This report of the Hill Cup Trial, a reliability trial organised by the Sale and District MCC was found in the December 1924 issue of ‘Motor Sport‘. There are no images available with this report. The event is quite an epic starting in South Manchester. The ‘Colonial Sections’ were public road where a low speed average was maintained due to frequency of other traffic) A number of riders appear mentioned here also featured in contemporary event reports.

“SALE & DISTRICT MOTOR CYCLE CLUB.

This Club’s Annual Hill Cup Trial was run off recently, in an interesting way, on lines which the Committee of the Club have found to be most generally acceptable to the average member. There were no checks on those portions of the route which ran along good main roads. There were some stiff hills to be observed and some short stretches of colonial section had to be traversed in order to reach them. Checks were instituted over the Colonial Section and hills only. The route led over Helsby Bluff and Glyn Ceiriog, and lunch was taken at Llangollen. After lunch Allt-y-Bady had to be negotiated and the run home from there was comparatively easy.

The start was made at 9.30 a.m. from the Sale Hotel. Out of 28 entries, 25 actually faced the starter. Helsby Bluff was the first observed Test Hill and up this one competitor failed altogether and four were penalised for foot assistance. It was at this point that J. B. Donaldson had the misfortune to lose his chance of retaining the cup, of which he himself was the holder, by putting his foot down in order to balance himself. The next hill, Glyn Ceiriog, caused little trouble. E. White (Dot J .A.P.) stopped owing to a faulty plug, and, as events turned out, this stoppage lost him the cup. It is of interest, and somewhat significant, perhaps, to note that all competitors were on time at the lunch check.

After lunch an immediate ascent of Allt-y-Bady was made. The hill was in very bad condition indeed, the surface being a mixture of boulders and grease. E. White (Dot J.A.P.) was the only competitor to make a clean ascent, although Dr. R.L Galloway (N. Scale and sidecar) had very hard lines indeed. No difficulty was encountered at Conquering Hero, the next hill, and subsequently the competitors had an opportunity of enjoying glorious scenery in the course of a sunny ride on the Llantysilio mountains. A clean and uneventful run home found 18 competitors at the finish.

Tribute should be paid to the careful organisation of the trial which, however, is rapidly becoming a recognised feature of events conducted under the auspices of this Club. One popular feature was the amount of the entry fee, which is 2s. bd., and this we understand is to be the standard amount for all future reliability trials conducted by this Club. In view of the almost total failure on Allt-y-Bady, no competitor qualified for an award, but the Trials Committee have made the following special awards :

P. G. Thomasson (398 A.B.C.), Hill Cup. He lost 20 marks.

A. R. Coiling (499 Triumph), who lost 21 marks, Gold Medal.

F. W. Hampson (348 A. J.S.), with a loss of 22 marks, Silver Medal,

Dr. R. L. Halloway (348 New Scale Bradshaw and sidecar), Bronze Medal, with a loss of 23 marks.

The next event to be organised by this Club is the New Year’s Day Main Road Reliability Trial. This was most successful indeed last year and attracted 50 entries. On the present occasion it is to be followed by a Social Evening at the Club Headquarters, Sale Hotel, and this is invariably the chief social function of the year.

The Hon. Secretary is Mr. E. C. Bramley, Landfield House, Hesketh Road, Ashton-on-Mersey.”