Born on the eleventh of November 1933, we wish Samuel Hamilton Miller MBE a happy 84th Birthday.
Have a read at the special page on Trials Guru dedicated to the most famous of all trials riders.
Category Archives: People
FRANZ KADLEC – DM Champion 2017
Franz Kadlec is the 2017 German National Trials Champion riding for Gas Gas.
From Bad Tolz, Bavaria, Kadlec clinched the series at the final round at Wusten, Nordrheine-Westfalen earlier this month, this is the fourth German title he has to his credit. He is a former European Champion.
Photo copyright: Hans Greiner/Trialsport DE
Leslie makes his trips worthwhile
Keith Leslie returned home to Shetland last week after securing a top five place in the SACU Scottish National Trials Championships. He becomes the first Shetlander to make it into the top ten in the overall championship results since it began in 1955, a feat which has not gone unnoticed by his peers.
To commit to travelling south from Shetland for the eight rounds that make up the Championships has been a tremendous effort, along with the associated costs this brings, but he crossed the line last Sunday at Fersit, Spean Bridge to warm applause and lots of handshakes, safe in the knowledge he’d finished in the top five in Scotland in the Over 40 class, narrowly missing out on 4th place overall by just four points.
All the more remarkable is the fact that until this season began, Leslie had only visited three of the five venues that were chosen to hold Nationals, a disadvantage, with his rivals all being seasoned campaigners who’d visited each venue multiple times over the years.
Riding a Gas Gas in the Bon Accord Motorcycle Club, the first test was a ‘local’ trial, if any could be classed as such coming from Shetland. Round one is usually always held at Craiglash Quarry at Banchory on the first week of April, a place Leslie knows well having been there often. This showed in the results as when the points were tallied up he’d secured a career best 4th place, agonisingly missing his first podium by two marks!
Spurred on by that result, and after spending 4 days at the beginning of May in Fort William watching the Scottish Six Day Trial, Keith had to return there with his bike the following weekend for Round 2 at Glen Nevis. Having never really ridden those typical ”Scottish” type gulley sections, and being one of the venues he’d not visited yet, he came away delighted with a 5th place, securing more valuable championship points.
Five weeks passed until another journey south beckoned, this time as far south as he’d go all year when Galashiels was the venue for Round 3. Another one Leslie hadn’t seen yet but some solid riding on the National route saw him set off for home after securing another solid 5th place and more points.
Another five weeks passed before Keith headed away on the boat again for the Dunfermline & District club’s Round 4, Drumcarrow in Tayside was the venue this time, another new one to contend with. Some great riding on the first 2 laps had Leslie in contention for a top 3 finish, but a broken rear brake lever on the third lap meant he had to limp home in 8th place cursing the stone that had shattered his hopes as well as his brake!
Only a month at home before the Perth & District club Aberfeldy Trial in Perthshire was the venue for Round 5. Another place Leslie hadn’t visited, and for all it’s beauty it will be remembered painfully as the scene of his biggest crash of the year! A miscalculation during a steep rocky climb saw Leslie fall with the full weight onto his left leg. Had his good friend Robert James not been riding with him, we might have seen his first retiral of the season as he struggled to put any weight on his leg and had to drop more points on his last lap than he had on the first two combined. Spurred on by Robert, he made it to the end and was glad to finish 6th after his fall.
Another month of rest and physio on his injured leg saw Keith head off again, this time for Round 6 at the Inverness & District club’s Paul Kilbauskas memorial trial at Alvie Estate, near Aviemore. A place he’d visited before, and knew roughly. Conditions worsened as soon as Keith and his good friend Trevor Gibb arrived, and they knew they’d be in for a serious test. Torrential rain all morning made the burns almost impossible to ride, as foaming water meant nobody could see the line through. Seven riders had to retire with machines that had been drowned in deep water but Leslie persevered and finished 6th, securing more valuable points.
The end was in sight as only two weeks later he had to return south for the final 2 rounds of the Championship on consecutive weekends. Bob Macgregor Trials Academy at Dunlop in Ayrshire was the venue for the penultimate round, another new one for Keith but he rode solidly all day and ended up 5th overall in his class. The highlight of that weekend was seeing his good friend Craig Houston become the first Ayrshire man to ever win the Scottish Premier title for 2017.
A weeks holiday with his daughter beside family in Peterhead meant Keith travelled south feeling quite fresh the following weekend. The Lochaber club’s Grace Dignan memorial trial at Fersit, Spean Bridge was the venue for Round 8, the final round of the 2017 championships.
Rain and strong winds eased as the morning went on, but the ground was slippy and everyone seemed to be crashing Leslie included. A difficult moor crossing where the riders had to summit a Monroe before descending the other side on each lap took it’s fair share of casualties but Leslie hung in to end the trial 5th again overall, and finish 5th place in the championship, only missing 4th by four marks!!
