19-1-56 19-1-56 19-1-56 THE TWO FERRARIS to be drien by the English drivers, Tony Gaze and Peter Whitehead, in the Lady Wigram car race on Saturday, were damaged in transit from Auckland to Christchurch. To-day, city panelbeaters were kept busy removing dents from the bonnets and tails of the cars in order to bare them ready for the race. RACING CARS ARRIVE BODYWORK DAMAGED IN TRANSIT PREPARATION FOR RACE ON SATURDAY For the second time in two weeks, the racing cars entered by English drivers in New Zealand races have been damaged. When the two Ferraris of Tony Gaze and Peter Whitehead were unloaded from the Navua in Lyttelton yesterday, thes were found with dents in many parts of the bodywork. Today. the damaged bonnets and tails of the cars will be sent to panelbeaters in the city. "Watersiders apparently do not realise how light and easily damaged the bodywork of our cars is," said Gaze last evening. Whitehead's car has suffered dents in the bonnet, and large areas of paint have been chirned off Gaze's Ferrari has dents in the tail portion and the cooling vents in the side of the body have been damaged. Mechanics several Ches are an en red a 1i. week preparing their cars. Leslie Marr's Connaught was first car to be unloaded yesterday morning. but it was not until 3.30 p.m. that the Ferraris of Whitehead and Gaze arrived in the city. The car of David McKay, a mem- Australian Kangaroo Stable racing team has arrived Christchurch also. With his Aston Martin D.B.3S. he has been successful in many European races. He was second in the Hyere 12-hour race of almost 1000 miles in France last year. This will be his first race at Wigram. Scrutineering of cars began yesterday discover Cars were checked by experts mechanical faults which might endanger the public and the driver. Yesterday. the cars of W. Darrell, M. E. Maxwell. A • Kennard, Ronnie Moore, David McKay, and P. Hoare were checked and the rest will be tested today. Circuit Examined In low-powered saloon cars, Parnell, Gaze. and Whitehead drove without haste round the Wigram airfield circuit yesterday. They were examining the course for the Lady Wigram trophy race on Saturday. Both Gaze and Whitehead have driven at Wigram, but for Parnell, Saturday will be his first race there. After their drive, Gaze explained that Parnell would not be unhappy if it rained on Saturda for he well-known as one of England's best wet-weather drivers. The three drivers were concerned about storm water gutters which run across parts of the track. These drains were the bane of Ken Wharton in 1954 when his B.R.M. grounded the gearbox each time it went over a drain at the turn into the back straight. The Motor Racing Club is to be asked to fill in the drains temporarily for the race to save the cars bottoming their springs. NEWS FOR WOMEN Lady Wigram Motorist In A Pioneer Canterbury Lady Wigram, donor of the Lady Wigram trophy for the international notor race at Wigram on Saturday, vias one of Canterbury's first women motorists. She and her husband, Sir Henry Wigram, owned one of the first motor-cars in Canterbury. the one that wanted the " she said yesterday. "My present car. which I bought in 1938, still out in the garage; i don't like the ihought of getting rid of it. I haven't used it for about a year and a hali detore we bought a car I rode a bicycle. I could still ride a bicycle, but t wouldn't feel secure in the traffic," she said. Lady Wigram will be 94 this month.- "My husband was keen on motoring and liked going out with me in the car. I drove him round lot for some years before he died in 1934. In our first car there was only room tor two. It was an open car, but I can't recall that I wore a dust coat or motoring veil. We sometimes drove ic the hilis. It was a pretty drive, but I can't say t was one or my Lavourite ones," said Lady Wigrant, remembering that the roads in the carly days and the manoeuvrability of the smail car left much to be desired Early Air Passenger Lady Wigram, a pioneer in motoring, and of the Red Cross movement in Canterbury, was also amongst the arst women to fly as a passenger in Canterbury. "We didn't go anywhere in particular, she said when speaking of her early flights. Went up to see what it looked like air. We didn't expect to see much." The Southern Alps, and the Christchurch Cathedral, which she and her husband had helped to have enclosed with kerbing, were among the landmarks that Lady Wigram remembers seeing from the air. It was not until Sir Henry Wigrar came to New Zealand that he became interested in aeroplanes, said Lady Wigram. •He was so sure they were going to be the transport of the future. It's wonderful what air transport has cene. 1N her early years with the Red Cross she saw very few of the SOciety's officials from overseas. "Very tew people travelled then," she said. Her association with flying began more than 30 years ago, when her husband established the Canterbury Aviation Company to train pilots at Sockturn, and she flew with the chief instrucior, Mr C. M. Hill. on June 19, 1911, when the hrst passenger flights were made in Canterbury. When her husband died in 1934 she succeeded him as patron of the Canterbury Aero Club, and is one of the club's few honorary life members. At the silver jubilee of the club on • June 25. 1953, she was presented with a gold life member's badge. Born in England Sir Henry Wigram and Lady Wigram -then Mr Wigram and Mrs Wigramcame to New Zealand from England on the Tongariro, which was commanded by Captain Bone. Lady Wigram _ was born at Kimpton Vicarage, the home of her grandfather, the Rev. Mr Sullivan, who was an Anglican minister. Her father was not a minister. She was one of six children, and some of her brothers and sisters visited her in New Zealand. She always hoped that her father and • mother would be able to make the journey, but they were unable to do i For 10 years, Sir Henry Wigram and Lady Wigram lived at Riccarton before they bought Lady Wigram's present home in Park terrace, which was then a private school for girls. They extended the original • building, and planted a beautiful garden which, with its flower beds and semi-circular lawn, is a Joy to Lady Wigram now. Pointing to a tall "coloured" oak on the lawn, Lady Wigram recalled that She and her husband had planted it, wher it was a very small tree, 1905. In the autumn its leaves have beautiful colouring. she said. Her present gardener has been with her for 40 years. Interest in Spinning On winter days when the garden lacks colour she may look at one of her husband's water colour studies of the garden with the house in the background. He was a gifted artist. Lady Wigram also painted in her youtn, but the handcraft which has nost interested her is spinning still have my old spinning wheel, " she said. In the early days friends would often give her a sheep which she would have shorn for the perhaps she would buy a fleece. washed out the grease before knitting it into cardigans and other garments. The Red Cross has been one of Lady Wigram's main interests. She relinquished the presidency of the North Canterbury centre about 18 months ago after working for the society for more than 40 years. She is life patron of the society. She went to the headquarters every day during her term as president, and she recalls that she attended meetings of the society before the present headquar ters in Cashel street was acquired. Visitors who have received hospitality at Lady Wigram's home include Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.