59 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

During the same search which unearthed Jenks's FRABAT pix from Modena '69 I also found a set of negs marked 'Wartime 750MC Sprint Blackbushe'.  

 

Here's a selection.  Needless to say I have NOT checked through 'Motor Sport' to see if there was much - or indeed any - mention of the necessarily discreet event.  Re car IDs, is there a 750MC specialist in the house...?

 

 

 

 

 

All Photos: The GP Library/DSJ

 

DCN

 

 

 

 

 

[Vitesse2]

This is presumably the (ostensibly just a social) June 8th 1941 750MC event, Doug. A discreet prior announcement of it did appear in Motor Sport, stating that it would be at Blackwater, which as I'm sure you're aware is just a little closer to London on the A30. Presumably the rendezvous was Blackwater railway station. As far as I can tell, after an impromptu run up the trials hill at Pirbright, where WB had previously reported on a wartime military motorcycle trial event, they then assembled at The Ely Hotel - presumably for a spot of liquid refreshment - and then decamped down the road for a supposed 'picnic', during which what seems to have been a sprint was held, with the starter being a man who kept dropping his handkerchief and the timekeeper hiding in a hedge at the end of the course. Winner was apparently Gordon Woods (Frazer Nash). His is the only name I've found as a competitor, but circumstantially Leslie Ballamy is another likely candidate - as are presumably WB, DSJ and Holly Birkett. Understandably, Motor Sport did not print the results!

 

Above assembled from snippets in the books 'Out in Front: The Leslie Ballamy Story' by Tony Russell and 'Seven Fifty Motor Club' by David Morgan and a little inspired guesswork! Most wartime 750MC meetings were at the Ashdown Park Hotel in Coulsdon, but some time in the summer of 1940 they had also had a day out in Kent, with both a sprint and a short hillclimb as part of the entertainment. Details of those seem to be lost - early 750MC Bulletins seem to be rarer than rocking horse droppings! Even the club don't have copies, so I'd be interested if you ever turn any up in Jenks's papers.

[Doug Nye]

I do have doubts about Jenks's naming of these negs as 'Blackbushe'.  The area is notably flat and level - as in its local name of Hartford Bridge Flats - which of course reflects its selection as a wartime aerodrome.  In. 1941 it would have been notably clear of a) rising ground, and b) nearby houses.  Yet both are evident in three of the negs above. Blackwater, 2 miles east along the A30 arterial road, has both.  I suspect the single-car shots above were taken in that vicinity 'on the day' that the Blackbushe sprint was run, perhaps along the near-deserted (?) A30 itself.

 

However, it was during the high summer of 1941 that the aerodrome was actually being built on the flats - first landing there in September '41 by a Magister trainer - then assault troop glider testing there in support of nearby Farnborough before the site became fully operational as late as November 1942 - so it might have been that the A30 immediately adjacent was closed or in use by contractors' transport?  Wartime aerodrome construction demanded delivery of an humungous amount of concrete...

 

Why didn't I ever ask Jenks or The Bod about "the Blackbushe sprint" - or, perhaps, why don't I remember the answer(s) if I did actually ask?  When I find such obscure-subject pix as these I always regret the missed opportunity...  

 

PS - Here's the Ely Hotel where the 750MC participants no doubt enjoyed a top-up with the Foaming Infuriator, image 2024 (showing the capacious car park) on Google Earth street view...

 

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 26 September 2024 - 08:04.

[BRG]

Photos don't seem to be visible?

[cooper997]

Same here, can't see the photos on 2 devices. Looks like they aren't jpg or png format to suit postimages preference (as far as I know)

 

 

There was also a 1941 illegal gathering at Prescott. As described in 4/86 Motor Sport p412

 

 

Stephen

[Vitesse2]

Same here, can't see the photos on 2 devices. Looks like they aren't jpg or png format to suit postimages preference (as far as I know)

 

 

There was also a 1941 illegal gathering at Prescott. As described in 4/86 Motor Sport p412

 

 

Stephen

You might want to look at that one again, Stephen. It (April) fooled a few people.

 

My guess would be that it was written - or rather dreamed up - by Mike Lawrence. AKA Michele Lorenzo. Perhaps he was actually related to Avril Grimaldi?

[Doug Nye]

Can't understand photo problem - they seem to work here OK.  Tech help???

 

CDN

[BRG]

The ones in your FRABAT thread are wonky too Doug.

