BIRD'S EYE VIEW
Page 43
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By The Hawk
Such was the success of the first Commercial Motor Fleet Management Conference last September—over 500 delegates attended—that we immediately announced that in future we would hold one every year. We even went so far as to promise to hold it in Scotland during the 1965 Scottish Motor Show.
Lately one or two people have been asking for a little advance information about it. This much I can tell you. It will be held on Wednesday, November 17. Once again, a lot of really top names will feature in the programme— which may also this year include a dinner to conclude the conference.
Our editor, Alan Havard, tells me he hopes to make a firm announcement in about two months' time. Meanwhile, mark it down in y our diary—it's bound to he good!
Our Next Conference
Mr. J. R. C. SamuelGibbon, the Western Licensing Authority, proposed a toast to the R.H.A. at the annual dinner of the Devon and Cornwall area which was held at Plymouth recently. Everyone was aware of the meaning of the initials, he said—they stood for an organization that was staffed by a fine body of men whose equipment was second to none and had never been the subject of a GV9—everyone knew that they stood for the Royal Horse Artillery.
Replying to the toast, national chairman Ron Butt said that he would like to tell of a dream he'd had—one that he thought all hauliers had at some time. It started off with a vehicle that was perfect, made by a company that provided plenty of spares—in a place where they could be obtained when required: the vehicle went along hundreds of miles of new motorway free from congestion. It finished, said Mr. Butt, with the tax on fuel going so high that whisky and gin had to be used as an economy measure.
Well, that might make for sonic interesting exhaust fumes—and, I suppose, a spirited performance.
Fine Body of Men
Smethwick, I notice, is the centre of controversy once again. Nothing to do with racialism this time—and it's not Mr. Harold Wilson who has his back up; it's the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Alderman Frank Price, J.P., who is in very high dudgeon indeed. For Mr. Price also happens to be chairman of the Birmingham Dipped Headlights Committee—and he deeply
Srnethwick Storm
resents the advice given to drivers by Smethwiek Council advising them not to use dipped headlights "in well-lit streets ". So much so that he recently wrote to the Minister of Transport asking him to make a firm statement on the matter.
The Mayor's Letter ,Mr. Price told the Minister that his committee was still confident that the majority of motorists in Birmingham were continuing to support the dipped headlights campaign. He continued: "We are particularly concerned that .advice being given to motorists asking then) not to use dipped headlights on well-lit streets will mean that4hey will either forget to use them on poorly lit streets or, if they do use them, will not switch them. on immediately_ As everyone is agreed that dipped headlights are necessary on poorly lit streets, we consider something must be done to stop this advice,"
Plaudits to Bakers Transport (Southampton) Ltd. They win my prize for the most original calendar I've seen this season. You get a good idea or the " tone " of the contents from the two extracts included below:
Bakers' Dozen