Founded in the year nineteen twenty-four February 1980
Founded in the year nineteen twenty-four February 1980
Founded in the year nineteen twenty-four February 1980
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Hunt<strong>in</strong>gdon, on <strong>the</strong> way to Newmarket, after driv<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
Barnsley before breakfast and on via Grantham. X won<br />
about 18/- <strong>in</strong> a lottery. Resum<strong>in</strong>g his journey after tea,<br />
he reached Newmarket <strong>in</strong> time to d<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong>re and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
pushed off for London <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> faithful Adler, stopp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for <strong>the</strong> night at Baldock. Leav<strong>in</strong>g at 6.30 a.m., X arrived<br />
<strong>in</strong> London about midday, cleaned up, lunched with his<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>r and friends, and <strong>the</strong>n set off back to Newmarket<br />
with a lady passenger at 4.30 p.m., d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong> “Rutland<br />
Arms” en route. Maybe not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly, practically <strong>the</strong><br />
whole of <strong>the</strong> Monday was occupied with tun<strong>in</strong>g-up<br />
<strong>the</strong> Adler. But <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> even<strong>in</strong>g one of <strong>the</strong> girls “drove<br />
me <strong>in</strong>to Newmarket <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> little new Calthorpe. Had a<br />
very cheery even<strong>in</strong>g and all <strong>the</strong> ladies dressed up for <strong>the</strong><br />
dance and were excellent”.<br />
Soon afterwards, X was posted to <strong>the</strong> CFS at<br />
Upavon, as a W<strong>in</strong>g-Adjutant.<br />
(To be cont<strong>in</strong>ued.)<br />
V-E-V Odds & Ends:— Plans are go<strong>in</strong>g ahead for<br />
<strong>the</strong> 75th Anniversary of Shelsley Walsh hill-climb this<br />
<strong>year</strong>. At <strong>the</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ed MAC/VSCC Meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>re, it is<br />
hoped to have a number of appropriate pre-1914 cars<br />
present, and to celebrate <strong>the</strong> Alvis Register’s Diamond<br />
Jubilee <strong>the</strong>re is to be a special Alvis section of <strong>the</strong> car<br />
park. On <strong>the</strong> Humber front, we learn from <strong>the</strong> Humber<br />
Register’s newsletter that one of <strong>the</strong> very rare circa 1919<br />
3.5 h.p. Humber flat-tw<strong>in</strong> motorcycles is be<strong>in</strong>g restored<br />
<strong>in</strong> Warwickshire, that a 9/20 Humber two-seater has<br />
turned up <strong>in</strong> rough condition <strong>in</strong> Scotland, and that a<br />
1927 Bra<strong>in</strong>sby-bodied Humber saloon is <strong>in</strong> process of<br />
restoration. The Fiat Register won <strong>the</strong> 1979 Inter-Register<br />
Contest. We hear that Phil Diffey has acquired an<br />
Albatross, presumably not <strong>the</strong> one <strong>in</strong> a Denbigh garage.<br />
In New Zealand a 1924 14 h.p. Standard “Warwick”<br />
tourer is <strong>in</strong> use aga<strong>in</strong>, after a n<strong>in</strong>e-<strong>year</strong> rebuild.<br />
The Eastern Daily Press (cutt<strong>in</strong>g sent to us by<br />
a reader) had a touch<strong>in</strong>g story last <strong>year</strong> about what is<br />
thought to have been <strong>the</strong> first car <strong>in</strong> Foulsham, Norfolk,<br />
believed to have been a Decauville owned by a Dr. Wolf,<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>year</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g quoted as 1909 — <strong>the</strong> car was Registered<br />
CL 551. It seems that <strong>the</strong> motor<strong>in</strong>g doctor went off for<br />
a sp<strong>in</strong> but collided with ano<strong>the</strong>r car with<strong>in</strong>g m<strong>in</strong>utes of<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g off, <strong>the</strong> driver of which had up to <strong>the</strong>n always had<br />
<strong>the</strong> roads <strong>in</strong> that area entirely to himself... The photograph<br />
of <strong>the</strong> car was on one of several glass-plates found <strong>in</strong> a<br />
garage which still exists <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> street of Foulsham.<br />
The <strong>1980</strong> International Bugatti Rally will be organised by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Bugatti Club Nederland, <strong>the</strong> provisional dates be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
June lst-5th. It happens to <strong>the</strong> best of us! The picture<br />
with an article about “Cars With a F<strong>in</strong>e Pedigree” which<br />
appeared <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Liverpool Daily Post last December was<br />
captioned as depict<strong>in</strong>g an early Series-1 Morris Eight, but<br />
