Bygones

 

I first got interested in motorcycles in about 1974/5. My school mate Howard had acquired a B.S.A bantam D1 upon which I learnt to ride. First impressions sometimes last a long time and this scruffy Bantam started an interest in old motorcycles.

When I was eighteen I was running a B.S.A Starfire. A work colleague, Doug Woodcock told me about a club he and some friends were trying to start up and would I like to go to the first meeting. This was held on the 14th of May 1980 at the Miller's Arms, High Street, Lincoln. Doug and his friends had all been members of the Lincoln Car and Motorcycle Club, but thought a club for classic motorcycles would be more to their liking. They had drawn up a list of proposals and rules, and if there was to be enough interest shown they would launch the Lincoln Classic Motorcycle Club. Enough people turned up and so the club was formed.

This introduced me to a new crowd of people who had similar interest to myself in old motorcycles. all were older than myself and thus had more experience of running an maintaining old motorcycles than me. A good reason for joining the club. These reasons are also valid for new members today, but of course not so many are older than me now.

Club meetings were arranged for the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month in the upstairs room at the Horse and Groom on Carholme Road. Many of the people who attended used their bikes as every day transport back them. I ran the Starfire and a B.S.A Bantam B175 myself. My old school friends Rick Powell and Andrew 'Harry' Harrison had a Starfire and a Francis Barnet. There was Mike Mowat who had a B.S.A A10 and sidecar. Bradshaw had a Matchless and sidecar. Doug Woodcock was running a Yamaha 500 single but soon got a B.S.A A7 twin. These were all very much working bikes. Others who came along had the luxury of only having to use their bikes when the fancy took them. Treasurer Phil Holman had a 1966 Triumph Thunderbird and a 1974 Trident. John Harris a Norton Commando 850. Jim Wright a 500 Goldstar. This was a good variety of machines.

To pay for the hire of the room a raffle used to held with the prize donated by a committee member. This extra dedication of the then committee is often easily forgotten,

Memories from that first year included the V.M.C.C concours at Market Rasen, where my Starfire fell off its stand and bled oil all over the square. Vintage racing at Cadwell Park where I was introduced to John Duncan's wife's home made wine. My inability to contain what I had drunk at least amused the rest of the club.

As the club needed more money it was decided to hold a autojumble in the Drill Hall. Doug had quiet a bit of jumbling experience and was the main driving force behind this successful money making venture. I think it was about this time I joined the committee. With some of the money the club made with the autojumble we bought a bike trailer for club members use.

Various shows and fates were attended in the early years, the favourite being the Wheels Event on the Lincolnshire Showground. This was always a good opportunity to try out other club members bikes. John Duncan had a little B.S.A Bantam 125 affectionately known as the pee bike. Not because of the usual Bantam pea green colour, his was maroon, but because it was the easiest one to the run to the toilet block.

There was a change around to the committee in 1981. The chairman and secretary left. Doug became the chairman and Mark Foster came onto the committee. Mark had a very nice Royal Enfield Super Meteor and was a bit of a Enfield fan. Mark started organising club runs. These became very popular and of course are still done today.

In clubs people come an go, but some stay a long time. Andy Marsh joined in the early 1980's he had a Triumph T140V which he still rides. When he first started coming to club meetings he had a large girlfriend who always looked grumpy, but he soon traded her in for a giggly young thing with a wobbly chest which seemed to go down especially well with the older club members.

Dave Lee joined when we met him at one of the Wheels shows. Dave and his BMW R50 have represented the club at many shows over the years an he can be relied upon to tell a good story or joke or two.

Meetings at the Horse and Groom were not going too well by the end of 1982. The room upstairs was cold in winter and you could never get to the bar because of the ladies darts team, half of which looked like wrestlers and the other half like drag queens.

It was decided to change venue to the R.A.O.B club on South Park, which also ment a change of night to a Tuesday. This was not successful and in 1984 the club meeting moved to the Golden Eagle, High Street, Lincoln and back to a Thursday night.

The move to the Golden Eagle, a change of committee and some new members revitalised the club at this time.

Different people and different bikes always make an interesting change. Sometimes one bike my have had many owners in the club. A Triumph Tiger 100 was once owned by John Harris, John Duncan, Craig Archer, Andy Marsh then Alan Hesslewood before being sold out of the area.

It is also claimed some girlfriends have passed through various hands too, but I think this is an exaggeration. In the mid eighties the average age of club members was under 30 and the most popular make of bike a Triumph. As people age and taste perhaps change so does their choice of bike. Triumphs remain popular but there are now a few Ariels which we never seemed to have before. I myself still have the B.S.A Bantam I attended the first meeting on, although it has not been used for many years. My 850 Norton Commando I have owned 20 years, I was only 20 when I bought it. Triumph Trident 16 years, B.S.A B40 17 years, B.S.A B50 13 years, Triumph Bonneville only 4 years. So I guess that scruffy B.S.A Bantam 125 that I learnt to ride on has a lot to answer for - along with all of the good people past and present who I have met through the Lincoln Classic Motorcycle Club.

Mick Hesslewood
2003