Delighted with how his first attempt competing at National level had gone, Leslie said:
” It’s a dream come true really. Initially I had thought if I could make it into the top 10 in Scotland at my first attempt I’d be more than happy, so to have made it into the top 5 is unbelievable really, especially given I’d never seen five of the eight venues.
I only bought a trials bike when I turned forty, I watched a Julien Dupont video on YouTube and thought, i’d like one of those bikes. I’d had motocross bikes before that but had never swung my leg over a trials bike until I turned 40, and you know the saying about old dogs & new tricks! I was lucky as my good friend Gary Mcmillan helped me with the fundamentals, and we had a couple of coaching weekends from eleven times Scottish Premier Champion Gary Macdonald, and current Champion, Craig Houston which helped massively. All the people above me in the championship have been expert level trials riders in their younger days, so to be competing with them after only five years of practise is something i’m extremely proud of, if a little bewildered by.”
He continued: ”It has cost me a lot in travel, fuel & digs but it’s something I’ll never forget. It’ll always be in the history books now. Hopefully if I secure some more sponsorship for next year I’d like another crack at it, given how well I’ve done this year.
We’ll see though, as I’ve put an entry in for the Scottish Six Day Trial next year and will find out in December if I’ve been one of the lucky ones and got in. It’s often referred to as the hardest test of machine & man in the world, given it’s duration and the amount of miles you have to cover, and is way over subscribed each year, but fingers crossed, I think it’d make all my effort this year worthwhile if I got in and had a go.”
Finally, Keith would like to thank everyone who has helped him this year:
Northlink Ferries and their staff; Tay-CAD; Skretting; Highland Leisure Sport; GasGas UK; Factory Kev; Splatshop; Ewen Georgeson; Gary Mcmillan; Brian Gray; Robert James & Trevor Gibb.
Photos: Brian Gray Photography, Shetland
Barry Robinson 86 not out!
Few people in motorcycle sport will not have either heard, or come across, the name Barry Robinson.
Barry from Ilkley, West Yorkshire has been taking photos and reporting on events for over 60 years. He turns 86 on 19th October and shows no signs of slowing down.
Serious about his craft, he joined the National Union of Journalists and he has worked on The Motor Cycle; MCN; Daily Telegraph; Californian Biker; Newsquest; Yorkshire TV to name but a few.
Robinson got to know Eric Rathmell, father of Malcolm back in 1953 when he rented a cottage in the village of Otley and became life-long friends with the Rathmells from that moment on.
Trials Guru’s John Moffat said: “I came across the name Barry Robinson by reading reports of trials in MCN when I was still at school. In particular an event that I attended as a spectator at Rochdale, the ACU Inter-Centre Team Trial that was in 1973. I was fortunate to be introduced to Barry some years ago when attending a Scott Trial and to my surprise he had heard of me, through the sport. Like most motorcyclists, he is a true enthusiast and I think his experience led him to believe that I was too and we hit it off. Since then he has taken my photo many times when interviewing and he has allowed me to use these here on Trials Guru. I spent a whole day with him and Eric Kitchen at ‘Goats’ during the Reeth Three Day trial a few years ago, which was a very entertaining experience. It was a joy to see these two guys at work and the banter between them was hilarious”.
Richmond sidecar trials driver, Barry Watson told Trials Guru: “I first met Barry Robinson in 1976 at the Allan Jefferies Trial, which Ronnie Suttill and I won, beating Arthur Lampkin. In his words, he said, well I suppose I had better take a photograph seeing you have won!”
Robinson has actually ridden many factory bikes in his time, especially those of Malcolm Rathmell. These included the works Bultacos, Montesas and of course Beamish Suzuki.
He has also had close ties with the Lampkins, especially Arthur, the eldest of the Silsden brothers.
A very private person, Barry Robinson told Trials Guru: “Not a lot of people are aware of my long connection with the Rathmell and Lampkin families or that I actually rode trials, as an expert; scrambles, as an idiot, or that I was a Yorkshire and Lancashire champion grass track sidecar passenger and rode in televised scrambles as a solo and sidecar passenger”.
Robinson has also been a Speedway referee, a TT and Ulster GP mechanic for Alan Shepherd and Rob Fitton and an ACU road race steward. He was also an assistant clerk of the course of the Ilkley Grand National to Eric Rathmell for 25 years. He also ran the Dunlop press office at the SSDT for three years when the tyre company sponsored the event.
Barry has captured on both roll film and digitally all of the top riders of their day.
Happy birthday Barry on the 19th of October, you have a good few miles and events to cover yet!
This tribute to Barry Robinson on his 86th birthday is copyright.
Article: Trials Guru / MoffatRacing ~ 2017
Photographs: Barry Robinson ~ world wide copyright, All Rights Reserved
Houston is 2017 Champion
Craig Houston is the 2017 Scottish Premier Trials Champion. He is the first Ayrshireman to hold the Scottish Trials Championship Premier class since it began back in 1955.
