1931-03-11 — Page 2

FROM SUFFOLK TO SNOWDONIA.

THE STORY OF A WINTER DASH TO THE MOUNTAINS.

[UY A CORRESPONDENT]

There are probably not many en thusiasts whos keennese would in- duce them to travel by rend the

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1931.

MOTOR NOTES.

A businose rugagement made it petersary to call first at Chelins- ford, and so the preliminary rụn, from. Ipswich heged to swell the whoir breadth of England and most grand total of miles. I left Chohas of Wales, and back, in the shortford at 3.10 p.m., and travelled et upais of a Friday afternoon to Mon-Hertford so as to strike Watling day morning week-end, writes C. R. Ward in the Auto-Cars. The lure of the wuntains is, however, very Brent with Ene of us, and it was the long-cherished desire to see and climb the Snowdonia group aí a tire when it was living up to its ume that caused me to undertake the arduous task of not only doing the journey of some 200 miles each way between the hours of 3.10 p.m.

all.

and Daventry to the dt. ANL knew I ought not to go through either place I felt a little anxions, and therefore consulted some pedes. trians as to what bad happened to Watling Street. They seened rather doubtful of its whereabouts, but mention of Kilsby, a village on "Aa,” which seemed as if it might be nearby, produced prompt res pense, and I found it was about three miles neross country, rond I had to take was a mere lane, running with the magneto Nightly and included three gates The first At about 8.13 I pulled in at ajof these was nigoliated, but the garage to have these defects re-other two proved very reluctant to medied, and at the same time to gel keep open while I drove through. some, ten. The dynamo failure

Street at St, Albans. My car is a two-year-old Triumph Seven, the engine of which enldom kives dy trouble al

Shortly before renching St. Albans, however, I we horrified to see that the dynamo had ceased to function, and at the same time the engine began to develop a realiar mise, which for some reason or other I was able to remedy by

retarded.

The

man's

menns of using the other illumination is to make a rapid survey of the rond and its traffic

A GOOD START,, The Lichfield district, was renched

Despite the fears harboured in by 8.30 p.m., and there the fog dis appeared and also the snow. Later, some quarters that the new mobile I could. almost reach my normal police force would turn ut to be touring speed of 37-40 m.p.h.. Lus nothing but a body of rater agres terworth was passed at 10.3 p.m., sivo "speed cons, the motoring then Husbands Bosworth, Marketpublic as a whole is already reach. Harborough, and so to Kettering.ating the conclusion that the mount-avoid even a glance of a second's 11.15 p.m. I had pes of finding a coffee stall in Kettering, as the cold was now intense, but I had no luck in this direction.

and I made a halt there for refresh

at

41

proved to be due to a worn brush, Eventually, I gropped on opened through after leaving Abre

with my long electric torch, and the ether I tied up with string to thorn hedge...

on Friday and 2.50 a.m. on Monday morning, but ala-and this was the primary object of such a trip-of climbing one of the peaks at the other end and sking the inner recesses of its wintry garb of snow and ice. That is a goal which, to and this was replaced by about 0.20 my way of thinking, apply justifies, and, after slight adjustments the expenditure of some real effort had been made to the plugs, I was in its attainment.

ff again, this time heading north

After that, progress was pretty I had, perhaps, a somontini justi. west. The firet portion of Watling fiable fear of being considered a Street proved to in rather a night-good, along the missing which Inmatic at large by some of my mare of lorries and red lamps, occurred earlier in the journey had heaviregain developed and caused some friends when I mentioned my plans. This road was full of

which seemed to have their own slip of the hack wheels showed that private night clubs" along the an ivy road area was being entered, route. They appear to travel gon- and speed was, therefore, consider erally with only side lights on,ably reduced. Then once again the reserving their often very powerful dynamo ceased its good work; this head lights for private cars whose time it was only due to a stuck drivers don't believe in the prin rush, and the trouble was soon

remedied... ciple of dimming.

en officers are by no means noces. arily their enemica That fact might have been anticipated from remarks that have been made on several occasion by the Minister of Transport, who has emphasised publicly his desire that the mobile police shall be on the roads rather to advise and to, warn than to harass motor vehicle drivers.

as often happens-n car in front of you momentarily gets between you and the direct beam of the np. proaching lights Anyhow, always

duration of the lights."..

So much for dazzling, which is by no means the only difficulty of night motoring. I have already mentioned briefly the push-cyclist without a rear light, and I doubt if there is any need to raphasise

the real danger that this road user

constitutes-nminly, of course, to

himself.

