Revival at Stoke
Page 67
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QPEAKING at the prize-giving follow
ing the Stoke-on-Trent Lorry Driver of the Year competition last Sunday. the Lord Mayor. Aid. J. E. Hulme. who presented the prizes, congratulated the entrants on the record turn-out of 120 contestants. This was in sharp contrast with last year, when an entry of 81 marked a drop of 30 per cent over the previous year and caused some concern. Speaking on that occasion, in his capacity of chairman of the Stoke-on-Trent road safety committee. Aid. Hulme had said that greater effort would be made to attract entrants this year, particularly local ones, and the record increase certainly testified to the fruits of this endeavour.
Efforts to increase the number of
CUSS A, up to 16 ft.: 1, R. Smith (John Joule and Sons Ltd.), Austin, 142 penalty points; 2, A. Bagnall (National Coal Board), Thames, 186; 3, S. A. Wyatt (John Joule and Sons Ltd.), Austin, 204.
Class B, 16 to 19 ft.: I, A. Thompson (Seddon (Stoke) Ltd.). Thames, 67; 2. A. J. Moss (Stoke-on'Pent Cleansing Dept.), Bedford, 167; 3, M. D. Miller (Kettles), Austtn, 199.
Class C, 19 lo 32 ft.: I, K. Hodgkiss (Lewis's Ltd,), Guy, 279; 2, C. Bailey (Dean Group Transport Ltd.), Bedford. 333; 3, O. Bentley (Seddon (Stoke) Ltd.). Thames, 343.
Class D, 22 to 2511.: 1, S. Vernon (Tate and Lyle Transport Ltd.) Albion. 161; 2, W. Reeves (Lewis's Ltd.), Dennis, 167; 3, D. Walters (Albion Pressed Metal Co.). Bedford, 200.
Class El, over 25 ft.. two 1, A. R., Modd (FraYling Bros, Ltd.). Thames, 174; 2,. O. Timmins (John Joule and Sons Ltd.), Austin, 184; 3, H. lion (W. S. Horsley and Son Ltd.), Albion, 198. Class 1(2. over 25 ft., more than two axles; 1, K. Harrison (Ind Coupe Ltd.), E.R.F., 135; 2, A. Barlow (British Road Services), Bristol, 185; 3. E, Hulme (Tate and Lyle Transport Ltd.), Foden, 224. Class Fl, semi-trailers up to 30 ft., tractive omits tinder 4 tons: 1, R. W. Browe (British Road Services), Leyland, 164; 2, J. A. Hambleton (British Road Seryices), Leyland, 203; 3, A. Berrow (British Road Services), Leyland, 232.
Class F2, box or tanker semi-trailers up to 30 ft.; tractive units over 4 tons: 1, H. Ward (Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd.), Leyland, 275; 2, R. Coxon (Stuart Adams Ltd.), Bedford. 465. (Only two entrants.) Class G, fiat or sided semi-trailers op to 30 ft., tractive units 4 tons and over: 1, D. S. Barlow (British Road Services), Bristol, 197; 2, 1. Wood (British Road Services), Bristol, 252; 3, D. Burns (Eric Bemrose Ltd.), Scammell, 256.
Class H, box or tanker send-truilers with tractive units. 4 tons and over: L R. Wright (Tate and Lyle Transport Ltd.), Guy, 408; 2, F. Hambleton (Shell
Mex and B.P. Ltd.), A.E.C., 777. (Only two entrants.) Class S. Services Vehicles: Sat. J. E. Jones (No. 2 ACT.S., R.A.F. Stafford), Bedford. 265. (Only one entrant.) Team Award: Seddon (Stoke) Ltd. (A. Thompson, F. Tuft, L. James), 628. (Also qualified for best Stoke-on-Trent team award.)
local entrants also bore fruit; there were 60 contestants from Stoke, plus three each from Stone and Uttoxeter and two from Cannock. And the laurels largely went to Stoke, a team from Seddon (Stoke) Ltd. winning the trophy for the best team of the day with a total of 628 penalty points, thus qualifying in their own right for the city's award to the best Stoke-on-Trent team. One of the drivers in this team, A. Thompson, considerably improved on his last year's figure of 152 penalty points to " score " the lowest total of the day, with only 67. Another Stoke driver, first-time entrant A. R. Mudd, of Frayling Bros. Ltd., ran away with Class El, scoring 174 penalties.
Many of the entrants used to come from Liverpool, which this year staged its own eliminating round for the first time, and this made the increased entry all the more commendable. Liverpool was, in fact, still represented by some 11 entrants, but the familiar face of J. C. Martindale, class winner five times at Stoke, was missing. He had already scored his sixth win in Class C in the Liverpool round—with, incidentally, a score of 50. So it was Ieft-to some of Martindale's Tate and Lyle colleagues to uphold their tradition, and this they did, with driver S. Vernon incurring 161 penalties to win Class D. Another Tate and Lyle driver, E. Hulme, came third in Class E2 with 224 penalties, and R. Wright, driving one of their Guy articu
lated boxvan units, beat his only rival in Class H.
British Road Services vehicles figured prominently in the competition, and the second, third and fourth places in the team awards went their way. Almost all the B.R.S. vehicles were artics and, as usual, the performances of these, and all artic drivers, were watched with great enthusiasm. Driver R. W. Browe won Class Fl with 164 penalties, driving a Leyland Comet, and D. S. Barlow, at the wheel of a Bristol artic, won Class G with 197 points, whilst one of the B.R.S. rigids drivers, A. Barlow, came second in Class E2.
Undoubtedly the stiffest test was the third manceuvring one—reversing into the angled loading bay. Some drivers could not even find the bay when reversing; nevertheless, others put up a very creditable performance in this test, including one driver, who failed because he obviously did not understand the rules, although finishing up in a very good position in the bay.
Once again the organization at Stoke was excellent, the city's road safety committee being responsible for the arrangements. The tests went through Without any hitches and, despite the much larger entry, the last test was over by 3.35 p.m., all the results were posted by 4 p.m., and the presentations were made at 4.15 p.m. Even the weather co-operated, and the very heavy rains of Saturday night gave way to a sunny day, the rain having effectively dampened the coal dust, which tends to be a nuisance at this site.