Known in the Scottish Trials world as ‘Housty’, Trials Guru was quick of the mark to do a ‘five minutes with’ style interview with the man himself.
Craig: “My Dad, George, also a trials rider, got me into motorcycle sport, he got me a Yamaha PW50 at four years old and a Yamaha TY80 a few years later.
I didn’t compete until I was around twelve when I entered the local Stevenston and Dalmellington clubs’ trials riding a brute of a 1999 Beta Techno!
I have 2 major influences in trials, firstly school teacher, Alan MacDonald, who was not only my maths teacher but my trials teacher in the early days!
He used to throw me out of his class during the day and then I’d go out practising with him and his brother, Duncan at night!
He used to get annoyed when I called him ‘Mr Macdonald’ at trials as it made him feel old. I still do it now and again, but he is old now so it’s fine.
My other big influence is Gary Macdonald, who has helped me a lot over the years and actually got me back into trials after giving up for three years when I turned nineteen.
He’s a pretty awesome trials rider and definitely the best Scotland has seen- and probably will see for a long time yet.
My all time favourite trials rider is Takumi Narita, I think he was awesome, his riding style was great to watch and way ahead of it’s time”.
Trials Guru: What is your line of work Craig?
“I’m a mechanical fitter working in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. My job is well suited to maintaining motorcycles which is great.
Now I’ve won the Scottish championship I want to try and do better at national events down south, like the S3 rounds and the BTC, the Scott and the big one will always be the SSDT.
I hope to string a good week together up in the Highlands one year! I am also looking forward to trying to retain the title next year against Andy Anderson, Joe Dawson and Duncan MacColl. Should make for an interesting championship in 2018!
I have to say a massive thank you to Duncan Wood at East Neuk Trials Motorcycles who has been helping me out since 2014, without him I wouldn’t be able to to do what I love so thank you very much”.
Thanks to Craig Houston for taking time out from his busy schedule and best of luck for next season, 2018.
Article Copyright: Trials Guru/MoffatRacing 2017
Photographs copyright: Brian Gray Photography, Shetland Isles –
http://www.briangrayphotography.com
C.H. Wood – Master Film-maker
Trials Guru is honoured to be permitted access to the photographs taken by the well-known film-maker, Mr. Charles Harold Wood of Bradford, who began a photographic career in 1922.
The firm of C.H. Wood (Bradford) Limited, formed in 1932 made many films for Castrol oils, both to publicise their products and promote motor sport in general.
Many motor and motor cycle clubs made use of the Castrol film facility for club film show evenings across the length and breadth of the UK.
Recently David Wood, son of C.H. Wood was speaking to Trials Guru’s John Moffat and they realised that they had family connections back to the late ninteen sixties and seventies.
In 1968, the Wood film company were shooting a film in Scotland at Ryeflat Farm, Carstairs, Lanarkshire. This was a scrambles event run by the Edinburgh Southern MC and Moffat’s father, T. Arnott Moffat was instrumental in organising the filming which was eventually formed part of the Castrol film, ‘Quartet for Two Wheels’. This was four motorcycle events in one movie. A scramble in Scotland, the Inter Centre Team Trial in Wales, Racing at Scarborough’s Olivers Mount and road racing at Kirkistown in County Down, Northern Ireland.
The Wood family attended these events and both David and Harold Wood met Arnott Moffat. David also met Moffat at many Scottish Six Days Trials over the years, when on location to make more films for the Castrol Film Library.
David Wood and John Moffat met at the 2014 Scott Trial Reunion dinner at the Ripon Spa Hotel, organised by mutual friend Alan ‘Sid’ Lampkin.
Some time later, David started looking at Trials Guru website and decided that it would be a good place to allow some of his father’s trials archive to be seen.
David Wood told Trials Guru recently: “My father was C. H. Wood of course but after he retired I ran the company for another twenty years, making over two-hundred motor sport films not only for Castrol and Shell, but for companies such as BSA/Triumph, Yamaha, Honda, Camel, Champion, Dunlop and Suzuki. The last Scottish Six Days film I made was ‘Mick Andrews Trials Champion’.
I kept the C. H. Wood name as a tribute to my father, but many people think he was a one man band who made films for 70 odd years. When I retired C.H. Wood (Bradford) Ltd had a staff of over 30.
The later films were made with quite large crews and though it was hard work I wouldn’t change anything”.
What better opportunity to do this but at Scott Trial time. So here we are, some examples of C.H. Wood’s work, some never having been seen in public before.
Trials Guru are delighted to be able to bring you these images and are indebted to David Wood’s generosity.
Please be aware that all these images belong to the David Wood Archive and no reproduction can be made without express written permission from Mr. David Wood.
