A Seeley correction!

Dear CR

This letter concerns Classic Racer issue 136 (March/april 2009) page 60. It has taken a long time but I have just read the article ‘Seeley and the rest,’ Volume 2. It talks about the Isle of Man TT of 1970 and on that page there is a paragraph reading: ‘Despite all the carnage the Acu… marshals’ strike threat.’ I must correct some significant inaccuracies in this.

Out of respect for Bill Fulton (may he rest in peace) it was not his Norton that caused the accident. It was in fact caused when my Rickman Aermacchi Matisse, fitted with an experimental works 382cc engine by Syd Lawton broke a crank-pin seizing the engine. This was confirmed later when Sid stripped the engine.

In trying to avoid the chaos, Bill ran over my legs, causing fractures to both, plus my arm. This happened at Snugborough just before Union Mills. There apparently were no marshals nearby but fortunately a spectator saw the crash and ran down the road slowing the next group arriving from Kirk Bradden. Peter Williams later commented to me how fortunate they were to be warned in time. I was unconscious and came around much later in

Nobles Hospital in a bed next to Bill and could remember nothing of the accident. Bill fortunately could remember all.

A lengthy period of recovery followed and with the assistance of Kel and Jan Carruthers. Jack Findlay and wife Nanou, plus many others from the Continental Circus riders, and the ACU, myself and my wife Carmen got through it all but it took a while. Thank you for keeping the history alive through your excellent magazine.

Ross Hannan

The Editor says: “Ross – that’s taken a while for you to find/read the article down under, sir. From what I can gather that was an article taken from Colin Seeley’s second volume of his life story. Thank you for putting us right.”