136 replies to this topic

[john winfield]

I've been sent a 10 page article from a French magazine or book about Ken Tyrrell from the early 1970's. The author is one Colin Hornsey, which appears to be his native language, but I can't find anything else written by him. Any idea if it's a pen-name for Jabby Crombac?

 

The Lotus links are obvious in the name but not in the article. 

 

For reference, the article is Dans la Coulisse but the provider of the article can't remember where the article came from.

 

Richard, I've never heard of Colin Hornsey but, over on Autodiva, Gérard Barathieu mentions him, in a post from 2016, as having written an article on Brabham chassis 'dans un vieux Sport Auto'.  On an Alfa site a member refers to a Sport Auto article from January 1965 in which CH writes another 'behind the scenes'/'dans la coulisse' article, this time on Virgile Conrero and the Conrero-Alfa.  Neither poster seems to suspect CH is a nom de plume.

 

Just a thought, it's not DSJ moonlighting is it? Perhaps with Jabby Crombac or one of his Sport Auto staff translating? (I'm assuming DSJ wasn't fluent in french but perhaps I'm wrong).  Or maybe the author's name really was Colin Hornsey!  Although that does seem a bit unlikely...  In fact maybe you're right about it being Jabby Crombac. Maybe he wrote some articles under a different name, not wanting to be seen to dominate the magazine that he founded. Whoever it was, with a name like Colin Hornsey, Jabby must have been in on the joke!  

Edited by john winfield, 23 February 2022 - 23:18.

[john aston]

The joke being  that Lotus was founded by a Colin in Hornsey ?  And Crombac was of course on more than nodding terms with Le Patron . 

[Vitesse2]

FWIW the only Colin Hornsey who turns up on Ancestry in what I'd guess is the most likely time scale of births between 1910 and 1940 is an Australian from Geelong. There are also some others with an undefined C as a middle initial in that era.

 

However there are several English marriage records for people called Colin Hornsey during the 1960s and 1970s, so the name is not necessarily either a nom de plume or a pun.

[Charlieman]

It's a pity that we don't know the source of the Colin Hornsey article. Given that it is quite a long article about Tyrrell, it is likely that the author wrote or researched a piece that appeared in another serious periodical at the same time.

 

Did Crombac write in languages other than French and English?

[john winfield]

Mike Doodson wrote a substantial Motor Sport piece on Tyrrell in late 1969, and some fella called Nye wrote about The Grand Prix Tyrrells in 1975. I'm sure there are a few others too, Alan Henry and Nigel Roebuck for example, but they all seem too young to have been writing for Sport Auto in 1965. I'm trying to remember if José Rosinski wrote, in magazines, under his own name. If Colin Hornsey was a pseudonym it might have been to disguise the identity of a french-speaking writer contracted elsewhere. Paul Frère possibly?

 

Richard, is your copy hard or electronic? Any clues at all at the page edges regarding publication? Page numbers, format, publisher etc.? Presumably not.  

 

 

Edit. I've just been browsing through some Sport Auto contents pages on eBay, issues primarily from the early 1970s plus a couple from the 1960s. No reference to Colin Hornsey but I notice that Crombac and Rosinski are both writing under their proper names. And, probably coincidentally, Mike Doodson's name appears alongside a 1974 Ronnie Peterson article.  MD is about 80 now I believe, caught the motor racing bug in 1955 (Aintree) and started at Motoring News 'in the late 1960s'. No real reason then why he would be writing under a nom de plume in the mid-1960s (although he was meant to be an accountant at the time), but the Doodson-Lotus link makes the 'Colin Hornsey' name a teasing possibility!

Edited by john winfield, 24 February 2022 - 14:17.

[Richard Jenkins]

I have no idea how to attach it to this software but I have the e copy. If you let me know your email via pm, I can forward it to you or anyone else who could upload it
I do have page numbers etc.
We think the piece is from 1970 and it looks like a magazine.

[john winfield]

I have no idea how to attach it to this software but I have the e copy. If you let me know your email via pm, I can forward it to you or anyone else who could upload it
I do have page numbers etc.
We think the piece is from 1970 and it looks like a magazine.

 

I'll pm you Richard. I'd love to see it but wouldn't know how to upload it here either, being techno-incompetent.    If it is from 1970 then I suppose it just might be an expanded version of Mike Doodson's late 1969 Motor Sport piece.

[john winfield]

Thanks for forwarding the article, Richard. It's an interesting read, well-illustrated and, yes, looks to have been written/published in late 1969 or, probably, early 1970, with reference being made to March coming along to solve Tyrrell's immediate problems, once Matra had decided to use only their own engines.

