62 replies to this topic

[BRG]

I don't know why I missed this thread back in 2011.  I was rallying and sprinting in the south-east from about 1979 onwards and I do not recall ever hearing of Chichester Motoring Club.  There were other very active clubs in that area in the 1970s - Bognor Regis, Southsea and Cosmo.  They all used Goodwood for sprints and rallies but I never heard of Chichester running events there and as the most local club of all, surely they would have?  I can only imagine that the club either ran down and closed when its key members left/retired/died - something that did happen when a club relied on a few people to do everything - or it merged with another local club.  

 

Didn't the annual RACMSA Blue Books include a list of affiliated clubs?  If anyone had copies for around that time it might show when Chichester vanished from view.

[Rupertlt1]

I don't know why I missed this thread back in 2011.  I was rallying and sprinting in the south-east from about 1979 onwards and I do not recall ever hearing of Chichester Motoring Club.  There were other very active clubs in that area in the 1970s - Bognor Regis, Southsea and Cosmo.  They all used Goodwood for sprints and rallies but I never heard of Chichester running events there and as the most local club of all, surely they would have?  I can only imagine that the club either ran down and closed when its key members left/retired/died - something that did happen when a club relied on a few people to do everything - or it merged with another local club.  

 

Didn't the annual RACMSA Blue Books include a list of affiliated clubs?  If anyone had copies for around that time it might show when Chichester vanished from view.

 

The club was founded in 1951 (see above) and still going in 1972 1974 with Ditcham Hill Climb 

There was a hill climb at Ditcham, Chichester M.C., 8 September 1974.

FTD: Norman Hutchins (Mallock U2) 36.71 sec.

Autosport, 12 September 1974, Page 60

Presumably the last event held there?

Looks like Chichester Motoring Club Limited was wound up at the end of 1975.

The club did run events at Goodwood — driving tests known as "Goodwood Chicanery" in 1961 and earlier — 23 May 1959, 31 May 1958, 29 June 1957.

Other dates:

14 August 1954: Cattle Market, Chichester, Driving Tests

Chichester M.C.—The results of the driv-

ing tests held at Chichester on August 14

are as follows:

Open Cars—Under 1,500 c.c.

1. M.G. (K. C. Lane); 2. Ford (P. D. Franklin)

Over 1,500 c.c.

1. Triumph TR2 (W. Wadham); 2. Triumph TR2 (W. Wilcher)

Closed Cars—Under 1,500 c.c.

1. Renault (D. Silverthorne); 2. Renault (F. Cruttenden)

Over 1,500 c.c.

1. Sunbeam-Talbot (W. O. Holland);

2. Ford Zephyr (P. G. Rushbridger).

C.M.C. Challenge Cup: Triumph TR2 (W. Wadham)

31 May 1958:

Chichester M.C.—Driving test meeting, 31 May, Goodwood circuit. Cars

divided into five classes and entries limited to first 60. Entries to R. J. MacKay,

Woodcote Cottage, Goodwood, Nr. Chichester, by 26 May. Entry fee 15s,

team fee 7s 6d

 

2 July 1958: Oaklands Park, Chichester, Gymkhana

11 Jan 1959: Public car park, rear of Granada Cinema, Chichester, Rally C

2-3 Dec 1961: Farnham Lane Garage, Haslemere, Rally R 8:30 pm

27 Sept 1964: R.A.F. Tangmere, Inter-Area Driving Tests R

27 June 1965: R.A.F. Tangmere, Driving Tests

26 Sept 1965:  R.A.F. Tangmere, Team Driving Tests

19 June 1966: R.A.F. Tangmere, Driving Tests

7 July 1968: Southsea & Chichester M.C.s, R.A.F. Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hants, Sprint R 

 

A factor in the decline of the club was emigration. As we have seen key personnel were heading for the exits — active, get-up-and-go people got up and left. A Chairman, Clerk of the Course, Rally Secretary all gone. Road rallying was also on the decline due to public hostility. Did the Trentham 200 Rally go beyond 1963? 1967? The loss of places to race e.g. Goodwood, Firle, Brunton, Ditcham etc. All this knocked the stuffing out of this club.

By 1967 Tony Pettie was associated with Sutton and Cheam Motor Club?

With Ian Pettie ASCMC champions in 1971 and 1972.

