Ardingly Show 26th October 2015
The Surrey Branch had a stand and a display of owner’s bikes at the South of England Ardingly Real Classic show on the 25 October 2015. The guest of honour was Jim Redman MBE, six times world champion and six time Isle of Man TT winner. Jim was in the Queen Jubilee Show hall and the show goers were able to meet and converse with him. The show was also a tribute to Norton’s Manx and any owners that were fortunate enough to own any of these fabulous machines that were produced from the 1930’s through to the 1960’s were encouraged to bring them along and display them.
The weather was really good, apart from the morning ride to the show which just happened to be really cold, but the day warmed up, and the ride home was very pleasant. We had eight members who brought along and displayed their bikes, and two of them were camshaft Norton’s.
The picture is of Roger Deadman and his 1958 Model 30 Manx Norton. We had a visitor to your stand, Rick Parkington, who is the spannering supremo of Classic Bike. Rick was doing the judging as Frank and Rowena could not make this October Ardingly show. From left to right it is Dave Gibson, Chris Barraclough, Rick Parkington, Bjorn, Christiansen, Andy Neal, and Peter Burdon.
The following members brought along their bikes that were displayed on our stand.
Bjorn Christiansen 1970 Commando Roadster, in Bronze
Andy Neil 1970 Commando Roadster, in Yellow
Chris Barraclough 1960 500cc Dominator
Peter Burden 1963 650ss
Ken Rawlinson 1966 650ss
Dave Gibson 1935 Model 40 349cc
Roger Deadman 1958 Manx Model 30 499cc this bike was up on our display plinth
Anthony Curzon 1963 Norton 750cc Atlas Scrambler Desert racer
Chris Barraclough’s Dominator was used by its previous owner as a sprinter and it has a lot of special or trick parts to make it completive when it was being sprinted. Roger Deadman’s Manx Norton was used in the Isle of Man TT and it came forth in one of these events. Our stand had many visitors with lots of questions about the bikes on display, as well as many enquiries about membership and where we all met. Unfortunately this time we never managed to get any awards for our bikes or the stand, and the best stand went to the BSA Bantam owners club. Chris Barraclough once again was the master technician who was able to assemble and take apart our display plinth, with help[ from the rest of us, and if he did not turn up it would make it all the more harder to put it up and take it apart. Geoff Cole stepped up and collected all the sections stands and equipment, as Mike Duffell was away getting a very well earned and deserved rest. Peter Burdon was mobbed with visitors asking a myriad of questions about his immaculate 1963 650ss. Dave Gibson, and Roger Deadman were asking questions from the many visitors that admired both of their camshaft Norton’s.
The event was jammed packed with visitors and there was a huge selection of bikes for the visitor to see and enjoy, as well as a massive auto-jumble with a huge variation of parts to sort through. The day got warmer as it progressed so being out side and looking for that elusive part was made a much more pleasurable experience if the weather had turned cold and rained. Most of the stalls or under cover so at least there would have been an escape if it had rained. Julie Diplock and her team have progressed this bike show to such an extent that it so much bigger and better that many events in previous years. It so very well organised and every one involved does a really great job great job at all the shows that Julie organizes at Ardingly. Ardingly is so easy to get to and leave, and at least in this part of southern England the roads are not that congested so a ride back is not such a pain being stuck in an endless queue of traffic and slow moving cars.
Our next event will be our AGM on the 11th November, and on the 14th December we will be having a competition evening, against the Velocette Owners club, at their venue, the Royal British Legion Club, Lower Road, Bookham, KT24 5JP, Surrey. There will be the usual games including Jenga, knock out pool, and possibly Darts. Our annual dinner will be in January 2016, as well as once more at the South of England classic show at Ardingly on 3rd April 2016. There will also be another classic show on the 23rd October 2016, and we shall also have a stand at the Kempton Park classic show as we have booked a space for our stand at the event.
Anthony Curzon
Press officer Surrey Branch.
