Page 1 Paradise & Gell has been located on Michael Street in Peel since 1974. Here you will find a wide range of furnishings to enhance any living space. Whether you are looking for something contemporary or a more traditional piece, then look no further than Paradise & Gell.

Page 2 Contents Page 2 Secretary's Notes

Page 3 Chairman's Chat

Page 4 Yellow Belly Notes - “A Bid Too Far"

Page 8 Helicopter Fund - T Shirt

Page 9 The VMCC Diamond Jubilee Rally

Page 12 VMCC TT Rally Awards 2015

Page 14 A Tale of Two Jawas (Part 2)

Page 19 New Members

Page 22 Book Review - "The Six Day Affair"

Page 24 Forthcoming Events

Page 25 Rider Profile No. 27 - Reuben Thomas

Page 26 Trial Results

Page 28 A Moment in Time

Page 30 Flogger's Corner

Page 31 Happy Memories of TT '62

Page 39 Important - Receiving 'Vintage Mann'

Editor: Harley Richards [email protected] Cover Picture:- Magnificent Morgan with Matchless motive power.

Photo by Amulree

Page 1 Secretary’s Notes

Hi All

By the time you read this the VMCC TT Rally will be over and now we have to go flat out working on the “Classic TT Festival VMCC Rally”!

Sadly, I can tell you that this will be the last year we organise the very popular Closed Road Parade (CRP). This is because of the severe regulations being placed upon the entrants by the ACU Race Committee which, in turn, leads to a huge increase in the workload this end. Some of these regulations were put aside for this year only, which is why we were able to continue for 2015, albeit most of our foreign entries have had to pull out. However the ACU are insisting they are implementing the regs in full for 2016 which will mean that, amongst other things, all over 55s must have a signed optician’s certificate, and all over 70s must apply to the ACU for a Parader’s permit. You will be surprised to know that the club makes no money out of the £160 charge for the lap, all monies are paid to the Government and the Manx Motor Cycle Club. We also believe that next year the charge levied could be £200 - in our view far too expensive for our members.

On a plus point the CRP has achieved 44 new members for the VMCC this year alone, as you cannot ride unless you are a member. Guess what? no thanks at all from VMCC HQ!!! So what with one thing and another, the Events Committee have unanimously decided to pull out from next year.

The club continues to prosper but we need volunteers for the Classic Rally, route planners, marshals etc. and for Jurby, well, an army of volunteers is required. Please telephone me on 474074 as I shall be compiling a register of folks willing to help out. The evening road runs seem to be very popular, or is it the catering at the end of the run? Whatever the reason, thanks for turning out and for those that don’t turn out, you have no idea what you are missing including FREE ice creams, buns, fish and chips but, most importantly comradeship with like-minded people!!!

I am delighted to tell you I shall be back on my bike soon and my hip operation has been a fantastic success – all pain has gone…. truly a wonderful job by the doctors and nurses at Nobles Hospital !!!!

Tony East Page 2 Chairman’s chat I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Geof Staples just a couple of days ago, I have known Geof for a great many years and in all that time he always greeted me with a smile and a cheery hello. I will miss him, to Christine and his family my sincere condolences, RIP Geof.

The evening road runs have proved popular with you all even if the second evening resulted in a soaking for some, have you dried out yet Gary?

The TT rally in its current form has come to an end with great efforts from Brian and Jim. Thank you gentlemen a worthy finale, but I have had some interest in doing something for next year, so watch this space.

A group of riders and supporters attended the VMCC`s Banbury run this year including Chris Melvin, Brian Ward, Brian`s nephew Phil, Jim Crooke, Les Wilson and I (apologies to anyone who I have missed). Unfortunately, Jim missed out on a timed run award this year due to delay caused by a four legged chicane (horse) in his path.

The event was extremely well organised with plenty of helpful and pleasant marshals and a large enthusiastic crowd of spectators to help things along. Well done to the VMCC HQ group and Harry Wiles for the event, a success in the midst of the present controversy.

As you will see from Tony's notes things are moving apace for this year`s outstanding events, we will even be having two AJS Porcupines at Jurby this year - surely this has not been seen in recent times - along with the entire rotary Norton team in attendance, an event not to be missed!

That`s it from me, enjoy your riding.

Richard

Page 3 On a cold, windy morning in March, the faithful gathered for a prelim- inary meeting in a coffee shop in Louth town centre (before the 2 o’clock Club met in earnest at Owen’s workshop) and the talk was of the upcoming auction at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

Lot number 36 was causing a stir and Rob in particular, who already owns seven examples of the marque, was very animated. A 1933 Mk IV KTT

Pic 1

Velocette is a desirable machine at the best of times but this (Pic 1) was a works machine supplied to Gilbert L. Emery of Llandudno. He had compet- ed with some success in the TTs between 1928 and 1933, riding Cottons and Sunbeams in addition to . An invoice dated 31st May 1933 indicated that he had paid half of the retail price. The discount was “paid off”

Page 4 with Emery finishing in sixth place in the Junior TT. The catalogue estimate was £13,000 to £15,000.

Owen’s eye had been caught by another bike. It was a French 1933 Monet Goyon Type H Supersport. The engine was a 500 c.c. overhead valve single made by the Swiss manufacturer, Motosacoche. Estimate: £2,000 to £3,000. (Pic 2)

Pic 2

The auction was held on Wednesday 15th April and our small convoy of cars and vans set off with high hopes. Because the weather was (unseasonably) warm and sunny, one pilgrim, claiming the moral high ground, went on his motor cycle (although a shabby old FJ Yamaha is hardly a thoroughbred!).

