Jump to content

A.m.l.mclean Edinburgh St.georges 50's 60's


calthedogman
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi! Re Edinburgh St. Georges Motorcycle club, I think my Father was a member. His Name was A.M.L.Mclean, better known as Laurie McLean, and he was fairly active in the club in the 50's and 60's. He won a lot of stuff, and competed regularly in the SSDT. I wondered if any older members knew of him or the club? He was born and bred in Haddington, but moved to England in the 70's. He still competed in the SSDT till mid 70's, on a Montesa I think. I have a nice old pic of him on a Royal Enfield. Think it was about 1956, SSDT.Just doing a bit of Ancestry stuff.

post-18059-0-28347000-1361881185_thumb.jpg

Cheers

Calum Maclean

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Got your email regarding this and there's a man on here for sure will be able to not only answer your questions, but also probably be able to tell you what colour of pants he was wearing in the above photo! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 

Hi Calum, Yes I knew of your father and he knew mine very well, his name was T. Arnott Moffat.

A.M. Laurie MacLean was a former Scottish Trials Champion and Edinburgh St. George member. The photo (taken on Laggan Locks only 50 miles from my home) you have provided is of a machine that still exists - TFS 500 was built by Bell & Small from parts obtained from the Competition Department at Royal Enfield by Ian Bell. Willie Dalling had the bike up until his death and it is still owned by the Dalling family. It was ridden in the 1961 Scottish by a friend of your father's Johnny Clarkson from Skirling, Biggar. Laurie also rode DMW machines for Edgar Bros of 241 Leith Walk, Edinburgh If you can get a copy of my book Scotland's Rich Micture (by John Moffat) there is information about your father in it. Google it, there are some copies still available from The Magazine Man. Any more information, PM me on here.

Best wishes,

Big John

(aka John Moffat)

Edited by big john
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
 
 

John. Sorry we didn't get a chance for a chinwag on Sunday.

As I'm even older than you I feel I can say this - the sort of info you have come out with here is invauable and only a fraction of it could have been recorded in your book, but one feels it should be preserved for posterity, possibly in a less formal format than possible in a book.

Perhaps you should have a monthly column on here to ramble through Scottish trials/bike/character history rather after the style of a pub conversation with photos. Or would that put too much strain on Andy's broadband width!

Edited by 2stroke4stroke
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yes, I new Laurie well - he was a fine guy! He always had time for you. Can't tell you much about your dad that Big John hasn't but you ask about the St. George Club.

I first joined the club in 1962 - at that time the stalwards were the Fisher and Harper families - Dave and Bill were the crew that set out the yellow ochre road markings and the direction signs as used today in the Scottish.

(The ochre was eventually banned for safety reasons)

Also Julie and George Anderson were the administrators of the club who along with myself and others in the late 60-70 would burn the midnight oil on Sundays collating results.I was trials organiser for many years (before C of Course were invented) In and around that time running the Mirylees,Plaza,Evening News Hughson-2 day trial and the Colonial. This was Scotlands only Time and Observation Trial .

The club had a very active social side - meeting in Merchiston Club rooms ( I think every Tuesday evening) WE also ran car related events and of course had the Annual Dinner Dance Presentation in the Merlin Roadhouse Edinburgh These events were special for the ladies too who turned out in their long evening gowns. Great nights! Sadly these functions are no longer part of the trials world in these parts

As for the club - still in existence - affiliated to the SACU running the odd trial and the stalwards these days centred around the Dalling family (good on them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 

John. Sorry we didn't get a chance for a chinwag on Sunday.

As I'm even older than you I feel I can say this - the sort of info you have come out with here is invauable and only a fraction of it could have been recorded in your book, but one feels it should be preserved for posterity, possibly in a less formal format than possible in a book.

Perhaps you should have a monthly column on here to ramble through Scottish trials/bike/character history rather after the style of a pub conversation with photos. Or would that put too much strain on Andy's broadband width!

If I only had the time! :)

Big John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Ah, the presentation dinners. I know I have some formal group photographs of these do's somewhere. Must dig them out, and post them here??

Great to hear from people who knew my old dad. Sadly he shuffled off in 1987, age 56. His last trials bike was a Bully 325 SM replica. KMO 6L, I think. I rode it in a trial in about 1986 and bust my pelvis, so never got back on it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Hi Calum, Got your e-mails, good to hear you have a copy of my book (Scotland's Rich Mixture) on order, there can't be many left now, as there were only 1,000 copies printed with no reprint - so maybe worth a few bob in years to come! I have put you directly in contact with the extended dalling family who still own the Royal Enfield TFS500. I also know of the continued existence of Laurie's Ariel HT500 - 'MVD' registered (Lanarkshire CC Registration) of which a photo is in my book if my memory serves me well! I saw the bike many years ago at the Biggar Rally Weekend (Blackwood Murray) rally.

You have my private e-mail, stay in touch!

Regards,

Big John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 

Hello the bike was also owned by George Noble who also rode the bike in the SSDT but he cant remember which year.George Hodge also owned it as well.

Correct, you must be 'Bernie' in that case, as not a lot of people know that information unless they come from Skirling!. Of course I know which year George Noble Snr rode the very bike! I didn't want to 'ramble on' in my first post. Folks from Skirling and Abington had most things, including 500T Nortons and HT5 Ariels back in the period too!

Big John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
  • Create New...