Reunion
Perce Simon
“It nearly died, we got down to just a few people, but we brought it back to life by holding it on a Monday Morning” was one of Mike Jackson’s opening comments at this year’s Perce Simon Reunion. After clashing with other classic events in the early weeks of September such as the Arbuthnot and South Coast Classic Scrambles, the Perce Simon Trial Reunion only attracted a few people and was nearing extinction. However, a bright spark realised that most of the people attending were likely to be retired – so why not hold it on a Monday, when it doesn’t clash with anything else? Since then the event has gone from strength to strength, attracting almost 150 people this year including trials and scrambles royalty with an array of classic motorcycles, photographs and stories galore to give a rich dose of trials heritage.
What is the Perce Simon?
The Perce Simon Trial began in 1936 as a road trial, with 20-mile circuits across the New Forest interspersed with sections in the sandy and wooded terrain. It was presented in memory of Perce Simon, a local scrambler who lost his life in a club event and added to the Ringwood Club’s already historic events of the Committee Cup Trial, which began in 1928, and the Hants Grand National Scramble, which started in 1935.
The trials events have run to this day, apart for the interruption of the Second World War, but have changed with the pressure on the conservation of land. The Perce Simon continued in its original form until 1972 when access to land across the forest became restricted, transferring instead to Hamer Warren and the Somerley Estate with shorter road sections in between.
Changing status
The Perce Simon enjoyed national status up to the 1990s but with entries waning it became ‘regional restricted’ and then ‘open to centre’. In the 2000s the trial regained its national status, with the Sammy Miller Classic Trial Championship being part of the event. However, when the Miller Championship stopped in 2016, it struggled to gain classic machine entries and returned to being regionally restricted.
Despite the many changes, winning the Perce Simon has a very special place for past and present winners. The trophy is now presented for the best performance on a classic Pre-65 machine, and riders still strive to add their name to this special trophy.
Previous winners
The trophy itself is a who’s who of the trials world with Sammy Miller, Gordon Farley, Malcolm Rathmell, Don Smith, Steve Saunders, Jeff Smith and Tony Davis, to name but a few. This year Jeff Smith and Tony Davis made the annual pilgrimage to Ibsley Village Hall near Ringwood for this year’s event. ‘Smithy’ said two years ago he couldn’t make the trip anymore from his home in Wisconsin, United States due to his age — he is now 84 years old — but it’s addictive, and he was back.
In his riding era, the 1950s and 1960s, top riders from all disciplines of motorcycling entered the event; sometimes on machines that doubled up for trials and scrambles, which were at times ridden to the event for good measure. The reunion reflects this crossover, with multi-talented motorcyclists rubbing shoulders with trials specialists. Jeff Smith MBE — a twice World Champion scrambler (1964/1965) and twice British Trials Champion (1954/1955) — entered the Perce Simon six times, winning on five occasions; while only Sammy Miller with six has won the event more times. Tony Davis won once, while for Don Rickman, Dave Freemantle, Triss Sharp, Mike Jackson and George Greenland, all in attendance at the reunion, winning the prized Perce Simon eluded them although they all did win the Committee Cup. With two wins on his James, Paul Anstey is the current holder of the trophy.
What’s it all about?
Any enthusiast can attend the reunion, where bringing classic off-road machinery is encouraged, and proud owners are happy to share the stories and technical details of their machines. Classic guests sit and drink tea, meet old friends and reminisce while looking at photo albums of previous events.
In the car park where there was a selection of Greeves off-road machines, including a Challenger that had never been fired up in addition to several Scottish Greeves, Dots, Ariels, Matchless, Triumph, BSAs etc. The ‘Best Machine’ was judged by Don Rickman and Jeff Smith, exchanging banter with owners about the authenticity and history of their machines. Top machine this year was Jim Devereux’s 1951 500cc KH Ariel Red Hunter, as he said, without ‘knobbles’; Jim, an ex-trials rider and Ariel enthusiast, walked away with a signed copy of Ian Berry’s Jeff Smith book.
As well as an array of factory machinery, ex-works riders were on show: for trials Tony Davis (AJS and Greeves), Mick Dismore (Royal Enfield and James), Chris Cullen (Scorpion and Cheetah), Charlie Harris (Montesa) and Jeff Smith MBE (Norton and BSA); and for scrambles Don and Derek Rickman (Metisse), Triss Sharp (Francis Barnett and Greeves), Bryan Sharp (Francis Barnett, Triumph and Greeves), Mike Jackson (Greeves) and Jeff Smith (Norton and BSA). Sponsors, Dealers and Engineers shared the day including Mick Whitlock and Bill Faulkner.
Dreams
For some, it is a unique opportunity to fulfil dreams. Simone Cunningham, a classic motorcycle fanatic, is the proud owner of a 1960 BSA Gold Star Catalina 500cc and a Royal Enfield Crusader 250cc trials model from the same year, and she enjoys riding both. Smithy was a bit reluctant to start the Gold Star and wheelie through the car park, which was possibly the dream, but instead, Simone did get Smithy to pose sat on the BSA which was similar to one of his early steeds!
Entertainment
One of the highlights of the event for the onlooker was the presentations and reminiscences from ‘compare for the day’ ex-Greeves works rider Mike Jackson and ‘Smithy’, a well versed double act. Smithy told stories about the psychology of the T.V. scrambles and how he always left it to the last lap to overtake the likes of Dave Bickers and Badger Goss; they knew he was coming, it was a case of when!
Mike also paid tribute to Gwen White who, along with John Jackson, initiated the reunion in 1994. Gwen’s husband Jack was the winner of the first Perce Simon after the war in 1946. After John’s passing Gwen continued to lead the organisation of the event until she passed away in August this year. Mike took the opportunity to lead the celebration of Gwen’s trials prowess which included two Scottish Six Days Trial rides, which is a story for another day. Her daughter and granddaughter were in attendance with two of Jack’s Ariels, one of which Gwen had ridden regularly.
What’s next, the future?
After the ‘formal’ parts of the proceedings and a huge group photo, there was a four-mile walk over some of the old Perce Simon sections for the fit and healthy, while others savoured the classic machinery once more.
So will it continue after Gwen’s passing? Yes! A committee of enthusiasts is determined to continue this fabulous event to celebrate the history one of the oldest trials in the UK and much more.