The auction was mainly for cars and luckily the bikes were to be first. A small gathering developed around the . Everyone was muttering behind catalogues, pretending to be cognoscenti, whilst at the same time attempting a look of indifference similar to that perfected by my late cat Max. Next to the Mark IV was a 1948 Mark VIII KTT which had been

Page 5 modified during its racing life. It was condemned roundly by those in the know as being ‘non-standard’ but apparently it could be ‘rescued’. (Pic 3)

Pic 3

The bidding began briskly on Lot 36, then seemed to pause around the £20,000 figure. It was already beyond the higher estimate but at that price several people fumbled for their bidder’s cards and seemed ready to have a go. The bidding began again in earnest and soon involved only two people, both who clearly wanted the bike and both who were willing to pay a high price for it. The hammer finally fell at £43,000 making the total price, with premiums paid, £48,160. (Pic 4)

The Monet Goyon came later. By then the atmosphere had calmed down somewhat and the bidding pushed the total price to just over £4,000. Owen had wisely put a limit on his spending long before the event and so, unlike the Velocette buyers, did not get into a bidding war and was not bothered to see the bike go to a higher bidder. We came away convinced that the Velocette had gone to the right person, would not be over restored and would probably appear in the future at events such as Dijon or Jurby.

Page 6 Pic 4

Were the prices over the top? Well, the next day I had an email from a friend who is a respected dealer, and not influenced by brand loyalty. His view was that while the Mark IV had made twice its estimate, the Mark VIII had “only” exceeded its estimate by 50% (£24,640) so, once again, values at auction had been set simply by how badly people wanted the same bike on the same day. The moral of the story seems to be that if you want to grab, for example, a Brough or a Vincent at a bargain price, best make sure no-one else wants it as much as you do!!!

Pat Sproston, Louth, Lincolnshire P.S. Owen bought himself a 748 Ducati to compensate!

Page 7 Helicopter Fund T Shirt

The idea of a T shirt for Jurby has been tossed around by the Section Committee on and off since the festival began but, having taken professional advice, we decided against it. However, WEMOTO (who are already heavily involved with the festival) were very keen and felt it was an opportunity to do something worthwhile for a Manx charity and asked what might be appropriate.

So, that's where the Helicopter Fund came in. It ticked all the right boxes in that punters can relate to supporting a vital rider aid which has unquestiona- bly saved many lives over the years. WEMOTO felt we needed the support of some top riders to give the sales a real boost and so at the TT launch we arranged for John McGuinness, Conor Cummins and Michael Rutter to allow us to use their signatures. This was followed up with a photo shoot behind the Grandstand during the TT with Conor and Michael (with Rupert and Richard representing the Section!).

All the proceeds from the sale of the T shirts will go towards the Helicopter Fund and that means WEMOTO will absorb ALL the production costs. WEMOTO - title sponsors of the Festival of Jurby - will be selling the shirts from their stand for £10.00. Available sizes at the mo- ment are Medium, Large and Extra Large (WEMOTO are looking into a run of XXL).

More info can be found on WEMOTO's website: http://www.wemoto.com/

Page 8 The VMCC Diamond Jubilee Rally The Diamond Jubilee TT Rally commenced with a very depleted entry list, on a sunny Sunday 7th June 2015, from Port Erin. Due to delayed racing taking place, the road run to the ARE Collection for lunch had to be shortened to ensure that entrants could eat their lunch and leave Kirk Michael before a 1.30 pm roads closure took place.

Peel Commissioners had given permission for any rally entrant displaying their riding number on the bike to ride down to the Peel Day event and display the bikes on the prom- enade. It is not known how many entrants took up this offer as quite a few entrants did not sign on for the rally start that day.

Tuesday 9th saw the entrants’ signing on take place at Onchan Park, again in sunny weather, before riding a somewhat tortuous route avoiding the TT course (closed again for racing), to Mooragh Park in Ramsey for lunch and Concours judging - with free time available to watch the sprint if wanted.

Tuesday evening was devoted to a meal at the Neb Café at St. Johns, in a pleasant informal atmosphere and which was thor- oughly enjoyed by entrants and their part- ners.

On Thursday 11th June signing on was held on Peel Promenade, with a road run to the Military & Aircraft Museum at Ron- aldsway, where refreshments were sup- plied prior to a short orderly run into Castletown Market Square where a Roads Closure Order had been granted, allowing the bikes to be displayed.

Page 9 We were welcomed by Mr. Alwyn Collister, Chairman of Castletown Com- missioners. A Concours judging was carried out whilst entertainment was provided by a local jazz band, as many members of the general public enjoyed seeing the machines on display.

A buffet tea was provided in the Civic Centre and Mr. Collister presented awards to the category winners. A special memento of an engraved glass paperweight, in the shape of a large diamond, was presented to all entrants and participating officials.

Many thanks go to the VMCC Isle of Man section committee and the volunteers who helped marshal the events, especially to Jim Crook for his support as Clerk of the Course, for devising the routes and creation and printing of the program. Thanks also go to the Committee of the Military and Aircraft Museum, the Commissioners of Castletown, Port Erin, Ramsey and Peel for allowing us the use of their facilities and the IoM Government Departments involved in supporting the event.

