Happy memories of Witley MCC
Nice to see the picture of a South Eastern
Centre trial on the front of OBM 426. The Adsett brothers were Witley club members and topclass riders.
I joined the Witley club in 1963 and rode in a lot of the same trials, although at a much lower skill level. Many of the events were on MoD land such as Tunnel Hill, Hungry Hill, Long Valley and Weaver’s Down. Entries could be substantial and you had to enter well in advance as the organisers sent you a programme of the whole entry with your start time on it. I remember one Tunnel Hill trial with 320 riders and a figureof-eight course with even numbers starting on one loop and odd ones on the other. There were often some quite big names entered, including Barry Sheene on a Bultaco – he was not brilliant in the sections but very quick between them!
I remember the Adsett brothers always riding Greeves bikes, I am not sure if they had works rides or were dealer sponsored.
Having moved to Bristol in 1968 I rode in time trials, which only seemed popular in the Wessex Centre, possibly because of the type of land available. I found these events fun with a great mix of bikes such as 125 Dalesmans pitted against 650 Tribsa scramblers.
Tony Colman
I was most interested to read John Bellamy’s letter in January’s OBM. Yes John, I am still out there and read Old Bike Mart every month cover to cover, and have done since Ken and his wife founded it back in the 1960s.
Unfortunately, I lost my wife last year due to dementia, but my daughter is still with me, so I have a lot to remember. I am a Suzuki rider these days and it feels like I have been motorcycling for 67 years as I gave up big bikes two years ago and resorted to a 250 Suzuki model GN.
The Ariels went when I retired in 2005, but they all went on to be owned by members of the Ariel Owners MCC.
My 1938 250cc Ariel Red Hunter was exported to Japan where it still lives and continues to give sterling service. Ariel Motors Ltd
The letter from Stuart Wilson brought back many memories of my own grass track adventures.
The guy from Pittenweem was Brian Brown, the Scottish champion. During the 1960s and
70s I raced all over the country at small club meetings, as well as to events. My bikes were a 250cc Hagon BSA, a 350cc and a 500cc JAP, and the last bike my dad and I built (about 1969) was powered by a very reliable and fast 500cc Rudge Ulster 4 valve engine. I wondered if my old 250cc is still around. had a market dealer in Tokyo as early as 1930. I worked for the BSA Group until 1973 when I was made redundant, a repeat exercise as it had done with Ariel in 1962 when it transferred production of Val Pagedesigned Leaders and Arrows to Small Heath.
My sojourn at Triumph Meriden plant were happy days indeed. But it took John Bloor to rescue Triumph at enormous expense. However, we might see BSA and Nortons produced by factories in the Midlands as a result of Indian enterprise.
They have certainly brought Royal Enfield into the 21st century with their research and development being carried out just five miles from where I live. Modern times need modern manufacturing methods.
Jim Lee
It was one of the first to be fitted with a magneto. I sold it to someone up north and it would be great if I could find it again.
Mick Angliss, Warwickshire