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.
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’.
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.
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!
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.
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 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
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.
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.
The five yearly Scott Trial Re-union Dinner will be held at the Ripon Spa Hotel, Park Street, Ripon HG4 2BU on Saturday, 16th November 2019.
Anyone interested in attending this prestigeous event should contact Alan Lampkin, Dinner Organiser for an entry form.
email: alan.lampkin@btinternet.com or phone: 07761 073368
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.
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.
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.
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.
Report: Barry Robinson for Trials Guru & Trials Guru
Photo Credit: Swaledale Mountain Rescue
The Richmond Motor Club have had no option but to cancel the annual Youth Training Training School.
It was scheduled for July 31/August 1, however flood damage at Lawrence Allison’s Cogden Hall Farm and other road damage have forced road closures in the Grinton area and this has given organisers Vicky Andrews and Pam Braithwaite no options at this time.
They hope to find an alternative date in August to get the school back on track.
Trials Guru and the wider trials community send our sympathies to landowners and farmers at this very difficult time of flash flooding in the North Yorkshire Dales.
Update:
Since the ravaging floods of July 30th 2019, much has been reported in the national press and television.
The Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd have since called a meeting of members and committee as they regularly make use many areas of farm land and moorland in the Reeth/Grinton/Richmond area and are keen to make a contribution to the plight of local landowners.
It is believed that the club are keen to mobilise help parties of club members and trials riders to effect a clean up and support operation on a local basis.
Club members have been asked to check the RMC website for details of club activity in this regard.
My wife and I have been to Scotland in May three times as spectators to watch the Scottish trials. I enjoy mostly the Pre65 as I find those bikes most interesting.
Two years ago we met Gordon Jackson at a B&B. He has ridden the Pre65 16 times and finished well. We spoke with him for several minutes and he offered me his Bantam to ride in the Scottish the next year.
Two years have gone by and I haven’t made the entry. My dream for many years has been to ride the trial and clean the Pipeline section. After two years of not getting an entry and at the age of 68 Gordon and I thought it best if I rode his Scarborough And District Motor Club trial.
We came over and learned what a gentleman he is. I asked him why he gave me such an offer, his answer was “I must have been drinking”. We came, I rode the trial and placed well, met great people and enjoyed the Yorkshire coast.
Previous to our trip I asked if you would send some “Trials Guru” stickers to Gordon’s house. They were there when we arrived at his home and back in the US I have displayed them on my Bantam, B25, Ossa MAR and 1947 Ariel. Maybe these are the only “Guru” stickers in the US? I’m planning on staying healthy and applying for the Pre65 again next year, hoping my dream will come true.
It is with regret that Trials Guru has to announce the passing of Edinburgh & District, Dunfermline & District, Scottish Six Days and Pre’65 Scottish stalwart, Alex Smith after a long and brave battle with cancer.
Alex Smith aboard the ex-Tiger Payne 350 AJS at the White Heather Trial in 1965 – Photo Grant Collection, Rogart
Alex Smith was a personal friend of Trials Guru’s John Moffat who said:
“Alex was known to me from an early age as he was a ‘Bathgate Bairn’ raised in Bathgate, West Lothian and was also a keen trials rider who lived in Colinshiel Street and rode a variety of machines from around 1961 to 1975. I used to take hand written messages to his mother’s house from SSDT Clerk of the Course, Geoff Smith in Edinburgh, relayed through my Father’s telephone as the Smiths didn’t have a phone in their house up until around 1970.”
John Graham; Willie Pitblado; Tommy Ritchie; Eric MacNamara & Alex Smith on route marking duties at the SSDT in 1972
Alex Smith was an Assistant Clerk of Course of the SSDT and Clerk of Course for the Pre’65 Scottish Trial and, at one time, a member of the SACU Trials committee in the 1990s.
He once owned the ex-Brian ‘Tiger’ Payne 350 AJS (YNC526) on which he rode the 1963 SSDT. The machine was later owned by Rogart man John MacDonald, the local postman. In his riding days, Smith rode Triumph Tiger Cub, AJS, Cotton, Bultaco, Montesa and Ossa machinery. He also maintained many of the machines that were used to route mark the SSDT.
Alex served his time with the National Coal Board and later worked life with Wimpey Construction as a Quantity Surveyor/Engineer and was meticulous about records and recording data, a skill that would come in useful when assisting at the SSDT and as clerk of course of the Pre’65 Scottish at which he excelled.
Fifty years ago, Alex was one of the SSDT team, led by Clerk of Course Johnny Graham, who constructed the famous ‘catch net’ up the Blackwater (Ciaran Path) high above Kinlochleven in 1969, which over the years has saved many a wayward trials and mountain bike from falling 100 feet into the river below.
The Blackwater (or Ciaran Path) ‘catch-net’, constructed by members of the Scottish Six Days Trial committee in the late 1960s. – Photo Jock McComisky
He was accompanied by Willie Pitblado, Tommy Ritchie, and Eric MacNamara to construct the catch net with scaffold poles, cement and plastic safety netting and it is still there to this day.
Building the famous Blackwater Path (Ciaran Path) ‘catch-net’ in 1969 are from left: Alex Smith (Bathgate); Eric MacNamara (Edinburgh); Willie Pitblado (Dunfermline) & Tommy Ritchie (Edinburgh) – Photo: Johnny Graham, Bonnyrigg (Johnny Graham was a former clerks of course SSDT)
In the 1960s, Alex and his friends Willie Pitblado and John Davies set up a bike breaking business in Fife which eventually became Willie Pitblado’s Motorcycle Spares Scotland business in Golf Drum Street in Dunfermline.
Alex Smith was also great friends with Jock McComisky and took delight in telling people that he (Alex) was the ‘brains’ and Jock was the ‘brawn’! Of course it was all in friendly terms and good banter.
Jock McComisky (left) and Alex Smith were good friends for many years. Seen here during an early Pre’65 Scottish on the Dam Road above Kinlochleven.
Alex Smith was an true enthusiast of the sport and enjoyed many trips up to his beloved Rogart to meet up with the Grant twins and Willie Pitblado for runs over the hills and not only plotting but attempting sections, as well as participating in the White Heather trials that were run in Sutherland in the 1960s and 1970s. His wife Bett (Hopkins) died a few years ago.
Alex Smith on his 247cc Montesa on ‘Kerrow’ section at Rogart in a White Heather Trial organised by the Sutherland Car & Motor Cycle Club in the late 1960s.
Moffat added: “From a personal perspective, I always enjoyed thoroughly my conversations with Alex over the years as he had a great knowledge of the sport and the SSDT in particular.
He will be sorely missed by those who knew him in Scotland and further afield in the sport.”
Alex Smith’s funeral has been arranged for Thursday, 25th July 2019 at Mortonhall Crematorium, 30B Howden Hall Road, Edinburgh EH16 6TX at 14.30.
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