On a sad note it must be said that this year’s rally, having suffered from such a low number of entries from off island and abysmal support from VMCC Headquarters (the Section running the rally on behalf of the VMCC), will probably be the last. This seems such a shame, but financially it cannot continue and the amount of work involved in organising the rally - with ever diminishing entries (only 13 out of the 45 entrants coming from off island this year) – simply cannot be justified.

Page 10 This has been my last event as organising secretary and I thank everyone for their past support. Brian Ward

Page 11 VMCC TT RALLY AWARDS 2015

The Oliver Shield Awarded to the Entrant who has traveled the furthest to the rally - Heinz Scweihardt: BMW R25-2 (No.7)

The TT Rally VMCC Shield Awarded to the Entrant with the best post-war machine Robert John Hatto: AJS Model 20 (No.11)

The Manx Heritage Shield Awarded to the Entrant with the best pre-war machine Juan Clague: Scott Flying Squirrel (No.39)

The Dennis Reid Shield Awarded to the Entrant with the best continental machine Alan Payne: BMW R90-S (No. 1)

The Bill Christian Trophy Awarded to the Entrant with the best Manx registered machine - Chris Melvin: Velocette GTP 250 (No. 18)

The Sentry Insurance Shield Awarded to the Entrant with the most original machine Michael Fortune: BSA Bantam D5-175 (No. 21)

Page 12 The New Comers Cup Graham Wilcock: CB900 F2 (No. 45)

The Classic Trophy Awarded to the Entrant with the machine of most tech- nical interest - Peter Addison: DOT Bradshaw (No. 34)

The R & S Field Trophy Awarded to the Entrant with the machine most in keep- ing with the rally - Robert Rushton: Rudge (No. 31)

The Steam Packet Seaways Trophy Awarded to the Entrant with the machine judged "Best in Show" - Max Stewart: Honda (No. 38)

The D M Brown Memorial Trophy Awarded to the Entrant with the best machine that has not won a Concourse before Job Grimshaw: Jawa (No. 4)

The Best British Bike Trophy Awarded to the Entrant with the best British machine Paul Wilsdon-Tagg: Vincent (No. 27)

Page 13 A TALE OF TWO JAWAS Part 2

To recap briefly, in Issue 41 Job talked us through the trials and tribulations of acquiring a Retro Jawa from a non-factory source. Despite being a far from straightforward process, Job is clearly made of stern stuff and was soon ready for a second excursion into the murky world of international bike supply.

I had seen pictures of the 250 Californian on the Mates Moto Servis website on the net and there was still nearly enough money in the kitty for another purchase. The temptation was too much, so I emailed Mates Moto. In their reply they asked if, in future, I could email “Bert” (I kid you not, a Czech called Bert, or at least “Bert” for email purposes), who understood English well enough to answer emails, but not enough to converse. So I emailed Bert

Pic 1

Page 14 and his answer was quick: they would build me the best Californian ever seen - and he sent me the spec.

JAWA 250 Californian 4T - Red frame, black tank with chrome side panels, black seat with white seam, front disc brake, chrome mirrors and indicators, black headlight (with UK dip) with integrated mph speedo, chrome handlebars with cross bar, black mudguards with gold lines and a Lucas rear light. It would be fitted with their last 250 Honda engine (as originally fitted to the Honda Rebel and Quad bikes) because Jawa were ceasing production of bikes using that motor. (Pic 1)

In three weeks the first picture came through – WOW! Although incomplete it was obviously going to be a stunner.

It was at this point that a problem loomed on the horizon. As I was not going through a dealer, how was I going to transport the bike from the Czech Republic to the island? Little things like this were never considered when I had placed the order. I had fanciful ideas of flying out and riding it back or of hiring a van and collecting it. In the event, it was brought over two months later on an open pickup truck and dropped at a stable near Dover. Jamie's Removals, a Manx firm, were sent to recover it. Their lorry was then parked at Heysham for three weeks to get filled up before making the final leg of the journey to the island. So, a to- Pic 2 tal of three months after the order was placed, the Cal- ifornian even- tually arrived here, undam- aged but for a small crease in the front mud- guard. It was worth the wait – she just looked great.

Page 15 I just couldn't wait to get her started. In with the key, on with the choke, press the button, and ---- Splutter Splutter Bang Bang Bang then on to firing on one cylinder, then dead. Ess aitch one tee. Something drastically amiss, to put it politely.

To cut a long story short, the engine had been standing in the Czech workshop awhile and had been robbed of several vital carb parts, some of which had been replaced by other, incorrect, bits. So, the floats were odd, the jets were all wrong, the slow running adjustment screws had missing wash- ers and springs and, worst of all, no needle jets! I contacted Bert and calmly asked him to supply the missing/ correct bits. No point in getting steamed up – have you ever tried to sue somebody in the Czech Republic?! Give him his due, he did send everything I needed.

The carbs are Keihin – a strange firm. They will only supply the main and pilot jets and the needle. If you need the needle jets, hard luck, they are installed by the factory and, if you want them, you must buy a new carb. The fact that they drop out easily once you have removed the main jet holder makes no difference. This attitude really makes you want to raise two digits to them. So, while I was waiting for the bits from Bert, I was idly flicking through the pages of a website based in Hong Kong. It was nicely organised, well laid out and easy to use. It was selling after-market parts, nothing especially interesting, until I got to Page 4.

New Honda Rebel twin Carburettors, Mikuni made in Japan. 119 American Dollars – offers I offered $100, answer – No. I offered $105 - YES (70 quid!!!), with a further $19 (about £13) for postage from Hong Kong to the Isle of Man. I was told to expect to wait up to a month.

