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 Moments in Time Page 6 YBN “The Benelli Brothers Did Not Make Ice Cream” Page 8 Help Needed! Page 9 Life Lessons Page 10 New Members Page 11 Forthcoming Events Page 12 ScooterMANIA Page 15 IOM VMCC TEST DAY Page 17 Floggers Corner Page 20 Book Review - The Triumph Tiger Cub Bible Page 22 Trials Results Page 24 The 59th VMCC TT Rally 2014 Page 28 Rider Profile No. 23 - J.H. Simpson Page 29 A Thank You to the Section Page 30 Pride & Clarke

Editor: Harley Richards [email protected]

Cover Picture:- It may have been 75 years since BMW won the Senior, but they haven’t been absent from the Winner’s enclosure in that time. The cover shows Nick Jefferies on his way to winning the1985 Production TT (more BMW winners can be found on the “Moments in Time” page). (Photo by Amulree)

Page 1 Secretary’s Notes

Hi Everyone,

Very short this time down to pressure of work, and going away for a week. The Museum side of my life has been hectic as we have had a large number of visitors, and visiting car and bike clubs, and also a couple of film crews filming programmes to be shown later on in the year.

The VMCC side of life has also been very hectic with planning for the VMCC MGP Rally and Festival of Jurby going at full pace. Our Closed Roads Parade is fully subscribed with 108 riders, and numbers for the Rally and the Gala Dinner are also up, although with a disappointing turnout from our local members (there is still time to enter!!). It is a truly international rally with entries coming from Hong Kong, America, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and Ireland so please give our visitors a warm welcome.

The VMCC Festival of Jurby on August 24th will be the largest event we have ever held. We do need help, please telephone my mobile 474074 or speak to Pat on 878242 - all offers of help, however small, are gratefully received. New to the event will be the National Motorcycle Museum who are bringing rotary Nortons for both on and off track display, as well as our regular friend Sammy Miller riding two fantastic machines not seen before.

Most of the stars from the Classic TT will be in attendance as well as over 200 of our own VMCC members parading.

By the time you read this member, Chris Procter will be on his way to the Bonneville Salt Flats to attempt two land speed world records. We wish him well and look forward to his safe return.

Many issues need to be discussed and these will be raised at the next Club Night when there is more time.

Happy riding Tony

Page 2 Chairman’s chat We are now into July, unbelievably, and the riding season is firmly under way. The TT rally went well, in spite of the changes to the race schedule, and Brian and Jim are to be congratulated for their efforts.

A team also attended the Stafford show to promote our events in particular and the island generally. In spite of our “off piste” position in the hall, all our literature was given out before Sunday morning was through. Interest is clearly very high for the Classic TT and also our events, especially Jurby Day, so thank you to Roz, Chris, Rupert and Tony for your efforts - we were “all talked out” by the end of the show.

Tony and Rupert picked up silverware for their machines on display but regret- tably this was over shadowed by the theft of Rupert’s toolbox and tools, and Tony`s inspection light from his Triumph: there really is some low life about.

The number one issue raised by show goers regarding the Classic TT is getting to the Island, with many people being disappointed at not obtaining their book- ings. This, in turn, has a knock on effect on our rally numbers, but we will keep lobbying the powers that be.

Our Jurby test day proved very worthwhile, track sessions continued throughout the day and were enjoyed by everyone who attended.

The first evening run of the year proved extremely popular with a vast array of machinery out for an airing. I must say that, compared with photographs in the VMCC journal, which largely show a line of small commuter transport on their road runs, our line up is vastly superior.

We still need volunteers to help at our Jurby Day so please make yourself known, I have had several several offers of help but more are needed, you will even get a free lunch!

Don’t forget that club nights continue at Knock Froy throughout the summer so come along, it’s your club. Richard

Page 3 Moments in Time

Picking up from the 1. cover shot of Nick Jefferies, here are just a few of the BMW machines that have been clocking up wins around the TT since the 1939 Senior victory. 2. 1. Willy Faust - 1955 Sidecar TT

2. Fritz Hillebrand - 1957 Sidecar TT

3. 3. Helmut Dahne - 1974 Production TT

4. Dave Morris - 1999 Singles TT

All photographs 4. courtesy of Amulree

Page 4 Page 5 Yellow Belly Notes “The Benelli Brothers Did Not Make Ice Cream”

In 1959, four 250cc singles were made in the Benelli race shop in Pesaro, this one being GPX1003 (Pic 1) - it also appears in Mick Duckworth’s book “Classic Racing Motorcycles”. The ASI Moto Show held at Var- ano in May saw it back on track where it belongs.