The bright fares of Thrapston ironworks were the act attraction; mente, feeling that at least to look warmth was better than seming 15 endless frost bound country with most of the small towns I pass- After Trapston Fhich in common

I have coined for myself a mot- to: "Never drive faster than you was an ay run to Cambridge, viá

nan see which boils down to, an quires signpost examination, there Huntingdon, and at Cambridge I

injunction to be able to pull up nade a last stop, just after 1.0 effect that a tactful warning, poli-within the limit of one's vision at with fifty-four miles to go. Titely worked, will, as a rule, be any given time. There are certain section was covered non-stop, and

cannot cope with--for example, suddenly, after Newmarket, the sufficient to ensure the safety of eventualities which the best driver road became entirely free from rime the public. Minor offences by mopedestrians who run out from be on the Monday morning, with a

Offcial instructions issued to the mounted men are clearly to the

Let me hasten to add, however, 1.of all descriptions, the drivers of anxiety. Soon, however, an ominous Ipswich was roached at 2.50 a.m. terists are, in the great majority hink ooming vehicles-buit, ex-

tint 1 did it take the weather.on

chance, and, after a careful study of the forceinte, I came to the con- clusion that there was an oppor tunity of ritable conditions at the time when I was able to get away; and also, the newspapers had told me that the desired wintry con- ditions prevailed in the mountains.

I travelled many miles without i was not able to deside Anally un-consulting, a signpost, as this course til the 10.30 a.m. weather forecast is not often necessary on this road. from Daventry on the day of dAt Inst, however, Leane do are parture, which, incidentally, Iflector type of sign at a fork road, listened to over the telephone! which gave Birmingham, to the right

MICHELIN

FOR RELIABILITY AND DURABILITY

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OVER EIGHTEEN MONTHS.

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Deposit one quarter...

Interest

£200, 0. 0. 30.0.0.

£150. U. 0. 16. 7. 8. £165, 7. 6.

Balance of £165, 7. 6. to be paid in 18 monthly instalments

of £0. 8. 9....

To Deposit paid:

5 instalments of £9.8, 9,

FINAL ADJUSTMENT

To re-purchase price-65% of £200,

Rebate on faterest

Less 18 instalmenta still due

2.50. 0. 0. 45:18 9.

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ACTUAL COST OF MOTORING FOR SIX MONTHS

119. 8. 9. 217. 0.52.

Deposit and five instalmente paid

Thirteen instalmonte still dus

Tess re-purchase and rebate on interest

€ 95, 18, 9, 19. 8. 9. £215, 7. 0. 186 8.11. 78. 18. 7.

Cost of motoring for six months

As or £18. 3. 1. per month.

The above proposition applies to any make of car, new or second-hand. We can also arrange to have a car and chauficar to meet you at the docks, to take you and your luggage anywhere, more reasonably and more comfortably than by rail..

All our cars both new and used are sold under a repurchase guarantee,

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A Halt for the Night.

on the speedometer. total run of some 500 miles owing of eases, brought about rather by

NOTES FROM EVERYWHERE.

At

circumstances, there should, liter. ally, be no accidents which no at- rpting any such impossible" tributable solely to the fact of

darkness.

I ought to have said earlier that ignorance than by malice, and n

The conditions of night driving the apparent ignition trouble al-rolite pointing out of a mistake, most completely disappeared on the bucked by the authority of the return journes, and no other kind policy uniform, should be the ideal which I think I find the most dim et mechanical trouble whatever was

way of tackling the problem.. cult are those when it is just be experienced.

any rate, the start of the new forceginning to rain. Not only are the roads usually in their most slip- has been propitious. and the prospery state; but the windscreen be pect of its success in bright, for, comes spotted with hundreds of little reflections, of all visible as we have, hinted, taet is the es sence of the contract, and the men lights, which, to all intents and selected for the mobile units have purposes, blot out completely the been very carefully chosen and in-

nearside vision beyond the orbit Atructed before going into action of the windscreen wiper. As a on the roads.

consequence one drives blind" on that side, which is particularly nasty in passing traffic or round- ing corners. This is; incidentally, one of the occasions when the use of oncoming lights for "getting, a line" is invaluable.

