Miscellany, October 2002

The August issue of the Frazer Nash Chain Gang Gazette, edited by Louise Northwood, which always cheers me up, is devoted largely to the memory of the late H J Aldington, the great character who ran the Frazer Nash business and competed so successfully in the Alpine Trials and at Brooklands, etc.

*****

Alastair Pugh is organising the H J Aldington Centenary and Frazer Nash Celebration of the successes of these cars in the Alpine Trials of 1932-34. Held at Brooklands, this may be the final time the 11 Frazer Nashes that took part in these tough events will be seen together. Another event of note is the 750MC’s Six-Hour Relay Race, at Silverstone on October 26.

*****

Sir Peter Masefield’s autobiography, Flight Path, with Bill Gunston’s (Airlife, ISBN 1 84037 283 4), is told in a style which reminds me of those wonderful aviation histories by the late Harald Penrose. Masefield’s career, from his Cambridge years to working to working for The Aeroplane under the inimitable C G Grey, learning to fly, entering the aircraft industry, running airports and airlines, and writing books, is enormously fascinating. His books include the standard work about the ill-fated R101 airship, and he edited the wartime Aeroplane Spotter. Masefield flew an enormous number of aeroplanes, and saw Government handling of WWII first hand. He was President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Aero Club, etc. The 45 chapters are each devoted to a given subject for easy reading. I really must recommend this to readers who care for aviation as well as motoring.