Pic 1

In a coffee shop in Louth just before Christmas, a plot had been hatched. Arch enthusiast and gnarled racer Rob Drury, who is the owner of this historic Benelli, suggested that a group of us take bikes to this fabulous event (see Vintage Mann No 22 for more information about the event). I was in because I wanted to run my ‘Macchi engine in, prior to the pre T.T. and we would also be taking a Mk. IV KTT and a Mk. VIII KTT because, according to Rob, “It would be a treat for the Italians to see some proper race bikes”.

Page 6 Varano is in a scenic valley not far from Parma and a number of the coffee shop plotters had flown in on cheap flights. On Friday morning the paddock was already full as we unloaded the bikes and set off for scrutineering. This was more of a social occasion, a bit like a ‘weigh-in’ on the Isle of Man. In front of me and the ‘Macchi was this Pic 2 beautiful Morini (Pic 2). The interest in the Benelli was huge and before long we were introduced to an ex- racer called Frances- co Guglieminetti. He was nice old boy who told us that he remembered racing the bike at Monza against Mike Hailwood, who was on a similar bike owned by Fron Purslow. He said that he won the race, adding with a smile that Mike had broken down. This was in the early 60’s but by then the singles were obsolete, and Benelli had produced their four cylinder racers.

The time came for Rob to take the bike Pic 3 out on track. The noise it made was one of the loudest I have ever heard, but of course in Italy that was not a problem, so out it went (Pic 3). After a few gentle warm up laps, it bel- lowed round at a brisk pace - mission fully accomplished.

Page 7 Pic 4

How did the go down? Well, just have look at this young man on the Mk VIII (Pic 4). His name is Davide and now he knows all about Freddie Frith! Pat Sproston. Photographs by Raymond Ainscoe

HELP NEEDED! Does anyone know the where- abouts of the Guzzi in this picture? It belonged to Pam Brown (Norman Brown’s daughter) and, as she is com- ing up for a big birthday, a clandestine mission is under- way to possibly reunite her with it again.

If anyone has any information please call Roy Hall (496380) but, please remember, this is all a secret.

Page 8 LIFE LESSONS As the riding season looms once more, your editor thought it might be a opportune moment to remind you of those valuable lessons that we pick up after years of riding but somehow forget at the exact moment we really shouldn’t.

1. Any aftermarket part labelled “universal” will fit no motorcycle. 2. Nasty noises from the engine that go away should be treated with the same level of suspicion as those that don’t, or indeed those that get worse. Engines, by and large, do not mend themselves. 3. Before major surgery to tackle an oil leak, check that the bike doesn’t have a chain oiler which is turned full on. 4. If your workshop manual doesn’t make sense, it might be worth check- ing how “stock” your bike is (I’m thinking here of a keen young type of my acquaintance who was cursing Mr Haynes for the inaccuracies in his manual covering BSA’s C15, when it was pointed out to him that, for reasons no one ever fathomed, the bike in question had been fitted with a Tiger Cub motor). 5. If you buy a bike and the seller claims to do all their own maintenance, ask to see the manual they use (assuming it doesn’t come with the bike). Either way, a lack of grubby fingerprints would suggest All Is Not As It Should Be. 6. No matter how tempting it might be to pull up and assess the situation, you will get further with a broken clutch cable by not stopping. 7. When carrying a tool kit, make sure that you can access it without need- ing the tools themselves i.e. tool kit is behind a side panel, side panel is held in place by bolts. 8. If an advert claims a bike is “rare”, take it as read that spares will be even more so. 9. If “lefty loosey, righty tighty” isn’t getting you anywhere, that wouldn’t be a left hand thread by any chance would it? 10. They may not look the part, but modern tyres do grip better than the old ones did. Page 9 A hearty welcome to these eight new members:-

Chris McGahan – 4 Walpole Apartments, Marine Parade, Peel, IM5 1PB

Francis Lobb – Moaney Quill Farmhouse, Laxey, IM4 7JL

Bob Dowty – The Brewers House, Casyle Hill, IM2 4AD

George Drinkwater – 5 Snaefell View, Jurby, IM7 3BF

Andrew Sharpe – 5 Spinney Close, Douglas, IM2 1NF

Norman McKibbin – The Creggans, Ramsey Road, Laxey, IM4 7PY

Maria Stringfield – Callow – 22 Derby Road, Peel, IM5 1HW

Geoff Evans – Little Mill Nurseries, , IM4 5BD

Page 10 July 20th Road Run. The Charles Craine Memorial Run from the Sea Terminal (Organiser Steve Price). 1:45 for 2:00 pm

