A little question.......

[Slowcoach]

Yesterday I went out for lunch with alot of my family to celebrate the birthday of my Great Auntie Floss, her 95th , there we were sitting in the coffee lounge afterwards when my mother came over to me and enquired as to whether I had seen ''all those racing car pictures" in the corridor of the hotel. Hmmm I thought, better investigate.....and sure enough there were hundreds of old photos of allegedly the 'Birthplace of British Motorsport"
Now I do venture onto this forum for a read regularly but I never post, too many experts about, but I was wondering, off the tops of your heads without looking anything up, how many of you could claim to know the name of this town where I had lunch, the year the event was held in, and the patron who is immortalised by a building named after him.
DONT post the name of the town, I'll trust you on it, just say YES or NO , but you CAN post the YEAR - and then that'll give me a hint as to whether you really know or not without spoiling it for everybody else. Lets see how you do - and don't forget-no checking your books or the internet!!!!!!!!

[paulzinho]

Not a clue I'm afraid!

[josvandeperre]

Is this a trick question to which the correct answer is Rover SD1 and the wrong answer is Michael Schumacher ?

[Jeremy Jackson]

Would it be 1902 (May-ish)?

[TimD]

I think it's 1902 as well.

[ss_collins]

yes the speed trials... but its actually not the birthplace - buy my book and you'll find out that a public road in the north downs really is.

[David McKinney]

I suspect many towns claim to be the birthplace of British motorsport, including the 1902 one I believe others here are alluding to.
My own belief is that the first motorsport event in Britain was earlier, around 1898 (without looking anything up), and neither on the south coast nor the North Downs

[ss_collins]

it twas in the 1890's for sure but I can't for the life of me remember the details - certainly the first speed event was held in the downs. Have a feeling I wrote a bit about a sort of rally style event round that time too

[carrera]

Are you really that old?

[Slowcoach]

OK - well all you 1902 folks are very much on the scent - I believe they said it was the first 'International motor event' which is why they qualified it as the 'birthplace'. I too thought that 1902 was also a little late to be the birth.
OK so who was the patron/organiser ? No looking.....can anyone remember

[Andrew Kitson]

Bernie?

[ss_collins]

SF Edge perhaps? it also was not the first international event either

[Slowcoach]

OK well done most of you it was indeed May 1902, S.F.Edge certainly competed there in a Napier but the 8th Earl De La Warr was apparantly the organiser.
The events fastest speed was set by Leon Serpollet at 54 mph and was the first french victory on British soil, incidently it was a steam driven car(nicknamed 'Easter Egg'.) Also entered were Lord Northcliffe(Mercedes) and alot of french owned Darracqs.
Oh yes and for those of you who didnt know where - it was 'Bexhill-on-Sea' . Officially recognised as the 'Birthplace of British Motor racing' in May 1995 and has signs up all over the place to proclaim it despite what anyone else might say!

[josvandeperre]

Now you come to mention didn't they have a big festival to celebrate the centenary I think - did Menke design the track ?

[Slowcoach]

They did JVP - you're right , a biggy last year. But it has become to expensive to run so from this year onwards they are going to have a Classic Car Show instead, I think around the 7/8th June.......