22 replies to this topic

[taylov]

Just once in a while something nice turns up on eBay that is really worth having. In this case I bought a signed menu card and seating plan from the 21st “Birthday” dinner of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) held at the Park Lane Hotel, London in 1948 with approx. 40 signatures of BRDC members and guests.

Drivers' signatures identified to date include - John Cobb, S.C.H. "Sammy" Davis, Reg (and Betty) Parnell, Bob (and Joan) Gerard, Tony Rolt, Duncan Hamilton, David Hampshire, Tom and Elsie "Bill" Wisdom, Philip Fotheringham Parker, Frank W. Kennington (MG and Cisitalia driver), the author Rodney Walkerley, E.C.W. Stapleton, J.H.T. Smith, F Stanley Barnes, Peter C. Clark, HL “Leslie” Brooke and the South African driver, Ian J. Fraser-Jones. The 1949 Silverstone Clerk of the Course, DJ Scannell and Chief Paddock Marshal, GVB Cooke have also signed.

I have the BRDC membership list for 1948 and 1949 and have checked against this. A few names still puzzle me and I wonder if TNFers can link any to motor racing. Those names are -

Miss Joan C Chapman; Mr R Morris; Miss Deidre Murray; Mr C Jackson; and Mr Frank Wolley (surely not the pre-war England Test cricketer?)

Any help would be appreciated.

Tony

[Tim Murray]

Frank Woolley the cricketer spelled his surname with two 'o's.

[taylov]

Originally posted by Tim Murray
Frank Woolley the cricketer spelled his surname with two 'o's.

Tim, thanks. In fact, on checking the signature is Woolley.

Tony

[taylov]

A chance reading of the January 1999 copy of "Motor Sport" last night may have solved the mystery.

 

Here's the signature in question -

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

In Bill Boddy's article on Bob Gerard, he twice refers to a Frank Woolley. "In 1945, Gerard had purchased R4A for some £1,000 from Reg Parnell, and with spares from R6B had rebuilt it, helped by Frank Woolley."  Later Boddy states - "(In 1947) Bob formed a team to look after his motor racing: Frank Woolley was appoined team manager."

 

At the BRDC bash of 1948, Woolley is seated on the same table as T.C.Harrison (Bob's second driver), Major and Mrs Rolt and the Duke and Duchess of Richmond. On the adjacent table were Bob and Joan Gerard along with the Parnells.

 

What else is known about Frank Woolley, team manager?

 

Tony

[Rupertlt1]

Motor Sport, January 1949, Page 20:
Club News
Frank Woolley and his family left England
for S. Africa on December 23rd as
Woolley, who was Bob Gerard's team-
manager, is taking up a position out
there, associated with heavy vehicle
maintenance. The good wishes of all
those who followed Gerard's racing since
the war will go out to Woolley in his new
venture; we understand that he will
return to this country once a year and,
not surprisingly, he says, "If there is
any racing on at the time you can bet I
shall be there."
END

 

[Vitesse2]

There's a travel entry on Find My Past which may be them - no first names or initials given - apparently travelling together from Southampton to Durban in 1948. Two adults, born 1901 and 1906, and a child born 1939. I don't have a subscription to check further.

 

Joan C Chapman was at that time presumably the fiancée of Desmond Scannell - they married in Worthing in early 1949. Source: Ancestry.

 

I've also found a Deidre Murray (sometimes Deidre Mary Murray) on the electoral roll in Paddington between 1945 and 1950 - not that that will tell us much!

Edited by Vitesse2, 30 November 2013 - 12:56.

[Geoff E]

There's a travel entry on Find My Past which may be them - no first names or initials given - apparently travelling together from Southampton to Durban in 1948. Two adults, born 1901 and 1906, and a child born 1939. I don't have a subscription to check further.

  No initials (well, only one) ... Mr WOOLLEY (47, Engr), Mrs (42), Mast (9), Miss J (17), home address given as 124 Birstall Rd, Leicester. Departure 23 Dec 1948.

[Vitesse2]

Geoff - I think he's probably Edward Francis Woolley, dob 26/12/1900, registered Loughborough. Arrives Liverpool on the Southern Cross, Aug 10 1960. Described as company director with destination c/o Bell Hotel, Leicester for three-week stay. By then a South African passport holder. On 1901 and 1911 censuses in Shepshed, eldest of four brothers, son of a hosiery manufacturer.

 

Somebody looking for him: http://www.leicester...ml?topic=344885 The marriage mentioned there is also registered Loughborough, in 1930.

