E.R. Hall
Encyclopedia
Edward "Eddie" Ramsden Hall (1900 – May 1982) was an English racing driver. He was born in Milnsbridge
into a wealthy Yorkshire
family in 1900, the heir to a successful textiles business which funded his motor racing and other sporting exploits. He lived at Kirkburton
, near Huddersfield
until leaving the UK on his retirement in the early 1950s to live in Canada
and then Monte Carlo
, where he had an apartment overlooking the harbour and part of the Grand Prix
circuit. He was married twice, first to Evelyn Muriel (divorced in 1931) and secondly in 1933 to divorcée Joan Evelyn Quarmby (née Goddard) who survived him on his death in 1982.
, Shelsley Walsh
, the Isle of Man and the Mille Miglia
until his retirement in 1951. He favoured races that demanded superior stamina, and is mostly remembered today for his multiple drives in the 410-mile (478 from 1933) RAC Tourist Trophy
(TT) in Ulster
, where he competed every year it was held there (1928 to 1936). In 1960, he presented a perpetual trophy to the B.A.R.C.
for the annual winner of their Formula Junior
Championship winner (later Formula 3).
, and was by far the largest sporting event in the area at the time, regularly attracting more than quarter of a million spectators. It took place on a closed road circuit encompassing Newtownards
, Comber
and Dundonald
in County Down
, Northern Ireland
. Like many others at the time it was run on a handicap basis so that cars of very different sizes and performances were able to compete in the same race, which although difficult for spectators to follow during the race did provide some close finishes. Hall's first TT race in 1928 was unfortunate - he drove a 2-litre Lagonda
14/60 Speed model, which ran out of oil and seized causing his retirement from the race just a few laps from the end. In the 1929 race he fared no better, crashing his supercharged Arrol-Aster
17/50 into Ards town hall. 1930 saw him driving an unsupercharged Bentley 4½ Litre and finished the race for the first time, 2nd in class and 12th overall. In 1931 he drove a supercharged 746cc MG Midget
, again retiring with engine failure, but in the 1932 race in the same model of car he finished 1st in class and 3rd overall. His performance in 1933 in a supercharged MG K3 Magnette was similar, achieving 2nd in class and 4th overall in a race won by racing legend Tazio Nuvolari
.
For 1934 he asked Rolls-Royce
to modify a Bentley 3½ Litre
, which they initially refused to do because the company had long since quit racing. However, reasoning that as this car was a private entry failure would not reflect badly on the factory, Rolls-Royce assisted Hall by increasing the output of his engine from the standard 114 bhp to a more useful 131 bhp. It was the first competition car built at Rolls-Royce since the car built for Charles Rolls
which he had driven to win the 1906 TT, and it was also their last.
The heavy Bentley was not ideally suited to the tricky street circuit at Ards, but when the series came to an end in 1936 Eddie Hall had accumulated 3 second places in it (1934, 1935 and 1936), each time setting the fastest race pace (78.40 mph, 80.36 mph and 80.81 mph respectively), and each time defeated only by the handicap system. The final version of the car had a 4¼-litre engine producing over 160 bhp and a 40-gallon fuel tank behind the seats, enabling him to complete the distance without stopping, a feat requiring great strength and fitness. He was one of only two men to have competed in every running of the Ards TT, the other being Earl Howe
.
(BRDC) in 1932 and was awarded their Gold Star in 1933 for his performance at Brooklands
when he raced the BRDC 500 Mile Race in a Bentley 4½ Litre, partnered by Dr D.J. Benjafield
, and came second on handicap. Theirs was the fastest car in the race, at 112.12 mph.
In the BRDC 500 at Brooklands in 1933, Hall drove a works MG K3 Magnette with streamlined bodywork and with his then girlfriend (later second wife), Joan, acting as team Manager and controlling the race from the pits. Together they worked out a novel method of pit control, combining steady driving (calculated to enable the car to outlast its competitors) with a single efficiently-managed pitstop, and these two factors together allowed him to take a famous victory.
