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Great Auclum
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
 Posted - 13/01/2015 : 21:19:45
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Hi. Yes the course is more or less intact but very overgrown and in poor condition. The site of the house is now occupied by relatively new houses which have a similar look to Neil Gardiner's original home. The remaining undeveloped land to the south f the hill is subject to planning permission and it is a matter of time before proposals are given the green light and building begins. There re several photos on the net of the hill in its current condition and I have a few that I took some years ago before nature started to reclaim the track in earnest. All the best, Steve
Steve Lovegrove
Great Auclum Historian |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 14/01/2015 : 10:38:24
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I thought I recognised your name Steve. You wrote the Chapter on Great Auclum in the book on the Hants and Berks Motor Club. Excellent Chapter in an excellent book.
I have always had a particular interest in defunct Sprint and Hill-Climb courses (and of course trials sections) and a couple of years ago I explored the Great Auclum course. It is obviously on private property, and I think that the gate leading from the public lane into the hill-climb course was padlocked at the time, but it is clear that ramblers and/or dog walkers use it frequently as there is a clear path around the locked gate ! Consequently I indulged in a little bit of trespass - making sure however that I did no damage What impressed me is how small everything now seems with the track being barely passable, and the bankings nowhere near as impressive as they appear in films and photographs. However, they are still there under the foliage, and one can only imagine what it was like to drive a fast car on the hill.
The land on the left-hand side of the track carried warning signs about being used for shooting but as the new housing is only yards away on the right-hand side of the track, and the houses I believe are occupied as sheltered accommodation, I guessed that any shooting still being carried on would be hundreds of yards away As it happened, my visit (on a quiet mid-week afternoon) was completed in peaceful solitude except possibly for a couple of dog walkers. Certainly no sign of David Gardiner brandishing his walking stick at me !
I also see that the thirsty lady, Mrs Thelma Ruffer was driving neither an Alvis nor a Frazer-Nash, but a blown 1500cc Alfa Romeo when she attempted her aerobatics.
Coiin B. |
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Great Auclum
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 14/01/2015 : 14:02:34
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Thanks for your post Colin. I always like to talk about Great Auclum and can, I'm afraid, be quite tedious on the subject! You are spot-on about the airborne Mrs Ruffer's car - it was an Alfa and below is THAT photo for those who may not have seen it. I know this is off-topic but may be of interest nonetheless.
As you say, the hill is still accessible (for now) and a few years ago I organised a reunion at a nearby pub and part of the event was a walk up the hill. Quite a few luminaries turned up including Patsy Burt, David Good, Chris Cramer, Tony Crook and many others. It was a very special day.
You may - or may not - have heard of the West Court Speed Trial that was also organised by the Hants & Berks MC at Finchampstead. The event was held just once in 1946 on the driveway of a house that was, for many years - until recently - the officers mess for the nearby REME garrison. The house may have been sold now. I have a copies of a photo and a programme if you are interested (perhaps you could send me a private message).
Steve Lovegrove
Great Auclum Historian |
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etlanpa
United Kingdom
560 Posts |
Posted - 14/01/2015 : 15:11:44
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Interesting picture!
Shame we have no registration number - in my view it's probably a 6c 1750 as the fuel filler is behind the hood frame. Up to about 1929 the filler was in front of the hood frame as the tank was (then) in front of the back axle. Also there's an apron on the front dumb irons which most cars I've seen do not have...
Would love to hear more about West Court as well! Is it near Aborfield? |
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Great Auclum
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 10:13:13
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I believe the reg was UV818 and that the car was a 1929 Alfa Super Sport - but you probably know better than me. Mrs Ruffer shared the car with her boyfriend at Great Auclum in 1950.
Yes, West Court is a stones-throw from Arborfield. There was a very healthy entry in 1946 and, from memory, one Roy Salvadori competed in a Riley whilst other entries included Harry Lester (MG), Eric Brandon (MG), Betty Haig (AC), Jack Fairman (Bentley) and Leslie hawthorn (Semmence Special). Salvadori had also entered a 748(s) MG but it didn't run.
Can anyone sugegst which MGs Lester and Brandon may have driven in September 1946?
Steve Lovegrove
Great Auclum Historian |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 10:42:15
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Thanks Steve and Adrian. I am already "on to" the West Court Speed Trials - which at times is also referred to as The Eversley Speed Trials. At the time the event was held in September 1946, the big house was in the process of being sold and converted into a hotel or country club. The new owners apparently were not too thrilled about a bunch of old cars blasting up their driveway, and as a result the event was never held again. The course was a quarter mile long and was on the line of the old Roman road known as The Devil's Highway which runs straight as a die for about nine miles. West Court itself is about one mile north of Eversley.
