Another year the authorities must certainly improve the means of
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ingress to the building at Rushohne. It is an easy matter for small vans and pleasure cars with ordinary chassis, but the difficulty comes with the gigantic and lengthy chars-k-bancs and the steam wagons. A sharp corner has to IT turned with no room for backing, then a smart rise through a long narrow tunnel-shaped entrance. I arrived when a Foden wagon was being coaxed through, and it, was only after numberless backings and some adroit manceuvring under the direction of Mr. Edward Foden that an entrance was effected. After that they must have had a ticklish bit of work manipulating the wagon round the narrow gangways, hedged by the built-up platforms, to their stand. My attention was meanwhile centred on a giant char-h-banes which was destined for the fine Commer-Car exhibit. These great vehicles are growing in popularity and are handled by many makers, so next year they should be expected and some space cleared to allow them a straight run in, as their difficulties, when once inside, to get to their allotted spaces are enough for the ordinary mortal. But to manceuvre through this tunnel by inches, first crumpling up the left-side wing, then an advance of a counle of feet aided by shoving up with boards, an awkward bit on the right with similar disaster to the right-side wing, is asking too much of exhibitors. Trouble of this sort cannot be obviated by the drivers, who really do very well. This outlet should be altered before the conclusion of the Show to give the long vehicles a chance of retaining some of their paint.
The imperturbable Blackie, Show manager, as everybody knows, for the b.M.M.T., was everywhere, giving a hand here and a suggestion there in the preparation of stands and in the difficulties which must arise. If ever a job required a man with resource surely this one does, because problems are arising all the time, and so far as I could judge Blackie was both resourceful and helpful. I was much interested to hear from him in a spare hour one evening during Show time a. compressed account of his few years jotirneyings across he United States, from New York to San Francisco this included a dip down into Mexico. All this took plaen when he was round about the golden age of 22, and during a few roving years Blackie had a kaleidoscopic series of experiences. He slept mostly under the open sky and he tramped from town to town. If he could not get a lift on a freight train he worked add weeks and fortnights on ranches and the variety of the work must have been dazzling. At times when in the mood he would spin his open knife on the table and would faithfully follow the direction indicated by the blade. Usually on those occasions, he will tell you, luck came his way. In those years H. A. Blackie learnt many lessons, not the least being the judging of character, self-reliance and the value of money. A satisfactory conclusion to that chapter of his life was that he did not return to this country without bringing with him a good substantial suni after booking his passage.
it was Stenson Cooke who proposed the health of the chairman at the North of England Show dinner, and he mingled, in his usual way, many sincere compliments with some diverting banter. He dubbed him Mr. Jack Scat Nazzaro Newton. It was patent to everyone who knows Newton that he would make the affair go and " go " it. did, some of the speeches, and the musical entertainment, being of a high order.
It reminded one somehow of Mark Twain's "Stolen White Elephant" to learn at the empty stand of Taskers, on the opening day of the Show, that their tractor and steam wagon were somewhere on the line between Andover and Manchester in open trucks. The railway authorities had utterly failed in two or three days to locate them. In the case of the elephant it was a great skit on the supposed lynx-eyed American detective, and it seems grotesque over here that two great vehicles in open trucks should be mislaid. Late on Friday I saw that the tractor, which was despatched early, had turned up. It must have been exasperating for Taskers; if the C.M. had not made most-complete arrangements, they would have lost the advantage of the Press view and the resulting photographs.
Much interest has been aroused amongst solid-tire concerns by the correspondence on this page these last weeks. I gather that an informal meeting of the principals and representatives of the solidtire manufacturers will he held at Manchester during the Show week to discuss the various questions raised by my different correspondents. This will, I understand, be merely a preliminary talk, seeing that so many solid-tire people both north and south will be gathered together, because any formal discussion will naturally come before the newly-formed Tire Section of the S. M. M.T.