10 days later the parcel arrived, and these were the genuine article - perhaps Mikuni had made a batch hoping Honda would use them. On closer inspec- tion the tickover screws were already set with a blue line drawn through the screw slot and onto the casting. I fitted them with mounting excitement. The throttle flap rotates in the opposite direction, and the choke cable is on the opposite side, but otherwise the two makes are very similar. On with the ignition switch and this time when I pressed the button I was overjoyed to be rewarded with a smooth running engine and a perfect tickover. No adjust- ment needed! Amazing! (Pic 3) Page 16 Pic 3

I would like to say everything else was OK but unfortunately, and definitely, it was not. - The front and rear wheel spindles were both loose, - the front wheel spindle had no split pin in it, - the rear sprocket hub was locked on to the wheel hub because the head of the hollow bolt holding the sprocket in place is shallower than normal (it took two washers to rectify this), - the rear chain guard was out of line and touching the chain which meant bending the front bracket into an S bend to line it up, - it was impossible to lock the seat until two washers had been placed under the seat bracket, - the battery was fitted back to front because, being the wrong battery, the plus and minus terminals were at the wrong ends, - there was no drain pipe fitted to the battery, so acid had splattered onto the crankcase, - the pins for the footrest pivots had no circlips on them.- they could have fallen out at any time, - the flasher unit and pilot light bulb were both 6 volt on a 12 volt system, and - the flasher was too fast and the bulb blew.

Page 17 As soon as all these points were fixed, I went for a test ride but only got 100 yards down the road before the front brake locked up. Closer inspection revealed that the piston and the master cylinder did not match. However, fitting a Honda copy master cylinder and new braided hose has produced a very smooth, progressive brake. So, if your Jawa disc is a bit grabby you could try the same, I think it really does make a difference.

I am pleased to report that the 250 is now fully sorted and goes very well, if slightly under geared.

The exhaust note is one of the nicest I have ever heard and, if you are coming to the Isle of Man this summer to Kyril's Camp, I hope you will hear it!

In hindsight, you may say I was asking for it, buying blind like this and you would probably be right. However, I have to say that, in a masochistic sort of way, I have enjoyed sorting these two bikes out and I now have two almost unique, and very handsome, bikes that really do perform well.

I had a week in Scarborough last summer with the VMCC club (not a VMCC event I may add) and I took the 350. It went really well and brought favourable comments from people who previously had knocked Jawas (I showed a few a clean pair of heels, especially up the hills!).

And finally, in response to the statement by Jawa:-

“It’s not a Jawa, because it was not made in the Jawa factory.”

This is just not true. These Mates Moto Servis bikes were originally made in the Jawa factory. Mates have used their flair and imagination, restored them, and altered them cosmetically to look like 70's Jawas, admittedly using parts sometimes sourced outside the factory, but the basic machine is mechanical- ly the same. Jawa have now, of course, jumped on the bandwagon with their 634 Retro, a lovely bike, but copying the Mates idea. So, in the end, Mates have done us all a good turn by waking up the sleeping giant! (PIC 4)

Job Grimshaw

Page 18 Pic 4

A hearty welcome to these 13 new members:-

Philip Crellin, Thie Ellan, 47 Station Road, Port Erin, IM9 6AR Graham Davy, Rose Cottage, Main Road, Greeba, IM4 2DU Danny Pullin, Hillside Cottage, Smeale Road, Andreas, IM7 4JA Simon Skillan, 15 Larch Hill Grove, Tromode, Onchan, IM2 5NU John Knowles, 26 Cannan Avenue, Kirkmichael, IM6 1HF David Kennish, 39 Ballalough Estate, Andreas, IM7 4HU Alan Donnelly, Palm Villa, South Cape, Laxey, IM4 7JB Allan Brew, 25 Queens Valley, Ramsey, IM8 1NG Neil Wood, 27 Gladstone Avenue, Ramsey, IM8 2LE David Peach, 7 Scarlett Road, Castletown, IM9 1NT Matthew Draper, Bridge Cottage, Glenfaba Road, Peel IM5 3AD John Stephen, Thie Steaon, Moaney Quill Close, Laxey, IM4 7JL Roger Willis, 6 Lake Lane, Peel, IM5 1AU

Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 BOOK REVIEW By Jonathan Hill

In the history of motorcycle sport, the International Six Days Trial of 1939 has become something of an enigma, with very few official records of the event. People have asked: “Isn’t that when competitors and supporters had to beat a hasty retreat from Austria shortly before the outbreak of World War II?” or “Why did they even start in the trial, with such imminent danger?” or conversely “As British riders were doing so well, why didn’t they stay to the finish?” Page 22 Author John Bradshaw decided that this story must be told, but due to a lack of information it would have to be a largely fictional account. This changed after a lot of research, when he obtained a transcript of a recording made by Triumph works rider Marjorie Cottle describing her involvement in this exciting escapade. A chance meeting with former competitor Geoff Godber- Ford resulted in a lot more information and list of competitors. To turn this information into the resulting “true” story, Bradshaw has used two fictional characters to carry the book along in the form of a competitor telling his grandson all about his adventures 70 years after the event.