August 10th Road Run. Waterfall Pub, Glen Maye fol- lowed by BBQ (Organiser Dudley Robin- son). 1:45 for 2:00pm

August 17th Trial. Carnagrie. 2pm

August 21st – 29th VMCC Classic TT Rally

September 11th Club Night. Knock Froy, Santon. 8:00pm Speaker TBA

Page 11 SCOOTERMANIA! When I took up my position within the Library and Archives depart- ment with Manx National Heritage in 2010, I became aware of the huge amount of Manx press coverage given to the annual Scooter Rally that had started in the late 1950’s, and began collating all the articles stored on iMuseum, and on microfilm held in the Museum Reading Room. Scootermania! Recollections of the Isle of Man International Scooter Rally offers a complete history of an event that took place on the Island’s roads over a period of 20 years, bringing in visitors and competitors from far afield. The first rally took place in 1957, and went International the follow- ing year. The main events were the gruelling 12 and 24 hour endurance trials on the TT course, but was expanded to include closed road racing in the 1960’s, along with Navigational Trials, Hill Climbs, Scrambling, Gymkhana Competitions, Assembly Rallies, Sand Races and Circuit Racing.

As well as rally reports and standings, the book tells the story of the controversies and difficulties experienced by the Rally Committee in what became a remarkable chapter in the history of Scooter sport and tradition.

Page 12 Pauline Crooks - Scooter Girl 1963

Despite reaching the height of popularity in the late 60’s, coverage in the local papers declined, and the gaps were filled in from the UK papers and scootering press. Over the following year, several people came forward and shared their personal experiences and photographs of the Rally, to whom I am eternally grateful! The Manx Press Pictures collection, held within Manx National Heritage’s archives, uncovered many images that can now be seen in their original quality. A number of TT riders also competed at the event, and I was fortunate to be supplied with images of Eddie and Pauline Crooks, from the year Pauline was crowned Scooter Girl in 1963. From as early as the late 1970’s, the became worried about the prospect of trouble that was often reported at Scooter Rallies held throughout the UK. Approximately 900 travelled to the Isle of Man during the August Bank Holiday in 1980, and organizer Alan Eves predicted that they would return in their thousands in 1981. However, they

Page 13 were prevented from doing so, as the government’s Executive Council called an emergency meeting and imposed a ban on scooters coming on to the Island. On 23 April 1981, the Manx Star headlined on the front page that the Executive Council was con- sidering upholding last year’s de- cision to keep out ‘hordes of marauding Mods, involved in street fighting and looting in mainland resorts.’

Eddie Crooks 1960 The restrictions on visiting scoot- ers, certainly in large groups, con- tinued and remained in statute until 2002. The following year, the Lambretta Club of Great Britain announced the Isle of Man Bank Holiday Weekender, held on the Isle of Man between 2nd and 5th of May in celebration of its first 50 years. Turnout was modest, but the scooters returned to the Island in 2003 in their numbers for an event that included a ride-out on the TT course, a custom show in Peel and a Sprint Session at Jurby airfield. The Isle of Man Scooter Club still thrives today, organizing events throughout the year, including gymkhanas, ride-outs and numerous social gatherings.

Steve Jackson

MORE HELP NEEDED! Although not directly related to vintage bikes, the book in the photograph certainly relates to a vintage Isle of Man. The question the owner would like answering is whether anyone knows of the book and, if so, when was it published? References in the text would suggest around the dawn of the twentieth century but if anyone has a more precise publication date then please contact Richard on [email protected].

Page 14 The Isle of Man VMCC Test Day It certainly wasn’t the warmest of days (it was April after all) but the sun put in a welcome appearance as a steady stream of machines, all 25 years old or more, took to the Jurby circuit.

The 15 minute sessions were loosely split between road and race bikes (with a little blurring around the edges for the faster road bikes and slower race bikes) and there were definite improve- ments to be seen throughout the day – both in the riders and their machinery.

Fears that the circuit would get crowded were unfounded as even the fullest sessions quickly became strung out to allow riders to circulate at their own pace.

