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Bird's Eye View By The Hawk

28th September 1956
Page 92
Page 92, 28th September 1956 — Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
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Top Brass on Parade

DESPITE last-minute rumours that Mr. Peter Thorneycroft, President of the Board of Trade, might not be able to open the Show, he arrived punctually at Earls Court at 11.30 a.m. last Friday. Leading personalities in the industry were on parade. Mr. Thorneycroft was met by Mr. Frank Perkins, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers arid Traders, together with Dr. F. Llewellyn Smith, Mr. A. S. Dick and Mr. W. G. Rootes.

Then followed a rapid tour of the exhibits, with stops to talk briefly with Mr. Sydney S. Guy, Mr. T. Sangster, Mr. A. S. C. Chattey, Mr. Jack Foden, Mr. H. W. Hattersley, Sir Leonard Lord, Sir Henry Spurrier and others.

Posing on the Austin stand with Sir Leonard and Mr. G. W. Harriman, and asked by a photographer to "look as if you're talking, please," Mr. Thorneycroft joked: "We are. We're expressing quiet confidence in the future of the motor industry."

In his opening speech he praised manufacturers for overcoming design difficulties, and, perhaps having digested some recent words of Sir William Rootes, promised that the Government would help exporters by "continuing to battle for mutual trade agreements with other countries.

From Olympus

TWO bearers of illustrious names visited the Show on the opening day—Lord Nuffield and Henry Ford 11. Mr. Ford, in an immaculate English-style suit, was shown the Thames 7-cwt. van by Sir Patrick Hennessy.

" This is the kind of thing," Sir Patrick said, "that we . make in Britain."

Eye-operter

APPARENTLY, the small boys who infest British exhibitions have other interests in Sweden. Consequently, the Volvo representatives at Earls Court were a little taken aback by the queue of youngsters which formed on their stand last Saturday. All were clamouring for

E26 Swedish drivers' caps bearing the legend " Volvo" on the peak, the exhibitors having been indiscreet enough to bring over a few hundred for publicity purposes.

By now the number must have risen to thousands, for frantic messages asking for reinforcements were sent to Sweden. If the wheeled soap-boxes manned by Volvo drivers pursue an erratic course, it will be a sign that the Swedish beer also brought over for the occasion has been released by the Customs. Unfortunately, when I visited the stand, it was still in bond.

Curtain-raiser

r'OL. NASSER'S disturbing influence was responsible for the absence of Mr. Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport, from the annual dinner of the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association on Monday. It should have been Mr. Watkinson's "first night" of the 1956-57 season for transport functions and everyone was naturally disappointed by his non-appearance. However, Sir Gilmour. Jenkins, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, agreeably took the curtain for him.

Human Touch

mR. v v. M. LITTLE, general manager of Edinburgh Transport Department, has won the admiration of the local branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union for his handling of the conversion• from trams to buses. A scheme of this kind involves many human problems, of which Mr. Little has shown a keen understanding. The secret of the success of the conversion, which is expected to be completed in December, is apparently the complete co-operation which exists between the Union and the management.


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