[d j fox]

Can’t help with cars but isn’t that a young looking “ The Bod” next to the RAF chappie far left in 3rd pic?

[sabrejet]

Photos need to be clicked on and then downloaded to view.

[Doug Nye]

Really???   

 

DCN

[Tim Murray]

I’m having no problem with any of Doug’s recent photos.

[garyfrogeye]

I can't open them here or downloaded.

[Odseybod]

I was having trouble seeing them in Firefox - but can be downloaded and viewed OK in Edge.

[BRG]

I'm on Chrome, and can't see them and if I download them they are in some weird format that I still can't open.  Never had an issue with any of Doug's pictures before today.

[LittleChris]

I use Chrome for my phone and Edge for my laptop and the only pic I can see is the Google Streetview one of The Ely

[Doug Nye]

It's frustrating here that there's more discussion about the photos being inaccessible than about the subject event BUT of course that is understandable.  

 

I uploaded the pix via postimages.org in the usual way, but with a small difference which has become necessary only in recent weeks when using that service.

 

Some backroom nerd there must have tweaked their programme since instead of 'jpeg' the lettering 'avif' suddenly appeared in what I believe is called the metadata (???) title.  That evidently triggered an automatic block from TNF's programming, which I queried when it first occurred.  I was advised to substitute 'jpeg' instead, and that now seems to work for some - including yrs trly - but not for others.  

 

So, sorry to those apparently blocked but correcting this irritating shortcoming requires a competent meccanico, which within this IT discipline I absolutely ain't.

 

So further tech advice welcome - or should I abandon use of postimages.org in favour of some other provider (or whatever the appropriate jargon term might be...) ?

 

On a happier note - yes that is certainly The Bod - then 28 years old - at the extreme left in the third photo.

 

I am interested in the apparently special bodied 'BBH527' above.  Any thoughts?

 

DCN

[PJGD]

No problem with the pictures with Safari on a Mac.

[BRG]

Nothing wrong with my images in Postimages.

 

 

The AVIF format which Doug's pictures seem to have attracted is for videos.

[John Ginger]

Nothing wrong with my images in Postimages.

 

 

The AVIF format which Doug's pictures seem to have attracted is for videos.

I'm not so sure BRG, looks like the image has placed the vehicle at a most peculiar angle 

[69seven]

There are reports of two 750MC meetings in the June 1941 MotorSport, one of which was the 'Rally' on June 8th.

 

Regarding BBH 527, the 'rally' entrants appear to be mainly standard models of Austin Seven. However, the previous meeting was attended by 'H. L. Williams with his low-built Cozette-blown Austin-Special' which could describe BBH 527. Presumably H. L. Williams was the author of the book 'Austin '7' Specials - building, maintenance and tuning' (Edit - the book was by L. M. Williams, not H.L. Williams - see post below!) - this contains a photo of a similar car.  I've only seen this in an internet seller's advertisement, unfortunately the caption is illegible. Is it possible that some of the photos were of the May meeting (at the Ashdown Park Hotel)?

 

Edit - L. M. (Bill) Williams ran Cambridge Engineering, one of their specials is shown here . BBH 527 is also shown here, This album also contains other Cambridge Specials. Edit - It appears that despite the mistake above, the car was a Cambridge Special. 

Edited by 69seven, 27 September 2024 - 14:33.

[Geoff E]

There are reports of two 750MC meetings in the June 1941 MotorSport, one of which was the 'Rally' on June 8th.

 

Regarding BBH 527, the 'rally' entrants appear to be mainly standard models of Austin Seven. However, the previous meeting was attended by 'H. L. Williams with his low-built Cozette-blown Austin-Special' which could describe BBH 527. Presumably H. L. Williams was the author of the book 'Austin '7' Specials - building, maintenance and tuning' - this contains a photo of a similar car.  I've only seen this in an internet seller's advertisement, unfortunately the caption is illegible. Is it possible that some of the photos were of the May meeting (at the Ashdown Park Hotel)?

 

The author appears to have been L.M. (Bill) Williams https://www.abebooks...url=an=williams

 

In a 1959 review of his book, he was described as having a garage at Kew Green.

Edited by Geoff E, 27 September 2024 - 13:46.

[Odseybod]

Maybe here? It had become just a workshop when we lived round the corner in the 1970s.

 

 

[Photo from the Francis Frith Collection]

[69seven]

Maybe here? It had become just a workshop when we lived round the corner in the 1970s.

