Ominous drums of terrible war could be clearly heard, Spain had seen right wing political muscles flexed, few could then realize how world markets plus National economies, unemployment also direct prosperity itself balanced, finely dependant upon outcome results in this 20th International Six Days Trials.  Nowadays Internet & televised advertisments have shares of influence, not available then.   Petrol Companies, Oil companies, Brake shoes materials, Electrical Ignition, Lighting systems, Chain companies, Goggles suppliers, Riding boots, Control levers, Tyres, plus machines, companies plus factories producing them and working folk needed economic reliable transport to their workplaces plus value for their earnings and had an annual world stage to prove superiority. we may have to use the newspaper cuttings stock currently available to us, Military Contracts & requirements had long been specified.

Go to Extra ISDT Progs to see the other 1938 ISDT pics being sorted out for us by Netherlands ISDT Historian Jan Melssen. Thanks to another great researcher we now have the short Cine film of 1938 ISDT by Pathe Film, plus 1961 similar & even the 1938 700 cc MG Midget land speed record percent in it's class, it did get the record!, any enthusiast with genuine interest can have a copy.

BSA Competitors Mrs Miriam Anning at left with Marjorie Cottle & 250 BSA Empire Star.

Brian Jones's Mum Audrey & his late father Ben Jones would ardently follow events on Eppynt Mountain Range where ISDT Speed Trials took place, plus the Largest TT circuit of 5.2 Miles on Mainland Britain which saw Post WW2 TT's of highest quality.  1948 ISDT team selection for the event in ROMA Italy was selected in a 2 Days Event there in a period when Petrol rationing prevailed, below are pics I'd love to have identified, HELP!!! 1937 or 1938 ISDT too may provide info although that flag arrangement over pits in 1938 looks different to the ones in this set of pics. we could be viewing from the other end of course!.  ISDT Historian Netherlander Jan Melssen came to rescue us.  Above is  143 J. Ashworth Works Team 499 BSA in 1938 ISDT. plus below.

Tom Whitton 500 AJS awaits! that street behind him near the lake in Llandrindod Well still looks so much the same with newer cars same click on http://picasaweb.google. com/Dave/Edda  & click on Tom Whitton section, there is so much more than just a picture which just shows there is a story  'the stories assembled in this website from rough treasured press cuttings & family pictures carry history simply brushed past in transit. 

Fred Rist & Tom Whitton, patiently ready at the start

Cyril G. Rowles at Llandrindod Wells Start point on his 500 Matchless #188 under the scrutiny of an RAC man, riding for the WSW (West South Wales Centre) Picture loaned from the Rowles Family collection, courtesy of Michael Rowles, son of C. G. Rowles & himself a Trials Rider.

204 R G Lucas 208 E Middleton 216 J Southall of Royal Automobile Club, Entry of 3 on (Naturally) Norton 350's, a great pic from Dave Martin

165 is entered byD.D.A.C. A Von Falkenhaysen 500 BMW thanks to Ben Jones's Family & Jan Melssen for solving. Jan provided the following fine pictures too

That track from the base of the Dinas Rock Car Park shows British Trophy Teamster W Waycott and that rare Works 600 Velocette

G Wolsey of Britain on the Works Entered Triumph 500

British Trophy Team member J Williams and his 350 Norton

58 S. Jenkins embarrassingly leaving his 500 Rudge on the track shale surface

 G Davies on 348 Norton entered by the War Office!, many more thanks to Jan Melssen for such rare pictures.

Cynghordy Post office, just outside Llandovery, still there with that same arched top wooden Chapel window frame above the door plus those very same guttering drain pipes stared back at me in July 2006 from currently empty holiday or summer homes.  (that wooden framed building to the left of the pic has been  removed) These chaps with their very Zundapp looking sidecar outfit were on their way to the timed pause at Llandovery and had apparently stopped to post something, we still await researched identities for all in this picture. (A 1938 Program contents was provided by those wonderful VMCC Library folk,  rider Entered emerges as SWISS E. Haller, entered on what was listed as a Universal 674 cc Sidecar OutfIt. Eppynt TT Races, the largest TT Races on Mainland Britain 1948 to 1953 information had it's registered Admin office at Llandovery, In the Red Lion Hotel, practically next door to the current Information Centre. Peter Ritchie has contacted us to advise, that mystery lady between the 2 riders is Vera Cunningham. wife of solo rider 'Buster Cunningham, many thanks to Peter!

H Persoon of the Zuid Holland M.C. Team Driving the 600 BMW with Lindner in the sidecar, behind them you can see the Post Office at Cray (Crai in Welsh) village where a meal was proudly prepared for them on 2 days at the 1935 built Village Hall. Post office plus Hall are still there as they were, spares & Newspapers for teams arrived at the Railway station situated then just across the present main road to Brecon.