All round, it was a complete success for the section and the hard working organisers (all riders returning safely, even if one or two bikes were deter- mined to misbehave) and, if we do get the chance to run another one, I would strongly recommend putting it your diary. Harley

Page 15 Page 16 Flogger’s Corner

FOR SALE: Lathe - Rivett model 608 3 jaw and 4 jaw chucks + collets. 4 1/2" swing, 18" between centres. Single phase motor. Mounted on its own bench. £200 ono. Phone 375444 (Nick)

Page 17 WE PRINT

6x4 / 7x5 / 8x6 Peel Copy Centre 1 Atholl Place Peel, IM5 1HE YOUR PHOTOS Tel: 843889 [email protected]

Page 18 Page 19 BOOK REVIEW By Jonathan Hill

A labour of love and the result of many years of research, here is the complete reference source to the Triumph Tiger Cub in all its forms – The Triumph Tiger Cub Bible. Page 20 Every aspect of the Cub’s design, production and development is covered, together with its success in motorcycle sport and record breaking, and its use by the utilities, police forces and the military. Every now and then there appears a motorcycle destined for stardom; a machine which, when compared to the others in its class, stands head and shoulders above them. One such machine was the Triumph Terrier and, to an even greater extent, the Tiger Cub.

When viewed in the light of history, it is obvious that the Terrier was destined to be a winner and a trend-setter. Not that it was perfect: like all machines, it had its failings, many of which were apparent from the start and should have been correct- ed before the model went into production. However, when prospective new owners compared the Terrier or the Cub to the opposition, there was little room for doubt.

It’s not known exactly when designer Edward Turner first thought of a new lightweight model – there had not been a small machine in Triumph’s range post-war. Turner, however,was an astute judge of the market and, in the summer of 1952, the climate must have seemed just right to him, with an opening for a small commuter motor-cycle with sufficient performance to easily carry two people yet not consume great quantities of fuel. To demonstrate this point the factory dreamed up a publicity stunt in 1953 with Turner and two senior staff riding Terriers from Lands End to John O’Groats under ACU observation. Dubbed the “Gaffer’s Gal- lop” (and the subject of a book in its own right) the machines successfully covered just over 1,000 miles at an average speed of 36.68 mph at an average fuel consump- tion of 108.6 mpg.

However, Turner’s principle of making the minimum amount of metal do the maximum amount of work was to be the direct or indirect cause of most of the machine’s troubles. With hindsight, it was a flawed philosophy, the Cub’s true potential far exceeded its specification. Nevertheless, the small Triumphs were exported to many countries and were very popular in American short track and speedway races. In England, too the Cub gained many successes in trials and scrambles. Author: Mike Estall Published by Veloce Publishing Ltd., Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3AR Tel.: 01305 260068 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 01305 250479 Hardback, 250 x 207mm (portrait); 208 pages with over 160 photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978-1-904788-09-6 UPC 6-36847-00309-8 £50 (UK); $79.95 (USA)

Page 21 TRIALS RESULTS

VMCC Trial, Scarlett, 20th April 2014 Shaun Huxley took the honours in Vintage A class at Scarlett, closely followed by Phil Ward. The sea air seemed to suit their two-strokes, while the four-strokes of championship challengers Steve Lace and Jim Davidson suffered several splutter- ing fives. However, Ian Sleight had his little Honda working well and led home Jon Duncan in Vintage B.

In Invitation A class, the familiar duo of Sam Ansermoz and Nick Warburton took first and second, but young Daniel Smith pressed them hard on his much older bike, only losing second place to Nick on the basis of furthest clean. Invitation B went to Matt Duxbury with a clean ride and Andy Sykes parted with a single dab to take second place, with Jade Corrin third.

VMCC Members A route: 5. Paul Smith (Fantic) 9 6. Gareth Notman (Beta) 14 1. Shaun Huxley (James) 2 marks lost 7. Sammy Ball (Fantic) 15 2. Phil Ward (Bultaco) 7 8. Gwilym Hoosen-Owen (Fantic) 20 3. Steve Lace (Triumph) 16 9. Ralph Mooney (Montesa) 24 (21x0) 4. Graham Thomas (Honda) 22 10. Jason Whittaker (Beta) 24 (16x0) 5. Brent Seal (Yamaha) 23 11. Paul Ansermoz (Fantic) 27 6. Jim Davidson (Triumph) 27 7. Neil Kerruish (Yamaha) 38 Invitation B route: VMCC Members B route: 1. Matt Duxbury (Montesa) 0 2. Andy Sykes (Rigid Bantam) 1 1. Ian Sleight (Honda) 15 3. Jade Corrin (Gas Gas) 6 2. Jon Duncan (Yamaha) 52 4. Juan Brain (Yamaha) 7 5. Ian James (Beta) 26 Invitation A route 6. Brian Christian (Yamaha) 29 7. Billy Booth (Gas Gas) 31 1. Sam Ansermoz (Gas Gas) 0 8. Curtis Kelly (Beta) 40 2. Nick Warburton (Montesa) 2 9. Liz Childerley (Beta) 42 (furthest clean) 10. Jonathan Watts (Scorpa) 47 3. Daniel Smith (Triumph) 2 11. Mike Vinton (Sherco) 49 4. Jonny Notman (Gas Gas) 4