 

 

[Photo from the Francis Frith Collection]

Yes, it was 'behind the Coach and Horses' according to a period advertisement.

[BRG]

I'm not so sure BRG, looks like the image has placed the vehicle at a most peculiar angle 

Hmm, you may be right.  Better check my settings.

 

 

[Odseybod]

Yes, it was 'behind the Coach and Horses' according to a period advertisement.

Our Morris Minor went there (to the garage - we went to the Coach) for the first of many subsequent chassis welding operations - bloke (not sure if it was a Mr Williams) apologised for it taking a bit longer than expected, as he had to put in some temporary shielding while working, to avoid setting fire to the roof lining. Yes, it was quite far gone ...

 

Didn't realise we'd been walking on hallowed ground.

Edited by Odseybod, 27 September 2024 - 17:45.

[69seven]

Our Morris Minor went there (to the garage - we went to the Coach) for the first of many subsequent chassis welding operations - bloke (not sure if it was a Mr Williams) apologised for it taking a bit longer than expected, as he had to put in some temporary shielding while working, to avoid setting fire to the roof lining. Yes, it was quite far gone ...

 

Didn't realise we'd been walking on hallowed ground.

According the this, Bill Williams sold the business (as a going concern) in 1958. The layout in 1961 is shown on this map, presumably (from its address) the garage could also be accessed from Cambridge Road

[Odseybod]

Without dragging even further off topic ... The layout on the street plan is pretty much how it was when we had dealings with the garage - in 1976, long after Bill Williams. Don't think it was accessible from Cambridge Road - most of the area shown adjacent to the garage was used as the pub's car park, at least in our time.

[69seven]

This is presumably the (ostensibly just a social) June 8th 1941 750MC event, Doug. A discreet prior announcement of it did appear in Motor Sport, stating that it would be at Blackwater, which as I'm sure you're aware is just a little closer to London on the A30. Presumably the rendezvous was Blackwater railway station. As far as I can tell, after an impromptu run up the trials hill at Pirbright, where WB had previously reported on a wartime military motorcycle trial event, they then assembled at The Ely Hotel - presumably for a spot of liquid refreshment - and then decamped down the road for a supposed 'picnic', during which what seems to have been a sprint was held, with the starter being a man who kept dropping his handkerchief and the timekeeper hiding in a hedge at the end of the course. Winner was apparently Gordon Woods (Frazer Nash). His is the only name I've found as a competitor, but circumstantially Leslie Ballamy is another likely candidate - as are presumably WB, DSJ and Holly Birkett. Understandably, Motor Sport did not print the results!

 

Above assembled from snippets in the books 'Out in Front: The Leslie Ballamy Story' by Tony Russell and 'Seven Fifty Motor Club' by David Morgan and a little inspired guesswork! Most wartime 750MC meetings were at the Ashdown Park Hotel in Coulsdon, but some time in the summer of 1940 they had also had a day out in Kent, with both a sprint and a short hillclimb as part of the entertainment. Details of those seem to be lost - early 750MC Bulletins seem to be rarer than rocking horse droppings! Even the club don't have copies, so I'd be interested if you ever turn any up in Jenks's papers.

Regarding early 750 MC records, there's a report in MotorSport, November 1940, that the club secretary's office had been burnt out following a bombing raid, and that this had destroyed all the club records (and the copy for the October 'Bulletin').

[Doug Nye]

So much was lost - but that leaves me sooo grateful that so much has survived.

 

Long may that situation prevail.  Even a full hard-print record of TNF entries could prove invaluable to a future historian once all the intangible files have been lost, deleted, corrupted (or corrected).  

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 29 September 2024 - 20:01.

[stuartu]

Hello Doug,

 

I have come to this topic late, tipped off by another forumist - thank you Geoff.

 

If you would like to send me a pm with your contact details I will be happy to send you my slim volume about L M Williams' activities which will shed some light on the subsequent fate of the car at the start of this discussion.

 

Meanwhile, here

 

https://archive.a7ca...s/harold-biggs/

 

you will find a selection of photographs which may prove of interest re wartime 750MC activities. If some of the captions are incorrect I may well be to blame!

 

Regards,

 

Stuart Ulph

[69seven]

Hello Doug,

 

I have come to this topic late, tipped off by another forumist - thank you Geoff.

 

If you would like to send me a pm with your contact details I will be happy to send you my slim volume about L M Williams' activities which will shed some light on the subsequent fate of the car at the start of this discussion.

