The Cockfosters Grand Prix
#1
Posted 29 October 2001 - 12:16
I recently found details of an event which seems to have escaped the attention of our best historians and even the most dogged researchers at TNF: The Cockfosters Grand Prix. Most Britons around here will know that Cockfosters is a suburb in North London, but I'm almost certain none of you will have heard of the Cockfosters Grand Prix ... until very recently, nor had I! Historians like Cimarosti, Rendall, Walkerley and Jenkinson make no mention of this event in their books and it is not even mentioned in Hans Etzrodt's list of Grand Prix winners.
Not giving too much away, the Cockfosters Grand Prix was the thirteenth in a series of fourteen meetings and was reported by at least one of Britain's leading motoring journals, accompanied by pictures by one of the best motor racing photographers of that (or any other) time, who had obtained some colour film. There were over 1000 spectators and several famous drivers appeared, along with lesser lights. Other well-known photographers were also in attendance (one of them also working with colour film) and the event was broadcast on the wireless by the BBC.
Entries ranged from small production cars to ERAs, an Alfa Monza, a Grand Prix Mercedes and a 5-litre straight eight Ballot!
So - inspired by Tony Kaye's recent Gestapo Grand Prix thread: over to you! There are one or two clues to the period above, but I would be interested to read your speculations and/or guesses! And just to add grist to the mill, it is probably still possible to find the course on the ground, in its original form!
Thanks for all the fun!
#3
Posted 29 October 2001 - 12:30
#4
Posted 29 October 2001 - 15:49
But it was never called the Cockfosters Grand Prix. And I can't figure it being the 13th of any run of 14....
#5
Posted 29 October 2001 - 16:37
#6
Posted 29 October 2001 - 21:26
Bumblyari was also correct in spotting Louis Klemantaski – the other photographer with colour film was of course that well-known representative of Kodak, George Monkhouse.
Earl Howe opened the course, in a Bugatti T57S after having been driven round it by Rivers Fletcher in Raymond Mays’ 4.5 litre Bentley. The Bugatti was not keen on the ‘Puel Fuel’ and pinked “like a tambourine”. Mrs Bob Gerard drove a Riley Sprite quickly, but apparently without disturbing her hairdo – which was described as “a tonsorial tour de force”! Next up was RG Sutherland in his Aston Martin Atom, followed by Lord Brabazon of Tara, the 1908 Circuit des Ardennes Kaiserpreis victor handling his everyday steed, a rakish 1100cc Fiat coupe, with great aplomb and showing a number of younger drivers the way home. JG Tice followed in his Lagonda and then came a certain Flight Lieutenant TAD Crook in a Frazer-Nash-BMW. Another Nash was run by Gordon Claridge. An off-song Le Mans Peugeot made a run in the hands of Dorothy Patten, followed by VS Biggs in a V8 Allard and H James in a much-admired Mercedes Benz 38/250. Fastest sports car run was down to Louis Giron in a 2.3 litre Bugatti T55.
Then came the first racing cars – Symonds in an MG Midget R-type, Bob Gerard in the ex-Fairfield ERA and Charles (Chas) Mortimer in an Alfa Romeo Monza.
Tea was then taken!
After tea, the next up was Anthony Heal’s 1919 5-ltre straight eight Ballot Indianapolis car, followed by St John Horsfall in his ERA. This car was also driven by APR (Tony) Rolt who “looked delighted at being back in the driving seat after nearly five years as a prisoner of war” in Colditz. Laurence Pomeroy then gave Ariel Clark’s ex-Pilette 1914 GP Mercedes a run, recording a deceptively fast time despite the car being fitted with a Bedford lorry silencer: ‘Pom’ had driven it on public roads to get to Cockfosters!
All timings were unofficial, but the fastest time was recorded by John Bolster in Bloody Mary while another swift Shelsley car was also present: the famous Lightweight Special, handled by Alec Issigonis himself. Still to come were Dick Wright’s Leyland, Squadron Leader Boothby’s Railton, Dunham’s 12/70 Alvis and finally LM Ballamy’s blown 10hp trials car which “sat down remarkably in the corners”.
Commentary was by ‘Pom’ and DB Tubbs, while, as I mentioned, the BBC were also present to record the event on the “wireless” – I wonder if the recording still exists?
#7
Posted 30 October 2001 - 00:10
" The second stage of the resumption was on July 14th (1945) at Cockfosters where some racing cars did a demonstration gallop and where the "fanatics" regained the atmosphere of the paddocks".
JP Delsaux also said that the first motorsport event (since 1939) in England was on June 15th and it was the M.C.C. Rally at Barnet in the Wrotham Park and precisely in the property of Earl Strafford. M.C.C. meant Motor Cycling Club.
#8
Posted 30 October 2001 - 00:29
Gerard also set FTD in a sprint at Filton on October 28th, again in the ERA.
#9
Posted 30 October 2001 - 08:30
And don't believe me but the next 10 lines of the JP Delsaux text was about the Naish House Hill climb at Clapton-in-Gordano (called here Naish Hill). He said that it was won by W.O Watkins (Watkins-Nash with a 996 cc JAP engine) and that the real triumphant victor was the biker P.S. Falconer. After the text spoke about the 9th September event at Paris...
