The group recently celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary at The Peacock, Cutthorpe.
Here are the speeches, and a small selection of photos from the event:
Chairman’s Speech:
It’s an honour to mark this very special celebration – the 50th anniversary of our group, which was formed back in 1976, with the intention of improving driving standards and helping make our roads safer for everyone. This purpose is as important today as it was then, and it continues to guide everything we do.
Over the last five decades, our volunteers, observers, and members have worked tirelessly to help people become safer, more confident drivers across our community in Chesterfield and the wider Derbyshire area. Today, we continue helping drivers develop their skills and prepare for the Advanced Test.
In recent years, we have also been proud to play our part in encouraging younger driver – particularly those under 26 – to take up advanced training and become safer, more responsible road users.
As Chairman, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all our observers, committee members, and volunteers – past and present. Thank you for your time, your patience, and your expertise. You quite literally help save lives, and you embody the very best of what this organisation stands for.
I’d also like to thank our partners and supporters, including Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire PCC and IAMRoadSmart, whose shared dedication to safer roads strengthens and inspires our own efforts.
Most importantly, I want to thank you, our members. Whether you joined 40 years ago or just last month, you are the reason this group continues to thrive. Every time you turn up for a guidance session, encourage a friend to improve their driving, or simply apply your advanced skills on the road, you help carry forward a tradition of excellence that spans half a century.
This is a moment to celebrate our history – but also to look ahead. As vehicles, roads, and technologies evolve, one thing remains constant: the value of skilled, considerate, and safety‑minded driving should never be underestimated. With your support, our Group will continue to champion that value for another 50 years and beyond.
Dominic (Dom) Booth, Group Chair, Chesterfield Advanced Motorists.
Treasurer’s speech:
Who would have thought 50 years ago, when I attended the inaugural meeting of the Group, that I would be writing here in 2026 reminiscing over it’s history and achievements.
The inaugural meeting of the Chesterfield Group was held on a cold January evening in 1976 in the ball room of the Station Hotel. It was a well-attended meeting with standing room only! The Committee was duly chosen on the night, and the first committee meeting was held a few weeks later at the Secretary’s home. I volunteered on the night to join the committee thinking that it would be for 2 or 3 years. That was to change, 6 months later when the Treasurer and Secretary resigned due to work commitments. I took up the role of Treasurer and have been in that role ever since.
The group quickly developed and the first milestone was eighteen months later when we attained full Group status, due to having 50 full members. Our membership steadily grew until at its peak we had around 200 members.
The Group has been involved with a number of events over the years, these included delivering Christmas hampers on behalf of the Derbyshire Times to some elderly people around Chesterfield. For many years we marshalled the Cycling Proficiency test in Queens Park. We raised over £2000 for Ashgate Hospice through our annual auction run and organised by Mike Dickerson, our past chairman and president [Yes folks, yes the self-same Mike who still contributes to the Newsletter from the Highlands! Ed]. We were involved in inter-group quizzes, and we are still the holders of the North East Derbyshire Road Safety Quiz Cup. We had a caravan for quite a number of years, and this was taken around the surrounding area when attending various shows. We also ran Driver of the Year competitions for many years.
On the social scene we have had numerous speakers ranging from Examiners nights to Guide dogs and from bodywork chip repair to cheese making. In the early years we used to have pie and pea suppers with buckets of chips. These were not the buckets you get these days from the local fast-food outlet, no these were delivered in 5-gallon stainless steel buckets from the local chip shop.
We have had numerous memorable outings including canal trips, a visit to the Beamish museum, car factories and even a couple of trips to the recording of Countdown.
There have been so many activities the group has taken part in, unfortunately we don’t have time to go through them all.
I would like to thank all the Committee members we have had over the years. Without the committee the group would cease to function, new members to the Committee are always welcome bringing along new ideas to ensure the group moves forward. Also, a big thank you to all the Observers, going out in all weathers and giving up their time to pass on their driving skills to Associate members. Also a big thank you to all the volunteer’s spouses/partners/family. The time our volunteers commit to the group impacts these people also.
I cant believe that the next anniversary will be the 60th, I look forward to seeing you all there.
Jeff Snape, Treasurer and Founder member
Former President’s speech:
Good evening and greetings from the highlands. I am very sorry I cannot be with you tonight, but be assured I am with you in spirit.
