Issue 42
April 2019
NEWSLETTER OF THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CHARITABLE TRUST
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F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N , I A N WA L D E N O . B . E . After a longer than usual interval, I’m delighted to welcome you to our latest newsletter. We’ve delayed publication by a few weeks to enable us to bring you the news of our latest affiliate - the Grampian Transport Museum. Situated in Alford, about 45 minutes from Aberdeen, this latest affiliation is a significant move for the BMCT as we seek to expand our area of activity outside the southern half of England. As you can read below, we have shipped a number of the bikes from the
BMCT Collection to Scotland from other affiliated museums, and they’ll remain there until the end of October 2019. Mike Ward and his team at the Museum are particularly excited about their association with the BMCT, and are looking forward to welcoming our members to enjoy the BMCT display and the other attractions they have to offer. It’s a long trek north for the majority of our members, but I can assure you it’s well worth the effort!
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he British Motorcycle Charitable Trust has chosen the Grampian Transport Museum to become its latest affiliated museum, the only one in Scotland. Mike Ward is Curator of the Grampian Transport Museum at Alford and is a great motorcycle enthusiast himself. “This is a brilliant addition to our motorcycle display which already exhibits some extremely rare and fascinating bikes. BMCT will lend us a series of motorcycles throughout our season and so there will regularly be different machines for our visitors to enjoy.” When GTM opened for the 2019 season on Saturday 30th March, amongst the BMCT bikes on display was the rare 1971 Triumph Bandit - a prototype of the machine designed to save the struggling BSA group but which never made it into production. Only a handful survive, most only display models without a working engine, making this fully working example extremely rare.
Alongside the Bandit is a beautifully restored 1918 Lea-Francis 3½ hp, one of a single model built by the Coventry based manufacturer who went on to be better known for its high quality cars. Co-incidentally this actual machine was once owned by a resident of Alford, a stone’s throw from the GTM! Other BMCT Collection machines to be exhibited are the 1925 Beardmore-Precision, 1911 BSA 3½ hp, 1904 Kerry, 1939 Sunbeam B24S, 1955 Wooler Flat Four, and 1928 Humber Overhead Camshaft Sports 350. Mike Ward added “As a motorcycle enthusiast myself I fully appreciate the significance of these additions to our exhibition and we are delighted to have been selected as the Scottish representative of the BMCT. We look forward to welcoming enthusiasts from around Scotland and further afield to Alford in 2019”. The GTM website address is http://www.gtm.org.uk/
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J O H N H . H AY N E S O . B . E .
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t is with great sadness that we announce the death of John H Haynes OBE, the creator of the famous Haynes Manual, founder of the Haynes Publishing Group PLC and the Haynes International Motor Museum. John passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on the evening of Friday 8th February, aged 80, after a short illness. John was a kind, generous, loving and devoted husband, brother, father and grandfather, who will be missed enormously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Annette, his brother David and sister Mary, his sons J and Chris and their families. John Harold Haynes was born on 25th March 1938 to Harold and Violette Haynes in Ceylon, where his father was the manager of a tea plantation. From an early age John had a passion for cars, and as a child he loved nothing more than riding around the plantation with his father in their Morris 8 saloon. At the age of 12 he moved to the UK with his brother David, to attend boarding school at Sutton Valence School in Kent. It was at school that John’s flair for art and his entrepreneurial spirit developed and flourished. He persuaded his House Master to allow him to miss rugby and instead spend his time converting an Austin 7 into a lightweight sporty Austin 7 ‘Special’. He eventually sold the car, making a reasonable profit, and owing to the immense interest it received (over 150 replies to the advert) he decided to produce a booklet showing other enthusiasts how he'd made it. He published a booklet entitled “Building A ‘750’ Special” - the first print run of 250 copies sold out in 10 days. After leaving school John joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) to do his National Service, where he made many lifelong friends. During his time in the RAF his role in logistics taught him business management skills, while enabling him to pursue his passion for motor racing and publishing in his spare time. He successfully developed and competitively raced several race cars, including his Elva Courier, which is on display in the Haynes International Motor Museum. It was whilst in the RAF that ‘Johnny’ met Annette, and he soon realised he had met the woman he wanted to spend his life with. On his way to their
