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An RPM Medicine Mystery



Steven White reports: "I have recently bought a 1920 D Type Vauxhall, and have shipped it back to the UK from New Zealand. The car was originally owned by Thomas Beattie, a medical Professor in Newcastle upon Tyne and used up to 1929 when it was dispatched for a long sojourn in a local barn. It remained there until 1955 when it was found by Medical Professor John Walker who finally returned it to the road in 1995. The car is now nicknamed “The Doctor”.

In the rear door pockets were the two attached badges. The first is from the Armstrong College Motor Club of Newcastle-on-Tyne – presumably Beattie was a member. It is 3½“ diameter. By the thin plate thickness and small fixing holes this was probably dash mounted. What does the RPM motif stand for and has anybody heard of this club?  The other badge is for the Safe Drivers Association – Northumberland & Durham and was issued to the “Tested Driver No 1”. This badge is of more recent manufacture and would have been externally mounted. Where there ever any more members? And what became of the Association?"

   

Gepubliceerd:
woensdag april 23rd, 2014
Onbekend
24 April 2014, 22:32
Armstrong College was originally one of the two Newcastle campuses of Durham University. It merged with the other - Newcastle College of Medicine - in 1937 and became Kings College - and eventually, in 1963, Newcastle University. I can't shed any light on 'RPM', but presumably the students of the Medical College could also join the club, rather than having two separate college motor clubs in the same city.
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Peter Johnston
24 April 2014, 08:19
The Safe drivers Assn was the traffic safety section of ROSPA set up in 1947 (previously 1916-1947 Road Fellowship Club) and suceeded by The League of Safe Drivers in 1960. Each area had its own 'Ribbon' and badges were stamped with the drivers number. Therefore your No1 stamp was obtained by the first driver to be tested (and passed) by the Northumberland and Durham Section. The badge dates from 1947-1960 but because of its No1 it would be from the earlier date.
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Onbekend
24 April 2014, 01:21
I have a badge almost identical to the Safe Drivers Ass'n Badge. Mine says "LEAGUE OF SAFE DRIVERS" around the top, with "FINCHLEY SECTION" on the bottom third of the circle around the star. I am "TESTED DRIVER No. 385". I took my test for this badge fairly soon after I started driving, in about 1959. I had to repeat the test in 1963, I know. My badge has a gold-coloured circle in the centre of the star with a V on it, which signifies, I think, five years of "safe" driving. The Finchley Section of the League of Safe Drivers came to an end when the Institute of Advanced Motorists came into being.
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