No Hitches
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at Portsmouth
.orry Driver of he Year
T HEY came from all over the South 1 to compete in the Portsmouth liminating round of the Lorry Driver of he Year contest—from Hampshire, :ussex, Wiltshire and Dorset. In all, a otal of 84 vehicles—the same number hat took part last year—assembled at he 1-filsea Gas Works last Saturday, vhere police cadets and members of the ;elsey Motor Club checked vehicle limensions and braking efficiency. Then ollowed the Highway Code test which, understand, of all the tests they were )ut through that day, the drivers found o be the most difficult. (One told me haf the wording of one question led to :onfusion. He was asked to name the .olour of the light preceding the green go" traffic signal. "Could I think vhat preceding' meant—could I heck!" te remarked, good-humouredly.) No me got through this part with full marks, lowever, Driver R. F. L. Swan, of Shelldex and B.P., Ltd., incurred only a !-point penalty and, for his efforts, was warded, appropriately enough, the 'ower Petroleum Cup.
The drivers were then sent off on the 3-mile-long road test. Thanks to good oute marking by the R.A.C., and despite heavy holiday traffic in the City, there vas not a hitch of any kind. No driver ost his way, or his temper.
At Eastney Royal Marine Barracks he vehicles assembled on the helicopter anding field to await their turn to take he driving tests. These were held, as Isual, in the spacious drill shed. Thanks
o good organization by the secretary, iergeant B. L. Hale of the City Police, tnd the assistance of many willing helpers including smart Royal Marine cadets, the vehicles went through the three tests with almost military precision. In fact, the whole operation went so smoothly that it was hard to believe the comments of the majority of the participants that, this year, the tests seemed much harder than hitherto. The loading-bay reversing test once more proved to be the most difficult here. Vehicle after vehicle hit the "wall," incurring the heaviest of penalties.
Perhaps the only criticism that could be made of the whole successful day was the notification of results. True enough, as soon as they were known, the scores were marked up prominently on the special The Commercial Motor charts. Unfortunately, the totals were not given in the space provided. whieh meant that
each individual score had to be mentally totted up to discover class winners. (This, incidentally, is the reason why only the winner and runner-up in each class is given below.) Driver B. H. Carnal!, of S.P.D., Ltd., carried off the Walter Waring Trophy for the best performance in the spbcial tests. Pease Transport, Ltd., won the team award. Concours d'Elegance winners were, for the civilians, G. Martin, of Shell-Mex, and for the Services, Sergeant J. D. Stubley, of the Royal Marines, Eastney.
With such fine weather, good organization and splendid hospitality from the Royal Marines, all who took part would no doubt echo the sentiments expressed by one driver who said, "Why can't we have this lot three times a year?"
N.H.T.