Manchester North and Central Scooter Club
0161 IN THE AREA
Cheetham Hill, Strangeways prison, Boddingtons brewery, gangsters and fake designer clothing – these are not the usual things for people to be proud of, but we Mancs are a strange breed! The Reds, the Blues, bumblebees and ship canals… a working class city which is well known for its night life, its music scene and most importantly to me, its scooter clubs. It’s pleasing to note that Manchester North and Central is a new club, proof that the scooter scene is not only thriving with the ‘old school’ but also growing and renewing.
Going by its original name back then, North Manchester Scooter Club was formed by Graham May in 2012, his intention was to bring back a dedicated ‘city centre scooter club’. Then in early 2014 a club scooterist by the name of Howard Patient introduced Graham to another local scooterist (and landlord of the Derby Brewery Arms pub) Ray Longden, and all the pieces fell into place. Changing the club’s name to North and Central and having a traditional Mancunian pub, the club quickly gained members – scooters and beer go together like fish and chips! Tuesday night is scooter club night at the Derby and a very sociable event it is too, scooters, beer, food and a warm welcome to anyone who turns up. Unfortunately though, tragedy struck the club on Christmas Day back in 2014 when Ray unexpectedly passed away, leaving both his family and his club mates uncertain of their future. But pulling together, Ray’s family continued to run the pub and the scooter club continued to grow and attract new members. Since then both the pub and the club have thrived, supporting and attending two already successful city centre events: the Saint George’s Day Parade, in which scooters attending the parade have become a star attraction, and the Manchester Ride of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday. Both events have grown exceptionally over the last few years; supported and attended by not just
Changing the name to North and Central and having a traditional pub, the club quickly gained members
MN&CSC, but also many other local scooterists and clubs which is what scootering is all about. Not a bad track record for a club that’s only been around for four years.
As for the future, Graham talks of plans to find a second traditional city centre pub to house the budding concept of the Greater Manchester Scooter Alliance – an idea of bringing all the local clubs in the area together socially. It’sIt s never an easy task bring all the different groups together but the will is there.
So if you find yourself in the area, pop down to the Derby Brewery Arms for a beer with the North and Central Scooter Club, for a chat and a chinwag with some of the friendliest scooterists around. Words: Kris Green Photographs: Jamie Rowland