Bird's Eye View iy the Hawk
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Switch Mid-stream
ALTHOUGH in the General Election the country was unwilling to change a winning team, the Prime Minister has quickly changed a winning Minister of Transport. The loss of Mr. Harold Watkinson is a severe blow to the road transport industry, although everyone will wish him well in the Ministry of Defence.
Apparently the Ministry of Transport is still regarded as a stepping-stone to higher office, although I stoutly deny that there is any subject of greater importance to the nation than transport. Fortunately, Mr. Ernest Marples—the 21st incumbent in 40 years— has Mr. Watkinson's energetic temperament.
Africa Calling
AREMARKABLE unanimity of view was evident among operators from all over Africa when Mr. D. G. Stokes, sales director of Leyland Motors, Ltd., recently met them on their own ground to discuss their needs in vehicles. During the trip he covered 15,000 miles by charter aircraft. On Tuesday he was back in Africa after a short spell in England. "1 sometimes wish aeroplanes had never been invented," he told me before he left.
Busy Bs
AMONG those who have had reason to bless the incredible spell of fine weather are Bonallack and Sons, Ltd. It has enabled them to relieve congestion on the factory floor by building bodies out of doors. As I saw for myself when Mr. Richard Bonallack took me on a lightning tour of the Basildon plant, practically every square inch of floor space is occupied
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by bodywork of every shape and size and in every stage of construction. The tanker department is overflowing its bounds and the uninformed visitor gains a highly misleading impression of chaos.
To keep pace with customers' demands, Bonallack's are recruiting skilled labour from Lancashire and Scotland, and a pleasant atmosphere of satisfaction—but not smugness— pervades the works. They, too, never had it so good.
Back to Blackpool
NEXT year the Road Haulage Association's conference is likely to return to Blackpool, where it was last held in 1952 under the chairmanship of Mr. Bernard Winterbottom. I. Lennox-Boyd was then Minister of Transport and it of honour at the annual dinner. He made one of rfect political speeches that seemed, while one was to promise the earth to hauliers, who were then in to the State. But, on reading my notes, I realized e again, I had been led up the garden. He had said -but with the utmost charm. her recollection of the conference is that the headhotel was about a mile from the place of business and hotel service was so bad that I had one day to forgo as to be in my chair when the afternoon session But R.H.A. conferences have gone a long way since
Worms
emand for scats for " My Fair Lady" will be nothing )ared with the competition between manufacturers for our of sending the first commercial vehicle up the lirmingham motorway after Mr. Ernest Marples, the ister of Transport, has opened it on November 2. I le queue beginning to form early the previous day, ers camping out, buskers doing paper-tearing acts with s and enterprising vendors peddling refreshments. Marples will be able to fight his way through the id litter to the starting line.
on :tonian, haulier. farmer. Grand National rider and valry officer—that is the background of Mr. P. B. who gained Torrington for the Conservatives in the lection and unseated the Liberal member. With such ersatility and talent, it is strange that he has hitherto totice in the Road Haulage Association, of whose d Cornwall Area he is a member.