Edited by Vitesse2, 30 November 2013 - 16:14.

[Simon Thomas]

G.V.B.Cooke drove my Austin Ulster in the 1931 Irish GP and Ards TT. He was employed by Lincoln and Nolan the main Austin agents in Dublin. He seems to have moved to England during the war. He was the Chief Paddock Marshal at the British Empire Trophy race in The Isle of Man and then at Silverstone and Oulton Park (?).

Simon Thomas

[taylov]

G.V.B.Cooke drove my Austin Ulster in the 1931 Irish GP and Ards TT.......

 

 

The signatures on this copy of the menu were, in fact, collected by Mr Cooke personally at the 1948 dinner dance. A number of items from his collection came on to the market back in 2007/8 after an estate sale. His wife, Kay, is one of those who signed.

 

I did post photos on TNF at the time but in the way of these things they are now longer uploadable (if that's the right word). So here they are again.

 

 

 

Edited by taylov, 01 December 2013 - 11:50.

[Bloggsworth]

Could the Miss Murray have any connection with the Ecurie Ecosse Murrays?

[taylov]

Could the Miss Murray have any connection with the Ecurie Ecosse Murrays?

The seating plan may offer a clue.

 

She was on table 24 along with Mr and Mrs P. Fotheringham Parker plus guests and David Hampshire.

 

Mr and Mrs D Murray were present but on another table in a different part of the room.  D. Murray was a member of the BRDC in 1948. I assume that this is the E.E. Murray.

[Simon Thomas]

 

The signatures on this copy of the menu were, in fact, collected by Mr Cooke personally at the 1948 dinner dance. A number of items from his collection came on to the market back in 2007/8 after an estate sale. His wife, Kay, is one of those who signed.

 

I did post photos on TNF at the time but in the way of these things they are now longer uploadable (if that's the right word). So here they are again.

 

 

 

This is of great interest about George Cooke, does anyone know which auction house dealt with the sale and who may have bought the items? Desmond Scannell was The Secretary of The BRDC and he too came from Dublin.

Simon Thomas

[Vitesse2]

Bear in mind that there were two David Murrays - both Scots - around at this time: David 'Ecurie Ecosse' Murray and David H Murray, who was a director of Frazer Nash.

[taylov]

Bear in mind that there were two David Murrays - both Scots - around at this time: David 'Ecurie Ecosse' Murray and David H Murray, who was a director of Frazer Nash.

Good point.

 

Checking the table plan, it was Mr and Mrs D.H Murray who were present - the Fraser Nash Murrays?

[Tim Murray]

What else is known about Frank Woolley, team manager?

 

In Mr Bob, the new biography of Gerard, Frank Woolley is described as the sales manager at Parr's (Leicester) Ltd, the Gerard family firm.

[aeronut]

Hi Tony

 

and to all on this forum

 

 

I can shed some light on Frank Woolley  as he was my grandfather  (he was not the cricketer )

 

 

Yes he saw Bob's team manager

 

I have a few images from franks scrap book    (  but don't know how to put them on this forum )

 

We are still involved with vintage cars in South Africa

 

 

What a lovely thing to have found  ..  it is amazing how the internet has made the world so small  and for us to be able to find things

 

regards

Bruce Woolley

[Vitesse2]

Welcome, Bruce! I'm sure we'd love to see those images: they need to be hosted elsewhere and linked to your post. If you don't have your own webspace I'd suggest using PostImage. Or if it's easier, email them to me at jrichardarmstrong(at)gmail.com and I'll put them up for you.

[Vitesse2]

Here are Bruce's pictures. I think the word 'wow!' is probably appropriate. ERAs with added BRM - at what is presumably Folkingham. Certainly signed by Raymond Mays and Tony Rudd: is that Peter Berthon's scrawl below RM's name?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ensign14]

Wow indeed. 

[aeronut]

Thanks for posting the pics

 

Thought it might  interest  a few people ..... 

 

would love to be able to get a good copy  of the program

 

Was telling my father about all of this last night ...  and he had a rather large smile on his face .......   

[PeterElleray]

re the signatures on the Gerard photos - i read the one below Mays as 'Palin Berthon' - which of course was Peter Berthon's given name..

 

Peter

[Tim Murray]

Tremendous stuff. The last photo appears in Graham Gauld & co's biography of Gerard, and was taken after Bob's win in the 1948 Jersey Road Race. According to the caption the man on the far left of the photo is Bob's father Fred.