Racing flavour as WB receives MBE

WB received his MBE on Novemver 17 at Powys County Hall, the presentation made on behalf of HM The Queen by the Lord Lieutenant of Powys. The recipient was taken to the ceremony by Roger Collings in Sally Collings’ open 4½-litre four-seater Bentley, Mrs WB and daughter travelling in the 1922 8hp Talbot-Darracq. After the presentation Sir John Venables-Llewelyn and Roger Collings spoke of the long contribution made by WB to motorsport journalism and the influence which Motor Sport had had on the development of motor-racing, after which the Lord-Lieutenant produced an autograph book containing the signatures of many famous post-war racing drivers. In his address he said that he had a personal pleasure in making the presentation because “when schoolboys, my brother and I used to take a huge interest in motor racing – we used to put our bicycles on the train from Hereford and go to Donington, Shelsley Walsh and occasionally to Brooklands, and last year we had the pleasure of going to Oulton Park to watch our friend Sir John Venables-Llewelyn roaring home to victory in his beautiful Bugatti.”

So an informal occasion, with an unexpected motor-racing atmosphere.