The Early Years

The club was initially founded in early 1939 as the motor cycle section of the Marconi Sports and Social Club. However, within a very short time the membership decided to break away from Marconi and set up on their own. As was quite normal in pre-war days, the name Auto was used to define the fact that motorcycles and the associated light cars were catered for. It was at this time that our founding members had a real brain wave. Who better to have as President but the manager of the local branch of Lloyds Bank, himself also having an interest in a farm in the Easters. The first trophy presented to the club was the Presidents Trophy which is still competed for to the present day. During the period of hostilities this trophy, it is believed, was in safe custody in the bank vaults!

When hostilities ended the club was up and going again fairly quickly and was one of the clubs which saw the Eastern Centre of the ACU taking charge of motor cycle sport in East Anglia. At this time most of today‘s centre clubs were still a twinkle in someones eye.

Post early 60s

Scrambles
Since the early 60’s the club has run scrambles/motocross events in many places including Bushy Hill near South Woodham Ferrers, Sandon and Ramsden Heath. However, at the time of writing, we have been using Claydons Farm at East Hanningfield for the last 27 years.

Trials
Also since the 60’s our trials have been run from the Angel, at Broomfield/Waltham in the days of one lap events and then when one lap events lost their popularity we started using Mid-Essex Gravel Pits. Gay Bowers Farm at Danbury has also been used for club and Essex Trials Group events and was only lost to us a few years ago. Other venues used since the 60’s include the old Gibcracks Camp, Bradwell-on-Sea and Brent Hall at Boreham.

Grass Track
Both West Hanningfield (Pattens Farm) and East Hanningfield (Claydons Farm) have been used to run Grass Track events. Sadly, with the lower interest shown in Grass Track racing in recent years, we have stopped organising this type of event, now concentrating entirely on motocross and trials.

Road Racing
The club’s activities on the Road Racing scene has long since died although at one time the club was very active in this area using the old airfield at Boreham to run very successful events. Such events saw a number of faces which were in due course to become well-known to road race fans if not household names. Such names include the likes of Eric Oliver and John Surtees. At the time Boreham was the fastest circuit on mainland Britain with lap speeds almost 10mph faster than Silverstone! What would it be like today?

Boreham Airfield was also nearly the cause of Chelmsford & DAC disappearing for ever. Disputes between the organising clubs, the event sponsors and the new landlords, the Ford Motor Company in one of their many guises caused a lot of strain in the club organisation and it was 4 or 5 years before the club regained its place in the Eastern Centre.

Personalities

The club has had a number of personalities amongst its ranks including:

Dick Rocker - a founder member. Dick was at various times an Engineer for Marconi‘s and a publican. A large man who could talk his way into getting almost everything he wanted. One of the many stories about Dick involves the location of his ‘workshop‘. Access to this involved wheeling the bike through Bonds, now Debenhams, department store! Dick's memory is celebrated with the Dick Rocker Trophy, a plate awarded to the best ‘over 40‘ trials rider within the club.

Tony Pennack - was club secretary during the early sixties at a time when the club was just coming to terms with the problems presented by the Boreham Airfield disputes.

Peter Ellwood - Peter was a long time member of the club and served the club in most capacities until his death a few years ago. Peter‘s memory is celebrated with an annual award in the form of a hip flask. Many will remember Peter circulating at the Boxing Day Trials with suitable warming liquid for the observers!

Ron and Kath Smith - Ron and Kath Smith were clerk of the course and secretary of the meeting respectively for our scrambles and motocross events for several years and were responsible for obtaining several of the awards which are presented to our motocross members.

‘Lofty‘ Lucas - best known as a commentator at motocross meetings, ‘Lofty‘ started out as a motocross organiser in the late sixties and almost single handed caused the remainder of the committee heart failure with the number of riders he convinced to belong to this club. At its peak we had over 270 members with nearly 180 of them being motocross riders! If they had all wanted to ride in one of our events we would have had to turn a lot away! How times have changed!

Charley Crowe - joined us after the demise of the Maldon Club and has served the club well for the past 25 years or so. Even though he is well into retirement, he still puts more than his fair share into the preparation of our motocross meetings. Daughter Helen is our current Motocross secretary.

Past Members

Road Racing
Llewelyn Ransen - along with his brother kept the Chelmsford name flying on the Isle of Man in the fifties and sixties riding Manx Nortons.

Derek Yorke - not only a well known road race outfit driver with an impressive IOM record but a British Champion Grass Track Sidecar driver.

John Ruth - the ‘leaping midget‘ was not only good fun to watch in trials but he was almost unbeatable as a vintage road racer no matter what he rode. John has now relinquished two wheeled trials for the four wheeled variety.

Chris Lodge - in the late sixties and early seventies, Chris along with his brother Des, kept the grass track side of the club going. In between times Chris found time to be a successful production racer on his Triumph Bonnevilles and Thruxtons. Success was not kept only to this country but class wins at the Barcelona 24 hours race also came his way on his own machinery as well as semi-works BSAs and Nortons.

Scrambling
Ken Dodd - a very forceful rider, who during the sixties, really enjoyed his racing aboard his Triumph powered special.
Dave Temple - always well prepared, Dave was a force to be reckoned with on his Matchless Metisse.

Trials
Terry and David Eley - For many years Terry kept the Chelmsford flag flying and then his son David really put the name of Chelmsford to the fore both locally and nationally. Neither Terry or David live in the Chelmsford area now.

Clive Adams - during the 50‘s Clive was a force to be reckoned with both locally and nationally aboard his 350 rigid AJS, which interestingly, he still owns.

Mick Denny - the seventies and early eighties saw Mick Denny keeping the Chelmsford name in the forefront of trials on his supported Bultaco and Montesa machines.

Dick Hobart - not a trial winner but Dick competed in all branches of the sport but his main interest was trials and the Scottish Six Days in particular. His start to finish ratio was the envy of many in the late sixties at a time when trials bikes were nothing like as reliable as they are today.

Ally Cameron - a native of Fort William was a very welcome member of the club during his time working for the Greeves factory. A perfect gentleman he was universally liked. Sadly, Ally died last year, back in his native Scotland.

Grass Track
Chris Rodwell - the CR in CR Speedshop of Ilford before moving to Chelmsford to live, Chris was a British Champion on several occasions on the Grass.

Joe Church - Robin, aka Joe, son of Stan and Queenie was a very successful grasser before ‘emigrating‘ to Rutland via Peterborough and setting himself up as an engine tuner.

Friends
Eric Oliver - Eric remembered very favourably his visits to the Boreham circuit and kindly donated several impressive trophies to the club which are awarded annually to club members.

John Surtees - started his solo racing career at Boreham aboard his Grey Flash Vincent.

Apologies are made for any errors, omissions or mistakes in this brief history of the Chelmsford and District Auto Club but all references included are believed to be true.

Compiled by Jim Woodmason (Feb ‘99)