wedding he stopped to buy Annette a second-hand IBM Proportional Space Type Writer as her wedding present. Although perhaps not the most romantic of gifts, Annette was delighted with his practical choice, setting the stage for a bright future together. In 1965, John was posted to Aden and it was there that he created the first Haynes Manual. An RAF colleague had bought a ‘Frogeye’ Sprite, which was in poor condition and he asked John to help him rebuild it. John agreed, and quickly realised that the official factory manual was not designed to help the average car owner. He bought a camera and captured the process of dismantling and rebuilding the engine. The use of step-by-step photo sequences linked to exploded diagrams became the trusted hallmark of Haynes Manuals. The first Haynes Manual, for the Austin Healey Sprite, was published in 1966, and the first print run of 3,000 sold out in less than 3 months. To date over 200 million Haynes Manuals have been sold around the world. The success of his publishing business, including expansion into Europe and North America, culminated in the Haynes Publishing Group PLC floating on the London Stock Exchange in 1979. In 1995 John was awarded an OBE for services to publishing, and in 2005 The Open University presented him with the honorary degree of Master of the University. John’s publishing success meant that he was able to enjoy his passion for cars, and he became a prolific collector. In 1985 he founded the Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset as an Educational Charitable Trust, bequeathing his collection of 30 cars to the charity to be held for the benefit of the nation. John continued to support the museum charity throughout his life by donating cars and funding its growth, and thanks to his support the museum has grown and now displays more than 400 vehicles and is enjoyed by over 125,000 people a year. At the 2014 International Historic Motoring Awards the museum was recognised as The Museum of the Year. Until 2010 John served as Chairman of the Haynes Publishing Group and then continued to play an active role as Founder Director. In this role he supported the executive team as they
created a world leading content, data and solutions business serving both drivers and professional mechanics. He combined this role with that of Chairman of Trustees of the Haynes International Motor Museum. John was very much a family man and is survived by his wife Annette, brother David and sister Mary, his two sons; J and Chris, his daughters-in-law; Valencia and Femke and grandchildren; Augusta, Chrissie, Edward, Freya & Nicholas. His middle son Marc sadly passed away in October 2016. Annette contributed hugely to the success of the Haynes Publishing Group and she shares John’s lifelong passion for cars. She still serves as a much-respected member of the Board of Trustees for the Museum. A true gentleman, and a kind and considerate man, John will be greatly missed not only by his family, friends and colleagues but also by the many people that use his manuals, and benefit from his reassuring guiding hand as they repair and maintain their cars and motorbikes. The appreciation people felt for his contribution was most visible on an almost daily basis at the Museum’s Café 750. While enjoying lunch John was regularly approached by visitors, who would invariably be greeted with his infectious warmth and engaging, enthusiastic boyish smile. He was always happy to oblige fellow enthusiasts with photographs, engage in conversation and share his passion.
John H. Haynes OBE, 1938-2019
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C O L L E ZI O N E B R U N O N I G E L L I
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s part of a combined birthday and retirement gift to myself, I spent 4 days in Italy visiting museums and private collections. Whilst the term ‘private collection’ seems contradictory, it is quite common in Italy for collectors to open their doors to the public, normally by appointment, though. One such collection is the “Collezione Bruno Nigelli” at San Martino in Casola, on the outskirts of Bologna. It is a remarkable collection, housed in the basement of the family factory and engineering business. The initial aim of Signore Nigelli was to build a collection of motorcycles from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy to celebrate and reflect the rich history of motorcycle engineering there. There were in excess of 80 manufacturers at different times in this region. The Italian motorcycle industry history is like that of the UK in so many ways with innovation, disregard for costs, naivety and mismanagement amongst its milestones. All collectors tend to expand their collection to fit the available space and Signore Nigelli was no different. There is a main room that houses over 200 motorcycles from the region. The star of the collection, certainly for me, is the Moto Morini DOHC 250cc GP bike of Tarquinio Provini, on which he nearly pipped Jim Redman for the 1963 World Championship.
