MARCH 2014 Update

Don’t want to keep on about the weather, but this really is beyond a joke. However this does mean there have been no excuses to get on with the Warbike Project which is well on track for publication later in the year. Also managed to catch up with Brooklands Motorcycle Volunteers projects and we will be previewing some Brooklands events in May.

Warbike Project

The research has been focusing in a bit more depth on some of the individuals who signed up to become WW1 dispatch riders. Many will already know Corporal Watson, author of Adventures of a dispatch rider, which we have mentioned here before. He paints an interesting picture of the early months of the war from the relatively privileged position of a dispatch rider. Spending time in taverns he never seemed far from another omelette and coffee, something far removed from the bully beef, and long marches the ordinary Tommy had to endure. This period August 1914 to February 1915 was, a very mobile period, and it was May 1915 before the stalemate of trench warfare set in. We have looked at the Army records of a well known racer of the period and some other riders, who seem to confirm the relative privilege of the Dispatch Rider Corporal. We now need to look into a bit more detail at those motorcyclists serving with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Motor Machine Gun Service (MMGS) set up late in 1914.  If you have any information on these or any other aspects of Military Motorcycles please contact us at Warbike@fenlandclassics.co.uk or on Twitter @fenlandclassics using the #WarBike.

Brooklands Motorcycle Volunteers

We caught up with the Brooklands Team recently and the Earle Cotton Jap restoration is coming on nicely. Gary Pinchin from Classic Bike Guide dropped in to take a look and some other projects, so they should be appearing in the mag soon. Whilst on the subject of Magazines, we would urge you to continue to support your favourite magazine by buying it rather that checking it out on the shelves at W.H Smiths. We may have a digital presence ourselves, but we do subscribe to our favourites, and would hate to see any of them to only be available as eMags.

If you are into Velocettes, then you need to get yourself down to the Musuem on 23 March 2014 for the Centenenary Celebrations. To celebrate the Centenary of Velocette Motorcycles there will be a display of over 100 Velocette bikes in and around the Paddock. There will be action on Test Hill (subject to weather).
Entry for Velocette Motorcycles is through the Campbell Gate, and tickets are £8 per person arriving on a motorbike or arriving with a Velocette.
Contact: Brooklands Museum events@brooklandsmuseum.com

June is the Centenary of the Red Cross Field Day held at Brooklands in 1914 to test the organisation’s readiness for war. Brooklands have nothing organised, but it may be used to promote the Great War Commemorations that are to be held at the Museum on 3 August 2014. This will be well worth a visit as besides WW1 era race starts, and a vehicle cavalcade there will be a flying display of Great War Aircraft.  

As ever please check out all the latest news from the Motorcycle Volunteer Team at their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklands-Museum-Motorcycle-Volunteer-Team/330068980426392

All Our Yesterdays

From July onwards, we will be extending the ‘All Our Yesterdays’ page to provide more information prior to and following the outbreak of WW1. We hope this will be an educational resource that will  help provide an insight into the period from a motorcyclists prospective.  

Bring on the Sunshine

Old Timer