Persoon & Lindner caught at lunch in Cray Village Hall, their soup was prepared in a Burco Boiler with a gas ring beneath it and Post Mistress, Sally Lewis even played piano there during their Lunch.

Tom Whitton AJS 500, later in the event at the return to lake portion of Llandrindod Wells with 500 Rudge mounted  F A Whitehouse

This was supplied here listed as Men serving in the SS, however the official Listed entrant of DENZ & passenger pictured here at Erwood was NSU Werke (8) their machine a 600 NSU, with thanks for the pic to Dave Martin

Sadly most areas of Wales have forgotten the Course Path & the Nationalities & dress plus political trend portrayed, go to the Towns & villages en route & nowadays nobody seems to recall the event.

C.G. Rowles 188 Matchless 500 heading up the track away ('past what is now a carpark) from the river near the lower base of Dinas Rock itself, the track is a little firmer today, another contribution from the Rowles collection

Not British, judging by the sidecar arrangement #126, , TO THE 'Identifying Rescue' came VMCC Library folk yet again, W Reinhardt of Germany is seen riding his 597 BMW & Sidecar  (from the Rowles collection)

British Entry W (Bill) Peacock on 147 Ariel & Sidecar identified thanks to VMCC Library people yet again,  alignment (Rowles Collection)

Esso, Shell, Mobiloil, Castrol, Renold, Lucas Miller, Villiers, Clearhooters, Champion. Lissen, Powell & Hamner, Stadium, Hella, CAV, Michelin, Bosch, Klaxon, Delco Remy, BTH, KLG, Magnetti Marelli, Lissen plus the entire Italian & German motorcycles ranges plus accessories with other European & American machinery & Products had to Compete to be the best available & where else to Internationally prove it to be so ISDT.   1949 ISDT Programme seen carried a picture of the 1938 ISDT at Llandrindod Wells of a German Rider heading through Llandrindod centre from Tom Norton's Automobile Palace.

Credibility of Governments plus huge Military Contracts became dependant on results. (Sadly, a year later, developments were later advertised as we see here) ....Steam ship Europa arrived at Southampton at least a week prior to the ISDT start, Germany's Teams had narrowly been defeated for the previous 2 years and another massive attempt was planned.  The entire German team left to stay for 2 days preparation at Cheltenham, then off to Nottingham for another 3 days practice at Donnington Park, then settling seriously into & further Llandrindod Wells plus Welsh Hills acclimatization.   Again German machinery was of virtually TT ohc races BMW & three 'blown' 175 DKWs & 600cc BMW sidecar outfits, & a field of 209 entrants prepared to compete in earnest. The inevitable conflict to follow did not alter courteous behaviour of all or efforts in catering or assisting all.  David Higman is currently Curator of the National Cycle Museum, now occupying that Building to the right of pic. That is Tom Norton's Automobile Palace which still looks the same, David helped immensely assembling much in this site too & it was a sheer pleasure to see him being awarded an OBE. 

 Allocated work spaces for teams as in 1938 saw National flags proudly flutter behind the Red Dragon emblem of Wales which is the oldest Flag in Europe, the one at the left soon became involved in a terrible War.

Percy Sivell's 350 BSA Mount in the ISDT of 1938 is still kept as it was & working well with vintage & Trials Specialist John Harding. Peter Sivell can be seen as well on his New Imperial in the 1937 ISDT, no place for an old machine is safer than John Harding's Collection, John appreciates them, rides brilliantly ^ maintains them as they were, well done John.

This came in directly from John Harding's new Mobile phone!!!, absolutely great. Percy Sivell's BSA lives on.  Now we can list the 1938 ISDT Trophy Winners as George Rowley, Jack Williams, Vic Brittain, W S Waycott <(they seldom mention his passenger!) Silver Vase went to the Germany Team Georg Meier, Rudolf Seltsam, J Mejes after hairy dicing in the wet at Donnington Speed Trials, 10 seconds was all between winners & losers!

Zundapp still marketing Civilian machinery amongs the Military preparations

Another Rowles picture of Cyril G Rowles, with his Matchless plus an array of silverware competitors could well envy. (One thing puzzling Michael Rowles & myself is that diamond shaped mark above the top of the 'M' on the Matchless Petrol tank, was it a way of marking by scrutineers?, does anyone care to advise us?. Now we can see from the Programme that Eddie Stephens C.G Rowles & N. Treseder were actually the Carmarthen M.C & L.C.C. entrants (my old Club!), Swansea M. C. had E Gordon Bennett Peter G. Sivell & J. Treseder entered for them. 

To Commemorate Representing West South Wales Centre, these were presented to each, again this was the one Cyril Rowles received & still treasured today by his family.

A 16H Norton did not really develop to be on a par with the Zundapp BMW or Jawa.

A Closer View of the Norton Big 4 was submitted to MOD & may have looked good here, however the Norton 16H Chugger wd not really be compared with BMW, NSU Zundapp or others of Germany.