Ultimate Recycling?

[laird387]

Hi,

This just has to be worth a recycling mention.

The Norton 500T trials machine started life in the Stratford-upon-Avon area in 1952 and was used as a ride-to-work machine and for local trials at the weekend, eventually the owner decided to get a new machine and the Norton passed to Dennis Bridges, who continued to ride it in long distance trials like the Wyegate.

One cold wintry day on a long section in the Forest of Dean, Dennis, Howard Midgley and myself, all on our old British bikes decided that it was time we created more local trials where we could ride our old bikes, and that meant creating a whole new era of trials - which resulted in the 1971 Bigger Banger Trial - for which I coined the term Pre-65 trial in my column in T+MX (whatever had happened to that paper recently - what a disaster!) - and, lo and behold a new sport was born.

Dennis continued to ride his Norton 500T and converted his club's Union Jack Trial to a Pre-65 event and named it in honour of long-time servant of the Stratford-upon-Avon club, the Sam Cooper Union Jack Trial.

Sadly Dennis passed away, far too young, but the Norton didn't - it was recycled again - this time appearing regularly in Pre-65 trials in the hands of his son, Nick Bridges - spotted here by Mary Wylde when the demon of the woods in the 1992 Frank Jones trial grabbed his back wheel and tried to pull him back to her lair.......

Rumour has it that there is a whole new generation of young Bridges - will we see the Norton recycled again????????

Enjoy.

Edited August 20, 2014 by laird387

[betatwo]

the bike has been sold and is in the hands of another stratford club member ( we believe in keeping things local )