Surrey Branch at the Hayes Village Fair on Sunday 8th June 2025
The Surrey branch represented the Norton Owners Club at the HVF and the event started for stall holders and other participants for them to have to arrive after 9am. The weather being so much better than the previous day, as we had had some very heavy rainfall. There was the prospect of the field being not that conducive to riding a motorcycle across it. Simon Smith who brings us all the Surrey branch equipment, had brought along some wooden boards for the bikes to have their centre and prop stands to rest on to stop them sinking into the wet grass. Simon tows his trailer with his pickup truck, and he brings everything that we require for our events. Without Simon, the Surrey branch would have great difficulty being able to actual have any sort of branch presentation. Graham Holcombe, and David Brown, the power house of the Surrey branch, were already on site when I arrived, and were very well organized with erecting our gazebo, as well as our other club equipment. Our other members then began to arrive, and we all pitched in to help with the erecting of our stand. Malcolm King had come all the way from Hayward Heath to support us, and David Brown, also had a long way to travel to attend this event to support and help us. Andy Neal came along to see and support us, and to help with the stand, and he should be getting his ex WD 16H back into running condition to be displayed at one of our future events.
Those members that brought bikes along for display were as follows
Phillip Tuck 1968 Atlas, Robert Tuck 1960 Dominator 99 Deluxe, Malcolm King 1965 Atlas, David Brown, 1958 Dominator 99 cafe racer, and a 1957 Model 50, Mike Chizlett 1958 Dominator 99 cafe racer, Ken Rawlinson 1959 Dominator 99 Sport, Simon Smith 1972 Commando Roadster, Anthony Curzon 1970 Commando Roadster.
Mike Chizlett who came over from the Kent branch to be with us on the day, and he rode his very well presented cafe racer to our show. As I like to get the back ground story behind those that come along to our show, Mike explained to me the building of this particular bike. It has a 1958 wideline featherbed frame, with a 1957 Dominator 99 engine, with a dynamo for the electrics. Mike had a 1964 650ss. He bought this bike from a classified advert in Classic Bike, as box of parts. The engine has had a complete rebuild, and a rebore with +0.040 pistons. The Cylinder Head Shop did the cylinder head overhaul with Len Patterson, doing all the work, with lead free valve seats and valve guides, being put into the cylinder head. The main bearings were replaced with Super Blends, with a positive oil feed to the rocker arms from the timing cover, as per the later modified factory engines. The gearbox has had all the internal springs changed, as well as other worn parts replaced. The petrol tank was supplied by Lyta, and the oil tank was supplied by Unity Equip, and this one holds about five pints of oil. The front brake is a Commando twin leading shoe, with flanged alloy rims, by Akront, with a Manx style front mudguard. Swept back exhaust pipes and Commando pea shooter silencers, finishing of a very attractive looking bike. This particular engine has the Commando chain-case added with a standard Norton clutch assembly, inside and 12 volt electrics. The finned rocker covers were supplied by Wassel. Mike has now owned the bike for over 35 years,
The event was very well attended; despite the prospect of there may have been some bad weather in the forecast. Pam Anderson, who is one of the organisers, remained very busy throughout the day, but she did manage to come over to our stand to talk to us, and thanked us for our attendance. The branch had a huge amount of interest from those that attended the HVF, and also having pictures taken of their young children seated upon our bikes. This event is very well attended, with a very large variety of stalls, as well as other interesting events being laid on by the organiseing team. Next to us there were the scouts that had set up for people to come along and throw metal balls at crockery like a sort of coco nut shy. All afternoon there was the sound of crockery being smashed to pieces. This would be one way of working out any aggression that you may have built up over the past weeks.
I wish to thank all those that came along, and displayed their bikes for us, and gave their time and their help for our branches display
