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I hear that the Avon Tyre Company, of Melksharn, Wilts., is about to open a London depot.
I hear excellent accounts of the Poldi steel for heavy motor work. The works are at Vienna the English agency is held by Mr. E. Schaffrau, at Sheffield.
I ran across Mr. Lawrence Miles, of the Scott-Stirling Company, during last week, and was quite glad to know that business is stirring; The company is doing quite a nice trade with South America, and will have its latest designs at Olympia, in March.
I overheard recently some friendly banter which was going on between two motor journalists, both friends of mine. One thought, evidently, that the other had been extolling his own qualifications quite enough and pulled him up with the sententious remark, " There's no doubt, old chap, that you're a good deal cleverer than you think you are," at which the other purred softly for a moment until the speaker continued to say, "and it seems impossible."
I staled a fortnight ago that a West Country rubber company was coming into the open market with solid tires. I am now able to state that the company in question is Wallington, Weston and Company, of Frame. This company has built up a large business in the manufacture of tires for the trade, and it now proposes to cater for the public in addition. The travelling representative of the company, Mr. W. J. McCormack, resides in London, as it is a more convenient centre, and he is thoroughly alive as to the requirements of the heavy vehicle trade. I have a second list of entries for the Commercial Motor Vehicle Exhibition, and, although I have not last year's catalogue by me as I write, it strikes me that the following firms are newcomers :— Mann and Overton's, Limited (" Unic '').
London and Parisian Motor CornLimited.
Mero, Limited (gears).
C. A. Vandervell and Cornpany (ignition).
Pearson's (ignition).
Charles Burrell and Sons, Limited (tractors).
Societe de Construction de Vehicles Automobiles.
Alley and MacLellan, Limited (wagons).
Industrial Motor Company (vans). Clayton and Shuttleworth, Limited (tractor).
Bayley's, Limited (bodywork). Darwen Automobile Agency. Steel Barrel Company, Limited. Ornu Evans and Company (radia tors).
Polack Tyre Company.
Krupp, of Essen.
I understand that others are coming along. Mr. Frank Brown, of David Brown and Sons, Limited, Middersfield, was in town this last week, and as cheery as ever. I see he has just been elected a member of the Motor Club. I ant sorry to learn from him that the cont pany does not propose to show at Olym• pia this year, but he is,. I suppose, sure to be up during show time; and I shall be greatly disappointed if he does not visit us as on previous occasions.
Quite a typical Sheffield Blade "is William Skidmore, whom I knew for yearsas the London representative of Shrewsbury and Challiner, and who transferred his affections to the Dunlop Rubber. Company to push the Dunlop solid tires. After twelve months' work with this company, his health failed, although to look at him now you simply cannot realise where the chain snapped. Anyhow, the vigour seems thoroughly reinstated, and the rich, powerful voice with the distinctive South Yorkshire inflexion is as assertive and as persuasive as of yore, but it took twelve months at the Canary Islands to rehabilitate him. He has taken up his old position with the Dunlop Company and is going at it harder than ever. Skidmore has had a rare grounding in the wheel and tire business. Bewas, for 19 years, with John Brown and Company, Limited, of Sheffield, and for a large Portion of that time as assist.: ant manager of their tire and axle department. After that he had five years with Shrewsbury and -Challincr, so in talking With him you are conversing with a thoroughly practical man—but there! he will do most of the talking ! Levity apart, Skidmorethoroughly believes in what he has to sell : he iS candid and straightforward and always creates a good impression.