Page 22 VMCC Trial, Bim's Field, 17th May 2014 A sunny Bim's field hosted 44 riders at the VMCC's Geoff Cannell Memorial Trial. Amongst them were 9 young Oset riders who, although effectively riding up at least one class from usual, tackled the Sections with plenty of skill and enthusiasm.

Clear winner of the premier Geoff Cannell Trophy was Steve Lace, who parted with just 4 marks to also head the Vintage A class from Shaun Huxley and Phil Ward. In the Adult Invitation classes Nick Warburton dropped 5 to take class A, while with the ride of the day, Andy Sykes on his Rigid BSA Bantam dropped just 1 mark to win class B from Chris Palmer. The Cawte name was well represented by Tony, William and Antony, with the latter winning Youth Invitation B on 18, while Fraser Heginson topped Youth Invitation A.

Geoff Cannell Memorial Trophy: Invitation B route: Steve Lace (Triumph) 4 marks lost 1. Andy Sykes (Rigid BSA) 1 2. Chris Palmer (Beta) 9 3. Billy Booth (Gas Gas) 15 VMCC Members A route 4. Tony Cawte (Gas Gas) 21 1. Steve Lace (Triumph) 4 5. Ian Gribble (Fantic) 23 2. Shaun Huxley (James) 13 (24x0) 6. Curtis Kelly (Beta) 37 3. Phil Ward (Bultaco) 13 (23x0) 7. Liz Childerley (Beta) 39 4. Geoff Griffiths (Fantic) 42 8. Mark Wilson (Scorpa) 69

VMCC Members B route Youth Invitation A route: 1. Jon Duncan (Yamaha) 72 1. Fraser Heginson (Beta) 41 Invitation A route: 2. Matthew Howland (Sherco) 55 3. William Cawte (Gas Gas) 80 1. Nick Warburton (Montesa) 5 2. Sam Ansermoz (Montesa) 11 3. Daniel Smith (Montesa) 14 Youth Invitation B route: 4. Colin Scarffe (Triumph) 15 1. Antony Cawte (Gas Gas) 18 5. Paul Smith (Yamaha) 18 2. Josh Blackburn (Beta) 21 6. Sophie-May Hardie (Gas Gas) 21 3. Bobby Moyer (Oset) 28 7. Sammy Ball (Fantic) 30 4. Bradley Calvert (Oset) 41 8. Mark Bimson (Sherco) 32 (18x0) 5. Ella Doherty (Beta) 56 9. Ian Lees (Yamaha) 32 (17x0) 6. Kantlyn Adshead (Oset) 73 10. Nigel Woods (Honda) 35 7. Corey Peters (Oset) 75 11. Jade Corrin (Gas Gas) 52 8. TJ Teare (Oset) 101 9. Dylan Kelly (Oset) 109 10. Summer Peters (Oset) 116 Page 23 THE 59th VMCC TT RALLY - 2014 Organised by the Isle of Man Section

Though the TT races were beset with weather problems and stoppages again in 2014, the 59th TT rally somehow managed to be a dry, though on occasions foggy, event.

Starting on Sunday 1st June from a very misty Laxey prome- nade, a somewhat depleted number of entries made their way to Port St. Mary. Partly following the Clerk of the Course, Jim Crooke’s route was amended to miss out some of the higher roads which were shrouded in low clouds, the run finished at the Vintage Engine and Tractor Show at Port St. Mary for a display. An excellent packed lunch was provided by the Neb Café, the display of bikes attracting many spectators and much photo taking - thanks are extended to the VE & TC for allowing us to use their show.

Tuesday 3rd June saw signing on at Onchan Park and then a run round the Northern part of the island which was enjoyed by most of the entrants. Yet another TT course road closure, due to idiots on modern missiles misbehav- ing, saw very heavy traffic diverted onto lesser roads (far from ideal conditions for vin- tage machinery), but the run returned safely to Onchan Park where a packed lunch from Views Café was enjoyed and a concours judging took place. We are very grateful to On- chan Commissioners for the use of their excellent facilities.

