July

July 2007 Newsletter – Number 3

Following the annual races at Le Mans , it is a good time to celebrate one of Lotus’ greatest victories, with the Lotus Elevens, 50 years ago at this historic circuit.

In June 1957:

Cliff Alison/Keith Hall came 14th overall and won both the 750cc class and the coveted Index of Performance.

Mackay Fraser/Jay Chamberlain came 9th overall and won the 1100cc class and came 2nd in the IOP.

Two other private 11’s came 13th and 16th and took 2nd and 4th in the 1100 class.

A fantastic achievement all round.

CCMEC related activities

The Wishing Well Pub at 5 Tottenham Lane was built in 1865 to serve the Hornsey station and rebuilt in 1896. The pub has been through a number of name changes: the Wishing Well, the Fiddlers Elbow and of particular interest to Lotus lovers and the CCMEC, the Railway Hotel.

Colin Chapman was raised in Hornsey (he lived in the old Railway Hotel) and used to test drive his cars round Alexandra Park from his workshop on the Cranford Way Industrial Estate.

The CCMEC have been talking to the brewery which owns the Wishing Well about changing the name back to the Railway Hotel and to give it a Lotus theme. The pictures below show the Wishing Well as it is today. The CCMEC would like to thank the people who work at the Wishing Well and the brewery for their help and support.

Wishing Well

The CCMEC will be looking to display pictures and archive material in the pub and as the pictures below show, a start has been made.

Inside Wishing Well 1 Inside Wishing Well 3 Inside Wishing Well 2

Thanks to John Douglas for the pictures.

Neil Duncan

Secretary to the Colin Chapman Museum and Education Centre.