It was interesting to find this news cutting of the 6 June 1919 as it indicates the trials in the area that used the Allt y Bady had some kind of ‘Official’ status back in 1919 which is confirmed in this story of two motorcycle traffic offences which took place in the vicinity of the Allt y Bady although were not related to competitors in the event.
Motor Cycle Trials Sequel.
CONVICTION AT LLANGOLLEN.
At Llangollen Petty Sessions, on Monday, before Lord Trevor and other magistrates, William Amos Rossenall Brown, 5, Bayswater road, Handsworth, Birmingham, was charged, by P.S. H. Jones with having driven a motor cycle at a dangerous speed in the town. Defendant, who did not appear, was represented by Mr. E. Foulkes Jones.- P.S. Jones stated that on May 18th defendant came down a hill and round a corner at a very high speed. There was a lot of motor traffic about and if defendant had met any other vehicle on the corner a serious accident would have occurred. In defence, Mr. Foulkes Jones said defendant’s machine had got very over-oiled and he was travelling down hill on low gear.-— Defendant was fined £5 and costs.
H. W. Graesser Thomas, Riversdale, Ruabon, was charged by P.S. Jones with driving a motor cycle and sidecar recklessly at Grapes Hill, Llangollen, on May 18. Mr. G. M. G. Mitchell, Shrewsbury, appeared for defendant. — P.S. Jones said that from information he received he went to Grapes Hill, on May 18 and saw defendant there. He found an accident had taken place and questioned defendant about it. Defendant told him that he was descending the hill, and when he applied his brake the machine skidded and toppled over. Two children had been knocked down, and defendant gave the children’s mother £2 to cover the injury to the children and the clothing.— Cross examined, He did not know official trials were being carried out at Allt-y-bady. There were a lot of motorists about, witness arrived on the scene about 5 minutes after the accident. The children had their clothes torn, one had a bruised arm and the other a cut knee. — Mr. F. W. Roberts said he was coming down the Grapes Hill at the time together with his two children. He saw defendant’s motor cycle coming behind him, He walked towards the footpath, and as soon as he stopped on the path the cycle knocked his children down. The hill was very dangerous and defendant was on the wrong side of the road. Defendant told witness he did not know he had knocked anybody down, but gave witness’s wife £2. The children, who were aged 3 and 7 years respectively, were walking on the road and not on the footpath. Harold Dean also gave evidence and said, so far as the children were concerned it was a pure accident.— Defendant said he was a manufacturing chemist. He had beem driving for 10 years and daily for the last 3 years. He had travelled over 6,000 miles on his present machine, and had never been summoned before. When he was descending Grapes Hill he picked up Mr. Diggory. He was travelling slowly on second gear. His machine was a 8-10 h.p. machine, which, in second gear, would only travel 18 to 20 miles an hour all out. At the spot where the accident occurred he (defendant) was actually stopping in order to set Mr. Diggory down on the corner. Just when he was slowing down some flies got into his left eye, and in putting his hand to his eye ‘he must have opened the throttle of his machine, which shot forward. He pulled the machine across the road and in doing so; it toppled over. If he had been travelling fast the machine would have suffered, but no damage was done except to bend a foot rest. The lamp was not damaged and neither was the lamp glass broken. He did not see the children until after the accident, when the father told him he had knocked them down. He then gave the children’s mother £2 to cover the damage. – Mr. L. C. Diggory, who was riding on the back seat of defendant’s machine, corroborated defendant’s statement, and said the accident occurred about 30 yards from where defendant was going to put him down. — Defendant was fined £5. We understand that Mr. Graesser Thomas intends to appeal against the decision.
It is possible Mr LC Diggory was one of the Diggory’s who owned iron foundries and Flour water mills at nearby Froncysyllte,
