Tenterden’s big birthday
It was celebration time in Tenterden, Kent over the weekend of August 7-8 as the town’s motorcycle club marked its 75th anniversary.
The town’s museum hosted events on day one as members marked the anniversary of a club started by local motorcycle dealer Karl Pugh in 1946... and he remained a very active member for many more years.
A selection of competition bikes was on display, talking points for the many past and present members who called by in the course of the day.
The museum was happy as it doubled its normal day’s footfall as visitors went to investigate a permanent display devoted to the motorcycle club. The history there notes many illustrious previous members. From road racing they include Bob McIntyre, Derek Farrant, Barry Sheene and Paul Smart among others. During the winter trials season, track racing competitors such as Malcolm Simmons, Paul Hurry and Mitchel Godden joined Tenterden’s raft of trials riding talent, the likes of Gordon Farley and Murray Brush, to maintain riding skills. The club adopted a wider profile when it entered riders for the TT and teams for major trials such as the Scottish Six Days.
Godden Engineering has premises a few miles distant and has had a long association with the club. As well as manufacturing engines and competition machinery it is also the home of Vincent specialist Conway Motors, represented at Tenterden by a much-admired replica Black Lightning. The bike is also scheduled for further track use at some point soon.
Sunday was true to tradition with a trial that attracted 60 entries and was held on land at Clay Hill owned by the Millen family. The tradition? Generations of Millens have been members. Clay Hill was the venue for the club’s first trial and it has been used ever since. On this occasion, heavy rain showers gave the course a super-abundance of mud and resulted in unexpectedly tough going for bikes pre-67 to modern. Tenterden member Kevin Morphett received one of Karl Pugh’s tankards for his premier award. Hector Kemp took the Youth Trophy.
As a souvenir of the landmark anniversary, club stalwart Roy Francis has put together a book that charts the years of the club’s existence in a scrapbook style. The pages contain many highs, inevitably some lows, but it reflects a club with a proud history, still very active and looking in good shape for whatever the future brings.