Page 24 Tuesday evening saw entrants meeting at the Neb Café at Tyn- wald Mills, St. Johns for an in- formal evening meal and chance to socialise, the simple fare on offer being enjoyed by all.

A road closure order for Castle- town Market Square had been obtained for the afternoon of Thursday 5th June and entrants signed on at the car park, opposite the now demolished Farmers Arms pub, in St. Johns for a tortuous run into Castletown. Sadly, a great many riders did not bother with the route and just rode straight to Castletown (it makes one wonder why Jim went to so much trouble in organising and printing the route sheets) arriving somewhat early at the square, where the bikes were dis- played and concours judging took place. Having caught VMCC veterans Pat and Ann Davy looking around the bike display (they didn’t enter the rally this year as they came on a modern bike), Pat was coerced with the offer of free food to present the awards. The wait for the buffet tea (supplied by Food 4 Thought and served by Irene Leonard & Dee Ward) and awards presenta- tion held in the Castletown Centenary Centre did test some folk’s patience but the quality of catering hopefully made up for that. The organisers are indebted to Castletown Town Commissioners for their unbridled support provided for the event, and arranging some beautiful summer weather.

As organising secretary I would like to thank all entrants, and give special mention to Jim Crooke for working so hard preparing routes and printing routes, entrant lists and riding numbers, and also to Chris Bridson who carried out breakdown duties and helped mar- shal the square, keeping out riders of modern bikes who apparently don’t know that “Roads Closed” signs apply to them as well as cars!

Page 25 VMCC TT Rally 2014 Concours Award Winners ONCHAN PARK

The Oliver Shield: awarded to the Furthest Travelled Entrant - Heinz Schweickhard (entry No. 10) from Tubingen, Germany riding a BMW R25

The VMCC Trophy: awarded to the rider of the best post war machine - Alan Payne (entry No. 1) from Port Erin riding a BMW Sidecar

The Manx Heritage Shield: awarded to the rider of the best Pre War Machine - Peter Lewis (entry No. 27) from Port St. Mary riding a New Hudson Model 3

The Dennis Reid Shield: awarded to the rider of the best continental machine - Jon Hicks (entry No. 45) from Ballough, riding a Nimbus Type C

The Bill Christian Trophy: awarded to the rider of the Best Manx Reg. Machine - Peter Lewis (entry No. 27) from Port St. Mary, riding a New Hudson Model 3

The Sentry Insurance Shield: awarded to the rider of the most original machine - Howard Ostle (entry No. 21) from Penrith, riding an Ariel Square Four The Newcomers Cup: awarded to a rider having not been a TT Rally entrant before - Gilbert Charlton (entry No. 15) from Berkeley, riding a BMW K75 S CASTLETOWN

The Classic Motorcycle Trophy: awarded to the rider of the motorcycle with the most technical interest - Peter Addison (entry No. 38) from Port Erin, riding a DOT Bradshaw model D1 Sports

The R & S Field Trophy: awarded to Man & Machine in the Best Spirit of the TT - Michael Fortune (entry No. 7), from Hutton Rudby, riding a BSA Bantam D5

The Steam Packet Seaways Trophy: awarded to the rider of the Best Machine in the Rally Max Stewart (entry No. 11) from Onchan, riding a Honda CB77

The D M Brown Memorial Trophy: awarded to the rider of the Best Machine not having been a previous Concours Winner - Steve Leonard (entry No. 37), from Glen Vine, riding a Honda CB450

The Best British Bike Trophy: awarded to the rider of the best British Built Bike - Roy Clarke (entry No. 25), from Stonehouse, riding a Triumph T 100

Brian Ward Photos by Jim Crooke

Page 26 Page 27 J.H. Simpson – Rider Profile No.23

Jimmy Simpson, the Island’s most dynamic rider from 1922 1934, was born in Birmingham in 1898. During that peri- od he rode in 26 TTs, including one side- car race, but won only one. He won the 1934 Lightweight TT on a Rudge and finished second on a Norton in both the 1934 Junior and Senior TTs. During his TT career he made 8 record, or fastest, laps. He was the first rider to man- age a 60mph lap in the 1924 Junior TT on an AJS, the first 70 mph lap in the 1926 Senior TT on an AJS and the first 80 MPH lap in the 1931 Senior TT on a Norton. He also recorded four 2nd and four 3rd places. His one and only sidecar venture, with George Rowley, in 1925 saw him finish in 5th place. Jimmy Simpson was also a winner of 20 GPs between 1925 and 1935. Retiring after the 1934 TT, he continued with Shell-Mex and BP as Compe- tition Manager, and finally as a Senior Executive with the company. The Jimmy Simpson Trophy, given by Arthur Birkett, is awarded annually for the fastest lap in the TT races. Dorothy Greenwood