Click to take you to: In Focus with C H Wood
Some images can be seen within the Scott Trial page on Trials Guru HERE
Farmer John Graham – Master Observer – 1930 – 2020
Here at Trials Guru, we are always looking for something different and original and instead of featuring a rider, we obtained this article about the unsung heroes of our sport, the observers. Without observers, we would have no events. Trials Guru asked an observers’ daughter to pen us an article, this is the result.
Words and photos provided by Helen Graham:
Following a photograph of a well-known and reliable observer ‘Farmer John’ being featured on social media, a flurry of praise ensued with comments such as: Legend; Respect; “Hope I can do that at his age”; “Dedicated to North East Trials”.
There were also questions raised about the life of this 87 year old man in a flat cap, who braves all weathers to observe at trials throughout the North East and beyond.
John Graham was born on 10th January 1930 in Blanchland, Northumberland and at an early age moved with his parents to a rented farm in Hexhamshire, where he lived until the age of twelve when the family moved to a different farm in Hexhamshire, known as High Raw Green, not far from Whitley Chapel.
John wanted to join the RAF as he wanted a trade, and particularly wished to be a mechanic on aeroplanes.
Sadly this was not to be, as being an only child it was expected that he would work for his father and then take over the tenancy of the farm, which was owned by Northumberland County Council.
Let us not forget that in those days there were few cars or tractors, and work on the farm was by means of four legged ‘horse-power’. John states his father got the first family car in 1947, and only after that did they get a tractor on the farm.
Farmer John has only ever possessed one motor cycle, a 1950 Ariel 500 with sidecar. He describes the sidecar as a “wooden box for carrying stuff in”.
John got married to his wife Nancy in 1958, and in 1962 they began farming for themselves at High Raw Green. Sadly the Ariel 500 and ‘box’ had to be swapped for a wagon chassis to make a trailer to be used on the farm. Money was scarce and any available was put into the farm. John is a self-taught engineer and this was not the only trailer that he has built throughout his life.
John and Nancy had a hard life on their dairy farm. They had a herd of over 40 friesian dairy cows to be milked every morning and evening. In summer there was hay and silage to harvest. In winter there were severe snowstorms and John was a well-recognised figure out on his tractor with snow plough fitted to the back, to clear the local roads of snow so that the milk tanker could get to the farms to take the daily production of milk from the farms to the dairy.
John and his younger daughter Anthea began going to motocross every Sunday afternoon. He described it as “an interest, at weekends”.
In 1991 when he and Nancy retired from farming John started to go to motorcycle trials, and says that Harry Norman “roped him in to observe”, and he has been doing so ever since, for 26 years in fact.
Let us not also forget that since John retired from farming in 1991 he has worked continuously at Hexham Auction Mart as a stock person, a manual job, and starts work there at 7am every Tuesday and Friday, and other days when sheep and cattle or other sales take place.
John has observed at all local trials, plus the Yorkshire and Cumberland main trials, and this year is his 20th year for observing at the Scottish Pre-65.
His elder daughter Helen questioned him closely: What do you enjoy about being an Observer?.
His immediate reply, with a wry smile, was “Authority”!
She asked – Do you want to elaborate on that?, and Farmer John replied “to make sure there’s no rock-shifting”.
She asked him what he thinks about observing in wind and rain and all types of weather and his matter-of-fact reply was “It doesn’t bother me because I’ve been used to it all my life”.
Has he a favourite venue?
FJ: “No, but the Scottish Pre-65 is one I enjoy very much. It was a one-day effort originally, and I observed at Pollock Hill for 12 years, The Pipeline, twice or thrice at the hotel up on the top. It was Brian Short who ran the Weardale Trial who got me to do it. They always wanted me to observe at the Scottish Six Days Trial but I declined, it was unfair on anyone that was with me because I would be out from 7am – 7pm. I’ve seen most of the sections at one time or another.”
Does he have any problems with any of the riders?
FJ: “Some of them didn’t like getting Fives but there’s no arguments nowadays because a Five is a Five! I know most of the riders well now“.
What do you think of the new/young riders who are taking part in trials now?
FJ: “They are progressing well“.
A lot of people are surprised you are so fit and healthy at your age of 87 years. What do you put that down to? – FJ: “Hard work“.
How long do you intend to continue? – FJ: “Till I Die“.
Well ‘Farmer John’, let’s hope that’s not for some time yet!!
His daughters just also want to say that behind every good man there is a good woman, and Farmer Johns’ wife Nancy still makes his bag of ‘bait’ every Sunday morning for him, before he heads off to the relevant Trial of the day, and has his cooked meal ready for him when he gets home.
Legend is probably quite fitting, don’t you think?
2017 Pre’65 Scottish Trial – Major Gaff!
When 87 year old Farmer John Graham was asked if he had a favourite venue to observe at he described the Pre’65 Scottish as being ‘The Trial’.