Late August 1939. Hitler’s armies are poised to invade Poland, while in Austria the International Six Days Trial (“ISDT”) was nevertheless under- way. The trial was dubbed “The Motorcycling Olympics,” where the crème de la crème from five or six nations competed in six days of hard riding. Following the Olympics in Berlin three years earlier, the ISDT was seen by Hitler as being another opportunity for Nazi dominance – and the event was unexpectedly held in occupied Austria.

Half way through, riding across the mountains surrounding Salzburg and with the British teams once again doing very well indeed, telegrams were received from the British Embassy telling them to get out and go home immediately: World War II would start just a week later. The story of how the British competitors and spectators successfully made it away through Switzerland with the help of their German escorts has so far only been briefly mentioned in print, but extensive research has revealed much new material about this fascinating and exciting event – one of the great untold stories of the 1930s. Very well researched, with excellent artwork by Brian Cowper. Highly recommended.

Author: John Bradshaw Artwork by Brian Cowper Published by JRB Publishing, Grange Farmhouse, Guarlford, Nr Malvern Worcestershire WR13 6NT Tel.: 01684 564962 E-mail: [email protected] www.jrbpub.net Soft back, 150 x 210mm (portrait); 200 pages with over 60 pho- tographs, appendices, drawings and maps. Price £12 ISBN 978-0-9566403-7-6

Page 23 Forthcoming Events

July 9th Club night. 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon 19th Road Run. The Charles Craine Memorial Run from the Sea Terminal. Finish at Steve’s for refreshments. 1.45pm for 2pm start

August 2nd Road Run and BBQ. Start Waterfall Pub. 1.45pm for 2pm start 16th Trial. Carnagia. Start 2pm 27th to 3rd September. VMCC Classic TT Rally

September 10th Club night. 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon 20th Trial. Pooilvaish. Start 2pm 27th Road Run. Start from St Johns School opp Farmers Arms. 1.45pm for 2pm start

October 4th Test Day at Jurby - signing on from 10.30 start 11ish

Page 24 Reuben Thomas – Rider Profile No. 27

Reuben Thomas “Ben” Drinkwater was born in Lancashire on the 13th of February 1910. A keen motorcyclist, his ambition was to compete in the Isle of Man TT. Pre the 1939-1945 war, he entered the 1937 Lightweight on an Excelsior but unfortunately retired. Returning again in 1938, he finished 6th – again aboard an Excelsior.

Post war he returned for the first race on the Mountain Course. Entered in the Lightweight MGP he finished in 2nd place behind LW Parsons (Rudge) and RS Simpson (Excelsior). In the Sen- ior MGP he finished 16th.

1947 saw his first TT and he took third place in the Lightweight on his Excelsior behind the Guzzis of Manliff Barrington (1st) and Maurice Cann (2nd).

In 1948, he finished 4th in the Lightweight TT on a .

Looking forward to the 1949 TT, Ben Drinkwater was entered in both the Junior and Lightweight races. The Junior TT (the first in the FIM World Championship) was held on Monday 13th June. On the 4th lap, Drinkwater collided with a bank while trying to avoid a fellow competitor near Cronk Bane Farm at the 11th milestone. Sadly, he was killed instantly. The “S” bend corner on the TT course has since been named Drinkwater’s Bend.

Ben Drinkwater was 39 years of age, a married man with three daughters and another daughter born two months after his death. Ben, a garage proprietor in Lancashire, was well known and liked on the island, and his death was much regretted. Dorothy Greenwood

Page 25 TRIAL RESULTS

Old Stoney Mountain - 19th April 2015 Old Stoney Mountain was the venue for 55 riders to show their riding skills and, after a few months away from the top-spot, it was Shaun Huxley who took Vintage 'A' class on a greatest cleans basis from Kevin Whiteway. In Vintage 'B' Andy Sykes finished ahead of Peter Blackburn. There was no touching Tom Maddrell who rode clean to win Invitation 'A', but Sam Ansermoz had an excellent ride on his Kawasaki to finish runner-up.

In the Youth Invitation classes some of the small-wheeled competitors found it tough over the boulder strewn going. Fraser Heginson had a good ride to win 'A' class from Ella Doherty, while Corey Peters won 'B' class from Kai Kiernan.

VMCC Members 'A' route: 13. Paul Ansermoz (Yamaha) 52 1. Shaun Huxley (James) 14 marks lost (27 cleans) (9 cleans) 2. Kevin Whiteway (Triumph) 14 (25 cleans) 14. Matthew Howland (Sherco) 66 3. Steve Lace (Triumph) 22 4. Jim Davidson (Triumph) 30 Invitation 'B' route: 5. Sammy Ball (Fantic) 34 1. Keith Thompson (Scorpa) 13 6. Ashley Gardner Jnr. (Honda) 39 2. Billy Booth (Beta) 16 (25 cleans) 7. Andy Wilson (Fantic) 47 3. Gary Dudley (Yamaha) 16 (22 cleans) 8. Neil Kerruish (Yamaha) 60 4. Chris Palmer (Beta) 17 9. Ashley Gardner Sen. (BSA) 92 5. Mark Kiernan (Ossa) 22 6. David Christian ( ? ) 36 VMCC Members 'B' route: 7. Carl Smith (Montesa) 43 1. Andy Sykes (Rigid BSA) 14 8. Phil Pemberton (Gas Gas) 44 2. Peter Blackburn (Triumph) 22 9. Tony Duncan (Beta) 76 3. Mike Ellis (Kawasaki) 51 10. Kevin Groom (Montesa) 97 4. Jon Duncan (Yamaha) 72 Youth Invitation 'A' route: Invitation 'A' route 1. Fraser Hegginson (Beta) 31 1. Tom Maddrell (Gas Gas) 0 2. Ella Doherty (Beta) 45 2. Sam Ansermoz (Kawasaki) 10 3. Owen Chestnut (Gas Gas) 56 3. Andrew Cubbon (Gas Gas) 15 4. Dylan Groom (Gas Gas) 66 4. Nick Warburton (Montesa) 16 5. Toby Lace (Beta) 77 5. Daniel Smith (Triumph) 24 6. Oscar Lace (Beta) 82 6. Michael Owen (Triumph) 28 7. Kieran Peters (Beta) 29 (21 cleans) Youth Invitation 'B' route: 8. Colin Scarffe (Triumph) 29 (18 cleans) 1. Corey Peters (Oset) 30 9. Ralph Mooney (Beta) 38 2. Kai Kiernan (Oset) 71 10. Paul Smith (Triumph) 45 3. Callum Christian (Oset) 99 11. Ian Lees (Yamaha) 47 4. Fenella Lane (Oset) 132 12. Callum Millward (Beta) 52 (10 cleans)

