LCGB 70TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER

Lambretta Club Great Britain held a celebration dinner at the National Motorcycle Museum in the West Midlands to commemorate 70 years since the first Lambretta rolled off the production line at the Innocenti factory in 1947. The event, which was formal dress only, was open to any member of the club and their partners. In total, just over 200 people were in attendance, which was slightly disappointing given the large membership and that the event marked was such an important milestone in Lambretta history. Nevertheless, those who were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the evening, which consisted of a three-course meal followed by band and DJ.

Notable guests included Bob Wilkinson – the original man in charge of the LCGB – and Maurice Knight who was the sales manager of Lambretta Concessionaires during the 1960s. Also in attendance were Kevin Walsh and Nigel Ashbrook who were responsible for resurrecting the club in 1977 following its demise in the early 1970s. Tony Tessier, who also played an important part of club events in the 1960s, flew in from France to be there sharing a table with Norman Ronald, one half on the legendary Ronald Brothers. The highlight of the evening was the introduction of a new award, the Bob Wilkinson trophy. The first person to receive this honour was Kevin Walsh for his sterling work not only in resurrecting the club but also guiding it through hard times over a period of three decades.

Receiving the trophy to a standing ovation, Kevin gave an emotional speech as he duly accepted the award.

All those present received a silver medal to mark the occasion which was a touching tribute to round off a great evening’s entertainment.

The committee organized the event in a very professional manner with everything running very smoothly throughout. The next major milestone will be 70 years of the club itself in 2022. Let’s hope that more of the membership can be present on what promises to be a special occasion in the club’s history.