One of my particular M.G. interests is the Q Type racing model, and some years ago Malcolm Green kindly supplied me with a splendid photograph of a Q Type at West Court dodging past the main house. It turned out to be Bert Fountain driving QA0252. Bert was a very early member of the Hants & Berks Motor Club and was timed at 25.32 secs which put him in 3rd place in the "Up to 1100cc Racing Class" behind Eric Brandon (24.42 secs) and John Cooper (24.73 secs) both in brand new Cooper 500s. It has been suggested that Bert was so disgusted at being beaten (despite the fact that his Q was then 14 years old) that he sold it shortly afterwards.
Roy Salvadori entered the same event with RA0260 but non-started and I think that by that time he had already sold the car to Duncan Hamilton. As a result Roy used his Riley instead (more reliable, methinks). Eric Brandon was driving a 1250cc M.G. in the 1500cc Sports Car Class which suggests that the car was a TC. He put up a time of 26.94 secs. which gave him another Class win.
Colin B. |
Edited by - Colin Butchers on 15/01/2015 10:56:32 |
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george
United Kingdom
862 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 11:15:58
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| In 1946 Lester moded and used a P type GUR 963.In 1947 the car passed to Don Pitt. [2013 yearbook] Geoff |
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george
United Kingdom
862 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 12:45:27
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| I have just found the reference [MG Enthusiast April 1995] and from that it appears that Pitt won the West Court speed trials in Sept 1946 in GUR963. Geoff |
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etlanpa
United Kingdom
560 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 13:16:28
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Very interesting Colin! I'd like to find out exactly where West Court is - I live just a few miles from Eversley.
There's a lot of info about West Court here:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3/pp241-247
And yes, UV 818 is a 1500 - I stand corrected (I know a previous owner of UV 819!). Again, more info plus pics on that car here:
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/alfa-romeo-6c.htm
West Court seems to be at the end of Nine Mile Ride (near the Hogwood industrial estate)...
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Edited by - etlanpa on 15/01/2015 13:42:32 |
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O.Thomas
United Kingdom
755 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 13:30:46
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| Have some photos of Q252 in the car park off the "Tally Ho" pub at eversley . Indeed if you look in the wall in the pub there are pictures of the car park when it was obviously being used as the paddock |
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etlanpa
United Kingdom
560 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 13:38:44
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Map updated to show where Tally Ho is  |
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geflackt
USA
52 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 16:07:24
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quote:
Originally posted by george
I have just found the reference [MG Enthusiast April 1995] and from that it appears that Pitt won the West Court speed trials in Sept 1946 in GUR963. Geoff
What info do you have about the West Court event?
I'm still racing GUR963(well, the engine is apart for yet another rebuild) and I'm not sure I have this in the records, so any info is appreciated! Thanks! Jason.
'35 MG P Special - GUR963. |
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george
United Kingdom
862 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2015 : 18:17:17
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| Jason ,it was taken from an article by Malcolm Green in MG Enthusiast in April 1995. The article is an overview of Lester and his cars, in it GUR963 is described as having been built for Don Pitt and having won its first race in Sept 1946 at West Court [near Reading]. I don't have the original just a photocopy . Geoff |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 16/01/2015 : 12:24:37
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It is not strictly true to say that Harry Lester "won" the West Court Speed Trials in his PA Special GUR 963. He certainly won the "up to 1100cc Sports Car Class" with a time of 26.78 secs with Rivers-Fetcher in his HRG close behind him at 27.26 secs. The name of Don Pitt doesn't appear anywhere in the Entry List or Results sheet. The actual "Winner" of the event was Roy Salvadori in his 2 litre Riley which won the "1501cc - 3000cc Racing Class" with a time of 23.32 secs which gave him FTD. Interesting to note that this was just 2 seconds better than Bert Fountain in QA0252.
The Start line was somewhere on the entrance drive to West Court House just after the drive left the yellow road (immediately below the word "Court", on the map.) The cars drove towards the main house and at the last minute they jinxed left which took them on to the actual "Devils Highway" or Nine Mile Ride as it is also known. This took the course straight towards the A327 and the finish line was 80 yards before the A road. The RAC Stewards very rather concerned that in the event of brake failure, cars might suddenly appear on the A327 at full speed and the Club agreed to place a large tree trunk across he end of the course, to make such a thing less likely ! An innovative feature of the event was the electric timing which was necessary as there was no direct line of sight between the start and finish points. The problem was solved with the help of the RAE at Farnborough who contributed (whether they were aware of it or not) a highly accurate electric clock and the Great Western Railway who provided many hundreds of yards of signal cable. Bert Fountain was a "big-wheel" in the Signalling Department of the GWR.
Incidentally, although Eric Brandon was driving a Cooper 500 in this event, he also owned and raced the ex Harvey Noble single seat Q Type QA0258 between July and September 1948. He drove this car at Great Auclum on the 25th July 1948 when he came 3rd in the "1100cc Racng Class".
Colin B.
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Edited by - Colin Butchers on 16/01/2015 12:30:03 |
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Nick THompson
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
Posted - 19/03/2015 : 21:35:07
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| Steve, do you have any photos of Dick Jacobs in his TA special CS7695? This car has cycle wings all round and an outside exhaust - this car is now back on the road in my care. |
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MG4463
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