Page 26 Bim's Field - 16th May 2015. A sunny Bim's Field hosted the VMCC's Geoff Cannell Memorial Trial with the Premier Trophy going to Brent Seal, for winning the Vintage A class. A thinly supported Vintage B class saw another victory for Andy Sykes on his Rigid Bantam, from runner up David Haynes on his big Triumph Twin. Ride of the day came from winner of Invitation A, Graham Christian, who rode the entire course without losing a mark. Jonathan Watts beat Billy Booth for top spot in Invitation B, whilst in the Youth Invitation classes, Dylan Groom won class A and Bradley Calvert took class B.

Geoff Cannell Memorial Trophy: 6. David Harding (Triumph) 32 Brent Seal (Yamaha) 8 marks lost 7. Matthew Howland (Sherco) 38 8. Nigel Woods (Honda) 52 VMCC Members A route: 9. Paul Ansermoz (Yamaha) 53 1. Brent Seal (Yamaha) 8 10. Billy Cubbon (Montesa) 58 2. Jim Davidson (Triumph) 9 3. Sammy Ball (Fantic) 14 Invitation B route: 4. Ashley Gardner (Honda) 57 1. Jonathan Watts (Scorpa) 11 2. Billy Booth (Fantic) 15 VMCC Members B route: 3. Ciar Smith (Montesa) 37 1. Andy Sykes (Rigid BSA) 3 4. Nicholas Wolfe (Fantic) 48 2. David Haynes (Triumph) 8 5. Kevin Groom (Montesa) 87

Invitation A route: Youth Invitation A route: 1. Graham Christian (Yamaha) 0 1. Dylan Groom (Gas Gas) 37 2. Wayne Wardell (Bultaco) 4 3. Paul Smith (Fantic) 7 Youth Invitation B route 4. Daniel Smith (Triumph) 11 1. Bradley Calvert (Beta) 18 5. Callum Millward (Beta) 28 2. Kai Kiernan (Oset) 49.

Page 27 A Moment in Time

Photo by Amulree

It’s 1955 and practice is underway for the Clubman’s Senior TT. Safety concerns had been raised by , among others, that centre stands and side stands were proving dangerous to riders on production machines when heeled right over. The photograph shows DCL Dalziel, rounding Signpost Corner on the Clypse course, just moments away from proving the point when his centre stand dug in and pitched him and his Tiger 100 down the road (luckily sustaining no serious injuries). From the end of that practice session bikes racing at the TT (and MGP) have not been permitted to carry stands

(It’s also interesting to note that it looks suspiciously like Mr Dalziel didn’t take safety too seriously as he appears to be wearing no gloves – if so, would he have been allowed out without gloves, or had there been some track side fettling and he hadn’t put them back on? We will probably never know.) Page 28 Page 29 Flogger’s Corner

1955 G9 Matchless. Recent reconditioned mag, reliable first kick starter, good condition. £3250 ONO [Pic 1]

Pic 1 Quantum 2 seater con- vertible fiberglass kit car. Built by me 22 years ago with spare hard top for winter use. Based on Mark 2 Fiesta 1600cc engine, new brake master cylinder and starter motor fitted last winter. Too low to ground since new hip - great fun. £1250 ONO [Pic 2]

Pic 2 Contact Norman on 476690

A Victor type alloy tank. In good condition. Would suit BSA / Triumph trials or scram- bler. £35. Please ring Dudley on 471719

Page 30 Rarely does a TT pass without special moments and I’m very happy to share with you my memories of a race week over half a century ago.

The year was 1962 and, as a young boy aged twelve, I can easily recall watching six different winners of the six different races - plus many other achievements in a week which contained more than its share of firsts: i) First time wins coming the way of four established TT stars, two of whom would become first time World Champions later that year, ii) the first lady to compete in a solo TT riding in the first 50cc TT, iii) claiming their first victory in that same race which introduced the dawn of modern two stroke racing, iv) a record breaking Junior race, one of the best TTs ever, with the first 100mph lap by a 350, and v) to cap the firsts list, BSA, a manufacturer which had competed in the Island since biblical times, enjoying its first ever TT win! What a year!!

For a youngster like me, I also experienced the tragedies of our sport as 1962 would see me bidding sad farewells to my three favourite riders: , and my lifetime hero (he still is), Bob McIntyre.