Around the walls of the main room is an incredible collection of horns from various sources, not just vehicles. A series of shelves house a collection of engines that number in excess of 200. Plus, in one corner there is the recovered wreckage of a USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt which was brought down by German flak in 1944. Signore Nigelli was instrumental in arranging to recover the wreckage from the nearby Rio Martignone in 1993. A second room houses over 20 machines from outside Italy, and amongst these is a rare Clement Norton from 1900.
Sadly, Signor Nigelli passed away in June 2017 but his son, Roberto is determined to keep the collection together in his father’s memory. The following link will take you to the contact page on the Automotoclub Storico Italiano (ASI): http://asimusei.it/museo/collezione-bruno-nigelli/ It is well worth making the effort to see this collection but please phone or email some time in advance to arrange an appointment. - Mike Ricketts (A995) Las Vegas was the venue in January for a huge sale of classic motorcycles . More than 1,500 bikes were offered by auctioneers Mecum over a five-day period, and one of the most interesting was this replica of an AJS V4, a model that never made it into production, although something very similar can be seen at Sammy Miller’s museum. Here’s the description from the auctioneer’s catalogue: his astounding machine is a double masterpiece: the original AJS design from 1935 that came from the hand of industry legend Bert Collier and the fully functional homage built by Dan Smith using only photographs and artist’s impressions. AJS stunned the world at the 1935 Earl’s Court Show with a road-going air-cooled overhead-camshaft V4, perhaps the most complex road-going motorcycle ever built. It was, sadly, never sold to the public, although a pair were raced at the Isle of Man TT the following June. The factory developed the design, adding a supercharger and redesigning the motor for water-cooling, and those original two air-cooled V4s simply disappeared forever, left to us only as a few photographs and an artist’s rendering of the engine’s internals. Dan Smith is the legendary Canadian engineer and machinist who builds whole motorcycles from scratch, and the AJS seemed a worthy project to undertake. Smith feels the 1930s was the era of the most fascinating technical exploration in motorcycle design, and he has built three functional homages to pinnacle designs: The Series A Vincent-HRD, the Velocette Roarer and the AJS V4. The work required to build the AJS replica was enormous, as no blueprints or proper scale drawings existed, nor were any parts extant to replicate. With
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only an exploded-view drawing to suggest the internal architecture of the V4, plus the known quantities of published bore/stroke measurements, Smith had to re-engineer the engine. He followed the basic design decisions of the original but needed to make the original calculations all over again for the parts to function together properly, as Smith intended the AJS to be a runner, not a static display. It took three years and thousands of hours of dedicated work, but the V4 was finally completed in 2006. Amazingly, Dan’s creation validated Bert Collier’s original design in ways the original never did, having been ridden more than 10,000 miles since its creation. Had AJS a little more faith in the original design, perhaps this remarkable machine would have impressed the world, oneupping both George Brough and Philip Vincent for the title of the ultimate sophisticated luxury motorcycle.
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hat pleasure it gave me (writes trustee Nick Jeffery) to read member Barry Heath's travels visiting our affiliated museums on his Suzuki 50 and Bonneville SE. I do hope the Suzuki's ignition maladies are now sorted! I just thought I would comment on his visit to the British Motor Museum. It is a disappointment to the BMCT Trustees that there is no real engagement by the BMM with the very rich history of car manufacturers' motorcycle products (apart from, as Barry says, the two Rover singles on display). However there are a couple of exhibits that should be of special interest to members but which are not apparent at first sight in the main building. The first is in the Collection Centre, separate from the main building and hosting the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust's collection of vehicles on the ground floor. There will be found an SS80 Brough Superior fitted with Swallow sidecar - Swallow Coachbuilding of course being the predecessor
enthusiasts and I've always thought that Bill Lyons and George Brough both possessed that wonderful eye for line epitomised in their products. On a nearby wall is a great photo montage, including pictures of Lyons and Walmsley aboard a similar outfit, Lyons on a HarleyDavidson and the Swallow works.