This year, 2017 was to be his twentieth year as an observer at the Pre’65 Scottish Trial.
His daughter Helen has always said that for as long as he wants to observe she will drive him the 225 miles to Kinlochleven from his home town of Hexham, Northumberland.
This duly happened this year, and she drove Farmer John and wife Nancy on a beautiful sunny day from Hexham to what had been a wet day in Kinlochleven.
Farmer John had been given a brand new section to observe at on Friday 28th April 2017, at Man na Gualain. He was most concerned that he had not checked it out. Helen took him to the meeting of all observers the evening beforehand and once having received his official programme he was keen to check out his section.
He was duly at Kinlochleven checking in the following morning and was duly at his section well before he needed to be, so keen is he!
Farmer John was glad to find that the section was harder than what he thought it would be and “riders lost quite a few marks”. He was as ever vigilant that there was no “rock-moving” and he thoroughly enjoyed his day, chatting with entrants and people who were watching the trial.
Saturday was a section he had been at previously, Camas na Muic, and the only blight in his day was the amount of riders who stood on a particular “rock” in the section in an attempt to move it. As ever he was on the ball and fair in his marking.
Unbeknown to him organisers of the Pre-65 Scottish wanted to acknowledge his 20 years of observing at the awards evening on Saturday 29th April. He is not a big social attender but Helen suggested it might be nice to go as he hadn’t been previously, so he obliged.
Farmer John was there presented with an engraved whisky glass and medal acknowledging his 20 years of observing. He was very grateful, albeit very confused when the organisers made a huge and very embarrassing blunder by having the presenter, Graham Archer mention that he was retiring.
Well, his daughter Helen was very quick to point out, that is the first she had heard of him retiring, and he has made no decision to do so!
As an interesting aside, after his two days observing Farmer John, Nancy and Helen travelled down the west coast to Portpatrick for an overnight stay there. Farmer John and Nancy had stayed there almost fifty-nine years previously on their honeymoon. Farmer John was again in his element with his other interest, seeing the countryside and cattle on the Mull of Galloway and visiting a farm near Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway which belongs to a cattle dealer that is a client at Hexham Auction Mart where Farmer John works.
Roll on your 21st Pre’65 Scottish Trial Farmer John, and never lose your interests.
Article: Copyright – Trials Guru & Helen Graham 2017
Photos: Helen Graham, Consett
Sadly John Graham passed away on 7th December 2020, aged 90 years.
John Graham was diagnosed with cancer on 19th November 2020. He had been out observing at a motorcycle trial as late as the 12th September. The nurses who treated John told his family they had never known anyone as strong, and they called him ‘individual’. The sum of £4000 has been raised in donations for Tynedale Hospice at Home. Trials riders followed the funeral cortege around Hexham Auction Mart where John had worked from his retirement from farming in 1991. Around 200 farmers, friends, family and about 30 trials riders on their bikes, in effect his worlds united with mutual respect.
Apart from ‘Fair Dealing’ for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this article may be copied, reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author as stated above. This article is not being published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.
Alastair Macgillivray
Alastair Macgillivray
Words: Trials Guru
Photos: Jimmy Young – Iain Lawrie – Kimages/Kim Ferguson
Two times a Scottish trials champion, 1974 & 1979, from Banavie, Fort William, Alastair Macgillivray is an electrician by trade and was brought up at ‘Muirshearlich’ near to where a group of sections for the Scottish Six Days were situated – ‘Trotter’s Burn’.
Known to all the locals as simply, ‘Allie-Magill’, the quiet spoken Lochaber-man was a force to be reckoned with in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Scottish Trials.
He is the cousin of Rodger Mount, himself a three-time Scottish Trials Champion (1971-1973).
Always a member of Lochaber & District MCC and at one time a secretary of the club, Alastair rode mainly Bultaco Sherpas from 1971 until 1982 when he moved on to ride Fantics in Scottish nationals and in the Scottish Six Days.
He acted as a ‘back-marker’ official at the SSDT for many years after he ceased riding regularly in trials.
Macgillivray won the Scottish championship in 1979 after coming very close to winning in 1978, but lost out at the penultimate round at the Glentanner Estate in Kincardineshire run by Bon Accord MCC, leaving the championship spoils open to eventual joint winners, John Winthrop and Robin Cownie.
Alastair is also an accomplished fly-fisherman, particularly trout fishing and has won many competitions, one of which the prize was the use of a Lexus car for a year being the Lexus Fly-Fishing Champion in 2012.
The Premier Trial Sport Website for photos, articles, news and the history of motorcycle trials
Peter Mitchell – a trials character
PETER MITCHELL – a Scottish Trials Character – 1942 – 2011.
