45 March 2006

No.45 Newsletter March 2006 lift© Kteptig fe ixteMi! TflfgllOaiMflc IrilMdlriy WWW.rrtha.Or2.uk President: Professor John Hibbs O.B.H. Chairman: Garry Turvey C.B.E. 139 Imberthorne Lane East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH191RP Secretary: Chris Hogan 124 Shenstone Avenue Norton, Stourbridge, DY8 3EJ [email protected] Treasurer: Gordon Knowles 7 Squirrels Green, Great Bookham, Surrey KT23 3LE Research Co-ordinator: Wartime ~ Buses in Eastgate, Chester Tony Newman 21 Ffordd Argoed, Mold, T? mma Stuart of Chester History & Bombardment Group (Heavy), a unit CH7 1LY HjHeritage has produced for of the Eighth Air Force. Kimbolton was a base for B-17 Flying Fortresses [email protected] Newsletter an exceptionally fine wartime photograph taken by an from which 330 combat missions were Academic Adviser: American airman, Robert Astrella, flown. It is not known precisely when Professor John Armstrong that he specifically donated to the Robert Astrella visited Chester, but it Thames Valley University City. Photography during the war was in the 1944/5 period. London W5 5RF was very limited. This one, of buses Note the Bisto kids on the back of Newsletter Editor: in Eastgate, Chester, is not only a Roger Atkinson O.B.E. good one, but it is possible to offer a both buses; and EWS (Emergency 45 Dee Banks, Chester little background on the photographer Water Supply) painted on the wall at CH3 5UU as well. In 1944, Robert Astrella was the foot of St Werburgh Street, a photographer stationed at There is more about Chester, and [email protected] Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire with Chester History & Heritage, on a later United States Army Air Force 379 page. In this issue Our History, Our Heritage..... .2 Editorial................................. .9 Book Notices 16 Ammunition Dumps.............. .4 Letters to the Editor............... 10 McAdam and the Metalled Roads..18 Sources: The Roadway Goods Research: Archive Retention.. 11 World-wide Coverage 19 Transport Guide................. ,7 (Almost) Random Ramblings 12 Britain's new 3ft 6in Association Matters................ .8 Unfinished Business.............. 13 Gauge Tramway.... .20 Newsletter Competition............ .8 Gregson & Gregson, Publications & Back Numbers .8 Boulogne-sur-Mer............. 14 Introducing New Members.... ,9 Book Reviews........................ 15 2 Our History ~ Our Heritage GARRY TURVEY An article originally published in the December 2005 the fact that this year is the 75th anniversary of the issue of Focus, the journal of the Chartered Institute of creation of the Traffic Commissioners. Were they not early, Logistics and Transport, and reproduced here by kind or even the first, industry regulators and if so, did any of permission of the C1LT. the other industries consult them before they created their own modern day regulators?. Perhaps they did, but 1 HPhis is the year of road transport anniversaries. The doubt it. So when we regularly read of friction between JL Automobile Association reached its centenary on 29th various industries and their regulatory bodies with June. The road freight industry's eminent weekly journals outright animosity not far below the surface, how come were first published in 1905, "Commercial Motor" in that for three quarters of a century the transport industry March of that year, soon to be followed by "Motor has enjoyed an excellent relationship with its regulators Traction", which adopted its current title of "Motor who in my experience manage to be both respected Transport" in 1921. The Austin Motor Company was enforcers and yet part of the transport family?. This is one formed that year, so too the Scottish Motor Traction of the issues which we in the R&RTHA will be exploring Company. Other centenary landmarks can also be at our Symposium. identified, for after all 1905 was a significant year in the development of motor transport with some 20,000 motor Did others think that they had nothing to learn from vehicles of all types registered in the United Kingdom, transport? For that matter did anyone in transport suggest although most commercial vehicles were still driven by that there were lessons to learn from our experience over steam. But there is more to it than centenaries. Roll the such a long period? I guess that the answer is "no" on years forward a quarter of a century to 1930 and the Road both counts. Traffic Act of that year and the creation of the Traffic Commissioners who now celebrate their 75th anniversary. And that raises another all too familiar theme, namely the 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the Road Haulage status of transport in the social and business hierarchy. We Association and the 50th anniversary of the Transport allow people to talk about the "transport problem", when Association which had such an influence in the shaping of in truth, in peace