Another, little known, exhibit is the twostroke engine designed by Joe Ehrlich he of EMC motorcycle fame - for the Austin Motor Company. This can be found in the main building in the area at the base of the elevator where a number of engines are displayed. It was intended to go in the A20, intended as a super economy small car and the next model down from the A30. The A20 never saw the light of day but various engine types were tested, including an Ehrlichcompany to SS Cars which then morphed designed 500cc twin-cylinder air-cooled into Jaguar. Founders Williams Lyons split-single (I hope that makes sense!) and Walmsley were motorcycle that apparently did not perform well. (As
the 1947 EMC in the London Motorcycle Museum shows, Joe was an enthusiast for the split-single concept.) However the engine on display is a conventional piston -ported two-stroke water-cooled twin and the accompanying description credits it
with 670cc and approximately 40 bhp. For more information on both engines track down a copy of 'Post-War Baby Austins' by Barney Sharratt. If any member visiting finds anything else of particular interest please let us know!
GREEN LIGHT FOR SAMMY MILLER
An artist’s impression of the proposed extension
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he Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum Trust have announced that the New Forest District Council have granted planning permission for a 10,000 ft² two-storey extension to the Museum at New Milton in the New Forest. The extension was approved after the Museum Trust worked to
demonstrate to NFDC that ‘under very special circumstances’ the extension is a warranted departure from Green Belt Policy. The NFDC has approved this application as the Trust had set out in some detail that the proposed extension will be used as much needed additional space for the Museum. The Museum Trust urgently requires more library, archive and catalogue display facilities which this new extension will now provide. Work on the extension is expected to start in the Autumn of 2019 and the Museum Trust will work to keep the majority of exhibits on display to the public during the build. The Trust would like to thank all the many motorcyclists and friends of the Museum Trust who gave their backing and encouragement for our new extension. The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is one of the New Forest National Park’s major attractions, and once the new extension is complete will be able to offer visitors an enhanced and enriched visit with facilities in which to relax in comfort to read and research the archives.
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V I P V I S I TO R F O R T H E N O RTO N C O L L E C T I O N
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he Home Secretary, The Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, admires the BMCT's 1922 Banshee with Dennis Norton of The Norton Collection Museum in Bromsgrove, the fifteenth museum to be affiliated to the BMCT. Mr. Javid is MP for Bromsgrove, and has been a supporter and promoter of the Norton Collection for some time. He was keen to get down to the Museum as soon as he heard from Dennis that the only two surviving Bromsgrove-built Banshees in the world were both together in the Museum!
