Harry’s big adventure for the RNLI
If, over this summer, you see a young man on a 1926 Sunbeam Model 1, give him a wave and, if you can, stop and buy him an ice cream at the very least. For that young rider is Harry Bott who, at just 23 years of age, is intending to ride 8000 miles on a motorcycle more than 70 years older than himself.
But this isn’t just any bike; the Sunbeam belonged to Harry’s great-grandfather and the reason for Harry’s epic ride is to visit all 238 Royal National Lifeboat Institution stations in the UK and Ireland over the next few months. He is also aiming to raise £5000 for the RNLI on this trip which, he claims, was planned with the help of an RNLI tea towel given to him by his cousin!
Harry says that his great-granddad bought the Sunbeam second-hand in 1932 and used it to get to work for the next 20 years. It was then parked in a barn where it remained until 2019 when Harry, helped by his father, undertook a full mechanical restoration (the lad has recently graduated from Oxford Brookes University with an engineering degree which has come in handy when dealing with old machines).
It’s not Harry’s first long trip; two years ago he rode (and he adds, pushed!) a Puch Maxi moped from Hertfordshire to Falmouth, where his greatgrandfather used to work as a shipping agent. During that trip he decided he wanted to then ride around the entire coastline of the British Isles – only not on a Puch moped!
With the Sunbeam’s top speed of 45mph and its alarming tendency to chew through tyres, Harry expects the trip to take around four months, allowing for breakdowns and rest days. He adds: “I am really keen to raise as much money as possible for the RNLI voluntary lifeboat crews which provide an essential 24-hour rescue service throughout the UK and Ireland. It’s a great charity and has always been very present in my life as I sail, so it’s nice to be able to give back.” He is photographing the Sunbeam at every stop and chronicling his travels on Instagram (@ harry_bott_) and on a blog at https://rnlitour. blogspot.com; he’s already attracted one famous fan – his uncle Hugh, who also happens to be Hugh Bonneville, star of TV’s Downtown Abbey and the Paddington films, which are rather popular in the OBM Shed! We are following Harry’s trip keenly and we hope to catch up with him at one of the RNLI stations on the east coast.