as in war, it has so often provided the the haulage industry following the Second World War. solution. Throughout the ages it has responded Many more examples come to mind. successfully to the ever changing needs of society, allowing communities to grow and prosper, yet the public We, in the Roads and Road Transport History Association does not associate transport with liberty, opportunity and are to dedicate our 2005 Annual Symposium to these the workings of an active, healthy community, but with landmarks with sessions tracing the histories of the AA congestion, pollution and environmental destruction. We and the Traffic Commissioners, but I think that it is fair to have not helped that situation by distancing ourselves say that overall reaction has been somewhat muted. Why from the word transport and camouflaging it with ill is that? The pressures of modern business leave little time defined references to "logistics" and the "supply chain", for nostalgia, some - maybe many - believe that to look as if we are ashamed to be associated with something as back is a sign of weakness, whilst others, I have often coarse as moving people and goods from one place to heard it said, consider that the past is a total irrelevance another. Yet without transport of goods and people from which they have nothing to learn. I believe that to be nothing happens. Those who argue that transport is just totally wrong, if not rather arrogant. Take any current part of a chain of business decisions, miss the point transport issue and you can more or less guarantee that it entirely. Transport is an essential element of life, which has been encountered before. All too often historical cannot be separated from all the other activities which go perspective on transport is lacking and a little more to make up society. It has always been so and it always understanding of where we have come from and the will be. The more one studies transport history, the more reasoning and logic behind earlier decisions can be of that point is proven. immense value in clarifying both where we are now and where we might be going in the future. Where to begin?. For as long as there has been a need to move man and his products from place to place transport A few years ago I was asked to attend some of the has played a role, so it follows that transport is as old as discussions which formed part of the Government's human society. However, most of us are happy to leave Multi-Modal Studies. 1 was appalled at the lack of the exploration of those far off times to the specialist knowledge of many of those who were offering their researchers and concentrate our interests on more recent solutions to what they perceived to be our "transport eras. Whilst we have no hard and fast rules, we in the problems" and over the amount of time which was R&RTHA rarely venture back further than the middle of wasted on going over issues which had been researched the 19th century, and if we expect history to guide current and documented time and time again. Virtually all of that decisions and policies it is unrealistic to think otherwise. effort, to say nothing of the cost, reported to be no less That, however, is not our main motivation, important as it than £35 million, could have been saved if those is. Our prime objectives are to promote, encourage and co participating had bothered to study the subject ordinate the history of roads and road transport, both beforehand. How can any one pontificate on road pricing passenger and freight. We do so in the knowledge that without ever having read "Smeed"? there are many sites and organisations throughout the country which devote their efforts and resources to Let me quote one more example. I have already alluded to capturing our history, in museums, at vintage vehicle R&RTHA Newsletter ~ March 2006 3 events, within the archives of some of the larger operators, who were responsible for the design and construction of in libraries and private collections. Some are corporate the roads?. The resulting publications "The Motorway members of R&RTHA and this year we have been Achievement", which Sir Peter presented to our 2004 delighted to welcome the CILT into membership, so too Symposium, will be an immensely valuable source of the AA Motoring Trust, the Road Haulage Association, the research for generations to come. The names of pioneers Transport Association and the Norwich Traffic Club from other walks of life, even other branches of transport, amongst others. Our individual membership covers a are known far and wide, but apart from some of the more great diversity of interests and this breadth of knowledge famous vehicle manufacturers most people would find it within our ranks provides a sound platform for our work. difficult to name any of those who have created our Nevertheless we know that much more needs to be done highly efficient road transport industry.

Load more