Cecil Sandford

A chance happeningon a club scrambleset CecilSandford on the road to becoming Agusta's first world racing champion.

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Are you a Gloucestershire man born and bred?

Yes, I am. I was born in Blockley and still live in the same area.

Though you're known to us as a road race champion, what was your early working career?

I started work by serving a carpentry apprenticeship with a local company. I still do some woodworking in my workshop.

Were you always a sporting rider?

Not exactly. At first motorcycles were transport to and from work; initially, I used to cycle the six miles, then got an autocycle.

What sparked your interest in motorcycle sport?

On our way home from a family visit, we passed a field where there was a scramble taking place. We stopped to look and I thought I could do as well as they did ...

Once the sporting bug took hold, were you straight into racing?

No, not at first, I did all the things a motorcycle club organised, be it a trial, a scramble or grasstrack. The racing came a little later.

It's often a difficult question to pose, but do you feel anyone influenced you or encouraged you in motorcycling?

The easy answer to that is yes, Les Graham. He was incredibly helpful to me; as was Arthur Taylor, my long time sponsor and later business partner; and Fergus Anderson, when he was at Moto Guzzi, plus Bill Webster too should be mentioned, as he would loan me hislorry to travel abroad to races.

You're known really for the lightweight classes, 125 and 250cc, where you won your championships, but did you race bigger bikes too?

Yes, I did. I've competed in 350 and 500cc classes too, especially at MV after Les

Graham was killed. I did several days of testing at Monza on a 500cc four, going round and round and round the circuit.

That's a nice lead in to the 'do you have a favourite circuit' question?

Cecil Sandford posed on the 125cc Mondial. He was 1957 250cc world champion on one of the firm's racers.

Above: During the 1956 350cc TT, on the three-cylinder, two-stroke DKW.

No, I don't. I liked them all for a variety of reasons and each had their challenges. That said, I'm not so keen on these modem, flat circuits.

Have you any regrets in your race career, perhaps an opportunity not taken or similar?

Yes, there is one small regret. I travelled a lot with Bill Lomas and the German NSU team approached us both - Bill went along but I stuck with MV Agusta.

The only other thing is not so much a regret as a 'what might have been: I visited Moto Guzzi with Fergus Anderson and in their workshops saw all these castings, obviously something special. Fergus said: 'You don't want to know about that..: Turned out to be the V-eight which Bill Lomas raced eventually.

You were riding high in 1957, world 250cc champion, then the Italians pulled out of racing. A bit of a blow?

Yes, it was a bit, but that was just how it was in those days, and it didn't just affect me.

What did you do after the racing side of your career was over?

I went into business with my father- in-law, Arthur Taylor. We sold the shop 20 years ago.

Finally Cecil, a question I ask in any interview, what's your favourite motorcycle of all time?

Oh, an easy one . That would be the 350cc Moto Guzzi racer, a lovely bike to ride • and race.