It was now after 10 p.m., and I began to think of looking for a night's lodgings, the jey roads and or visibility not making for exactly comfortable travelling. Un- fortunately, I am unable to fix! chains to my car, as there is in- sufficient clearance between the back | MORALISING ON OVERTAKING; tyres and mudguards: I left. Wat- ling Street at, the Lichfeld turn-

When the driver of any motor ing, and arrived at Lichfield itself at 11 p.m.; a welcome drink and vehicle-sports, tourez, or, lorry- comes upon a straight broad confortable, warm bedroom conclud-

stretch of by-pass road, he is usual. ed the first stage of the journey.

ly nesailed by an overwhelming in The next morning I was up in good time in order to have the clination to stop on it" and sce ignition thoroughly examined while what speed his vehicle will attain. Every motorist should realise I was having breakfast. Fortunate.

that this temptation, comos to ly, my fears wore groundless, and more plug adjustments, cured the others, as well ne to himself; and trouble so far as the garage was if the driver of a car following concerned. It was not a complete wishes to overtake him, he should cure, however,, and I had the dif- at once give way and allow him culty will me all the way to Wales. do so. The rivers of a faster Ciotting and way at 025 on the car than your webzessly Saturday morning I was die 4 siteed-hog: do toy to prevent Appointed to find the roads still icy, him from assing you, or oce with and also a fog, giving visibility him when he is alongside from 200 down to 30 yards. All the way

Wellington through

and Shrewsbury, almost to Llangollen, this wet fog we present, but just before the latter place was wached I merged from it into welcome stinshine and blue ky

It was a wonderful sight to see the Llangollen hills, their bighor tops just sprinkled with snow. I took in petrol, and got a rond re- Tort from the garage man which should have led me with horror teleg of skids and crashes, of a kery

Overtaking by cutting an ia al ways dangerous, but is particular- ly so on a hill, whep brakes do surely or as swiftly: as not net

on the level. The text, "Never overtake on a corner," is well wore, but, unfortunately, it appears that it can bear repetition.

Remember that driving sense 1 largely a matter of common sense, and that any display of bad man. nera while driving is a clear sign of lack driver of taste and of a poor

The only way of ensuring mutual comfort and safety on the road is t"do na you would be done by," bearing in mind that politeness ests nothing and yet makes road travel much the more pleasant for you and your fellow motorists.

with four men killed in it and eight. injured, and other anecdotes of the past week! I certainly found the road report to be at least correct ia the main, all places in the shade. being covered with hard black ice Un reaching Cerrig-y-Druidion my hopes of finding snow on the moun- TIME" IS DISTANCE, tains were realised, and I was greet.

How often have you had scossion el with a wonderful view of the. Snowdonis range about twenty-five to apply the brakes of your car in ease of emergency Many tuiles distant. And so down to times. Have you ever wondered Bettws-y-Coed and then a final olin how long your brain took to react to the Llanberis Pass summit to my headquarters which were reached to the message transmitted to it by 2p.m. Curiously: onough, the by your eyes! Such an infinita

mal amount that you probably did. not think it was worth worrying about.

netual mountain roads were free from ice.

I inuat not say too much about the

On auch occasions, however, eXmbing on foot, as this article is

"time" is distance, and the cutting written from the motorist's point of view. Suffice it to say that there down of that distance, may make was a snow litte at 1,500ft.. and all the difference. A car trave above that anything from six inchesling at forty miles an hour, covers to three feat of snow, all rocks being nearly sixty feet in one second, ice-covered Moel Siabod provided and if your reaction time were one. a pleasant training walk for the second it would contate your remainder of the afternoon, and being considenibly more than sixty next morning the ridge of Crib feet away from the emergency in Goch (part of the Snowdon "horse order to ensure safety. shoe") proved exciting enough' in nist and blizzarde. Descending to wards Lyn Llydaw, however, I was geted with glorious views in near ly all directions; Snowdon itself obetinately refused to show its final peak

The Homeward. Trek,"

A return to the hotel for dry clothes and a hasty pack-up, and÷1 was off for bone by 3.55 p.m. on the Sunday afternoon. The straight piece of road on the Bettwa side of Cerrig was already frozen hard, and all the way to Shrewsbury I had to keep a sharp lock-out. After a good bra just north of Shrewsbury there was nothing to report until Wellington, where I noticed traces now by the sides of the road, and also an increase of ice on the road itself. Once I was through the Wellington district the snow. soon incroneed to two or three in ches, and cocasional whiffs of mist were encountered, which presently turned to rather bad fog. With frozen snow and fog freezing on the as bad as they could be, speed boing reduced to 15-20-m;p.h;--

Local Agents: JAMES H. BACKHOUSE, LTD., 14, Ukater Boad windscreen, conditions were about

带着

BUSINESS PURPOSES.”

