The Scottish trials community was saddened to learn of the death of Dalmellington club stalwart and keen trials rider, Michael Anderson on Monday 8^th January, he was sixty years of age. He had been bravely battling cancer for some time, but throughout his treatment remained cheery and positive and continued to ride a motorcycle whenever possible.

Living at Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, he was originally from Bishop-Auckland in County Durham. Mike as he was known to all, never lost his North-East accent. He was a trials fanatic and amassed a collection of machines over the years. He rode a Royal Enfield many times in the early years of the Pre’65 Scottish Trial and a BSA Bantam and was delighted when his trials riding son, Michael junior was successful in gaining an entry to this years’ Scottish Six Days Trial in May. An event the whole family looked forward to, as well as their annual visits to the Scott Trial in the October.

Mike was married to the hard working Dalmellington club secretary, Heather Anderson and father to daughter, Coral who has been involved in the sport as an observer for many years and latterly an official at the SSDT. He made his living as an opencast mine machine operator.

Funeral arrangements are as follows:

Tuesday 16th January at St. Brides Church of Scotland, Sanquhar, at 12.30 pm, 1:00pm at the graveside, thereafter to the Sanquhar Community Centre for a funeral tea where the family would like to invite all friends to join them.

Mike’s daughter Coral spoke to Trials Guru and said: “We have been overwhelmed with all the supportive messages, visits and flowers that we have received. It is so comforting to know that my Dad was loved by so many people”.

Trials Guru conveys condolences to the Anderson family at this sad time on behalf of the wider Scottish trials community.

It is with much sadness that Trials Guru brings the news of the passing of  Tom Ollerton at the age of 91 on Christmas Day, 2017.

Ollerton was an active member of Darwen Motor Cycle & Light Car Club (now Darwen Trial Club) in Lancashire, being at one time their club secretary. Tom had the accolade of being the very first rider to compete in the Scottish Six Days Trial on a Bultaco in 1962. The Bultaco machine he rode was a 196cc ‘Sherpa S’ registered in Blackburn, Lancashire as PBV700, his riding number was 8 that year.

He worked at Anelays Motorcycles in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire who were the original importers of the Bultaco brand in the UK and had racing connections. However having ridden the modified Sherpa S in the 1962 Scottish Six Days and again in 1963 riding another Bultaco Sherpa of 155 cc capacity under number 18. Tom was joined in 1964 by Oriol Puig Bultó from the Bultaco factory who provided him with a factory prepared prototype machine riding number 40.

Oriol who is the nephew of Senor F.X. Bultó the founding father of the marque, was very impressed by the modifications that Tom had carried out to the standard, dual purpose ‘Sherpa N’ and Puig Bultó set about altering his own factory machine to a similar specification. Oriol was a very competent international motocross rider as well as being an expert trials and ISDT competitor.

It could be said that Ollerton was the fore-runner/creator of the machine that was the basis for Sammy Miller’s ‘Sherpa T’ of November 1964, the model with increased capacity to 244cc, that literally changed the world of trials forever.

Trials Guru’s John Moffat who has followed the history of the Sherpa since childhood said:   “Tom Ollerton’s involvement with developing the ‘Sherpa N’ to close to ‘Sherpa T’ specification has all but been forgotten except for a handful of enthusiasts. Tom Ollerton has been the ‘missing link’ in the Bultaco Sherpa story, my aim is to put that right. Tom Ollerton’s contribution to the Sherpa’s development was significant in nature, having competed in the toughest trial in the world three times on the brand. I wouldn’t take any credit away from Sammy Miller of course, but the trials Bultaco had been in a constant stage of development before Sammy did his secret testing sessions in company with Roy Peplow in the October of 1964 at Senor Bultó’s ranch, called San Antonio.”

Moffat continued: “Sammy Miller’s development work on the Sherpa which eventually became the production Model 10 is well documented, but Tom Ollerton’s contribution to the Bultaco Sherpa, less so.”

Moffat also said: “Having got to know Oriol Puig Bultó very well over the past few years, we have discussed this many times in conversation. He told me that in 1964 he drove a small Fiat 500cc car with a trailer carrying two Sherpa prototype machines, one for himself and the other for his friend Tom Ollerton to ride, all the way from Barcelona to Edinburgh in Scotland for that year’s SSDT. I know that Oriol held Tom Ollerton in high regard, I am certain he will be much saddened to hear of Tom’s passing.”

Our sincere condolences go to the Ollerton family.

Tom Ollerton’s funeral service will take place at St Anne’s Church, Turton, BOLTON, Lancashire BL7 0ER at 1.30pm on Monday, January 8th 2018, followed by cremation at Pleasington, Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 5LE.

Oriol Puig Bultó wrote on 3rd January 2018:

“I am very sad today by the news of Tom Ollerton’s passing.
This brings my memory back to May 1964, when I drove all the way from Barcelona to Edinburgh taking on my trailer two Bultaco Trial prototypes prepared at the factory for the SSDT, one for myself and the other for my team mate Tom Ollerton. The experience we gained at that event helped us to further develop the Trial model towards the Sherpa T. My sympathy and condolences to Tom’s family.”

For more on the Bultaco story go HERE