Words: John Moffat, Isobel & Duncan Mitchell
Photos: Eric Kitchen; Jimmy Young, Armadale; Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven; Colin Bullock/CJB Photographic, Solihull; Anthony MacMillan, Fort William*; Richi Foss, Inverness; Mitchell Family Archive.
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One of Scottish trials best-known characters was Peter Mitchell.
Born in the granite city of Aberdeen on 20th July 1942, he was the youngest of six children with four sisters and one brother, also a trials rider.
Elder brother Colin competed in the SSDT and many events having been demobbed from his national service in 1959 and purchased a new 350 AJS 16C from Comerfords at Thames Ditton, a machine that Peter would ride on occasion.
Peter attended school in Aberdeen, firstly at Mile End primary school and then Stonehaven’s Feteresso and Mackie Academies.
Married to Isobel, they had four children, Duncan, Derek, Stuart and daughter, Alison. His nephews were Alan and Richard, Colin’s two sons.
Isobel recalls: “Peter started scrambling as a member of Bon Accord MCC at the age of sixteen at a meeting at Findon near Aberdeen. Although I did not know him at the time, I used to go along to the scrambles to watch the racing, but never thought that on the 28th of December 1966, I would be married to him”.
Peter Mitchell scrambled a BSA Gold Star at one time, but a bad crash put him out of scrambling and he decided to concentrate his motorcycle efforts into trials, like his elder brother Colin.
Young Mitchell worked in various jobs as a builder, digger driver, lorry driver and with a demolition company. At the weekends he also worked at his brother Colin’s garage, where he would dismantle cars for parts reclamation and sales, this was before the advent of large vehicle dismantlers such as Overton Dismantlers. The beyond use parts were sent away to the scrap yards for crushing.
Dismantling work was always done on a Saturday when his four sons were also involved, by donning their boiler suits to work at removing parts from the cars. Lunch times involved a trip to the Cammachmore public house where pie, beans and chips and a few pints were called for, while the children got a game of pool and a soft drink.
Son Duncan Mitchell, also a trials rider: “We used to get to drive the cars around the fields until they broke down, crashed them, or ran out of fuel, then we used Uncle Colin’s Land Rover to recover them, syphon the petrol from the cars so we could all use our bikes to race about the fields next door”.
Peter was also a supervisor at George McGowan civil construction, operated by the brother to Rodger McGowan, who ran the Aberdeen bike shop ‘McGowan Motor Cycles’. After McGowan closed his company, Peter was made redundant and started out as self-employed, setting up a building company simply called Peter Mitchell Builders. He had the assistance from all his children on weekends and summer holidays to assist with any jobs they could undertake.
Duncan: “I remember this one time we built a wall and set the coping stones on it, then put the scratch coating on it all in one long day, Dad then said to me ‘great job let’s wash out the mixer’. He said to me to put some stones in the drum to knock off the mortar from it, so that is what I did, this was a ‘tow behind’ mixer so you can imagine where the stones came from, the wheel chocks! Well it took off down the hill and went clean through the wall, I’ve never ran so fast”.
In 1998 Peter had a heart attack and was forced to give up his company. After he had some rest and was finished all the bikes in the garage he got a job with Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC Group) at Durris Quarry where he was in charge of the batching plant. He had a good easier job there and had a shed there where he could tinker with his bikes, also had a folding seat that he could sit outside when he was not too busy.
Recycling:
Duncan Mitchell: “When the RMC company closed the Durris plant, Dad then got a job working driving skip lorries for a living, he was in his element here as many a good thing was discovered in a skip was what he told me. Many a tool and other things used to come home”.
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Family Man:
Peter was a real family man; he was Grandfather to Nicole and Callum, Katy and Iona, and father-in-law to Fiona, Pauline, Willie & Jill. He was also a Step Grandfather to Leanne, Darren and Liam with Great grandchildren, Tony and Sol.
Son Stuart was not captivated by motorcycles, preferring football and golf as his sports.
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Derek did both trials and motocross and also car rallying, autocross and hill climbs. He also took part at the Alford Museum popular moped race on a Yamaha DT50 and won this several times including the first year it was organised. Derek worked at Shirlaws Motorcycles for many years.
Alison was also a trials rider and rode for many years and only gave up competing to have a family and start a new business.
Duncan Mitchell still rides trials most weekends, with the moped racing at Alford in September. He also assists the Bon Accord club whenever possible, the SSDT, Loch Lomond Two Day and at club trials. He was also the Bon Accord trials and enduro convener for a number of years and also set up the 2 Day events at Ballindalloch, where the barn dances were epic many a good weekend spent there.
Peter Mitchell played Football for a local team in Cove Bay, until he got struck with the ball and punctured his lung. He was also an officer in the Boys Brigade 1st Cove Juniors.