, but the race was cancelled due to economic conditions and labour difficulties. However, there was a swansong performance for that car, when Hall drove it in the second post-war Le Mans 24-hour race in 1950
, becoming the first man to drive solo for the entire distance - despite having a co-driver in the pits ready to take over. When asked by Denis Jenkinson
what the toilet arrangements were if he never left the cockpit for 24 hours, Hall replied "Green overalls, old boy!"
His final international event was in the 1951 Le Mans
race, driving a 4.1 litre Ferrari 340 America
Barchetta. He completed 125 laps before being forced to retire with electrical problems.
in St Moritz), and a combination of formal and impromptu portraits.
T.D. Richardson
, author of Modern Figure Skating and Ice Rink Skating, wrote in the introduction to Hall's book "it was highly entertaining to see Mr Hall laden with cameras and gadgets, prowling round the rinks, stalking his prey in the hope of catching a new or unusual angle or lying flat on his tummy for hours, so that he might get a single shot. Young skaters are often possessed of "temperaments", but Mr Hall's patience and good humour overcame all difficulties."
, and also contested the 1928 Winter Olympics
in the Number 2 Great Britain 5-man bobsleigh, finishing ninth overall and ahead of the Number 1 Great Britain team.
Milnsbridge
Milnsbridge is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England 2.5 miles west of the town centre, situated in the Colne Valley. The name is said to have derived from the water-powered mill and the bridge that stood alongside it in the 13th century.The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs...
into a wealthy Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
family in 1900, the heir to a successful textiles business which funded his motor racing and other sporting exploits. He lived at Kirkburton
Kirkburton
Kirkburton is a village, civil parish and local government ward in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England, south east of Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees...
, near Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
until leaving the UK on his retirement in the early 1950s to live in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and then Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, where he had an apartment overlooking the harbour and part of the Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
circuit. He was married twice, first to Evelyn Muriel (divorced in 1931) and secondly in 1933 to divorcée Joan Evelyn Quarmby (née Goddard) who survived him on his death in 1982.
Racing career
A strong and athletic man, E.R. Hall started motor racing in 1922, and was a prolific amateur competitor at many famous venues including Donington ParkDonington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, Shelsley Walsh
Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb
The Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb in Worcestershire, England, organised by the Midland Automobile Club . It is one of the oldest motorsport events in the world, and is in fact the oldest to have been staged continuously on its original course, first having been run in 1905...
, the Isle of Man and the Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
until his retirement in 1951. He favoured races that demanded superior stamina, and is mostly remembered today for his multiple drives in the 410-mile (478 from 1933) RAC Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...
(TT) in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, where he competed every year it was held there (1928 to 1936). In 1960, he presented a perpetual trophy to the B.A.R.C.
British Automobile Racing Club
The British Automobile Racing Club is one of biggest organising clubs for auto racing in the United Kingdom.-History:The Cyclecar Club was formed in 1912, running races for the small and light motorbike powered vehicles at Brooklands as well as rallies and sporting trials. Among the founder...
for the annual winner of their Formula Junior
Formula Junior
Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI . The class was intended to provide an entry level class where you could use inexpensive mechanical components from ordinary automobiles...
Championship winner (later Formula 3).
Ards TT
The TT was brought to Ireland by industrialist and pioneer of the modern agricultural tractor, Harry FergusonHarry Ferguson
Henry George "Harry" Ferguson was an Irish engineer and inventor who is noted for his role in the development of the modern agricultural tractor, for becoming the first Irishman to build and fly his own aeroplane, and for developing the first four-wheel drive Formula One car, the Ferguson P99...
