The Falcon Motor Club’s Guy Fawkes Trial was one of many trials first run in the late 1940s or early 1950s as motorsport was restarting after the Second World War. The Guy Fawkes started off as a “North Chilterns” road trial before moving to the Cotswolds, then back to the Chilterns, ending its “first life” as a single venue classic trial before returning as a PCT from 1996 on.
Although now (2021) fifty years since it last ran as a multi-venue classic trial, the Guy Fawkes has an important place in trials history for two main reasons:
- During its heyday (1954 to 1965), when it ran as a multiple-start night-and-day event in the Cotswolds, it was the only event of this type apart from the three MCC classics. Indeed, although there have been a few one-off night-and-day events, I think it was the only PostWar, non-MCC, event of this type which ran on a regular basis. This may, of course, have something to do with the fact that John Tucker-Peake, who was a prominent member of both Falcon MC and the MCC, became the main organiser of the Guy Fawkes from 1954.
- Again, during its heyday, the Guy Fawkes used many sections in the Cotswolds which had been used PreWar, and ‘discovered’ quite few more. Indeed, although many in the Stroud & District Motor Club might disagree, the Cotswold Clouds Trial might not be the classic event that it is today if the Falcon Motor Club had not kept trialling in the Cotswolds alive from the early 1950s into the mid-1960s.
You can read the full Guy Fawkes Story on the Falcon Motor Club’s website.
A brief history of the various formats:
- 1950 to 1952, and 1953? : One day road event in the Chilterns.
- 1954 to 1965 : Multiple start long distance event with most observed sections in the Cotswolds.
- 1966 to 1967 : Not run.
- 1968 to 1971 : Single start (Oxford) long distance event with most observed sections in the Cotswolds. Cancelled 1969.
- 1972 to 1980 : Single venue classic trial in various Hertfordshire locations. Cancelled 1973.
- 1981 to 1995 : Not run.
- 1996 to date : Production Car Trial at Kensworth, Bedfordshire.
You can see the actual dates (1950 to 1980) of the various events on the Trials Events Database, and the information about the sections used on the Trials Sections Database.
This Post was originally published on 11 May 2020 as a Page on this website and is re-posted here with amendments and additional information.