 

Meanwhile, here

 

https://archive.a7ca...s/harold-biggs/

 

you will find a selection of photographs which may prove of interest re wartime 750MC activities. If some of the captions are incorrect I may well be to blame!

 

Regards,

 

Stuart Ulph

Great set of photos! I presume that the H. L. Williams referred to in MotorSport Jume 1941, was actually L. M .Williams, some of the earlier reports of 750 Club meetings refer to Capt. Noon, who was presumably Capt. Moon. 

 

Regarding Cambridge Engineering, were their premises separate from the "Kew Green Garage" shown in the photo in post #23?

[stuartu]

You are quite correct in identifying L M Williams  and John Moon.

 

i never made it to the Cambridge Engineering premises but they were in a mews behind the Coach and Horses and as far as I know unrelated to the Kew Green Garage.

 

Regards,

 

Stuart

[Doug Nye]

Just rediscovered - Jenks pix from wartime 'gatherings' as he liked to describe them...  By the way, focus was not the young DSJ's strong suit.  But since such shots are very rare I hope someone likes to see them here.

 

 

1 - T.P. Breen's 3-litre Bentley with boat tail bodywork at an apparent 750MC meeting organised at London Zoo.

 

 

2 - Captioned by DSJ as a big-port Alvis photographed during a 1942 750MC event at Osterley, west London.

 

 

3 - I believe another Osterley shot - "John Cooper of Leicester's 2-str Alvis front-wheel drive".  This may have been the John Cooper who worked briefly on the BRM V16 project, who co-designed the Moss Kieft 500, became Sports Editor of 'The Autocar' and sadly lost his life in a road accident I think (without checking) in a Frazer Nash, near Royston.

 

All Photos Copyright: The GP Library/DSJ

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 08 October 2024 - 07:15.

[BRG]

Not sure what you did that was different from before, but I can see these latest shots, Doug. 

[RS2000]

The second photo looks like the car park of what was in later years the Osterley Motel on the Great West Road (a location I seem to recall appearing on TNF some years ago but I cannot recall the thread). The third photo does not look like Osterley (through which I cycled to school for some 6 years).

[Doug Nye]

Good-oh.  Pix posted exactly the same as before - Postimages came up with an "avif" in the link metadata (right term???) which (after advice) I altered in each case to 'jpeg' and Bob's your Uncle...as we used to say before the pronoun police surged to what they perceive as power...

 

DCN

[Odseybod]

No problem with the pix here, either - all posting queries will henceforth be redirected to DCN - Internet Guru.

 

I'm intrigued by the two cars each wearing only one black-out mask - not even on the same headlight, either. Plenty of carrots needed for night driving, I reckon.

[Doug Nye]

I am intrigued by the provision of only one wartime headlight mask on a couple of the cars pictured above.  Here's a very informative website specialising in wartime British headlight masking...

 

http://www.aj-wilkin.../blackout3.html

 

DCN

[Vitesse2]

I am intrigued by the provision of only one wartime headlight mask on a couple of the cars pictured above.  Here's a very informative website specialising in wartime British headlight masking...

 

http://www.aj-wilkin.../blackout3.html

 

DCN

The book 'The Motor Car and Politics in Britain 1896-1970' by William Plowden (Bodley Head 1971, Pelican 1973) is very helpful on this and other related subjects, including attempts to legalise racing on public roads. Physical copies are surprisingly hard to find, even at silly prices, yet alone sensible ones, but archive.org has it:

 

https://archive.org/...by-plowden-1971

[Vitesse2]

The second photo looks like the car park of what was in later years the Osterley Motel on the Great West Road (a location I seem to recall appearing on TNF some years ago but I cannot recall the thread). The third photo does not look like Osterley (through which I cycled to school for some 6 years).

Still in business as the Osterley Park Hotel. It was the venue for the 750MC's first gathering after the return of the basic fuel ration, on June 3rd 1945.

[Odseybod]

I am no longer in the dark. Thanks, both.

[BRG]

Good-oh.  Pix posted exactly the same as before - Postimages came up with an "avif" in the link metadata (right term???) which (after advice) I altered in each case to 'jpeg' and Bob's your Uncle...as we used to say before the pronoun police surged to what they perceive as power...

 

DCN

I don't suppose you could find a moment to re-post those first shots so that we can all finally enjoy them?  Sorry to be a pain....

