"Midland Motorscope"

[Mike Dodman]

Hello,
This was a monthly newspaper devoted to motor sport in the Midlands (UK). It started in 1969 and ran through into 1970 (possibly 1971?) before folding.
I contributed a number of event reports, articles and photos to it and still have some issues in my archive.

Does anyone else have copies they would be willing to pass over to me? It is my intention to scan them and make them available to researchers. The founder/editor of the newspaper, David Middleton, is still a close friend of mine and has already given me the OK to publish an article on the M.M.E.C. club which appeared in the paper.

I believe it would be of historical interest if all the issues were scanned, possibly with a separate index listing the articles in them. But how many issues were there?
I have 1 to 6; part of 7; 8 and 9.
I live in Worcestershire and would be willing to travel a reasonable distance to collect, if anyone can help. I would also be willing to borrow, scan and then return, if someone really does want to keep them.
I live in hope that someone can help!
MikeD

[Gerry Taylor]

I cannot recall this matey, was it a magazine, or a newspaper? Where would we have been able to buy/get a copy back in the day? Gerry.

[Mike Dodman]

Hello Gerry,
It was a newspaper, large and unwieldy and typical of the size most newspapers were in those days.
Distribution was one of the big difficulties he faced. A few shops sold it but I don't think he ever got WHS to stock it. Also sold via motor clubs, car accessory shops, word of mouth and subscription. As I was one of the contributors and lived close to David, I used to get my copy "hot off the press" and so didn't really have to worry about where to buy a copy!
MikeD

[Mark Milne]

Hello Mike, are you still searching for copies of the Midland Motorscope?

[Salsin]

Hello Mark, That was some seven years ago and, sadly, life moves on. I realised that it would be difficult to scan the early (very large) pages and then when I moved house, I decided I couldn't justify keeping my copies any longer. Founder and editor David Middleton had died in 2020 and his widow and son didn't seem interested. Simon Taylor did tell me that he thought he still had one or two copies in his vast collection and hinted that, one day, he might write an article on the many "failed" motoring magazines! I still think that they are potentially a source of information to researchers interested in the years around 1970 but it would now be for someone else to scan/publish them.MikeD