THE VETERAN CAR CLUB'S SOCIAL

THE VETERAN CAR CLUB’S SOCIAL

Another of the Veteran Car Club’s ” lunchwith-films ” meetings was held on April 22nd at the Waldorf and was very well attended, over 100 members and friends being present. The first speech, after an excellent austerity lunch, came from Lt.-Comdr. Montague Grahame-White, R.N.V.R., the Club’s President. He welcomed to the meeting several old-timers, mentioning among others V. S. Bennett, Jack Stocks, W. H. M. Burgess and Sir Kenneth Murchison. Commenting on the steadily shrinking group of pioneers, he especially mentioned the loss they had sustained in the death of Lt.-Col. Charles Jarrott. After Major Allday had said how gratifying it was to see so many ladies and members of the Services present, he extended a special welcome to Roger Hardacre, of the American Homeless Carriage Club. Major S. C. H. Davis, pleading for more Anglo-American co-operation, mentioned that with the aid of the American Air Force he had recently got a Jeep up the steps of a certain town hall. Major Aliday rose again to speak

on a personal matter. The committee felt that Captain Wylie’s tireless efforts on the Club’s behalf deserved some recognition, and that they wanted him to accept a scale model of his veteran Wolseley from the Club as a token of their gratitude. Captain Wylie accepted, saying he had always done his best to strengthen the Club’s position, mentioning that they had enrolled 70 new members since 1939, and that members owned some 200 veterans. He also said that to avoid any argument in the future he was writing the history of the Club from its founding up to date. After a brief interval the film show began. A film of the V.C.C. Leamington Spa Rally of 1934 was followed by one of the 1910 Coupe des Voiturettes. This was the year the Birkigt-designed HispanoSuizas triumphed over the freak Lion Peugeots. Next, a brief but excellent film of the 1906 Grand Prix, held at Le Mans, when Szisz’s 13-litre, with Michelin rims, was the winner at 63 m.p.h. Following an A.A. film came Southall’s magnificent colour

film. This was made up of shots of several different subjects, including the 1936 Eastbourne Concours d’Elegance, a Brighton run, the Itala and Heal’s Fiat in action at Prescott, the 1939 V.S.C.C. Welsh Rally, a magnificent shot of Cecil Clutton riding a boneshaker bicycle in anything but a straight line, and a Holden and other early motor-cycles in action. The show concluded with a very good sound film of the 1904 Gordon-Bennett, when Thery won at 54i m.p.h. on the 10-litre Richard-Brasier. There was an excellent spoken commentary on shots of the weigh-in, the start, and of cars in full flight. Major Allday thanked Lt. Inman-Hunter for the work he had done on the Club’s films. Then tea was served, and after much discussion the party broke up.

Among those present were Mrs. S. F. Edge, F. W. Hutton-Stott, S. E. Sears, C. St. John Nixon, Capt. Johns, Douglas Tubbs, Lt. Farrar, Anthony Heal and his wife, Alec Hodsdon, E. Lightfoot, J. Egerton, E. A. Stafford-East, Julian Fall, Frank Bale and Jackie Masters.