laird387

Seems like a bit extreme just to listen to the Oulton Park public address at the Cheshire Motocross in 1986.............

Another James Moorhouse image at a Low North 1986 event - with a video record being taken in the background - remember if you want to keep these coming just press the 'like' button.

The early history of Donington has just been featured, fully illustrated of course, in our digital magazine. Enjoy

Hi again, First quick trawl spotted this shot of Lawrence 'Sparky' Telling on his 247 Cota taken in 1973 at the Ilkley Grand National (a practice trial for would-be Scott trials riders). The photo was taken by Barry Robinson - who was Clerk of the Course of the Ilkley event for many years. Enjoy. PS. There are of course, dozens of images of the 247's in ORRe, our digital magazine, if you would like free copies - join the club!

Sorry Sparks, I (ex RAF!) know where all the Lancaster bases were! My query was based more on whether it was the base for a night fighter squadron to combat the extensive German bombing raids on Liverpool - which was very hard hit around the same time as Coventry and Bristol. When you say purpose built in 1954, did you mean the actual construction was undertaken in that year - or that it already existed at that time? Thanks for all your help. Regards Deryk

Hi bultacorock, Thanks for your request - please watch this space and I'll have a trawl - but I can't promise an instant response 'cos I am deep into the cataloguing of the archive and it all seems to take an age, but I will find some.

During this period my 'day job' was as Marketing Director of a British mobile radio manufacturer, and because of my association with motorsport on the two-wheel front I was 'collared' by one of the enthusiasts working to establish the new sport of Rallycross and had managed to get meetings arranged at Cadwell and also at Lydden. I was also heavily involved with the Ford Competition shop, having found a way to use our radios to help them win their first ever Safari Rally in Kenya, where we supplied the Kenya police and also all the Wildlife wardens, so I ended up being invited to sit in the four-wheel drive Ford 3-litre works Capri both round the Cadwell Rallycross circuit and also Lydden. That's when I found that adrenaline is brown, sticky and smelly..........

Thanks for all the 'likes', as long as they keep coming, I will continue trawling the archive for images to get out where you can enjoy them - this comes from a Yeadon and Guiseley arena trial at Pool Court which was labelled as a club championship event on the 13 September 1986, where it was photographed by James Moorhouse. I don't have any identity details, so if you can give us a name, please do. Enjoy.

Obviously plenty of interest ikn this topic so if you will bear with I will trawl the offroadarchive for youth images taken over the years and post them for all to see on 'tc' - increasingly, in my opinion, the enthusiasts forum. Sadly I cannot identify a lot of the youngsters and even in the cases where I still have entry lists, in this case from James Moorhouse taken at Low North in 1986, not every image allows you to see the riding number.........so if anyone recognises this lad, please tell us, equally please keep hitting the 'like' button for as long as you would like me to keep trawling - there are over a quarter of a million images in the archive now, so I shall be hard put to get them all out on public view - but having them hidden away in my filing cabinets when they could be in view and being enjoyed is not my way. What is more it is totally non-commercial, my only request, if you would like free copies of any of the images, please join the ORRe club......

Was the tarmac a 'left-over' from some wartime activities perhaps - did the RAF fly missions to combat the German bombing raids from there? Some of the images in the archive were taken from the wooden fence by Beechers Brook (?) and look down to the tarmac, which looks to be quite cracked and nowhere near todays 'fit for racing' standards. Watch this space for more images - or join the ORRe club where most will go.

How many remember that there used to be road racing at Aintree - more or less next to the Grand National course? Here is an image from a meeting at Aintree on 12 July 1986 photographed by Bob Light. If you "like' it, press the button! Enjoy

Youth trials have been around for quite a while now - and I, for one, wonder just how many of those riders in past events are still active today. Would anybody be interested in details of events like this Scarborough Youth trial in June 1986 photographed by James Moorhouse - can you recognise the rider? If you are interested just press the 'Like' button and I can trawl the archives for more. Enjoy!

I have a selection of images taken years ago at some early indoor arena trials, like this photograph taken by James Moorhouse during an event staged at Pool Court in Wharfedale in 1986. If you are interested just press the 'Like' button, this particulr view is of Steve Saunders on his Rothmans Honda. Enjoy.