Page 28 A Thank You to the Section

Jimmy Simpson, the Island’s most

Page 29 Pride and Clarke

When I went to work there in the 1960s Pride and Clarke, dealers in motorcycles, spares and accessories and much else, occupied a long string of shops on both sides of Stockwell Road, London. All the street- level shop fronts were painted bright red, creating a surreal effect which the film director Antonini used in a scene in his movie 'Blow-Up', where David Hemmings drove past the Pride and Clarke showrooms (Pic 1). Mr Pride and Mr Clarke had started the business in 1920 and, by 1960, it was the biggest motorcy- cle showroom in Britain, with over 2,000 bikes in Pic 1 stock, all availa- ble on hire pur- chase. As well as motorcycles the company sold cars, three wheelers, sailing boats, camping equipment, clothing and spares and accessories for two, three and four- wheelers. If you were into motorbikes, regardless of where you lived in the country, you knew about Pride and Clarke - their postal sales ads, for everything from clothing to clip-ons, occupied pages of every bike magazine (in fact, at one point they had even produced their own bike mag - the Popular Motorcycle Magazine). Stockwell Road buzzed on a 60’s Saturday afternoon as bikers from all over London, and points beyond, converged on P and C to buy or window shop. Every one of the cafes dotted along the road had bikes parked outside, and inside groups of bikers chatted and listened to the juke box while they shovelled down those solid fry-up meals which used to cost 3/6, with tea and two slices of bread and butter.

Page 30 I worked in the New Spares Department at the top end of the shop. The counter, said to be the longest in the motor trade, ran all the way down from our department through clothing, sailing, camping, accessories and electrical departments. Each section had its own manager and staff. Our manager was Mr Cook, the most organised and even tempered man I ever worked for. His worst expletive in stressful circumstances was 'God Bless the Prince of Wales’. I once watched him have an incredibly calm and reasonable phone conversation with a lunatic who was demanding a set of valves, and valve- springs, for a Bantam - we later discovered this was a set-up by two other employees who wanted to see if he could be made to crack. He didn't. Several of us worked in New Spares, and we all had bikes, so it was something more than 'just a job' to us. There was no computerisation, and every single part was in one of hundreds of small metal drawers, or on the shelves above. When we did a stock check we climbed ladders and went through every drawer and bin, counted the parts, verified the numbers on the bin labels and noted what had to be re-ordered. At the rear of New Spares was a small glass office where Dan the Mail- order man lived. Dan dealt with all the thousands of postal sales which came through our department. Pride and Clarke would sell anything mail order - even new bikes were regularly crated and sent abroad. New Spares extended to other floors above and below. The buildings must have dated back to the mid-19th century and up winding staircases was a honeycomb of rooms, large and small, each one packed with spares. Sometimes they were stacked on shelves, sometimes they were in boxes, or simply piled on the Pic 2 floor. There was a room full of exhaust pipes, some of which dated back to the 20’s and 30’s, all with labels at- tached giving the model and year they fitted. One room was full of parts for Pannonias (Pic 2) These Hungarian Pannonia advertising material – not single cylinder two- shot at Pride and Clarke! Page 31 Pride and Clark London strokes, made in the Czepel works, had been brought in by Pride and Clarke at some past time as a cheap ride-to-work machine. But there had been a problem. While we had vast amounts of major spares including wheels, frames and tanks, the supply of essential small parts to keep the bikes running had dried up and no substitutes could be found. Pride and Clarke were embarrassed about the Pannonia and we were always trying to think of ways of clearing our stock of spares including trying to market the frame parts as the basis for scramblers and specials. However I don't think anyone ever built one despite a very imaginative window display I once did with a Pannonia frame and forks fitted with custom accessories. Storage extended below too - a stairway, reached through a trap door in the shop floor, descended to subterranean regions where, stacked high, were wooden boxes stencilled WD. These contained reconditioned BSA side- valve engines, packed in grease and ready to be dropped into the frame, a relic of the post-war years when Pride and Clarke sold ex-WD bikes for £39 10s “delivered to your nearest railway station”. We did occasionally sell one of these engines, which cost £3 10s. The shop was always busy - at weekends we sometimes had French and Belgian customers, mostly looking for Triumph and BSA custom parts. Before crossing on the ferry they replaced the standard tank and seat on their bike with any tatty piece of junk which would fit. They would buy fibre glass

