Ted Frend off-road
I was yarning with a couple of youthful septuagenarians at Stafford’s bravely-organised Classic Show, both of whom agreed with my comment that it was still preferable to promote a show on (what’s best described as) a ‘reduced’ basis… than have no show at all!
Our main focus, though, was on Ted Frend, whose former famous Ajay Porcupine had gone under-the-hammer the previous day. Whilst these two chaps were aware, and in awe, of Ted’s truly remarkable metalshaping abilities – plus the fact he’d enjoyed a splendid career as an AJS ‘works’ road racer – neither knew how he’d also been a formidable scrambles competitor some 70 years ago.
At around 13 years old, and in short trousers, I was lucky to have been taken to watch the 1951 Sunbeam Club’s National trade-supported Point to Point Scramble at Longmoor, Hants, by some trials-riding friends of my elder brother… who also competed, but who’d to work that particular Saturday. I had long been (nerd-ily) reading both of the Thursday weeklies at that point, so was familiar with the names of most of the country’s ace trials and scrambles riders.
A quick glance at the programme confirmed virtually every top British rider was competing and, between them, no less than seven manufacturers had a three-man team in the 500cc Senior Race.
Alphabetically, from AJS, the list comprised Ariel, BSA (with
‘A’ and ‘B’ teams, Matchless, Norton with (an ohc model for John Draper) and Triumph. Ted was of course in in the AJS Team.
The day’s abiding memory is of Geoff Ward winning both the 350cc Junior and the 500cc Senior event, and of how tough the hilly heathland course, whose 3000-yard lap consumed over three minutes to cover. Ted certainly held a respectable upper midfield position early on but, memory fades, and I regret I cannot recall if or where he finished. Sadly, that was the sole occasion I saw him race, but I believe he continued competing in one discipline or another until the mid-1950s.
Another stark mental image remains, however, inasmuch not only had secretary of the meeting Ralph Venables rounded up all the top scramblers but, typically, he had also persuaded four famous trials riders to compete. They were easy to spot, because they all rode in a standing-up position, and they all wore Barbour suits, whereas the majority of regular scramblers were clad in ex-WD. Two of those Barbour jackets were adorned with an ISDT British Team badge. The quartet, who were not merely astride openpipe trials machines, consisted of JV Brittain (Royal Enfield), SB Manns (Triumph), PJ Mellers (Ariel) and BHM Viney (AJS).
Sadly for many who regarded Ralph’s Point to Point as
Britain’s best contemporary scrambles series, the ACU Steward – presiding over
1958’s seriously rain-drenched meeting – submitted such an unbalanced and damaging report that Ralph never ever organised any further speed events. Mike Jackson, Romsey, Hampshire.