Devil’s Staircase feature

Fans and followers of the annual Scottish Six Days Trial will know of the old section called ‘Devil’s Staircase’ at Kinlochmoidart on the shores of Loch Moidart in the Scottish Highlands. It was for many years a spectator heavy section and regarded as a terror section by many competitors.

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A Devil’s Staircase shot of former AJS factory riders Gordon Jackson, Geoff Ward and Gordon McLaughlan taken by Dennis Belleville of Peebles.

Tern Television has continued their series for BBC ONE Scotland entitled ‘Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs – series 3’ with their presenter Paul Murton and they have filmed at the Devil’s Staircase this year. We will learn a bit about the sections history and the local history of what is known as the ‘Coffin Road’.

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Paul Murton is the front man of the series on Scotland’s Lochs – Photo: BBC Scotland

Programme 3 covers from Loch Moidart to Loch Ailort, it is the third in the new series of programmes, which goes out on Monday 16th September, 2019 at 19.30 GMT on the new BBC ONE Scotland channel. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer after the initial transmission.

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 John N. Clarkson from Skirling, Biggar, seen here on his Matchless on Devil’s Staircase in 1953 – Photo: Ray Biddle, Birmingham

The section was first used in 1936 and wasn’t cleaned until three years later. It was used up until the late 1980s and then again once in 2011 for the Centenary SSDT.

Keep an eye out for Trials Guru’s John Moffat in this edition!

Link to BBC website: HERE

BBC iplayer: HERE

Tern TV - September 2019

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Scott Trial 2019 – latest news

The Scott Trial preparations are well underway.
As the trialing world now knows, the Yorkshire dales where the Scott Trial is held has been devastated by recent floods. The streams which host the sections have expanded from six feet wide to forty feet wide in some places, causing the landscape to change considerably.
Lots of the usual gullys have changed, streams and becks now run in different courses and hillsides have effectively ‘moved’. Richmond Motor Club’s Scott Trial Committee have had their August meeting and have agreed that this year’s event will run as usual.
So now is the time to put your pen to entry form and get it posted so you can ride a bag full of new sections and new routes with the best in Britain. Entries are as always on a first come basis and remember in the past few years, there has been up to thirty entries on the waiting list, so please don’t delay.
As always your entry fee and kind donations throughout the event will go directly to local Scott charities and to supporting the Dales as they try to get back to some normality.
Download you entry form at  www.richmondmotorclub.com.

Peter ‘Jock’ Wilson dies

It is with sadness that we announce the death of Peter Cameron ‘Jock’ Wilson of Tolworth, Surrey, formerly of Comerfords and Bultaco UK, Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton and latterly director of SWM UK. He was 85 years of age.

Jock Wilson - 1966 - Comerford BSA 441 - Photo - Don Morley
Jock on the 441 BSA prepared at Comerfords in 1966 – Photo: Don Morley

Jock was born and brought up in Glen Lyon, Perthshire and moved south when he joined the army to do his national service based at Aldershot.

Jock was a former Trials and ISDT competitor and went on to manage the Scottish ACU ISDT Vase teams and then the Great Britain ISDT Trophy teams for the ACU.

Details of Jock Wilson’s funeral arrangements are cremation on Tuesday, 10th September at Randalls Park Crematorium, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 OAG at 14.45pm.

Trials Guru send heartfelt condolences to his widow Patricia, son Gordon and the Wilson family. His son Andrew died some years ago.

A full article on Jock Wilson is available on this website: HERE

Richmond rally round flood victims

Hannah Richards, Reeth 3-day (Sat) 26-07-15

The following announcement was released by the committee of the Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd (RMC) today, Wednesday 7th August, 2019.

“As many of you will have seen, our local area was hit by flash flooding last week, resulting in devastating damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles and roads and saw livestock and pets swept away. Fortunately no-one lost their lives, although some had near escapes.
The community is pulling together in a fantastic way and there are many offers of support and assistance.
RMC held a meeting last night to discuss how we could help as a club. We are organising a working party on Saturday, 17th August 2019 to help with the clear up in the Reeth area, clearing stone and debris and putting up walls where possible.
Scott Trial secretary and farmer, Ken Wallis said: “Anybody who can help, please meet in Reeth at the Woodward where the Reeth 3 Day starts from at 9.30am to help with a working party.”
Please wear suitable clothing such as boots and gloves and if you can bring shovels, brushes etc that would be much appreciated. If you can’t help hands on, but can help with refreshments for workers, please let us know.
We have already had enquiries from the trialing fraternity asking if we are collecting donations, so the club is setting up a fund raising page.
The Richmond club itself has also pledged to donate £7,500 into this fund, which will be passed on to community funds/organisations in order to support those most affected and also to the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, whose rescue services at the height of the floods and ongoing support has proved invaluable to the community.”

This is a very generous effort by the RMC to alleviate the suffering caused by the floods in the Reeth area. It is of course an area where many trials are held annually.

Northern Ireland Moto Trial News

Multiple British Trials Champion and World Championship contender, James Dabill will be in Northern Ireland for a weekend of events on Saturday, 10th and Sunday, 11th of August 2019 in association with Ards and North Down Borough Council.

James will be appearing with Trialstar alongside Multiple Ulster and Irish Champion Andy Perry at The Portavogie Sea Food Festival on Saturday 10th of August from 12pm and then he will be at Whitespots Trials Park in Newtownards on Sunday 11th of August 2019 in conjunction with Moto Trial NI.
James will be giving a Trials School to local competitors on Sunday morning and then competing in a Super Trial event in the afternoon from 1pm alongside the top riders from across Ireland.

If you want to be amazed at what can be done on a motorbike, make sure you get along to either event.

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Peter Stirland, Royal Enfield factory rider dies

Peter Thomas Stirland (22nd April 1935 – 2nd August 2019)

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of former James, Royal Enfield & Greeves factory trials rider, Peter Stirland of Hungerford.

Peter’s death has occurred in the same year as Johnny Brittain who also rode for the Reddich manufacturer when the UK dominated the trials market with machinery and factory riders.

Prior to Royal Enfield, Stirland rode for James in 1954 and then after the Enfield years, he switched back to two-stroke power, riding for Greeves in 1964 on their TFS machines.

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Peter Stirland on his factory Royal Enfield on Achintee/Ben Nevis in the 1958 Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: Ray Biddle

Stirland was not only an accomplished trials rider, he also represented Great Britain in the International Six Days Trial on many occasions.

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Jeff Smith (Left) on his wedding day with best man, Peter Stirland (right) at St Mary’s Church in Prestbury, Gloucestershire on July 6th, 1957 – Photo Courtesy of Jeff Smith.

Stirland was the proprietor of Peter Stirland Ltd in Hungerford, Berkshire which was a main Ford car dealership which he founded in 1958 and has been a family owned business to the current day.

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Jeff Smith (left) with daughter Chris (centre) and Peter Stirland (right) in 2018. Peter was Jeff and Irene Smith’s best man. Photo courtesy of Chris Smith, Wisconsin, USA.

Trials Guru sends sincere condolences to the Stirland family at this difficult time. Peter’s memorial service was held at St. John’s Church, Stockcross, Newbury on Friday 23rd August, 2019.

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