[bradbury west]

The second photo looks like the car park of what was in later years the Osterley Motel on the Great West Road (a location I seem to recall appearing on TNF some years ago but I cannot recall the thread).

I may be mis remembering, but is that the one which later became the Master Robert in the mid/late 1960s, offering full restaurant stuff?

Roger Lund

[Odseybod]

Hopefully without treading on Doug's toes, I found these pics in my father's archive of slightly later 750 MC gatherings in July and October 1945, on both occasions at the Valley Hotel, Caterham. I don't know the area but some light Googling suggests the hotel is no more - a shame, as it was probably a popular watering-hole for the inhabitants of Kenley RAF station just down the road. 

 

The scans are from small prints, so of even lower quality than the DSJ pics and with no hints to ID the participants. But hopefully still of some interest.

 

First, two from the July meeting, including a nice Bugatti (I wonder how they found the petrol for it) plus an unidentified engine.

 

 

 

October's was a less exotic gathering but at least the weather was kind - and the war was over..

 

 

 

 

[Doug Nye]

Not treading on my toes in any way Tony - and if it's sharing images and knowledge anyone's always very welcome to do so.

 

The way sheer enthusiasm endured and survived wartime is a pretty uplifting story in its own right.  In our case it certainly provided a solid foundation for British motor racing's postwar explosion...a relatively slow-burner though it was.

 

DCN

[Vitesse2]

According to The Autocar 26/10/45 an LHD Austin Nippy was present at the October gathering - 'with all its instruments marked in French' (perhaps actually a rebadged Rosengart?) - as well as an Ulster fitted with a body from a Fiat 500.

 

By the time that July meeting was held, the basic petrol ration had been restored - although anyone 'in the trade' had usually been able to obtain supplies over and above the amounts allowed to mere mortals anyway (nil after July 1942!). They were of course legally able to store petrol - which was otherwise prohibited, even for 'essential users' like doctors.* Not usually 'pool petrol' either; Peter Monkhouse once turned up at a 'Rembrandt' meeting in London in 1943 in the ex-Bugatti OC T51, which I don't for one moment believe could have been persuaded to run for more than about 50 yards on pool!

 

* Early wartime issues of the motoring mags make interesting - sometimes hilarious - reading on the subject of people hoarding petrol and their excuses for doing so. Some had obviously been planning for it well before rationing was introduced in late September 1939 and had dug holes in their gardens or even added cellars to their garages. Some had tens or even hundreds of gallons stored.

[Sterzo]

...anyone 'in the trade' had usually been able to obtain supplies over and above the amounts allowed to mere mortals anyway...

My father was a mechanic (for Cyril Williams, Junior TT winner) in Wolverhampton, using petrol to clean engine parts on military vehicles. I believe from what he told me that some might have been left over on occasion... He also, incidentally, drove in the occasional convoy, trying to keep sight of the lorry ahead in unlit roads, with shielded headlamps, and no roadsigns. (Only the leader knew the way).

[RS2000]

I may be mis remembering, but is that the one which later became the Master Robert in the mid/late 1960s, offering full restaurant stuff?

Roger Lund

 

The Master Robert was further west (second cross roads to the east from Henley's Garage roundabout, diagonally across from the Ace of Spades service station). That had the "Pit and Paddock" bar in the 60s/70s with the signatures of many F1 drivers on the walls/ceiling that were lost to redecoration later on.

Edited by RS2000, 06 October 2024 - 14:09.

[stuartu]

Working my way down Odseybod’s photos

 

photo1 The second car back from the foreground could be a Grasshopper - what I can see of the wings makes me suspect this.

 

Holland Birkett had a Bugatti which he had “liberated” (or so I am told); it was lying around unwanted. I wonder if the Alsatian is Holly’s dog?
 

photo 2 The Alfa? might be that of Joby Bowles; WB did a write up about a visit to Joby at about this period. They buzzed around in the Alfa visiting local enthusiasts.

photo 3 I can’t read the number plate on the Austin with the single headlamp but it does have Ulsterish proportions. 
 

Best I can do. Thank you for posting these, such glimpses are always of interest in that they often fill in another piece in the jigsaw.

 

Regards,

 

Stuart

 

Edited to add. I have been unobservant! That engine in photo 2 doesn't look very Alfa, not to mention the layshaft driven blower. I wonder if it could be the LMB V8?

 

S.

Edited by stuartu, 06 October 2024 - 15:00.