Peter was a member of the Bon Accord MCC for over 50 years, and other various clubs through Scotland and England from Rogart in the north of Scotland to Somerset in the south of England. He took part in scrambles, grass track racing, trials, enduro and also stock car racing.
Music:
Peter loved country music and also loved to go to the speedway racing, especially Cradley Heath when on holidays in the south.
Peters motto in life was “Love me, love my bike – have bike will travel” and so the whole family joined in for many happy and enjoyable years, trekking up and down the country and making lots of friends along the way.
John Dickinson, formerly Editor of T&MX News: “I was minding my own business one day at home when I looked out of my window and suddenly there was Peter Mitchell and family walking outside my house, he had called into Kendal on holiday, knowing I lived there and began searching for me just to say hello”.
Duncan: “In 2009 we had a great holiday, we flew to Birmingham, hired a car and went to Cardiff to the world speed way cup and also visited the Sammy Miller Museum which was a place my Dad wanted to visit for a long time. We then watched the speedway racing at Eastbourne and then on to a meeting at Wolverhampton before handing back the hired car with over 1,000 miles on it”.
“We had a great holiday, but little did we know what laid ahead of us. Sadly in the following April, Dad was diagnosed with cancer the week before we were heading up to Fort William. He rode the Pre-65 trial at Kinlochleven, but sadly this would be his last. He loved the area and loved the events there, after a long battle, he passed away on the 13th February 2011”.
Trials Guru’s John Moffat: “I was extremely privileged to be invited by the Mitchell family to speak at Peter’s funeral in 2011. I had known of Peter and his brother Colin before I started riding trials in 1974. Peter was a great character, he always greeted you with a broad smile and was always keen to chat about the sport whenever he met you. Never a shrinking violet, he was a hard rider, but had a heart of gold. The kind of guy that you could rely upon”.
Peter took part in many events and won many trophies over the years. He was Best up to 250cc in the SSDT, best Scottish rider in the Pre’65, Best over 350cc in the Pre’65 trial.
Peter had ridden the Pre-65, then the SSDT, followed by the Lochaber Invaders trial which was the equivalent to nine one-day trials on the trot.
Duncan: “He was proud to show me the way around the hills of the SSDT course, not many people get the chance to do things like this with their fathers. I was so proud to have known this man for the time I did, I have so many experiences and great fun with him. He was to me a great man, missed by us all”.
Peter also was one of a few that rode all of the Loch Lomond Dan Stewart Two-Day Trial up to the events’ 25 years celebration. It is believed that it was Ian Abbot and Peter were the only two to have ridden them all.
He annually rode the Forfar & Perth & District Club’s Aberfeldy Two-Day trial and along with a few others received a long-time rider award, this was a special motorcycle trophy made by a local artist, constructed from spark plugs, gears and bolts.
In 2008, Peter received a life time achievers award for services to motorcycle sport from the Scottish ACU.
When undergoing treatment for cancer, Peter had numerous chemotherapy sessions but he still managed to ride the Scottish AMCA Over-40 series and finished the season by winning the championship. Sadly, he died while he was a reigning champion and never got the chance to defend this title.
Peter Mitchell’s career highlights:
Pre 65 Scottish: 1989-2010
Started the event as number 1 in 1994
Best finish was 4th overall in 1995
SSDT: 1978-1997
Started the trial as number 1 in 1998.
Peter rode for the Aberdeen based Yamscot team in 1978 won the ‘Eigg Cup’ for best performance on a motorcycle under 250cc, riding a TY 175 Yamaha, he rode with Jock Fraser and John Winthrop.
Peter rode a variety of machines in the SSDT, Yamaha TY 175, TY 250, Beamish Suzuki, Bultaco, Fantic, Yamaha TY 250R Mono, TYZ, Gas Gas, and completed his last SSDT on a TYZ model Yamaha.
In 1994 Peter was in the winning team which were awarded the ‘Jackie Williamson’ trophy for the best Scottish team with Duncan Mitchell and Neil McGregor for the Bon Accord club, this was the first time the trophy was presented.
On the lighter side, Peter raced in the ‘Team Kwackersaki’ for McGowan Motorcycles with son Duncan from 1991 -1995 where they won the Scottish moped racing crown on several occasions.
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Peter Mitchell Memorial Trophy:
After his death, Isobel Mitchell approached the Inverness based welder/fabricator and artisan, Richi Foss to commission a special trophy in Peter’s memory. It was to be presented to the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Pre’65 committee for the oldest finisher award at the annual Pre’65 Scottish Trial.
Foss undertook the commission and the first winner was none other than seven times TT winner, Mick Grant. Foss was delighted to hear that news, being a motorcyclist himself.
If you look at the Peter Mitchell trophy you will see that the rider is climbing his machine over a large granite out-crop, this is significant, as it represents the granite from Peter’s homeland of Aberdeen and also that he was always regarded as a ‘hard rider’.