 

After a quick read the article doesn't seem to have any connection with Mike Doodson's piece in the December 1969 Motor Sport. 'Your' article seems very strong on Tyrrell history, driving and team management, and seems to be based in part on a face-to-face interview in Ockham, if that's where Ken and Nora lived as well as worked. It's wintry, snow is falling, and Ken goes down to the cellar to fetch more logs for the fire....  The article is noticeably detailed on the french side of Tyrrell's racing history, not just on the developing relationship with Matra but right back to 1958 when the Ken Tyrrell/Alan Brown/ Cecil Libovicz cars were "  engagées sur le continent par l'agence Inter-Auto-Course  de Jean Lucas et Gérard Crombac". Jabby's name crops up a few times throughout the article.  There's no clue I can see to as the existence or otherwise of Colin Hornsey, and I don't recognise the article's format either. I don't have any early 1970s Sport Autos to hand, but I'm certain that this article was published in a magazine owned or edited by Lucas and Crombac (was Sport Auto the only one?) because of a jokey sentence on the first page. 'For the next season (1959) Tyrrell looked after himself", ie dispensed with Inter-Auto-Course. ( 'Lucas and Crombac lui ont pardonné - n.d.l.r.')*  ( 'Editor's note - Lucas and Crombac have forgiven him').  

 

So, nothing conclusive, but I'm leaning towards your very first suggestion, Colin Hornsey being a pen name for Jabby Crombac. Someone might be able to confirm whether the article appeared in Sport Auto November 1969 - March-1970, and I wonder if any of Ken Tyrrell's children have his diaries. I'd be surprised if there's an appointment to be kept with 'Mr. Hornsey' at Ockbrook, more likely a welcome get-together with Jabby Crombac.

 

* n.d.l.r.  note de la rédaction

Edited by john winfield, 24 February 2022 - 22:20.

[Richard Jenkins]

Thanks John. I definitely want to use it for the purpose of why it was given to me in the first place - the TRO marque history - but I can't put it in the bibliography unless I know where it is from.
So at the very least, of that can be established that would be a great help.

[Richard Jenkins]

Having translated the article tonight, I am sure it is from Sport Auto at the beginning of 1970. There are two reasons for this; a copy of an interview that Bruno Morin gave for Sport Auto but then also a mention that Sport Auto readers helped choose a colour scheme for Matra.

 

It would be great to get final confirmation on that though. It's got interviews I've not seen before, as it interviews all the French-speaking drivers about KT. Whomever Colin Hornsey was, it seems clear they were fluent in French and English because KT uses nuances to describe Jackie Stewart that I think only someone really fluent in English would pick up.

[john winfield]

Richard, I have messaged Gérard Gamand to see if he can help.  In the meantime does Allen (Brown) not have a collection of Sport Auto magazines from this period, or  are they back with Pierre Dutoya?

Edited by john winfield, 24 February 2022 - 22:21.

[john winfield]

Gérard Gamand believes that 'Colin Hornsey' is Jabby Crombac, and that the pseudonym was used by him for various articles in Sport Auto.

Edited by john winfield, 25 February 2022 - 08:18.

[Richard Jenkins]

Thanks John, much appreciated. Unless someone says otherwise, I'll presume it's from Sport Auto January 1970.

[Graham Gauld]

 Reading this post is amusing because I think all of us who wrote as freelance people in those days created another person to cover the fact that if you had to travel a long way - such as I did travelling from Scotland to Goodwood, for example - you tried to tie up at least two stories in order to pay for the petrol and perhaps one night in a hotel  When my pal Sandy Forrest and I drove to Modena for the Modena Grand Prix I knew I had to do a story and pictures for the original Auto Course quarterly magazine so when Autosport phoned me when they knew I was at Modena where Ferrari Dino's were making one of their first appearances they  too wanted a story so my story was bylined Sandy Graham which was a bit unoriginal. 

[Nick Planas]

 When my pal Sandy Forrest and I drove to Modena for the Modena Grand Prix I knew I had to do a story and pictures for the original Auto Course quarterly magazine so when Autosport phoned me when they knew I was at Modena where Ferrari Dino's were making one of their first appearances they  too wanted a story so my story was bylined Sandy Graham which was a bit unoriginal. 

More subtle than Forrest Gauld would have been though...

[P0wderf1nger]

I've read through the thread but didn't find who used "Boanerges" as a nom-de-plume.  I'm interested because for some 90 years Boanerges has been used as the name for the 1902 James & Browne car owned by the students of Imperial College City & Guilds.

 

I too am keen to learn the identity of Boanerges. Collins Dictionary defines it as 'fiery preacher, esp one with a powerful voice', and says it was the nick name given by Jesus to James and John in Mark 3:17.

 

But in the summer of 1933 Boanerges was using his powerful voice to sing the praises of Whitney Straight, at a point when Sammy Davis had become quite critical in Autocar.

