A word from Steve Tester…

I suppose scootering has always been a factor for us in our family. Our dad had a Vespa GS in the late 50s before starting a family, which required they downgraded to an Isetta bubble car. Dad was always known as Tickle locally (no idea why). I managed to successfully dodge that one, but Matthew picked it up and ran with it. People just got to know him in the abbreviated form of Tik. Growing up in Kemsing, Sevenoaks, during the mid-70s we saw a number of scooters both in our village and around town. We knew a few of these guys, people like Royston Edwards, Shaw Lefevre, the Pratt brothers, Pip Nash, Paul Hocking, they all had Lambrettas. These lot became all the more revered when they became key extras in 1978 and spent a few months in Brighton filming Quadrophenia. Late-78/ early-79 and the Mod revival was something I absolutely loved, our dad managed to get hold of a 150-Super for me. This became a family project, stripping and painting to get it in shape so that in a year’s time I could ride it legally and join the renowned 5:15 SC.

Growing up, our house and garden was always open to our mates; Mum and Dad loved that, they loved that people wanted to come round. Dad was always so interested in what everyone was doing with their engines and bodywork and helping where he could. Tik would have been eight or nine at that time, so for him, scooters in the drive was the norm. Our elder brother Mark had other ideas, he had an FS1E and then a Kawasaki 250.

Obviously, as soon as Tik was close to scooter riding age he got himself a smallframe cutdown with (I think) a Malossi 135 kit. Many of his mates also got scooters, guys like Jamie Nicholls, Tony Bishop and Barry Ludlow, they formed England’s Glory and continued the tradition of scooters in our drive (and sometimes in the kitchen). So, growing up this was one of the reasons that Mum and Dad had great relationships with our mates and the local scooter scene. Around this time my own scooterist mates in Sevenoaks inherited Tik. Throughout the 80s, Tik embraced Scooterboy culture and loved the Nationals. That’s when he really cut his teeth in the scene and made many lifelong friends. With his addictive personality, nothing was ever done in half measures.

Meeting Kim in the mid-90s was a great stabiliser; getting married and having children, your priorities change. Our dad got himself a GTS in 2008 and attended quite a few rallies and rideouts in his last few years with the Big 7 SC. He loved it and was always looked after by everyone. Dad, Tik and I would often meet up at the odd rally and especially local rideouts. When I got another scooter mid-2000s Tik stepped in, picked it up for me, stored it and helped me sort it out.

Over the past 30+ years, many of you will have known him through England’s Glory, Virgin Soldiers, Big 7, LSR, Lambretta Chopper Club, rallies and events. There’s little more else to say than, if you know him, you’ll know. You’ve all got dozens of anecdotes from over the years, you’ll know what a cheeky, persistent, helpful, funny, generous and addictive bloke he was. As a brother however, growing up he was a bleeding nuisance (put mildly). His Mother’s Day card to Mum this year stated: “I May Be A Little Shit, But I’m Your Little Shit”.

Suffice to say that the love, warmth, fondness, support and sheer volume of condolences received over the past week has been absolutely breathtaking. At times like this people say: “If there’s anything I can do,” and you have... with so many people providing proper practical help in sorting scooter stuff, advice, fundraising etc. This means the world to Kim, Pippa, Maddy and the rest of our family, that there’s fondness for Tik and that help is there when needed.

So on behalf of Mum, Kim, Maddy, Pippa and the rest of us, a huge thank you.