NEW MEMBERS Peter Butler David Price Richard Hutson John Bennett Peter Watkins Gaye Trutwein Malcolm Coleman Tim Harris Alan Kingsnorth Andy Pitt Bill Pitt Paul Simnett Danny Perkins Sam French James French Terry French Jill French Mark Jaworski Vic Sartin Kerry Sartin Helen Page Nigel Page David King Christine Lennard Alan Jennings Mark Lowman Marcus Mckay Shaun Paddon Stephanie Paddon Kevin Nicholls Andy Bramwell Jonathan Green Colin Shippey Andy Carden Ian Webb Michael Sanderson Andy Sales Graham Campbell John Harris Neil Morgans Michael Phipps Clive Stoker Lyndsey Sanderson Robert Graham Shirley Graham David Norton
Gail Norton Hugh Maw Neil Richardson Vijayaraj Vijayaratnam Maurice Shimmon Sylvia Shimmon Stuart Turner Claire Curtis Dave Reed Ondray Clarke Ryan Margetts Jessica Lomax Michael Branscombe Chris Johnson Paul Johnson C R Hutchinson Raymond Dean John Tring Jeremy O'Flaherty Tug O'Flaherty Gordon Hackshaw Sarah Eglen Frank Thurlow Michael Foreman Chris Pratt Tony Earland Kenneth Edwards Mary Reilly Jack Monahan Adam Flynn Leanne Waldon Nina Cooper-Pettitt Andrew Moore Paul Mackie Paul Wilson John Elliott Jenny Elliott Roger Brown Nicola Brown Anthony Mansbridge Alison Mansbridge Peter Bartrop Janice Bartrop Paul Mercer Ann Mercer William Oetting
James Cave Brian Soden Jim Axford Stephen Smith Tim Smart Ian Malone Steve Aylward Stephen Wilson Amy Marsh John Lawson Charles Kay Sandra Morris Peter Edwards Anne Dean Michael Mcdonald Simon Mills Martin Nokes Terrence Green Colin Metcalfe Kevin Bush Christopher Blomfield Ian Clarke Michael Welch David Shire Vince Warner Bill Carey Simone Cunningham James Woolfson Martin Robinson Ross Walker-Love Melanie Thorne Jannette Edwards Martin Pate Tony Brown David Whitehead Julie Thompson James Green Nicola Green Jonathan Hill Terry Scoines Peter Rutter Scott Trutwein Natalie Trutwein Stephen Brookes Malcolm Greggs John Mayfield
Brad Essex Paul Bateman Mike Welch Jr. Amy Reynolds Paul Thomson Bryan Young Tyler Essex Philip Evans Ann Short Nigel Rich Nick Yaxley Matt James Stephanie Dunn Timothy Scarr Malcolm Wright Ian Briggs Malcolm James Heather Bowering Martin Sharp Dave Monks Robert Brown Tony Watson John Joel Neil Smith Dan Biss Teresa Biss Peter Trueman Richard Mills Gillian Mills Oni Divasu Stephen Smith Martin Johnson Robert Perry Wendy Perry Marion Welch David Stride John Barnes David Hooton Christine Scade Raymond Covey David Tomlinson Antony Johnson Michael Shirley Carolyn Shirley
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e’re saddened to announce the passing of one of the BMCT’s most enthusiastic supporters. John Walters of Bishampton passed away aged 77 on 5th March 2019, after a short illness.
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Originally from Birmingham, John was a lifelong motorcyclist who relied on a BSA A7 Shooting Star for transport before marriage to Jan and the arrival of his sons Andy and Robbie prompted the acquisition of a car. He never gave up on bikes, though, as he turned to them for recreation, becoming an accomplished trials rider on a variety of mainly British machines, although latterly his stable did contain a Yamaha 175 alongside his trusty BSA B40. John was a road rider, too, and his pride and joy was his unique BSA A10 Super Rocket Special, (right) built in what was to become Rocket Gold Star trim by BSA, and registered to themselves to be used for evaluation purposes in 1960, two years before the RGS itself was introduced. Many of you will have seen the bike at the various shows attended by the BMCT, and John was always happy to talk at length about it to anyone who
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expressed an interest! A shooting man and a keen golfer, John was never happier than when tinkering in his garage, and he was a great help in returning the BMCT’s OHC Humber to the road a few years ago. He made the pilgrimage with Jan and the kids to the Isle of Man TT annually for many years and was also a keen supporter of the Irish road races, his favourite meetings being the Skerries and the North West 200. A lovely man, and a very sad loss. RIP my friend. - Andy Bufton
i Andy. These Nortons belong to my pal, fellow BMCT member Tim Bungay, former grass track rider and ex Poole Pirate speedway rider. In addition to being a quiet and reserved gentleman, he also built a 40 foot yacht which he and his wife sailed to the West Indies (and back of course) using just a sextant and charts for navigation! Tim is now 82 and still regularly riding his self-restored Nortons, two of which I am very privileged to ride with him around the New Forest and on visits to Andover Norton and the Army Air Corps Museum at Middle Wallop. One of our aims in 2019 is a trip up to the Ace Café at Park Royal. He has also restored one of the first Honda CB750s and two Triumph Tridents. All Tim's bikes are to be ridden, and not just admired or hung over the fireplace! - Neil Trutwein (A1338)
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he BMCT’s Jones 250 Twin took pride of place before 150 guests at the annual Brooklands Museum Motorcycle Team’s Christmas Lunch back in December. The theme for 2018 being “We’re having twins”, each of the tables were decorated with a placard drawn I N by S Volunteer I D E and S T O R Y artist extraordinaire Michael Sands, as you can see in our photo. One of the most difficult tasks for the organisers was manhandling the Jones up the stairs into the function room of the Brooklands Clubhouse! Willing hands and a stout bit of rope did the trick!
