It's not all luck
Page 48
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Tony Wilding
• At one time there used to be a fair certainty that the Ruislip LDOY would have good weather; maybe a short shower but never anything serious. Not this time, though. For almost the whole day there was rain and it speaks well for the willing band of volunteer officials that they stuck to their posts even in torrential downpours. As a result. the weather did not slow down proceedings and the tests were completed 20 minutes ahead of schedule at 4.10 p.m. pretty good for 140-odd competitors.
The Express Dairy grounds used for the competition was a little cluttered with building work but this did not spoil things for the good number of spectators that turned up and who spent most of the day in the canteen viewing the tests from the windows.
Many people say that success in the LDOY competition is a matter of luck but once again this was disproved at Ruislip with many drivers repeating previous wins or placings. Particular examples are E. Burrows who repeated his Class B wins in 1967 and 1968, J. Hole and R. Harvey who reversed their positions in Class A from last year and K.
Clutterbuck who took Class G for the third year running.
T. W. Field drove remarkably well to take Class H and the overall championship at Ruislip. Even though he was driving in the
I ongest-artic class he incurred only 14 penalties in kerb parking, eight in width judgment and 12 in reversing into the bay. If he hadn't been penalized 5 points each in the road test and Highway Code he would have had the lowest marks in the competition.
It was interesting that a clean sweep of Class A was made by Post Office drivers and also that in Classes E2 and F2 Guinness and Harvey Bradfield and Toyer drivers came first, second and third respectively.
RUISLIP RESULTS
Class A: up to 16ft and over 1 ton unladen weight: 1. J. W. A. Hole (London Postal Region) BMC, 54 points; 2. R. Harvey (London Postal Region) BMC, 61; 3. M. J. Clynch (London Postal Region) BMC, 75.
Class B: over 16ft to 19ft: 1. E. Burrows (Smiths Industries) Austin, 64: 2. T. Gilmore (Rank Xerox) Ford, 88;3. M. Cockell (Rank Xerox) Ford. 94. Class C: over 19ft to 22ft: 1. V. J. Hewett (Beecham Foods) Ford, 48; 2. W. R. Watts (Beecham Products) Bedford, 54; 3. R. C. Ingarfield • (Shell-Mex and BP) Dennis, 62 Class 0: over 22ft to 25ft: 1. J. Baker (G. M. Gerrards (Fruiterers)) Bedford, 35: 2. A. Doncaster (Beecham Foods) Bedford, 57: 3. S. Howes (Express Dairy) BMC, 61.
Class El: over 25ft with two axles: 1, E. Louth (Rank Xerox) Ford, 77: 2. L Perry (Hawker Siddeley Aviation) Bedford, 118: 3, J. Bateman (Rank Xerox) Ford, 157.
Class E2: over 25ft with more than two axles: 1. O. Sheridan (Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Park Royal)) AEC, 50: 2. L. S. D. Herbert (A. Guinness Son and Co. (Park Royal)) AEC, 53; 3. E. Mealing IA. Guinness Son and Co. (Park Royal)) AEC, 60.
Class Fl: flat or sided semi-trailers up to 33ft:
1. W. Rhodes (Rockware Glass) Leyland, 70: 2. R. W. Bass (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 83 ; 3. B. Stalham (Express Dairy) Bedford, 194. Class F2: box or tank semi-trailers up to 33ft: 1. W. D. White (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 84: 2. K. W. Wells (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 107: 3. R. P. Brompton (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 125.
Class G: flat or sided semi-trailers over 33ft: 1. K. Clutterbuck (Rockware Glass) Leyland, 97; 2. A. Hermes (Rockware Glass) Leyland, 110:
3. W. Gates (Hawker Siddeley Aviation) BMC, 201. Class H: box or tank semi-trailers over 33ft:
1. T. W. Field (London Postal Region) BMC, 44: 2. M. B. White (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 109; 3. D. E. Hogg (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 112.
Overall winner: T. Field. Team award: G. M. Gerrards (Fruiterers) (Norris, Childs. Baker). Best Service driver: H. Ward (Ministry of Defence). Best C-licence vehicle driver: W. White. Best A-licence vehicle driver: A. Rouse.