Plymouth Applauds Two Great Guys
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" TF anyone thinks that a lorry driver I is anything other than a skilled craftsman, this afternoon will have dispelled that thought." The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Ald. T. H. Watkins, said this before he presented the trophies and awards to the winners on The Hoe last Sunday.
He was speaking, of course, about the standard 'of driving—which was excellent. But it was the organization of the event, which everyone participating seemed to take so much for granted, that made the Plymouth round so successful. Everything went smoothly and quietly. First, the Highway Code, which many drivers completed without fault; then a cleverly routed road test taking in some tricky turns, steep gradients and heavily trafficked roads. The 90-odd vehicles competing were ready and waiting for the manceuvring test well before the scheduled starting time of 1 p.m. and the whole show was completed by 5 p.m., including the prize giving.
It was the final three tests that attracted the crowds on The Hoe, their enthusiastic applause, especially at Test 1
(kerb parking), being helped along by a lively loudspeaker commentary.
Test 3 (reversing into a loading bay) took the heaviest toll, and even driver J. Mennear of the Heavy Transport Co. Ltd.—last year's overall winner—was sent away for reversing fairly and squarely into a barrier!
There were many consistencies. For the third year running J. Semmens, in his Morris J.2 van, won Class A; for the third year running, too, the drivers of Robert Daniel of Plymouth carried off the team prize and awards. The names of other class winners and runners-up have appeared with regularity in previous years —Driver Codner (Symons Cornall Ltd.), G. Buzza (Thomas Provisions Ltd.) and T. Bailey (Robert Daniel) to mention but a few. It was because of his previous consistent driving that D. Kinver of Symons Cornall Ltd. was tipped to win right at the beginning of the event. Sure enough, Kinver, driving a brand new Guy Warrior, romped home—to the bewilderment, I gather, of some in the crowd, who did not realize that the winner at Plymouth is decided according to a percentage formula. (They thought T. Bailey had won because his 91 faults appeared to be the lowest "score ".) I gather the organizers had hoped to have a run-off in identical vehicles—but this could not be because of licensing and other difficulties.
The Plymouth committee holds an " inquest " soon after the event, I am told, where they thrash out any snags or difficulties encountered. My bet is that the agenda, this year, will be very short indeed. N.H.T.