Being an artisan, Foss contacted a ‘person’ who knew Peter Mitchell well and questioned him closely about Peter’s life and his career as a trials rider. Foss took all this information he had gleaned from the fellow enthusiast and thought about it long and hard before forming his ideas as to how the trophy would look. He also studied some photos of Mitchell in action, noticing that he rarely rode with a crash helmet with a peak fitted for example.
Foss wanted to capture the ‘spirit’ of Peter Mitchell in the finished article. This he achieved and the trophy was greeted with great pleasure by the Mitchell family when it was handed over to them by its’ creator.
Richi Foss has achieved the impossible when you realise that the wheels carry no visible spokes as they are spinning too fast for the eye to see, thus giving the piece the impression of ‘motion’.
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More on Foss Fabrication’s work: HERE
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Trials Guru is indebted to the Mitchell family for their assistance in compiling this tribute to a true character and sportsman of Scottish motorcycle trials.
* Alistair MacMillan / West Highland News Agency, Fort William (with permission of current copyright holder: Anthony MacMillan, Fort William – All rights reserved)
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Article copyright: Trials Guru/Moffat Racing 2016
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If you want to know more about Scottish Motorcycle Sport from 1975 – 2005 click … HERE
Tom the TT Man
Tom Walker – TT Leathers and more!
Trials Guru has been chatting to a Scot who became a well known face in many motorcycle shops during the mid 1970s when employed as a sales representative for the Barnard Castle based trials and motocross clothing manufacturer, TT Leathers International.
It was TT Leathers that pioneered coloured apparel for the sport of trials in 1973 with their RUFRYDA equivalent to the world famous Barbour and Belstaff suits. Whilst these were all of a similar design, TT Leathers introduced both a green and red base colour alternative to the traditional black waxed cotton of the rival producers.
Subsequently they introduced their Vystram two piece suits and one piece summer trials suits from 1975.
Tom Walker was originally from Ayrshire and joined the British Army, he takes up the story…
Walker: “I met Jim Aird at a motor cycle show in London while I was in the Army and at the time was part of the famous Royal Signals ‘White Helmets’ motor cycle display team. Jim was by then with TT Leathers and also a professional Motocross rider from Kirkcaldy in Scotland. He was a Scottish champion and was making a name for himself having raced CZ and AJS machines for the CZ importers and the AJS factory.
We built up a friendship and I invited Jim across to Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire where the Display Team was based and did much off road riding to train new potential riders for the forthcoming season. Jim came to the gym and cross country riding to strengthen his skills for the forthcoming racing season.
A couple of years later, I left the White Helmets team and was in the driver training wing at Catterick and got selected for the British Army Enduro team when I rode in the ISDT, continuing my friendship with Jim and also the boss of TT Leathers, Len Thwaites”.
Len and Jim asked Tom if he would like to work for TT leathers as their first sales representative. After a great deal of thought, he decide to do join the company as his next Army posting was a two year tour of duty in Northern Ireland.
Tom: “Taking my family there, I was never comfortable with, so I decided to leave the Army and join TT Leathers. During this period of contact with Jim, the White Helmets purchased lots of riding gear from the company, such as the ‘RUFRYDA; brand trials clothing, a new invention for off road riding which was very bright and colourful but very hot when wearing it”.
Walker continued: “During my time I also met a Scot called Stan Young and another called John Little who also rode in the ISDT for Scotland, I also met the SACU secretary, Arnott Moffat who was quite involved with the Scottish ISDT effort at that time. I kept up my association with Stan and John and some eight years later when I moved from TT leathers to increase my position in the motorcycle trade”.
“Many more years on, I became Managing Director of a German shop chain who wanted to set up in the UK, called Heine Gericke. I took the job and developed the company and when I opened the Edinburgh shop in Queens Street. Stan became the shop manager and was for many years a great enduro rider and just a really nice guy”.
“Jim Aird and myself continued in the industry and I also assisted Jim develop his company with Euro Helmets, the AGV importer and we created the brand ‘SCOTT Leathers’ from there it has gone on to be one of the best racing suit manufacturers around”.
“Jim of course is still heading up SCOTT Leathers from Barnard Castle. Len Thwaites is now retired and lives in New Zealand and I am potentially retired and live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire but still active in the motor cycle industry and enjoyed every minute of this fantastic industry”.
When in the White Helmets Display Team, Tom was a Lance Corporal. He was brought up in New Cumnock, Ayrshire. He joined the Royal Signals in 1964 as a driver and served in Herford and Bielefeld, in Germany. His duties as a driver took him all over Europe, often carrying VIPs. He joined the ‘White Helmets’ team in November 1969. Always keen on sports and being a Scot, fond of football.
Copyright: Trials Guru 2016
Images:
- Courtesy of Tom Walker, Harrogate.
- Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven
- Scott Leathers, Barnard Castle
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