, and was by far the largest sporting event in the area at the time, regularly attracting more than quarter of a million spectators. It took place on a closed road circuit encompassing Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
, Comber
Comber
Comber is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 8,933 people in the 2001 Census. Comber is part of the Borough of Ards...
and Dundonald
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Like many others at the time it was run on a handicap basis so that cars of very different sizes and performances were able to compete in the same race, which although difficult for spectators to follow during the race did provide some close finishes. Hall's first TT race in 1928 was unfortunate - he drove a 2-litre Lagonda
Lagonda
Lagonda is a British luxury car marque, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by a former opera singer from Ohio, but of Scottish ancestry, named Wilbur Gunn . He named the company after a river near the town of his birth, Springfield, Ohio, United States...
14/60 Speed model, which ran out of oil and seized causing his retirement from the race just a few laps from the end. In the 1929 race he fared no better, crashing his supercharged Arrol-Aster
Arrol-Aster
Arrol-Aster was a British car maker founded in 1927 when Arrol-Johnston and Aster merged. The Wembley, London works of Aster was closed and production concentrated at the Heathhall, Dumfries factory of Arrol-Johnston....
17/50 into Ards town hall. 1930 saw him driving an unsupercharged Bentley 4½ Litre and finished the race for the first time, 2nd in class and 12th overall. In 1931 he drove a supercharged 746cc MG Midget
MG C-Type
The MG C-type was produced by the MG Car company from 1931 to 1932. It was designed for competition use and based on the M-Type Midget. A special car, EX120 had been developed from the M-Type for George Eyston to make an attempt on the 750 cc class 24 hour record at Autodrome de Montlhéry in France...
, again retiring with engine failure, but in the 1932 race in the same model of car he finished 1st in class and 3rd overall. His performance in 1933 in a supercharged MG K3 Magnette was similar, achieving 2nd in class and 4th overall in a race won by racing legend Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
.
For 1934 he asked Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
to modify a Bentley 3½ Litre
Bentley 3.5 Litre
The 3½ Litre was presented to the public in September 1933, shortly after the death of Henry Royce, and was the first new Bentley model following Rolls-Royce's acquisition of the Bentley brand in 1931...
, which they initially refused to do because the company had long since quit racing. However, reasoning that as this car was a private entry failure would not reflect badly on the factory, Rolls-Royce assisted Hall by increasing the output of his engine from the standard 114 bhp to a more useful 131 bhp. It was the first competition car built at Rolls-Royce since the car built for Charles Rolls
Charles Rolls
Charles Stewart Rolls was a motoring and aviation pioneer. Together with Frederick Henry Royce he co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm. He was the first Briton to be killed in a flying accident, when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display near Bournemouth,...
which he had driven to win the 1906 TT, and it was also their last.
The heavy Bentley was not ideally suited to the tricky street circuit at Ards, but when the series came to an end in 1936 Eddie Hall had accumulated 3 second places in it (1934, 1935 and 1936), each time setting the fastest race pace (78.40 mph, 80.36 mph and 80.81 mph respectively), and each time defeated only by the handicap system. The final version of the car had a 4¼-litre engine producing over 160 bhp and a 40-gallon fuel tank behind the seats, enabling him to complete the distance without stopping, a feat requiring great strength and fitness. He was one of only two men to have competed in every running of the Ards TT, the other being Earl Howe
Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe
Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, CBE, PC, VD was a British naval officer, Member of Parliament, motor racing driver and promotor. In the 1918 UK General Election he won the Battersea South seat as the candidate of the Conservative Party, which he held until 1929...
.
BRDC
He was elected to the British Racing Drivers' ClubBritish Racing Drivers' Club
The British Racing Drivers' Club is a membership body which represents the interests of professional racing drivers from the United Kingdom.-Early days:...
(BRDC) in 1932 and was awarded their Gold Star in 1933 for his performance at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
when he raced the BRDC 500 Mile Race in a Bentley 4½ Litre, partnered by Dr D.J. Benjafield
Dudley Benjafield
Joseph Dudley Benjafield, MD was born on 6 August 1887, in Edmonton, London, UK. He attended the University of London and received his MD from University College Hospital in 1912...
, and came second on handicap. Theirs was the fastest car in the race, at 112.12 mph.