 

RGDS RLT  

Edited by Rupertlt1, 13 January 2024 - 17:24.

[Rupertlt1]

FONTAINE INNS, LTD. have acquired a

long lease of "The Richmond Arms"

which is situated half a mile from Good-

wood, from the Duke of Richmond and

Gordon and it is proposed to carry out

extensive alterations and improvements.

Eric Brown, a director of the company,

who is well known for his motor sport-

ing exploits, including Brooklands and

more recently his driving of a D-type

engined Jaguar XK 120, has designed the

alterations and furnishings and will

supervise the work on the site.

Autosport, 26 January 1962, Page 114

The Jaguar was registered 1 ALL.

 

https://www.racingsp...c-Brown-GB.html

 

By 1963 members of the Chichester Motoring Club were meeting weekly on Friday nights at the Richmond Arms Hotel, Trundle Bar, Waterbeach, for a 'Noggin & Natter'.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 10 January 2024 - 11:12.

[BRG]

Looks like Chichester Motoring Club Limited was wound up at the end of 1975.

The club did run events at Goodwood — driving tests known as "Goodwood Chicanery" in 1961 and earlier — 23 May 1959, also 1958, 29 June 1957.

 

A factor in the decline of the club was emigration. As we have seen key personnel were heading for the exits — active, get-up-and-go people got up and left. A Chairman, Clerk of the Course, Rally Secretary all gone. Road rallying was also on the decline due to public hostility. Did the Trentham 200 Rally go beyond 1963? 1967? The loss of places to race e.g. Goodwood, Firle, Brunton, Ditcham etc. All this knocked the stuffing out of this club.

By 1967 Tony Pettie was associated with Sutton and Cheam Motor Club?

With Ian Pettie ASCMC champions in 1971 and 1972.

 

RGDS RLT  

I was thinking of the period 1970s-80s at Goodwood when it was an active sprint venue and became used quite a bit for single venue stage rallies.  But no sign of CMC in that period that I recall (but memory isn't what it was!). 

 

I knew the Pettie brothers from when I was a Sutton and Cheam member in the 1970s as they were pretty active in road rallies at that time

 

I think we can assume that CMC probably died the death as did many other clubs due to a decline in active members.

[bradbury west]

Eric Brown, a director of the company,

who is well known for his motor sport-

ing exploits, including Brooklands and

more recently his driving of a D-type

engined Jaguar XK 120, 

Autosport, 26 January 1962, Page 114

The Jaguar was registered 1 ALL.

 

 

 

It is often funny the things that stick in your memory. I recall at least 60 years ago a photograph in the Autocar  of 1ALL as a light coloured car at the Brighton Speed Trials. The thing which reminds me of it is the fact, from a possibly flawed memory…., that the headlights were recessed into the leading curved edge of the front wings, rather than their usual position.

Exits left

Roger Lund

[Rupertlt1]

Trentham 200 Rally, Chichester Motoring Club, 2-3 December 1961:

Enthusiasts' Corner

Arrangements for Chichester

Motoring Club's Trentham 200

rally, a R.A.C. restricted event which

counts for the rally driver and rally

navigator championships, to be held

tomorrow night and Sunday morning,

are going well, reports chief rally

organizer Peter Hewitt.

The entry limit of 60 has been

reached, and includes entries from

more than 20 clubs in the Central

Southern Association of Motoring

Clubs. Clubs from as far away as

North London the Cotswolds and the

Isle of Wight will take part in the

all-night.

This is a big event and it has taken

a lot of organizing. About 45 marshals

are needed, and Peter Hewitt will be

glad to hear of anyone interested in

taking on those duties.

There will be some 67 control points

which have to be manned in both

sections of the rally, and some

marshals will be making quick dashes

from one section to the next in order

to cope.

The rally will cover Hants, Sussex,

Berks and Wiltshire, and will start at

Haslemere. There will be stop at

Micheldever, north of Winchester,

during the night, for rest and refresh-

ments, and the rally will end at

Winchester, breakfast being from 7:30

onwards.

In the competition for the associa-

tion's champion rally driver, Graham

Tatford of Southsea, is well in the

lead. His navigator Tony Yoward,

of Chichester Motoring Club, is

favourite for the title of champion

navigator.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 11 January 2024 - 17:21.

