Lampkin legend
Having achieved so much in motorcycling, Harold Martin Lampkin – ‘Mart’, ‘Big Mart’ or ‘H’ depending on who you talk to – is the subject of many images in our archive. We hope this small selection of pictures goes some way to show the impact that this tru
The trials world gathered at St James’s Church in the Yorkshire Dales town of Silsden, that wellknown Lampkin family stronghold, on Monday, April 11, to pay their respects to Harold Martin Lampkin (65). Better known as Mart, he succumbed to cancer after a long but typically hard-fought battle.
In addition to Mart’s immediate family, wife Isobel and sons Dougie and Harry, among the many hundreds of mourners saying goodbye were Sammy Miller, Gordon Jackson, Gordon Blakeway, Peter Gaunt, Pete Edmondson, Nigel Birkett, John Metcalfe, Pete Cartwright, Norman Shepherd, Rob Edwards, Rob Crawford, Steve Colley and of course Martin’s lifelong friend and rival Malcolm Rathmell. Amos Bilbao flew in from Barcelona and Thierry Michaud from France.
Martin Lampkin was quite simply a trials legend, the first ever World Trials Champion in 1975. In his world championship career he competed in 125 events, finished first in 18 and was on the podium no fewer than 58 times. He was three times British Trials champ, three times Scottish Six Days winner and he finished first in The Scott no fewer than four times which, as a Yorkshireman through and through, made him immensely proud.
After retiring from competition he supported his son Dougie in his successful trials career.
Mart was a giant of a man in all aspects, a man with a big personality and a big heart and always the life and soul of any gathering. He was endlessly amusing and entertaining
whether for just 10 minutes or a 10 hour drive across Europe – and he always had to drive.
ELO’S Mr Blue Sky, Mart’s favourite band and song, was a fitting finale to the service, as many acknowledged. But Nigel Birkett, a frequent travelling companion back in the late 1970s/early 80s said, with Mart-like humour: “When you had to listen to it non-stop in the van for three days, because Mart wouldn’t let you change the tape, it did wear a bit thin…”
The observations of Mart were legend. The Wetherby Superstars Trial was a short-lived experiment in staging a world championship style event and certainly drew large crowds to Pateley Bridge where tough, almost impossible sections were provided.
Riders were gathered at one of these sections, which featured a massive rock step in a rocky stream and despite many spirited attempts, failure after failure was recorded. After watching for a while, Mart vociferously
reported to the assembled company: “They’re not ’ittin’ it ’ard enough!”
It was gently pointed out by some brave soul that with bikes and bodies being bounced in all directions it was hard to see how it could actually be hit any harder.
Mart thoughtfully considered this while he observed a few more doomed attempts.
“All right,” he decisively declared, “they’re not ’ittin’ it ’ard enough – in’t reet spot!” and promptly marched to his Bultaco, kicked it into life and of course proceeded to level the section with sparks knocked out of the sumpshield as the rock step succumbed to the famous Big Mart treatment.
Just one of a veritable treasure trove of stories that will be guarded and recalled down the years. Martin’s family and friends all have their favourite tales which will keep the memories of this giant of a man alive for generations to come…