#10
Posted 30 October 2001 - 11:26
Perhaps Delsaux' source left early ...
#11
Posted 30 October 2001 - 14:14
#12
Posted 31 October 2001 - 01:02
Was I right not to include The Cockfosters Grand Prix in my list?;)
#13
Posted 31 October 2001 - 07:06
It is difficult to know how Cockfosters should be regarded, Hans. It was officially described as a “rally” - in the broadest sense of the word, ie. a “gathering”. It was not really a competition at all - no official times were taken.
#14
Posted 31 October 2001 - 11:24
#15
Posted 01 November 2001 - 08:06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 miles north of Bristol city centre on the A38 main Bristol Gloucester road.
Filton Airfield was created in 1911 and was the home of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Overs the years planes such as the WW I Bristol Fighter, the WW2 Blenheim & Beaufighter, the Britannia airliner, and Concorde, have been built at the factories on the airfield site (today known as BAe Systems and Rolls-Royce).
During WW II it also housed an RAF squadron, and tarmac runways were constructed. In October 1945 the Bristol Aeroplane Company Motor Sports Club (club membership being restricted to company employees) ran a 0.5 mile sprint on the taxiways at the north-eastern end of the airfield. The course included one fast right hand bend between the control tower and some hangars. This was only the second competitive speed event to held in the UK under an RAC permit following the end of WWII, and the first on a sealed surface. No spectators were admitted, but 100 cars and motorcycles were entered. Fastest time of the day was set by Bob Gerard, ERA (68.5 mph), & fastest motorcycle was St John Horsfall, 998 Vincent. No other motor sport events have since been held on the airfield.
#17
Posted 14 March 2010 - 11:23
#18
Posted 16 March 2010 - 01:46
#19
Posted 16 March 2010 - 14:48
Eric, do you have circuit map for that race?
Sorry Kvadrat, I'm afraid not. it was just a very large circular concrete road linking two other roads on the new housing estate and just one of the many layouts that we raced our bikes around. Luckily there werent too many cars around in those days!.
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#20
Posted 17 March 2010 - 04:44
#21
Posted 17 March 2010 - 22:29
Hopefully this will work.
http://www.multimap....e...land, EN4 0
If not, go into multimap and specify Cockfosters as the destination within the UK. Bevan Road is immediately to the west of the tube station .
Cheers
Chris
#22
Posted 18 March 2010 - 01:01
Zoom in a bit and you will see that there's a "perimeter" road to the south which goes from Mount Pleasant to Edgeworth Road: the area inside this was the spectator enclosure.
The start/finish line was at the point where Edgeworth Road meets the roundabout. Cars proceeded anti-clockwise and then turned right into Mount Pleasant to where the "perimeter road" meets it. At that point, they did a 180-degree turn and returned to the roundabout. This time, they turned left and went round it clockwise, passing the start/finish line and then doing a complete circle of the roundabout before once more reaching the start/finish line. As the paddock was in Edgeworth Road, they presumably did another slowing-down lap of the roundabout before pulling off the "track". This would have give spectators in the enclosure four views of the cars.
#23
Posted 18 March 2010 - 04:33
" Your on the Piccadilly line and the last stop is Cockfosters".
Always made me smile when i heard that name.
#24
Posted 18 March 2010 - 04:49
#25
Posted 18 March 2010 - 11:13
#26
Posted 18 March 2010 - 12:42
The title of this Thread reminds me when you travel on the train from Heathrow into London the lady voice says some like.
" Your on the Piccadilly line and the last stop is Cockfosters".
Always made me smile when i heard that name.
Reminds me of the old joke about the jam packed tube train near the end of the aforementioned line with every standing passenger pressed hard against their neighbours. Young lady : "Is this Cockfosters?" Male reply : "No, it's mine."
#27
Posted 18 March 2010 - 19:52
#28
Posted 13 December 2012 - 14:58
Vladimir, if you enter "EN4 9DD" into Google Maps, that will take you to the exact spot! The large roundabout, named as Mount Pleasant, was the centre of the "track".
Zoom in a bit and you will see that there's a "perimeter" road to the south which goes from Mount Pleasant to Edgeworth Road: the area inside this was the spectator enclosure.
The start/finish line was at the point where Edgeworth Road meets the roundabout. Cars proceeded anti-clockwise and then turned right into Mount Pleasant to where the "perimeter road" meets it. At that point, they did a 180-degree turn and returned to the roundabout. This time, they turned left and went round it clockwise, passing the start/finish line and then doing a complete circle of the roundabout before once more reaching the start/finish line. As the paddock was in Edgeworth Road, they presumably did another slowing-down lap of the roundabout before pulling off the "track". This would have give spectators in the enclosure four views of the cars.
Thread bump. Aerial photo taken sometime between 1945 and 1950 can be found here:
http://www.ukaerialp...X...net&county=
#29
Posted 13 December 2012 - 16:05