 

Any advice on how to identify him would be most welcome.  

Edited by P0wderf1nger, 01 March 2022 - 16:06.

[Geoff E]

I've read through the thread but didn't find who used "Boanerges" as a nom-de-plume.  I'm interested because for some 90 years Boanerges has been used as the name for the 1902 James & Browne car owned by the students of Imperial College City & Guilds.

 

The car was "renovated and nick-named Boanerges" in a 1925 newspaper report.

 

A 1927 newspaper described it as an "alleged Rover".

 

I remember one morning in 1966/7 looking out from the Chem Eng lecture theatre and seeing that something was "going on" on the steps up to the Albert Hall.  We went to investigate and discovered that a film on the British pop scene was being filmed.  More and more people turned up to see much of the British pop industry (minus the Beatles and the Stones but that's about all).  At some point, "Bo" did a circuit of the Albert Hall with Freddie (without his Dreamers) as a passenger.

Edited by Geoff E, 01 March 2022 - 20:25.

[dfc]

Geoff E is correct in remembering that Imperial College City & Guilds' first vehicle mascot was a Rover.  This died, I believe, in the 1930s and was replace by the 1902 James & Browne, one of only two current survivors of the marque.

[Geoff E]

Geoff E is correct in remembering that Imperial College City & Guilds' first vehicle mascot was a Rover.  This died, I believe, in the 1930s and was replace by the 1902 James & Browne, one of only two current survivors of the marque.

 

Yes, I've just discovered that Bo2 was bought from a Shropshire blacksmith in 1934 to replace the 1905 Rover "which was no longer eligible for the Brighton run". The earlier article said the Rover was built in 1901.

[Richard Jenkins]

Just to follow up, the edition was indeed Sport Auto, January 1970. No mention of Mr Hornsey in the list of staff.... 

[john winfield]

Just to follow up, the edition was indeed Sport Auto, January 1970. No mention of Mr Hornsey in the list of staff.... 

 

I think by then he'd left the magazine to become Press Officer for the Michel Vaillant racing team.

 

Thanks for the update Richard.

[oliver heal]

'Grande Vitesse'. I just came across Anthony Heal's notes about the research that led to the discovery of the 1912 Coupe de l'Auto Sunbeam (now in NMM). After finding a paragraph in 'The Motor' of 08.10.1929 about the car written by 'Grande Vitesse', Anthony noted: "Monday 27 September 1948. Rang up Pomeroy at 'The Motor' to ask who wrote under nom-de-plume of 'Grande Vitesse' in 1929. Pomeroy said the writer was Humfrey Symons."

[Vitesse2]

Thank you, Oliver. Another small piece of the jigsaw! Symons later joined the Sunday Times as their Motoring Correspondent, as successor to George C Stead [who he?], his first Motor Matters column - bylined as HE Symons - appearing in the June 11th 1933 issue. There are several familiar names in the results, including one HE Symons!

 

[Geoff E]

HE Symons (born 1899) died overseas "on war duty" in 1940 (Dunkirk).

Edited by Geoff E, 12 March 2022 - 14:35.

[Vitesse2]

HE Symons (born 1899) died overseas "on war duty" in 1940 (Dunkirk).

He was an accomplished rally and long-distance driver and is commemorated on the RAF memorial at Runnymede.

https://forums.autos...s/#entry9492209

[Doug Nye]

Here's another mysterious pen name to ponder - a friend has just asked me who might have used the pseudonym 'Aeroplane' for his reporting of the 1928 Le Mans 24-Hours in 'The Motor' magazine.  I could only confess that I haven't a clue...

 

DCN

[Vitesse2]

Off the wall suggestion. There was a lot of cross-pollination between magazines at that time - see 'Caput', the alias of EV Head of Yachting Monthly above. I've even found an article by none other than Bill Boddy in - of all unlikely places - a pre-WW2 issue of Commercial Motor.

 

So, perhaps someone who normally wrote for The Motor's sister Temple Press magazine The Aeroplane? It was the less well-known rival to Flight, which was owned by Iliffes, who also published The Autocar. Or maybe even someone who normally wrote for Flight doing a bit of moonlighting?

[Roger Clark]

C G Grey?

[Frank Verplanken]

Colin Hornsey was indeed one of Jabby's noms de plume. He mostly used it in his translation work, like with some Solar editions books (the quality of which might not have made him too eager to have his name associated to them). He has three other registered pseudonyms at the Société Générale de Presse : https://www.lesbiogr...AC-Gerard,49376. Bob Dumpitt was the one he used the most often, usually for North American race reports. Georges Camel was I think for technical articles and car tests (although that was more José Rosinski's department at Sport-Auto). Can't say I remember Guy Corsier though.