showed a GP Bugatti! The AGM of <strong>the</strong> VSCC takes place<br />
<strong>in</strong> London on March 5th. Early American v<strong>in</strong>tage tourers<br />
that took part <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> VCC of New Zealand’s Oil Can Rally<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded an Ajax and and Essex. — W.B.<br />
Star Postscript<br />
[Last month we published Star Story, after <strong>the</strong> Editor had<br />
met Mr. Wallace Marsh, who was a Premium Pupil at <strong>the</strong><br />
Wolverhampton Company before <strong>the</strong> First World War.<br />
Here is his postscript.]<br />
OLD TEDDY, <strong>the</strong> founder of Star and related cars —<br />
I call him that because that was <strong>the</strong> name by which<br />
all his workmen knew him — was married twice and<br />
altoge<strong>the</strong>r had 13 offspr<strong>in</strong>g. Apart from Dolly and<br />
E<strong>the</strong>l, <strong>the</strong> two youngest daughters, I only knew <strong>the</strong><br />
sons. In order of precedence <strong>the</strong>se were: Edward who<br />
was manag<strong>in</strong>g director of Briton cars, Joe who was<br />
general manager of Star cars, Jack who went <strong>in</strong> for<br />
tailor<strong>in</strong>g, Richard (Dick) who raced Stars and was sales<br />
representative for nor<strong>the</strong>rn England and Scotland,<br />
Alec who was with Star until he become bl<strong>in</strong>d about<br />
1910, Percy whom <strong>the</strong> old man tried to make <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
farmer and f<strong>in</strong>ally Charles who went <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> garage<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />
Dolly and E<strong>the</strong>l eventually married two nephews<br />
of Arnold Bennett and caused much confusion as<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were both Mrs. Bennett. On <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>the</strong>y<br />
were a tragic family. Old Teddy threw himself <strong>in</strong>to<br />
<strong>the</strong> canal at Tettenhall and drowned. This was about<br />
1921. Joe had been try<strong>in</strong>g to edge <strong>the</strong> old man out of<br />
<strong>the</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess for some <strong>year</strong>s and when he succeeded<br />
Teddy just packed up. Joe <strong>in</strong> turn was edged out of his<br />
job as Manag<strong>in</strong>g Director of Star by Guys and he blew<br />
his bra<strong>in</strong>s out with a shotgun. Retribution perhaps.<br />
Dick’s wife Lottie took an overdose of sleep<strong>in</strong>g tablets<br />
and died leav<strong>in</strong>g a note for Dick. Alec accidentally set<br />
himself on fire with a petrol hose and was burnt to<br />
death. Percy I believe broke his neck <strong>in</strong> a fall. Charlie’s<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> claim to fame appears to be that a number of his<br />
“wives”, all unknown to each o<strong>the</strong>r, turned up at his<br />
funeral. (Great consternation, and big joke, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lisle<br />
family.) (Here I would add that I mistakenly said that<br />
Mrs. Lacey, who came on our Star pilgrimage, was<br />
married to a Lisle; <strong>in</strong> fact, she was <strong>the</strong> daughter of Alec<br />
Lisle. — Ed.)<br />
In my time with Star <strong>the</strong>re were <strong>four</strong> Premium<br />
Pupils, Harrison whose fa<strong>the</strong>r was a brass-founder <strong>in</strong><br />
Dudley, Ezra who was someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> rubber recovery<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess, Capel-Smith from a Naval family, and myself.<br />
The Works Manager’s name was Godfrey. (I was <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
rubber-grow<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess for about 30 <strong>year</strong>s but it was not<br />
until I came to write <strong>the</strong>se notes that I realised <strong>the</strong>y must<br />
have been us<strong>in</strong>g ground-up scrap rubber <strong>in</strong> a rubber-tyre<br />
mix before <strong>the</strong> 1914 War.) Godfrey was followed by a<br />
chap called Jenk<strong>in</strong>s. Willie Graham, a peppery Scot, was<br />
Manager of <strong>the</strong> body-build<strong>in</strong>g shop.<br />
Managers and Foremen <strong>in</strong>variably wore bowler<br />
hats at work, and quite a few of <strong>the</strong> workmen outside<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g hours.<br />
There was an apparatus for generat<strong>in</strong>g Mond gas<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> factory yard which gave off a very unpleasant<br />
smell. This gas was used <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> case-harden<strong>in</strong>g<br />
furnaces. Items to be hardened were placed <strong>in</strong> suitable<br />
metal boxes on a layer of carburis<strong>in</strong>g material —<br />
usually charred lea<strong>the</strong>r crumbs — followed by ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
15