1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
Shell v.
Page 37
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Schweppes
by Paul Brockington • There was good entertainment as well as good driving at Northampton on Sunday. Too late for inclusion in the programme, an entry of 12 vehicles was accepted for Class D from REME ITerritorial) 118 Army Recovery Company, who laid on a side-show for grownups and kids in the form of a Centurion tank, a Mighty Antar, tank transporters and recovery units.
As usual the commentary was good. the weather was fine and there was lots of fun when the Mighty Antar driver put his vehicle through the tests without breaking anything— just to show that it could be done.
But most of the competitors took things very seriously, notably the drivers of Shell-Mex and BP Ltd. who had more than their share of bad luck in the kerb test with "hits" that could easily have been "misses". However, R. Riddell won Class D for the company for the second time and came first in the run-off. Schweppes (Home) Ltd. repeated its team award win of last year and would also have done a lot better with a little more luck.
The spectacle of the day that aroused the greatest interest was the driving of A. Judge of Calor-Gas (Distributing) Co. Ltd. who had hurried back fron Basle. Switzerland, with a load of cotton yarn to take part in Class G. He was driving a Volvo S88 tractive unit coupled to a Northern three-axle TIR 12-metre semitrailer, the third steering axle of which was
locked for the tests. After earning the applause of the crowd in the kerb and width tests, and having initially manoeuvred his vehicle in a masterful way in the bay test, he stopped about 5ft from the second barrier and failed to get a place.
By far the best performance of the day on points was put up by J. A. Cockerill who was driving a Bedford for B. A. Vivian Ltd. in Class El. He lost only 36 penalty points (26 in the bay test) and his brother, J. Cockerill (of the same company and driving the same type of vehicle), was second with the loss of 47 points. J. Cockerill was second to his brother in the round on points and R. Riddell was third with 61 points.
The member of the Mobile Special Constabulary, who last year disguised himself as a milk roundsman, the better to observe the contestants on the route test, is said to have been seen this year busily mowing a lawn at a strategic point on the route.
NORTHAMPTON RESULTS
Class A: up to 16ft and over 1 ton unladen weight: 1. D. Webb (AC-Delco Ltd.) Bedford, 141 points; 2, M. F. Randall (F. W. Randall and Sons Ltd.) Bedford. 200; 3. A. Richardson (F. W. Wreford and Sons Ltd.) Commer, 262 Class B: over 16ft to 19ft: 1, M. Challis IF. S. Challis) Bedford, 77; 2, R. Dunkley IT. H. Higgins Ltd.) Bedford, 80: 3. E. Moksa (Calor Gas (Distributing) Co. Ltd.) Ford, 172.
Class C: over 19ft to 22ft : 1, K. Miller (Schweppes (Home) Ltd.) Bedford, 80: 2, K. Gunnell (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd.) Leyland, 87; 3, F. Payne (Cory and Son Ltd.) BMC, 90.
Class 0: over 22ft to 25ft: 1, R. Riddell (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd.) Dennis. 61; 2, D. Watford ISchweppes (Home) Ltd.) Bedford, 69: 3, W. Briggs (British Oxygen Co. Ltd.) Ford, 76.
Class El: over 25ft with two axles: 1, J. A Cockerill (B. A. Vivian Ltd.) Bedford, 36: 2, J. Cockerill (B. A. Vivian Ltd.) Bedford. 47:3. W. Jones (S. R. Wreford and Sons Ltd.) Albion, 79.
Class E2: over 25ft with more than two axles; 1, J. McDonnell (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd.) Leyland, 98; 2, D. Kittle (She)l-Mex and BP Ltd.) AEC, 109: 3, D. Cross (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd.} AEC, 109. Class Fl: flat or sided semi-trailers up to 33ft: 1, R. Poole (Smedley's) Ford, 33: 2, R. Rowland (Harvey, Bradfield and Toyer Ltd.) Bedford, 146: 3, T. Bradbury (Harvey, Bradfield and Toyer Ltd.) Bedford, 180.
Class F2: box or tank semi-trailers up to 33ft: 1, R. Hayden (Harvey, Bradfield and Toyer Ltd.) Bedford, 177; 2, B. Tromans (Shell-Max and BP Ltd.) AEC, 224:3, D. Davis iShell-Mex and BP Ltd.) AEC, 290.
Class G: flat or sided semi-trailers over 33ft: 1, A. Toomer (S. W. Wreford and Sons Ltd.) Atkinson, 84: 2, P. Chamberlain (A. and W. Alibone Ltd.) Commer, 96; 3. P. Robinson (Calor Gas (Distributing) Co. Ltd.) Leyland, 99.
Class H: box or tank semi-trailers over 33ft: 1, R. Britchford (Calor Gas (Distributing) Co. Ltd.) ERS, 110; 2, P. Clarke (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer Ltd.) Bedford, 136; 3, T. Stevens (Shell-Max and BP Ltd.) Scammell. 138.
Overall winner: R. Riddell.
Team award: Schweppes (Home) Ltd.
Best Service driver: 1../Cpl. Hogben.