Trials Guru’s special ‘section’ for trials events and riders from the North East of England from various photographers who have generously allowed us to display their images. This will be extended over time to feature past events and competitors in and from the North East Trials.





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Walter Dalton:

We could not cover the North East without at least mentioning Weardale’s Walter Dalton, who would appear to have been involved in trials forever.
Walter was employed by Portland Blue Circle Cement at their Weardale plant at Eastgate and was a regular competitor across the border in Scottish trials which also included the Loch Lomond Two-Day and Scottish Six Days events, plus the Pre’65 Scottish.

Walter in later years took up riding Pre’65 trials on his 500 Ariel and supported Spain’s Carlos Casas on a 200cc Triumph Cub for many years in the Pre’65 Scottish.

Dalton competed in many SSDTs back as far as the late 1960s. He rode both Bultaco and Montesa machinery.


In 1984, Walter entered the SSDT and the Pre’65 Scottish on a Reg May built ‘RM Special’, this machine was actually road registered as such. The machine was a BSA B40 motor in a much modified Bultaco Sherpa frame, with Alpina front wheel and Pursang rear wheel and a modified 340 Sherpa alloy tank and specially fabricated oil tank. The machine was not strictly Pre’65 but the organisers were less strict in those days!
The ‘RM Special’ was sold to the North East trials enthusiast, George P. Shorter of Ulgham who kept it for many years up until his death in 2012.

Recently, Sunderland’s Alan Pennington went to see Walter and re-united him with a 1979 Bultaco Sherpa 250 that Walter rode in that years’ Scottish Six Days Trial.
Alan Pennington: “I had the absolute pleasure of taking my Bultaco Sherpa 250 to show its’ original owner when it was new. The gentleman is Walter Dalton of Eastgate in Weardale. Walter bought the Bultaco in the April of 1979 and rode it in the Scottish Six Days Trial in May of the same year. Mr. Dalton is coming up to his 90th birthday soon, he made my day by signing and endorsing the side panel. I think it is true to say he made my day and I made his. Walter Dalton was a local legend in his day around the trials scene and still an absolute gentleman. His trophy cabinet was pretty impressive too”.

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‘Farmer John’ Article – HERE
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Stay tuned for more photos and features on the North East trials scene over the years…
© – All text copyright: Trials Guru / Moffat Racing, John Moffat – 2016
© – Images: World-wide Copyright Jaxx Lawson @ Joat’s Imagery (All Rights Reserved) Tel: +447720713892 – 2016.
© – Images: World-wide Copyright Jimmy Young (All Rights Reserved) – 2016.
© – Images: World-wide Copyright Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven (All Rights Reserved) – 2016.
© – Images: World-wide Copyright Alan Pennington, Stanhope (All Rights Reserved) – 2016.
© – Images: World-wide Copyright Ray Crinson (All Rights Reserved) – 2016
© – Images: World-wide Copyright Hilary Little – (All Rights Reserved) – 2016
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