In the BRDC 500 at Brooklands in 1933, Hall drove a works MG K3 Magnette with streamlined bodywork and with his then girlfriend (later second wife), Joan, acting as team Manager and controlling the race from the pits. Together they worked out a novel method of pit control, combining steady driving (calculated to enable the car to outlast its competitors) with a single efficiently-managed pitstop, and these two factors together allowed him to take a famous victory.
Le Mans
He had entered the 4¼-litre Bentley into the Le Mans 24-hour race in 19361936 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned to be the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance held on June 14 and 15, but was cancelled because workers were going on strike due to the Great Depression in France...
, but the race was cancelled due to economic conditions and labour difficulties. However, there was a swansong performance for that car, when Hall drove it in the second post-war Le Mans 24-hour race in 1950
1950 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 18th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 24 and 25 1950.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap - #5 Louis Rosier - 4:53.5* Distance - 3465.12 km...
, becoming the first man to drive solo for the entire distance - despite having a co-driver in the pits ready to take over. When asked by Denis Jenkinson
Denis Jenkinson
Denis Sargent Jenkinson , Jenks or DSJ as he was known in the pages of Motor Sport, was a journalist deeply involved in motorsports...
what the toilet arrangements were if he never left the cockpit for 24 hours, Hall replied "Green overalls, old boy!"
His final international event was in the 1951 Le Mans
1951 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 19th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 22 and 23 1951.This race saw the death of French driver Jean Larivière within the opening laps of the race.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:...
race, driving a 4.1 litre Ferrari 340 America
Ferrari America
The first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
Barchetta. He completed 125 laps before being forced to retire with electrical problems.
Photography
Hall was a keen photographer, and published a book on the subject of Modern Figure Skating in 1938. The photographic plates consist of action shots of skaters (taken during the European Figure Skating ChampionshipsEuropean Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
in St Moritz), and a combination of formal and impromptu portraits.
T.D. Richardson
T.D. Richardson
Thomas Dow "Tyke" Richardson OBE was a British competitive pair skater, author and judge.With his wife, Mildred Richardson, he represented Great Britain at the 1924 Winter Olympics, where they placed 8th...
, author of Modern Figure Skating and Ice Rink Skating, wrote in the introduction to Hall's book "it was highly entertaining to see Mr Hall laden with cameras and gadgets, prowling round the rinks, stalking his prey in the hope of catching a new or unusual angle or lying flat on his tummy for hours, so that he might get a single shot. Young skaters are often possessed of "temperaments", but Mr Hall's patience and good humour overcame all difficulties."
Bobsleigh
Hall was a member of the victorious Great Britain 2-man and 5-man bobsleigh crews at the 1927 European Bobsleigh Championship in St. MoritzSt. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, and also contested the 1928 Winter Olympics
Bobsleigh at the 1928 Winter Olympics
At the 1928 Winter Olympics, only one bobsleigh event was contested, the five man event. The competition was held on Saturday, February 18, 1928.-Medalists:-Results:-Participating nations:...
in the Number 2 Great Britain 5-man bobsleigh, finishing ninth overall and ahead of the Number 1 Great Britain team.
Further reading
- E.R. Hall & T.D. RichardsonT.D. RichardsonThomas Dow "Tyke" Richardson OBE was a British competitive pair skater, author and judge.With his wife, Mildred Richardson, he represented Great Britain at the 1924 Winter Olympics, where they placed 8th...
- Champions all: camera studies by E.R. Hall (Frederick Muller, 1938) - Ulster Vintage Car Club - The Ards TT (Blackstaff Press, 1978) ISBN 0-85640-147-1
- Alec Harvey-Bailey - Rolls-Royce - the Derby Bentleys (Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation, 1985)
- Michael Ellman-Brown - Bentley - The Silent Sportscar (Redwood Burn Ltd., 1989) ISBN 0-901564-33-8
- Debra Wenlock - Campari and Soda Bread (Linenopolis, 2003) ISBN 0-954532-20-1