[Vitesse2]

EJ Appleby was of course the father of Barry Appleby the cartoonist, who drew for The Autocar and later created The Gambols.

Three from the 'bike side' - all sourced to Bob Currie's book Great British Motorcycles of the Thirties.

...

Barry Appleby - the cartoonist and son of Autocar editor EJ Appleby - who I also mentioned, was apparently another who cut his teeth on The Motor Cycle in the 1930s, under the name 'Falshaw Junior', writing pieces for younger enthusiasts.

Barry Appleby was also 'Helix' in Autocar [Source: article "The Barrydobb". Autocar: 1130–1131. 25 November 1966, via Wikipedia].

[Vitesse2]

Another French one I've just stumbled upon. 'Jacques Dormeuil', who wrote for several French sporting publications in the 1930s - including L’Écho des sports, L’Aéro and L’Auto - was the literary translator and film critic Jean Queval.

[Vitesse2]

Phänomen - Charles J Webb AIAE, editor of Motor Car Journal, an Edwardian era motoring magazine. Source: letter in Autocar, Feb 17th 1939, p273.

[Vitesse2]

Thank you, Oliver. Another small piece of the jigsaw! Symons later joined the Sunday Times as their Motoring Correspondent, as successor to George C Stead [who he?], his first Motor Matters column - bylined as HE Symons - appearing in the June 11th 1933 issue.

Not sure if Stead had a nom de plume at any point, but his death, aged 47, 'at Christmas' 1938, was mentioned in The Autocar, i/d January 6th 1939, p38, said to be due to injuries received while serving in the RFC during the Great War with the rank of Lieutenant. Death was registered in Greenwich and he also had a syndicated column in various local papers called 'Motor Notes', as well as being Motoring Editor of the Sunday Times.

 

Full name was George Christopher Stead. Presumably shot or forced down behind enemy lines at Armentieres in June 1917, as he appears - as Lt George Stead, born May 6th 1891 - in German records of PoWs. 

[Vitesse2]

Every little helps! Nobody seems to have thought it important to record this stuff at the time. Now it may be too late ...

 

Some more info to add to that. According to my research Ernest James Appleby died in late 1945 (sources differ on 3rd or 4th quarter, but I'm 99% sure it was the latter). So perhaps in late 1944 he was on sick leave with no immediate prospect of a return? As acting editor Linfield was presumably also writing as 'The Scribe' at that point and looking to pass 'Vizor' on - either temporarily or permanently. Could perhaps also explain the creation of a managing editor role in early 1945.

 

Sport Notes appeared under the byline 'Vizor' until 'Casque' returned from war service.

 

EJ Appleby was of course the father of Barry Appleby the cartoonist, who drew for The Autocar and later created The Gambols.

The January 15th 1943 issue of The Autocar records that EJ Appleby had been 'stricken to his bed', having suffered what was described as 'a breakdown' due to overwork, some weeks before.

 

Barry Appleby is sometimes mentioned in columns written by his father simply as 'Junior' - he served in the Auxiliary Fire Service during WW2 - and had at least one letter published in the magazine as 'Junior'. His cartoons appeared mostly in 'Disconnected Jottings', signed 'App'.

[Vitesse2]

Every little helps! Nobody seems to have thought it important to record this stuff at the time. Now it may be too late ...

 

Some more info to add to that. According to my research Ernest James Appleby died in late 1945 (sources differ on 3rd or 4th quarter, but I'm 99% sure it was the latter). So perhaps in late 1944 he was on sick leave with no immediate prospect of a return? As acting editor Linfield was presumably also writing as 'The Scribe' at that point and looking to pass 'Vizor' on - either temporarily or permanently. Could perhaps also explain the creation of a managing editor role in early 1945.

 

Sport Notes appeared under the byline 'Vizor' until 'Casque' returned from war service.

 

EJ Appleby was of course the father of Barry Appleby the cartoonist, who drew for The Autocar and later created The Gambols.

EJ Appleby died on September 3rd 1945, having retired from his post as editor in July 1945. He also had another nom de plume, having published a novel entitled 'Pennychuck' as Slade Kennedy in 1936. A bookseller's listing describes it as a 'yachting novel, telling the story of how rich, but lonely, John Pennychuck found companionship and adventure as he took his yacht 'Vanity' on a trans-Atlantic pirate treasure hunting voyage.'

 

Source: The Autocar, September 7th 1945.

[Vitesse2]

Another bike one: 'Torrens' of The Motor Cycle. Arthur Bourne: https://www.real-cla...c-motorcyclist/

[Odseybod]

Off the wall suggestion. There was a lot of cross-pollination between magazines at that time - see 'Caput', the alias of EV Head of Yachting Monthly above.

 

 

Just filling in some gaps ...