epme-

Parking on the Wrong Bide. It is a most unwise practice to. Land a car, with its lights on, an the wrong side of the road. Feon-

Not every private car owner is aware that when a vehicle is used for business purposes" a what higher premium than that charged for the normal privale car is, as a rule, required. Precisely what constitutes "business" is a matter of some uncertainly, and for this reason it is highly desir.sider it lose dangerous to leave a able that all car owners should unlighted in such a position. make sure that they are properly The danger to a reasonably careful covered when their care are per forming. the work that they are normally called upon to do. The matter is, indeed, vital in view of the now requirements regarding third party insurance, for if an accident occurred when the vehicle. was engaged on som duty not in- cluded in the policy, there might— indeed, there would-be very sari- out trouble.

The best advice that can be given to the car owner, therefore, is that, in the event of there being any doubt, he should communicate with his insurance company and obtain, in writing, an, acknowledgement that the work contemplated is work permitted under the policy. The majority of insurance companies are reasonable enough in matters of the kind, and they do not draw the line between business and private use with undue stringenty. In this matter the small amount of convenience involved by the writ ing of a letter to the company is likely to be wel repaid should an accident unfortunately occur.

NIGHT DRIVING. SOME VALUABLE HINTS FOR

THE TRAVELLER.

It is unfortunately impossible to bepo or expect that every driver of a powerfully lighted car will dim its glare, and it is therefore, far leng dangerous to learn to cope with the dificulty than to be dependent on a method over which it is difficult to exercise effective, control. O

When first I started regular The time taken by the average night driving my progress to be driver to remove the foot from the Irish consisted mainly of a series accelerator and apply the brakes of stops, and it is a wonder that say that I do not drive a car with; is fourtenths of a second, and dir ever arrived anywhere! I may. ing that period the car trave's ap proximately twenty-four foot. A 12-volt lighting set, and have driver with a slow reaction takes therefore not been in the position three-quarters of a second to apply of out-dazzling" the other man. the brakes, and in that interval I have found, however, that a little practice has enabled me, not only in ear travele forty-five feet.

The United States, Bureau of iot to be bothered by: on-coming Standards in Washington has been head lights, but in many cases to carrying out tests on these lines make use of them. There are ex- by moins of cars fitted with special options to this general rule, but electrical equipment. The drivarf one concentrates both attention ef. the car is made to react by and vision, on anything but the means of a dapper. On hearing approaching blaze it will usually the sound of the clapper he sipples be found that its terrors disappear.

Ware, Oyclists --- the brakes. The sounding of tha clapper and the time the brakes. are applied are marked by dots on ribbon of paper travelling at a uniform speed. The distance be tween the marks givea, the exact reaction time of the driver

It was found that when a hand control thrattle was used, and the driver was allowed one foot on the brake the best reaction time was fourteen hundredths of a second, and the worst proved to be forty sight hundredthi.“

One particular use which can' bo made of a distant car with bright lights is to get a line between it. and yourself, so as to make quite certain that there are no podal cyclists without lamp in your path. If you cannot get this line it is very often possible to get a quick view of a sufficiently long- stretch of pavement, edge to know, again, that there is no "invisible" dunger lurking there, Yet another

The WISE

driver of running into an unlight-

ed car is nothing to the possible consequences of mistaking stationary lights for those of an approaching bar on its correct side, and driving into the footpath. hedgens the gate may be

One final warning is not to trust infallibly to being able to see traffic" in front of you by its tail light. On two occasions recently, I have. overtaken-line wich, so far n I was concerned, might have had no rear lights; in one case a pedal! cyclist riding in the wake of the in the other the lamp was situated lorry completely covered its light on the top of the van, and my own hood limited my upward range of vision, so that it did not include

the red light. In each instance, however, my motto stood me in good stand. R.W, in The Author.

Travel in Luxury Free- Trouble

when Home on Leave:

Motorways' recipe for a perfect holliday. To be sented in one of. the comfortable armchairs of the luxurious motor Pulk Saloons, with a window to your self, touring Europe of the British Isles at your case. Tours of from two twenty-five days' duration' begin and end In 'London, whikt. the moderate fees include first-class intel and atdamer accommodation, all meals, gratuities, and the services of a courier.

Choice of tours och he had in France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc., em We thz greet you 41 Marocides if you desire t

Wem for Bountifully Dibostratud Brochura, c

MOTORWAYS

1930

44.CRANBOURN ST LEICESTER SQUARE LONDON,W.C.3.END

See Europe from an Armchuir.

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