From the Express and Star of 10th March 1958 -

NAVIGATION RALLY WINNER KNEW THE COURSE 'INS AND OUTS'

By the "Express and Star" Motoring Correspondent

Knowledge of the byways of Herefordshire and Breconshire helped Tony Fisher, of the Herefordshire Motor Club, to win the 350-mile Express and Star night navigation rally during the weekend.
Driving an Austin A35 saloon, Fisher was the first away from the Wolverhampton starting point on Saturday evening. Back in Wolverhampton the next morning the organisers, the Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club, declared him the winner with the loss of only 30 marks.
He won the Express and Star trophy and £25. His navigator, J. R. Thomas, won the Raybould Smith trophy and £15.
Most difficult section of the rally from a navigating and timekeeping point of view lay when competitors were required to make a traverse and a circuit of part of the Black Mountain in Breconshire.
Several of the " roads " in this, section were but the faintest traces on a one-inch ordnance survey map and a light snow covering made them more difficult to find.

PRECIOUS TIME

An extremely cold night did not hamper competitors until they were in the Cotswolds on the return half of their journey early on Sunday. Then they found patches of black ice and Fish Hill, Broadway, was particularly slippery.

Earlier, on a traverse of the Long Mynd, the Mark VIII. Jaguar of K. W. Chaplin (Worthing) completely blocked the north facing descent from the Mynd when its transmission locked, and it became immovable. Other competitors lost precious minutes finding another way to the next time check point.
As a result of the hold-up which this caused to about two thirds of the 90 competitors the organisers had to ignore this section as far as results were concerned

WOMEN'S TRIUMPH

The one all-woman crew in the rally Mrs. Valerie Harper (Wolverhampton) and her navigators, Miss Domleo, in a Standard 10, won the Fletcher Memorial trophy (and the Moore memorial trophy for Miss Domleo) for the best performance by a Wolverhampton and South Staffs Car Club member.
Mrs. Harper and Miss Domleo lost 380 marks to gain these cups as well as a second class award and, with the outright winner, the team award.
Second best performance was by Hants and Berks Motor Club member J Sunley (Sunbeam Rapier) who, up to the halfway mark had a clean sheet, but ended the course with the loss of 50 marks. His navigator was T. A. M. Piggott.

DRIVING TEST WINNER

The third best was T. S. Baker (Austin A35) of the Midland Motor Enthusiasts Club who, navigated by Dr. W. P. Dallas-Ross, lost 180 marks.
First-class awards went to London M.C. member A.E. Cleghorn (Morgan Plus 4), lost 290, and K. S. Perkins (Fordson Utility) of Tynemouth and District M.C., lost 370.

In addition to Mrs. Harper, a second-class award went to Leicestershire Car Club member K.M. Law (Triumph T.R.2), lost 390 .
J. Sunley and J. Bremner (Mercedes 220) won the award for the second best team and J. R. Pearce (Austin A35) of SUNBAC, gained the driving test award.