The "curtain raiser" for the week was Monday’s race which I watched at the Nook, just before Governors Bridge. Practice week expecta- tions all pointed to a win by one of the rapid continental pairings with their classy BMW outfits. These had dominated the TT since 1955 and, for 1962, the hot money was on German ace , with Swiss stars Florian Camathias and Fritz Scheidegger both likely to be hard on his heels.

Other runners were given little chance but things don’t always go to plan (especially on the Isle of Man), as a race of attrition unfolded before us with victory awaiting a hard riding, gritty Englishman.

With Scheidegger a surprise non-starter, Deubel shot off into the lead chased by Camathias. This was short lived however as Camathias was the first of

Page 31 the top men to retire, following a collision with a bank on Lap 2, soon to be followed by Deubel`s BMW a lap later with an engine seizure. This provided the initial surprise of the week with a determined Chris Vincent and passenger Eric Bliss crossing the line, to great delight from the “home crowd”, for a maiden win astride their pushrod 500 cc BSA (PIC 1).

The afternoon’s six-lap Light- weight Pic 1 250cc, which I watched with my school chums at Bedstead Corner, proved to be a similar race of attrition with destiny awaiting another first time winner. Clear favourites were the Honda team led by McIntyre, Redman and Phillis, with McIntyre, the flying Scotsman, in particularly hot form.

Starting Number 8, Bob stunned everyone on the opening lap by leading on the road at Parliament Square having passed (among others) Minter, Hail- wood and Phillis -sensational stuff!

Commentating for the BBC that afternoon from a position behind the Central Hotel, was Murray Walker.

Famous for his "Murrayisms", Mac’s early arrival clearly caught Murray by surprise as, suddenly recognising the identity of the rider approaching him from Schoolhouse Corner, he prophetically yelled: "Great Scot - it’s McIntyre!". Murray never spoke a truer word!!

Sadly Bob`s usual rotten luck struck when his machine hit trouble at Sulby on Lap 2, bringing his race to an end. This promoted Redman and Minter to

Page 32 dice for the lead Pic 2 with regular trier Minter, on a pri- vately entered Hon- da, upsetting the factory team by getting on the top step of the podium for his one and only TT win. (PIC 2)

Although there were only seven finishers, this race was memorable for McIntyre’s fantastic early effort, and riding the wheels off a single cylinder for five of the laps. Rarely have I seen a bike ridden as hard as that poor little Benelli! (PIC 3)

Third maiden win of the week came in Wednesday morning’s Lightweight 125cc race.

On a beautiful sunny day, I again sat with my chums on the bank at Bedstead (only footpower for transport from Onchan in those days). This time Honda’s strategy went ac- cording to plan with Swiss ace mak- Pic 3 ing amends for his previous year’s

Page 33 Pic 4 defeat by Hailwood, and leading the official Honda team home to a routine 1-2-3. (PIC 4)

If the morning’s 125 race was rather mundane, all would change for the afternoon’s Junior. This was an absolute sizzler, a race totally (and unbelievably) overlooked by the sages appointed in 2011 to assess the best ever TTs of the century. For me, this TT is without doubt in the top three (arguably the best of the lot) and featured the world’s three finest motorcycle racers of the day: Hocking, Hailwood and McIntyre.

Following the premature retirement from motorcycle racing of at the end of the 1960 season, Hocking (winner of that year’s Lightweight TT) was promoted to the MV number one slot and, although out of luck at the `61 TT, ended the year as World 500cc Champion.

Hailwood, meanwhile, had better luck in 1961, winning three TT races and claiming the World 250cc Championship. His reward was a coveted MV contract from Count , to ride alongside Hocking at the 1962 TT. In 1962, Hailwood was aged 22 and Hocking two years older. In the MV team, Hocking was seen as the number one man and for me, ability wise, had the edge on Hailwood - although Mike clearly didn’t agree! Sitting above both of them, but without an MV, was the experienced Honda team

Page 34 captain McIntyre, the top TT rider of the day. What Bob, and team mate Tom Phillis, did have however were Honda’s brand new 285cc four cylinder machines which, despite being down on capacity, were considered a good match for the ageing MVs.

At 1.30pm the weather was perfect and on the line, awaiting the customary start in pairs at ten second intervals, was Phillis at Number 1, Hailwood at 3, Hocking 6 and McIntyre 10. The starter’s flag fell and the first man at Bedstead on lap one was Hocking, going like a rocket, having made up the starting difference on Hailwood and leading on the road, but only just, as Mike was tucked in right behind and not letting go.

What fantastic sights and sounds for the spectators as we watched the fabulous MVs pass by, before listening to them negotiate Governor’s Bridge and then scream down Glencrutchery Road (I can still hear them!!) with both riders recording 100mph laps on 350s on their way - Hocking first, Hailwood second. Such was the pace that the leading two must have been heading for Bray Hill before third man on the road, Phillis, arrived followed by McIntyre with the clearly outpaced by the leading duo.

On Lap 2, tragedy struck when the hugely popular Australian Phillis crashed at and suffered fatal injuries. In 1962, the TT Rescue Helicopter was in the future and, with communications still pretty primitive, the race continued with spectators unaware of the sad fate of Phillis.

A lap later and McIntyre was also out at Keppel Gate, again with mechanical gremlins. However, at the front the MV pair were having an almighty scrap with Hailwood giving nothing away and setting a new lap record at over 101mph on Lap 2 as they battled it out. Laps 3 and 4 saw Hailwood continue to inch back and eventually regain a lead on the road on Lap 5 but still within Hocking’s sights.

