in sub-section 7’s deep morass.

G. Pettitt let the revs, drop at a crucial moment and his Ford Special stopped in sub-section 7. R. Sherman (R.S. Special) got no farther than sub-section 5. J. H. Appleton’s Appleton, two horizontal S.U.s peeping coyly from its bonnet, boiled and stopped in sub-section 7. Already M. Wilde had vanquished the “Gulf,” greatly helped by his passenger’s vigorous “bouncing” in the Ford Special. D. H Dees made a fine climb of the steep preceding section and then just got up the “Gulf,” a very fine exhibition, his Deeford’s tail sliding from side to side. W. T. Knill’s Mullacott Special fluffed a bit at high revs. and stopped in the familiar spot on sub-section 7. The same hazard stopped B. R. Potts’ Dellow, after a careful approach.

E. J. Chandler put up an enormous effort, the soft coil-spring suspension of his Chandler Special working delightfully, but again sub-section 7 was his Waterloo.

Here, too, Walter Waring’s W.H.W.3 came to rest with furious wheelspin, as did J. C. Smith’s J.C.S. after a good try, the same applying to J. D. Hollingsworth’s Oliver. D. G. Flather came up fast in his long-bonnetted Keystone but he, as well, got no higher than sub-section 7, victory over the “Gulf” literally in sight. R. W. Faulkner (Paul Special) walked up first, to look long and determinedly at the mud, only to fail there as so many others had done.

T. R. Wood in his Tigford with much Aquaplane equipment made a model ascent, pulling away astonishingly well through the slime. B. Fitzwater in deerstalker and smoking a pipe stopped in the last sub-section-8.

A very good trial. All the competitors used Ford Ten engines.

Gloucester Cup: M. Wilde (Ford Special),
Thomas Cup: B. H. Dees (Deeford),
Committee Cup: A. E. Marsh (Dellow).
First-Class Awards: W. H. Waring (W.H.W.3), I. D. L. Lewis (Ford Special), R. W. Faulkner (Paul Special). W. H. H. Durling (Spence VII).
Second-Class Awards: R. Kemp (Kemp), W. T. Knill (Mullacott Special), K. J. Chandler (Chandler Special), H. Sinclair-Sweeney (Lotus-Vicki).