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THE BR IT IS H M OTOR CYC LE C HA RITABLE TRUST Registered in England No. 01445196
Life President Trevor F. Wellings
The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust (BMCT) was originally formed in 1979 to facilitate the building of the National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill, near Solihull in the West Midlands. Since 1995, however, the BMCT has been an entirely separate organisation, a grant-making Charity dedicated to the promotion of British motor cycle engineering heritage through a network of affiliated transport museums throughout the country.
Trustees: Ian Walden OBE (Chairman) Peter Wellings Paul Barnes John Handley Mike Jackson Nick Jeffery John Kidson Mike Penn
Associate Membership is open to all, and allows free entry to all the museums in our affiliation scheme. Our funding comes from membership fees, bequests, donations, and income from our investments. Please direct any enquiries to the secretary, at the Registered Office address on the left.
Registered Charity No. 509420 Registered Office: Holly Cottage Main Street Bishampton Pershore WR10 2NH United Kingdom
Secretary & Editor Andy Bufton Mob: 07754 880116 Email: editor@bmct.org
Our affiliated museums are: Black Country Living Museum, Dudley British Motor Museum, Gaydon Brooklands Museum, Weybridge Coventry Transport Museum Dover Transport Museum Gloucester Life Museum Haynes International Motor Museum Jet Age Museum, Gloucester London Motorcycle Museum Manx Museum, Isle of Man National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Sammy Miller Museum, New Milton Stroud Museum in the Park The Tank Museum, Bovington The Norton Collection Museum, Bromsgrove
www.bmct.org
Grampian Transport Museum, Aberdeenshire
IMPORTANT NOTICE - PLEASE READ
The Director of the National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill near Solihull has contacted us to say that recently a significant number of BMCT members have presented their membership cards expecting to be allowed free entry to the museum. To avoid embarrassment please remember that the NMM left our affiliation scheme in 2015, and when visiting there you will be asked to pay the regular admission price.
D AT E S F O R Y O U R D I A RY APRIL 27-28
39th CAROLE NASH INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE SHOW Stafford County Showground ST18 0RD
MAY 12
CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE SHOW Dover Transport Museum, Whitfield, Dover CT16 2JX
MAY 19
ROMNEY MARSH CLASSIC SHOW + JUMBLE Hamstreet, Ashford, Kent TN26 2JD
JUNE 15-16
DOUBLE TWELVE MOTORSPORT FESTIVAL Brooklands Museum, Weybridge KT13 0QN
JUNE 15-16
VMCC BANBURY RUN British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwick CV35 0BJ
JUNE 28-30
TANKFEST 2019 The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset BH20 6JG
JUNE 22-23
FLYWHEEL FESTIVAL Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire OX26 5HA
JUNE 30
MOTORCYCLE DAY Brooklands Museum, Weybridge KT13 0QN
JULY 5-7
VMCC FESTIVAL OF 1,000 BIKES Mallory Park, Leicestershire LE9 7QE
Published by Matchless Management Services, Holly Cottage, Main Street, Bishampton, Pershore WR10 2NH