By the final lap, the pace was telling with both machines suffering problems, although their riders continued to give it their all. I sometimes wonder if I imagined what happened next but as they arrived in our view at Signpost Corner, about 150 yards to our left, I’m quite certain Hailwood struck the bank but stayed on, with Hocking doing exactly the same moments later. Did my eyes deceive me or can anyone else recall this?

Page 35 Why could this have happened? An explanation would be that having raced so hard down the Mountain, accumulated fade of the drum brakes had arisen causing the misjudgement. Whatever the reason, both remained aboard with little in it as they passed us at Bedstead but a superhuman effort by Hailwood in that final mile or so was enough to turn the tables of the race with Mike bringing it home to win by just over five seconds. Phewww!!

Next time a review of the best ever TTs comes around, make sure that one’s on the list! After Wednesday’s thriller, Friday’s Bank Holiday featured the first ever 50cc race in the morning, followed by the main event of the week, the afternoon’s six lap Senior. Having recently acquired his first car, a 1952 Vauxhall, my Dad took the family to Brandywell for the "big day out".

Here it was that I watched history made as Suzuki talisman, , earned himself, and his factory, maiden TT wins in this two-lapper. This was no ordinary win however as Degner, an East German, had caused a sensation at the end of the 1961 GP season by defecting to the “West” (or, as Japan is in the opposite direction, perhaps we should more accurately say the “East”). Those of us who have lived through the "the cold war era" will understand what an extraordinarily courageous deed this was. The defection, which had been plotted at the Fernleigh Hotel in during the 1961 TT, was sensational due to the implications of Degner taking with him priceless intellectual property rights of two-stroke engine and exhaust design from his former East German employers MZ.

Whilst MZ lacked the resources to fully develop this technology, it immediately became available to Degner’s new employers - the more affluent Suzuki factory - providing them with the breakthrough they needed to turn their previously ponderous race machines into winners. Although Degner’s win was a straight forward, start to finish, affair, TT fans were amazed by the speed of this immaculate, tiny, blue and silver machine which introduced the birth of the modern two stroke age, being the first stroker to win since DKW in 1938 and only the fifth ever in TT history. (Pic 5)

The little race was to provide yet another piece of TT history, this being the debut of Beryl Swain, the TT`s first ever female solo competitor. In those far off pre-PC days, Beryl came in for her share of stick. This was undeserved however as, riding a private 50cc Itom which was certainly not the quickest

Page 36 Pic 5 piece of kit, Beryl gave a good account of herself finishing ahead of several of the men. Beryl’s efforts have now been immortalised on a T shirt (PIC 6) available from Promenade T shirts!

After Wednesday’s Junior, great things were again expected in the Senior with another head to head featuring the MV pair of Hailwood and Hocking. We already knew both were in record breaking form with Hailwood, doubt- less, looking to again put it over the Champ and complete the double.

Hocking was having none of it however and despite a slowish start (for him), soon got into his stride and led Mike at the end of Lap 1 by a second. His lead gradually grew as the race progressed with Hailwood’s efforts no doubt hampered by being unable to make up the 30 second starting difference to get on Gary’s tail and race him on the road.

Mike’s safe 2nd place then fell apart at the end of Lap 4 when he had to stop at the pits to repair the MV’s clutch, losing him thirteen minutes and ultimately demoting him to a lowly 12th place finish.

Meanwhile, Hocking was powering on to a record breaking win and on the final lap passed me as I stood completely alone, pressed against the fence on the Pic 6 right hand kink just before Brandywell.

Page 37 As he approached from the Bungalow, I cheerily waved him to victory and was delighted when he passed by only a couple of feet away and returned the compliment with his right hand from behind the screen of the MV. How on earth he waved with his throttle hand whilst controlling the machine at this tricky point remains a mystery to me but that was what I got. What a special memory for a 12 year old, a personal wave from the Champ on his way to winning the Senior TT.

Alas, as he disappeared around Brandywell a moment later, little did I know this would be my last ever sight of the great Gary Hocking. Devastated by the loss of his great friend Tom Phillis, Gary prematurely brought down the curtain on his motorcycle racing career which I’m sure would have brought him many more successes.

So ended TT 1962 and for those of you old enough to recall it, I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. If you are too young, truly sorry about that, you missed a belter! Adrian Earnshaw Photos by Amulree

Page 38 IMPORTANT - RECEIVING VINTAGE MANN

I have had a steady stream of queries recently from people who haven’t had an issue, or want to know how they start receiving the magazine. It is always possible that something has gone wrong with the system (and I will do my best to fix any obvious problems) but most of the queries I have dealt with can be explained as follows: i) When you join, or re-subscribe to, the VMCC you will be asked on the application form whether you wish to be “contactable”. ii) To receive Vintage Mann, you will have to agree to be “contactable” as this forms the basis of the quarterly mailing list I am provided with by HQ. iii) The local Section does not hold a list of members, so I rely completely on the list from HQ to tell me who gets sent the magazine (quite apart from anything else I imagine there would also be all sorts of Data Protection issues if I were to try and pull such a list together). iv) It is quite in order to ring or email HQ before your subscription is due for renewal and ask them to change your settings. v) Needless to say, the magazine will continue to be sent to an old address if you move and don’t pass on your new address to HQ. I hope that clarifies matters but please don’t hesitate to contact me if you think something really has gone wrong! Harley

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