Page 32 or alloy units from us, ditch the old ones in our yard round the back and fit the new tank/ seat before heading back to the continent. The parts left behind we sent across the road to our 2nd Hand Spares department. We had many laughs in our department. We went through a period where the till was always short at the end of the day. No-one believed anyone was actually pilfering, but there was one member of staff, Vic who chatted constantly to customers while he served and gave change - we were all sure he was the culprit. Mr Cook hatched a plan to `wake him up a bit'. While the suspect was away on some errand, we inserted a pair of fork springs behind the cash drawer of the old-fashioned till. It took three of us to force the drawer closed. When Vic came back we waited till a customer appeared and then made ourselves scarce so that he had to serve. He was, as usual, talking to the customer while he rang up the sale and pressed the change key. The drawer hurtled open, slamming him in the midriff and scattering coins all over the shop. The springs flew out and went bouncing around the floor while the customer stood open-mouthed. Vic thought the till mechanism had broken and was trying to gather up change and fit the springs back - the rest of us were hysterical with suppressed laughter. Vic took it in good spirit - he must have learned his lesson because the shortages stopped. Across the road from our department, where the bike and car showrooms were, was 2nd Hand Spares, accessed through an archway which also led to the workshops. 2nd Hand Spares was basically a breakers’ yard where bikes were stripped for parts. The staff there were a wilder crowd than us - their manager habitually smoked a pipe and one day when he had filled it and set it down somewhere, they introduced a quantity of petrol into the bowl. When he tried to light it the results were spectacular. I remember him appearing, very unhappy, in our department minus his eyebrows. Mr Cook consoled him while the rest of us tried desperately to keep our faces straight. Mr Clarke, the founding father of the firm, used to visit us on a Saturday. He seemed very old to me, and arrived in a chauffeured Rolls or Bentley. He always brought something with him to be fixed - usually some household utensil that would have cost shillings to replace. I remember a kettle on one occasion, a small saucepan on another. He would approach Mr Cook, lay the utensil on the counter and say: "Well, Mr Cook, do you think we can do anything with this?”. Mr Cook would study it intently and then reply: “I think something could be done with that - leave it with me till next week”.

Page 33 He did, in fact, always repair these items, to Mr Clarke's obvious delight,the next week. With Mr Clarke often came with his son or grandson, a nattily suited public school type, with a plummy accent. He obviously felt he had to provide us with bright ideas and each week would come up with some stroke of genius such as: “I have been thinking Mr Cook, that a useful money spinner for us might be to offer the customers a plastic bag of assorted nuts and bolts - say for £1?” Mr Cook would consider this as intently as he had studied old Mr Clarke’s saucepan and eventually say: “I think you might have hit on something there - can you leave it with me to go into the practicalities and costing of it ?” It was always left, and I can’t think of any occasion where the young entrepreneur's ideas were ever adopted. On one occasion my friend Derek, who had a Norton twin, came to see me at the shop. I was working in the display window with the window dresser and, when Derek left, I climbed back in there. Derek had been having some problems starting his bike and when he left I saw he couldn't get it to fire on the kick-start. He then decided to bump start it. He ran past the window pushing it, leapt on, and slipped on the wet road. The Norton fired and took Page 34 off with Derek still clinging to the bars, opening the throttle as he did so. There was an elderly gent looking at the bikes in the showroom window on the opposite pavement. The Norton careered across the road, mounted the kerb, and knocked him flying. Several of us ran over to help. I thought the old chap would be badly hurt, but in fact he hadn't a scratch and as an ex-biker was very understanding about the whole thing, even being con- cerned whether Derek’s Dominator had sustained any damage! We handled a lot of Panther spares - in fact, in the 1930s Phelon and Moore had made a 250cc Red Panther model exclusively for Pride and Clarke. Panther's invoices seemed to belong to those pre-war days - they were painstakingly handwritten in purple indelible pencil on beautifully headed notepaper. Within a few years they would be no more, along with all the other marques we stocked parts for. Alfred Clarke obviously saw the writing on the wall. At the end of the 1970s he sold the firm for, supposedly, a cool three million. In 1982 Pride and Clarke, by then trading as a general holding company for Toyota GB, became part of the Inchcape plc auto dealership chain. But for those of us who worked in, or visited, Stockwell Road during its 60’s heyday, those red shop fronts and showrooms will remain a vibrant memory of the London motorcycle scene. Allan Jermieson

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