We were a motorcycling family, Dad rode his Enfield the seventeen miles to work and back all week then at weekends the family were packed into the Ivory Calthorpe and sidecar for visits to relatives, the seaside, etc. I rode a pushbike to school, when I was sixteen added a Cyclemaster 32cc rear wheel to convert it to a moped, then as soon as I could afford whilst still at college bought an old AJS, which was my release to adventures, tried my hand on the rough exploring tracks around my home in the Yorkshire dales then tried a few trials and enjoyed it. Finally achieved sufficient riches to buy a second-hand AJS rigid trials model and began to ride seriously - but soon proved that my local contemporaries, Arthur Lampkin, Peter Gaunt, Peter Fletcher, Artie Ratcliffe, Stan Holmes, etc., were way above my standard, so settled for just enjoying myself and helping with the organisation of events, and eventually reporting events for the press. Eventually reached a fairly intensive pressure job in my life and found that riding in trials (by then in the pre-65 movement) I had to concentrate on the riding or I might hurt myself and that concentration meant forgetting all about the pressures of the day job, marvellous. Now my eightieth birthday is close and I'm still enjoying my version of the sport, no longer actively involved in the actual events but very much involved in recording for posterity the story of offroad motorcycle sport - not many 'hobbies' I suspect could match the sixty-plus years of pleasure (and friendships) that my hobby has brought me.

If it is just 'old' photos that tickle your fancy, then how about this image taken by Bob Light at the 1986 Bemrose of D Capper in action - there is a feature on that event in ORRe-issue 52. Enjoy.

Hi capper. Glad you liked the shot of Rob Edwards - but give me a clue as to what it was that you particularly liked, then I can add similar images. Was it Rob, the Montesa or maybe the fact that it was an image from that era? Any views anybody? To add to the fun here's another '70s shot, this time Brian Hutchinson on his Suzuki/ Enjoy.

Here's an image taken in the 1970s of Rob Edwards on his Montesa Cota. Enjoy.

Thanks, Stan, As soon as you said Maurice it clicked into place! I'm alright - but sadly missus not good at all. Cheers Deryk

Hi, I recognise the rider, who comes from the South Midlands/Home Counties area and I would have expected to see him on an AJS - but sadly old age prevents me from being able to recall the name. The section is typical of that area, indeed it could have been one of the Talmags in the 1970s perhaps. The rider always had a smile on his face and regularly wore a flat cap before helmets became mandatory. Attached is another shot of the lad.

Having had such valued help with the Honda identification, I thought I ought at least to feed the 'Hondaphiles' amongst us with a little gift, so here is an image of Steve Saunders on his Rothman Honda photographed in the 1986 Travers Trophy trial, a full photographic retrospective of which will be published in issue 52 of our digital magazine. Enjoy.

Please find attached Regs and Entry Form for the event on 9th April. REMEMBER - early entry = later start time. Entry Form ACU 2017.doc S3 Parts Regs 2017.doc

Regs. are attached for the Club Championship round at Cowling Crag on 26 Feb. Regs + EF - Cowling 26th Feb 2017.pdf

Regs. are attached for the Manywells Round 4 trial on 18 Feb, for Adult novice and Yout A, B, C, D. Regs + EF - Manywells Round #4 - 18th February 2017 - Lumb.pdf

Regs. are attached for the Timperley Cup Trial on 17 Feb, an event in the Yorkshire Centre Championship. Timperley Cup Trial 2017 - Regs and Entry Form.pdf

Thanks for your help, tayld, Don't worry about the picture quality, the only way to get reasonable ones is to have a Press pass and get in early to talk to the stall holders and either arrange to meet for a separate photo session and feature, or just to be able to gat to better positions on the stand by a little judicious 'moving' of interfering items before the public is allowed in - we've all been there, done that, etc. Sorry to be a bit of a dunce on such bikes - but in that period I was busy forty-four weekends of the year organising the early British Bike Championships which later became the Sammy Miller series. Thanks for all your help, greatly appreciated.