[Rupertlt1]

For the hillclimbing exploits of John Barnes see:

 

https://forums.autos...b/#entry9049376

 

His Elva Mk 7 was built in Sussex.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 13 January 2024 - 10:23.

[Rupertlt1]

 

Valerie Davison in the Austin Healey Sprite, 2080 PO. In 1963 she was on the committee of the Chichester Motoring Club, operating from the Blue Star Garages, Northgate, Chichester. The car was owned by Charles Page. Also John Barnes in the Turner 950S, registration 6565 PO. White Austin Healey Sprite, registration 222 PPE. Also red pre-war Morris, registration PN 8549.

 

Said to be a Bognor Regis auto-test — can anybody identify the event — I suspect 1963-1964?

Could it be Mr. Angus Henshaw in a 1936 Morris 8 Tourer?

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 26 January 2024 - 09:00.

[BRG]

That's definitely Bugger Bognor.  There was/is some loophole that allowed them to close the road along the sea-front - presumably it is owned by the local council rather than being public highway.  Similar thing allows the use of the sea front roads of New Brighton and Blackpool for rally stages, along with Madeira Drive in (old) Brighton for the Speed Trials.  All have been overtaken by the fairly recent legislation that FINALLY allowed road closure for motorsport.  Although I think the Green Party Brighton & Hove Council have stopped the Speed Trials this year.

 

EDIT:  apparently there are other issues re the Speed Trials and it is not all the Greens' fault.  Although they DID try to stop it a few years ago and had to back down after an outcry.

Edited by BRG, 26 January 2024 - 09:38.

[Rupertlt1]

The history of this event goes back to 1951 with "Motorsport" being held on the Esplanade by permission of Bognor Regis U.D.C.

The first event attracted 4,000 spectators.

 

Wednesday 22 June 1960, Association of Central Southem M.C.s, gymkhana, Bognor Regis Esplanade, 6 p.m.

 

Wednesday 21 June 1961.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 26 January 2024 - 17:24.

[Rupertlt1]

Concours d'Elegance, Southsea Motor Club, Castle Field, 29 May 1960

Premier Awards — Blossom Trophy (most attractive car in opposite class):

Charles Page, Austin Healey Sprite, 1960

Prizegiving at Club HQ at Hilsea

Hampshire Telegraph, Friday 3 June 1960, Page 2, column 7

 

In 1958 Charles Page, Northgate, Chichester, won the Premier Award at the same event:

Grand Prix d'Honneur — The Miles trophy 

with #50 Austin Healey 100/6, registration PX 33?

His passenger was Miss J. Cooper

This was the Southsea Motor Club's jubilee year.

He won the Blossom Trophy in 1957 with the same car.

Portsmouth Evening News, Monday 30 June 1958, Page 8

 

1957: The Day Trophy, for the most attractive car entered within a radius of 20 miles of Portsmouth, went to Mr. C. L. R. Page of Chichester for his shining two-tone Austin Healey Sports.

 

1955: Open cars to over 1,300c.c.: Mr. C. L. R. Page (Triumph).

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 26 January 2024 - 07:37.

[Rupertlt1]

The Chichester Motoring Club ran the Ditcham Hill Climb between June 1968 and September 1972. For the last two years they operated with the BARC (South East Centre). I tried to find the Chichester MC without result.

 

We now know that Ditcham Hill Climb ran until Sunday 8 September 1974 — see Autosport, 12 September 1974 — probably one of the last events run by Chichester Motoring Club?

(Brunton run by B.A.R.C. SW had packed up in 1970.)

The course was close to South Harting, which had hosted hill climbs in the 1920s and before the First World War?

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 30 January 2024 - 02:27.

[Rupertlt1]

Two names that appear in the 1963 membership list:

P. C. Wadham, Rest-a-wyle, Wallis Road Waterlooville

W. H. Wadham, Copt Heath, Hambledon Road, Denmead

Peter and Wilfred Wadham, known international rallyists —

seen on the Monte, Tulip and R.A.C.

Also known for a chain of garages, including around that

time Wadhams Ltd, at Southgate, Chichester.

Also listed E. Brinkman, Chequers Lane, Bosham.

Eric Brinkman, also seen on those same events, in the

fifties and sixties.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 03 February 2024 - 02:51.