Sir,

Having just received your October -issue, I should first like to say thank you for ” carrying on.” I see that you would like to hear from readers, so having been .a regular reader for five years, here you are. It probably will not interest anyone .but it will fill up an odd corner.

Whilst at school during 1934 at the .age of fourteen, a classmate of mine told me a number of interesting insights about a sport, of which I had heard but knew little, namely motor racing, or as I now ‘know it, “The Sport.” My enthusiasm soon grew and I began to buy motoring .papers. The following year I had given to me Barre Lyndon’s book “Grand Prix,” this really fired my enthusiasm, and I was soon reading every book and paper on motor-racing that I could lay my hands on. At that time the nearest venue was Brooklands, but unfortunately the cost to attend a meeting was more than I ever possessed and I had no friends -with cars, who were interested enough to transport me there, so my motor-racing had to come from the reports in the :journals.

In 1936 I saw a racing car “in the flesh” or should I say “in the metal,” for the first time, that was an E.R.A. at the schoolboys’ Exhibition. Later in the year, whilst staying at Brighton, I found that the Lewes Speed Trials were -quite near, so off I went to find the venue. It was there that I first saw racing-cars in action, what a thrill ! There was a ” works ” s.v. Austin, Hadley up, M.G.’s, Alta’s, Bugatti’s, the Vauxhall Villiers and that marvellous piece of machinery, Fuzzi. After that meeting I thought .something must be done. Nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, -what luck ! The Crystal Palace circuit was opening almost on my doorstep, no need to worry about transport. At that -opening meeting I think I must have been one of the first to go through the turnstiles and I am sure the last to come .out. Since then I haven’t missed a R.R.C. fixture. During that year and 1938 I found a means of attending some other meetings, that was the bicycle, for as I had now gone to a Technical College, my funds would not allow a powered means of transport. Nineteen hundred -and thirty-seven saw me attending at Lewes, Brighton, and one or two prac tises at Brooklanels. Race day still being a little beyond my pocket. At last ! August Bank Holiday 1938 I -was able to attend a Brooklands meeting, and since then the track has been like _home to me. The next question was Donington, 130 odd miles away The Donington G.P. was my objective and fortunately, due to the Germans coming over, I was able to persuade some friends with a car, that it was really was worth

while going, on which point we all heartily agreed afterwards, even though Hitler nearly messed things up. At the beginning of this year opportunity knocked loudly at my door and

I wasted no time in opening it. The opportunity was given to me by MOTOR SPORT in the February issue, when they published a letter from a reader, asking for someone to help with his racing car at meetings and such like. I offered my assistance and was accepted, and I can honestly say I have had a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable time, consisting of doing a spot of work at a racing car works, working on a pukka racing car, and attending a meeting in one of the fastest road cars in Great Britain, plus an hundred and one other interesting and enjoyable jobs, here I should like to thank both MOTOR SPORT and the reader in question. Through the same source I have been able to attend Shelsley and Prescott and numerous other speed trials such as Poole and Wetherby, all of which had previously been out of my reach, and of course Brooklands meetings, not behind the fence, but right out in front, all things of which I had dreamed of way back in.

1934, and if this war had’nt started I could have looked forward to another Prescott, Shelsley and Donington, and especially the runs to and from, which are always certain to be enjoyable, so the sooner we get back to normal, I for one will shout for joy.

I should just like to add another ” thank you” for carrying on and if your staff can find enough interest in 200 miles a month to write ” General Notes,” everything in the garden will be lovely.

Hoping I haven’t bored you too much. I am, Yours etc.,

DF.NIS S. JENKINSON.

London, S.E.23. [As we have so often preached, it pays to cultivate youthful enthusiasm.—Ed]