Dave Gatenby on an Armstrong trials machine – Photo courtesy: Robert Pickersgill
Dave Gatenby, former Teeside Tigers speedway star and trials rider died suddenly as a result of a heart attack on Wednesday 1st June, 2016.
Teeside Tigers rider – Dave Gatenby. Photo courtesy of Robert Pickersgill
He started his riding career in speedway before opening a motorcycle business as Dave Gatenby Motorcycles selling machines and accessories based at Yarm Road, Darlington, supporting many local competitors.
Dave Gatenby far right, Eric Boocock seated on machine – Photo courtesy Robert Pickersgill
Famous for his very dry wit and sometimes orange hair, he will be sadly missed by all his friends. Our condolences go to his son Michael, daughter Joanne and their children.
A lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Ron Hulme passed away peacefully in Stepping Hill Hospital with his wife Joyce and close family present on 27th May after a brave enduring battle against Diabetes over a forty-eight year period which resulted in a stroke.
Ron’s introduction to the world of motorcycles came from his friend Ronnie Band at his garage in Horwich End, Whaley Bridge. After leaving school he worked at the garage before being drafted in for his National Service in 1952 where he spent eighteen months in the Suez Canal war-zone. In 1955 he married the love of his life Joyce and over the next sixty years the motorcycle became the third partner in this relationship. A new Francis Barnett was purchased before the bedroom suite when they moved in their home at 18 Reddish Avenue in 1957.
After his National Service he worked in the Gas board with his friend Roy Beard where many a story was reminisced later in life. In 1959 eldest son Alan entered the world just as he was riding in a trials competition in Wales which he had ridden to before returning home with an award.
In August 1960 a second son John would arrive and the family was complete. Employment was then provided by Ferodo where he spent his remaining working life as a motor vehicle engineer until he retired in 1991 aged 58. All his life was devoted to motorcycle trials and he was very proud of his two sons who achieved success in the sport and in life. He also encouraged many younger riders into the sport when he and his friend John Cantrell introduced the ‘Dead Easy’ trials at the Manchester 17 Motor Cycle Club.
After retiring, he found a new motorcycle interest in Trail Riding and along with a few friends enjoyed his outings two or three times a week in his beloved Peak District.
Ron is survived by his wife Joyce and two sons Alan and John.
The funeral service will take place at Macclesfield Crematorium – Prestbury Rd, Macclesfield SK10 3BU – on Tuesday 14th June at 1.20 pm. Family flowers only and any kind donations please to Ward E1 Stepping Hill Hospital.
1980 – John Shirt (Yamaha Majesty) in the paddock area in Fort William. Man in Yamaha overalls looking passed camera is Ron Hulme – Photo courtesy of Colin Bullock
Coming to Trials Guru shortly will be Iain Lawrie – Take 2, a special section to expand the wonderful images of enthusiastic photographer of trials, Iain Lawrie. His speciality has always been the Scottish Six Days, being a native of Kinlochleven.
Stay tuned for more Iain Lawrie images on Trials Guru.
Trials supporter, organiser, enthusiast and reporter, Stephanie Wood, one of few female presidents of the Yorkshire Centre A.C.U has died at age seventy-one years. She was appointed president in 1981 and was the daughter of Jack Wood, who started the well-known national trial in his name.
She had battled with cancer which had originated in the gall-bladder according to a family friend.
Stephanie was Motor Cycle News correspondent for South Yorkshire, North Wales and parts of Derbyshire and Lancashire. She covered road racing, trials and sand racing. She was an annual attender at the Scottish Six Days Trial from 1965 to 1997 and many times accompanied family friend, Ralph Venables the doyen of trials reporters.
Ms. Wood worked in quality control at Bassets Ltd at their Sheffield factory and lived at Holmfirth, Yorkshire for many years.
Her funeral details have been released as being at Grenoside Crematorium in Sheffield on Friday 10th June at 11.45 am with any donations to Cancer UK.
Scottish hot shot, Calum Murphy (TRS) on Fersit during the 2016 SSDT – Photo: Kimages
News has been posted on social media direct from the Scottish Six Days Trial organising committee that the feedback received from competitors after this year’s event was that the 2016 trial was a ‘bit hard’ for many.
In a spirit of open-ness, the committee invited riders to feedback their assessment of the annual Highland classic event which has been running for well over 100 years.
In a statement issued on 26th May, following from their usual debriefing meeting, the following statement was issued:
“The 2016 SSDT is now officially over after the committee had there ‘greeting meeting’ on Tuesday night. We had some great feedback from the riders and while they all enjoyed it we did get the message that the sections were a bit hard this year. We want to spread the message that we will be addressing this next year to ensure a good mix of sections. For the SSDT to prosper we have to listen to the competitors and ensure they have an enjoyable week while maintaining the challenge of the event. So we will be easing off on some of the sections next year. We welcome feedback so if you want to let us know your thoughts please post them here or through our website http://www.ssdt.org”.
John Moffat at Trials Guru commented: “I am very happy that the SSDT organisers have taken the task on board to listen and make constructive comment upon what the competitors say. After all, the riders are this event’s customers, they pay to ride and without them, there would be no trial. I was assisting at the end of the event this year at the finish podium by interviewing the finishers and it was evident that many did feel that the severity of the trial was on the hard side of challenging. OK, one must accept that this may not represent all competitors, but certainly it did reflect the opinion of the majority as far as I could detect at the finish podium. I must applaud the committee for being open and transparent with their findings, this can only be good for the event and the sport of trials”.
