Triumphant TOURISTS
Angus and Margaret Innes wanted their first foreign tour to be a really big adventure. So, in 1956, on a two-year-old Triumph, they set off to see the Commonwealth. It was to be two-and-a-half years before they returned home.
An advertisement for Belstaff Weatherwear, printed on the inside cover of The Motor Cycle dated August 2, 1956, features two suitably attired riders on a Triumph sidecar outfit. The couple are named as Mr and Mrs Innes of Bristol who, we are told, left England on June 21, 1956, for a tour of Commonwealth countries.
Their voyage turned out to be quite a test, not only of the garments in question, but also of a marriage, since Angus and Margaret Innes were not destined to return from their travels until two-and-a-half years later. During this time, they made a complete circumnavigation of the globe, visiting 26 countries whilst travelling more than 50,000 miles, half of which was undertaken aboard the Triumph’s dual seat.
Our story begins with Wendy Innes, Angus and Margaret’s daughter, who, with her brother Duncan, has long treasured the many photographs, mementoes and journals that her parents compiled during their epic trip. Wendy says: “I’ve always felt immense pride in my parents, who both came across as self-contained, quietly confident people. Duncan and I knew better than anyone that our mum wasn’t like other mums, since for her, the pursuit of knowledge mattered far more than boring things like housework and cooking, while our dad was always so meticulous and organised that we felt he could fix or do just about anything.”
On June 20, carrying just £255 in travellers’ cheques (worth about £6300 today), Angus and Margaret set out on their journey to see the world.