I hope you are having an enjoyable evening, good food, great company and lots of reminiscences.
It really does not seem 10 years since there was a similar evening to celebrate the 40th anniversary, and can it be 49 and a half years since I first met Jeff?
We were all so youthful then, what a journey since 1976 we all have had.
I certainly have a lot of good memories of my time in Chesterfield, and I hope you too are enjoying your time in the Group just as much as I did.
On behalf of you all, may I pass on my thanks to your hard working committee, as the Group would not function without them…your work is greatly appreciated.
I believe others will report on many of the events over the past 50 years, so I will say goodbye and wish you well for 2026.
As ever, stay safe and happy…. Mike.
Robert Cox’s speech
Inception & Development of IAM Roadsmart
1934 – ‘L’ test started and H.O. set up approved Police driving schools including Hendon.
The advanced driving techniques taught in these schools attributed to the members of a committee set up by Lord Trenchard. Notable members were –
Sir Malcolm Campbell and Mark Everard Pepys (Earl of Cottenham) who (apparently) devised the System of Car Control.
1939 – 5 years later collisions in MPF declined from 1 in 9000miles to 1 in 25000 miles. By 1954 that number had fallen to 1 in 72,500 miles.
1954 – H.O. study revealed the remarkable decline in RTC’s in MPF over the 20-year period. About this time the 1st edition of Roadcraft is published.
11/1954 – Annual National Road Safety Congress dinner guests included Sir Charles Bartlett President of ROSPA & Stanley C.H. Roberts founder of B.S.Motoring. He wanted to form a BSM club to keep the 1 million plus L drivers together.
10/03/1956 the Institute of Motorists launched as a company limited by guarantee.
06/1956 – official publicised launch of IAM.
25/06/1956 – First test carried out by George Eyles the Chief Examiner who tested and passed Miss Sheila van Dam. Daughter of Vivian van Dam owner of the Windmill Theatre.
1957 – 1st local group formed in Nottingham
1959 – 10.000th person to pass an advanced test enrolled.
1966 – 60,000th person to pass enrolled.
1967 – 1st Advanced Motoring manual published.
1972 – Graham Hill elected to the IAM Council.
1973 – Transport and Road Research Laboratory report – advanced drivers have 50-75% lower collision rate than non-advanced drivers.
1978 – More than 200,000 have taken the test with 129,000 passes.
2006 – Nigel Mansell becomes President of IAM.
2016 – IAM Roadsmart brings all the charities activities under one heading.
2022 – Local & National Observers to be amalgamated into National Observers from 04/2023.
Generalities of 1976, when Chesterfield group began.
02/01 – Hurricane force winds up to 105mph across the UK kill 22 people and cause millions in damage.
12/01 – Agatha Christy dies.
21/01 – 1st commercial flight of Concorde.
02/02 – Queen opens NEC in Birmingham
March – production of the Hillman Imp ends after 13 years.
02/03 – Prince of Wales opens Brent Cross shopping centre.
24/03 – General Montgomery dies at his home aged 88 years.
03.04 – UK wins Eurovision song contest for 3rd time – Save your Kisses for Me by Brotherhood of Man
05/04 – James Callahan becomes Prime Minister upon resignation of Harold Macmillan.
26/04 – Sid James – star of Carry On films dies on stage at Sunderland Empire having suffered a heart attack.
May – nothing much happened.
June – British Leyland launches the Rover SD1 to replace the Rover P6 and Triumph 2000 ranges.
14/06 – Trial of multiple murderer Donald Neilson, the Black Panther begins.
03/07 – Heat wave peaks at 35.9Degrees C.
14/07 – Ford launches Fiesta.
05/08 – The Great Clock of Westminster (Big Ben) – Internal damage – stopped for 9 months.
29/09 – Ford Cortina Mk4 launched.
04/10 – Intercity 125 High Speed trains begin passenger service.
24/10 – James Hunt becomes Formula 1 World Champion.
16/11 – 8 perpetrators of £8,000,000 van robbery at Bank of America sentenced to total 100 years imprisonment.
December – nothing much happened.
Undated – Inflation at 16.5%. At one point in this year reached 24%
Opening of Rutland Water – largest reservoir in England – (2,995 acres)
Cadbury launches Double Decker.