The Scottish has a reputation as being the ultimate challenge for a trials competitor to undertake, but the majority of those taking part are clubmen and the over-forty age bracket, which included the winner, Dougie Lampkin. However, there is a fine balance between setting out a challenging course and a destructive one and it would appear that the SSDT committee are keen to set their stall out early to attract riders for the 2017 event.
We always like to bring you something different here on Trials Guru, so here we go again. There will be a special Honda debuted at the Inverness & District 2016 Highland Classic 2 Day Trial ‘Yamscot Edition’ on June 11th and 12th on the Alvie shooting Estate, near Aviemore.
The 1981 Honda Seeley 200 RSC which will be ridden by Steven Moffat as a tribute to his racing hero, Steve Hislop – Photo: Trials Guru
The machine is a 1981 Seeley Honda TL200E, originally owned by Scottish enthusiast, Jock McComisky up until 2005, but now with a special paint job on the tank seat shelter as a tribute to the late Steve Hislop who rode the Castrol Honda RC45 in the 1994 Isle of Man TT races, his last TT race.
Hislop was from Hawick and lost his life at 41 years of age in a helicopter accident in 2003 near his home town in the Scottish borders. He gave Nortons their first TT victory after many years, known as the ‘long dry spell’ in 1992.
The Steve Hislop Memorial in Wilton Park, Hawick
Steven Moffat will ride the machine at the Highland Classic and said: “I have ridden the last few years on one of my father’s Bultacos, but I have wanted to ride a four-stroke Honda and the 200 Seeley is just the machine. I wanted to have a little tribute to my hero Steve Hislop and the tank cover was sent to Bike Paints at Cupar Muir in Fife. Bike Paints do all Paul Bird Racings race fairings and have had much of their excellent work at world superbike, TT and North West 200 races, on many of the winning machines”.
Moffat is 25 years of age and a Civil Engineer who had to give up riding trials for four years due to university commitments which resulted in a masters degree in Civil Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University in 2015.
Moffat added: ” I am delighted that the Honda is finished in time for the Highland Classic, I should have ridden a Yamaha due to the Yamscot theme, but I thought the rival Honda would be something different”.
In association with Trial Magazine UK – we bring you our 2016 Scottish Six Days Trial ‘Photo-Review’. The event took place on 2nd to 7th May, based around Fort William and Lochaber
All photographs in this review are copyright and used with the express permission of Trial Magazine UK.
SSDT 2016 Photo Review in association with Trial Magazine UK – all photographs are copyright
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Geoff Herbert on his Fantic 240 on Chairlift – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Yuriko Kobayashi from Japan (Beta) – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Friday – Meall Nam Each – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Sixth place for Alexz Wigg (Gas Gas) – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Local man, Ally Morrice (Sherco) on Cnoc-A-Linnhe – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Amos Bilbao, winner in 2002 on the Montesa 4-Ride in the pre-trial parade – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Amos Bilbao (Montesa 4-Ride) waits his turn to attempt Meall Nam Each on the Friday – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Andy Chilton (Montesa 4RT) on Callart – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Boyd Webster (Beta) on Chairlift on the Thursday – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
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Carlos Casas (Montesa 4RT) on Chairlift section – Photo: Trial Magazine UK
All photos featured in this photo-review were taken at the 2016 Scottish Six Days Trial by a professional photographer. We would like to thank Mr. Jeff Horne, SSDT Clerk of the Course for his co-operation during the event.
Note: As always, please be considerate, these photographs are the legal property of: Trial Magazine UK and should not be displayed unless prior permission is given by the copyholder – any images broadcast or displayed are in breach of Trial Magazine UK’s world-wide copyright.
We have expanded our Scottish Six Days Trial Review coverage even further by incorporating Kimages 2 to Trials Guru. Featuring the work of local Lochaber based photographer and trials enthusiast, Kim Ferguson.
100% concentration from Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) at Leanachen – 2016 SSDT – Photo: Kimages
Scottish Six Days Trial 2016 – Michelin – Trial Magazine
Once again in association with Michelin and Trial Magazine the Nevis radio station was live in the Parc Ferme every morning bringing you news and views with David Ogg and John Moffat the master of ceremonies.
The Nevis Radio SSDT Outside Broadcast Team 2016 – John Weller (Head of Music, Nevis Radio); David Ogg (Nevis Radio, Station Manager); John Moffat (Guest Presenter & Trials Guru) – Not in picture, Simon Abberley (back at the station!) – Photo: Trials Media
David Ogg – Nevis Radio: “We have just got the viewer figures in for the 2016 SSDT live stream and for the six days we had in total 227,223 viewers, that’s individual imp addresses. Not bad for a wee station on the West Coast of Scotland and it doesn’t include the number of folk that didn’t view but listened on the net or on FM. We had a fantastic six days and I would like to thank the Trials Guru, John Moffat for his in-depth knowledge on the sport and support to Nevis Radio once again and also to Michelin and Trial Magazine”.
John Hulme – Trial Magazine: “This is fantastic news and spreads the word of trials and in particular the Scottish Six Days Trial to a much wider audience showing our continued commitment to the event. We have enjoyed a very good six days and would like to thank everyone who made us so welcome”.
TRIALS GURU - DEDICATED TO TRIAL 