Words: Trials Guru

Photos: Ron Aitchie; Mike Davies; Ray Foulds; Mike Rapley; J. Moffat/Trials Guru; Sharon Bumpsteed/Sammy Miller Museum Trust.

Main Photo: Mike Davies

Quite a few people will remember the name, Mary Driver in the world of motorcycle trials, but given that the lady was heavily involved in the sport of motorcycling from 1954 until 1975, some of our younger readers might be excused by not knowing of Mary.

She was to inspire a generation of young female trials riders in the 1960s, much like Emma Bristow has done in the current day.

Mary Buxton as she was then known, was born in North London in 1935 and was introduced into motorcycling through her husband to be, Dennis Driver and was a member of the Wood Green & District Motorcycle Club.

The Wood Green and District Motorcycle Club was established in 1924 in North London, this historic club was well-known for hosting local time trials, road rallies, and women-only motorcycling events in the 1920s. It was affiliated to the South Midland Centre of the Auto-Cycle Union.

In 1954, Mary passed her motorcycle test through the RAC/ACU Training Scheme at the London Borough of Haringey on her 197cc James, she also joined the secretarial staff at the ACU in London’s Pall Mall.

Her motorcycle interest really began when she travelled pillion on boyfriend Dennis’s BSA A10 Gold Flash in 1953.

After three years gaining valuable experience riding her motorcycle on the road, Mary Driver became involved in organising the Paley Cup, Beggar’s Roost and Clayton Trophy national trial events. She then began entering trials on her husband Dennis’s James.

In those years, Mary simply rode her bike to the events, competed and rode back home again, this was the way many riders transported their competition machine to events. She also assisted husband Dennis as Clerk of the Course for the national Clayton Trophy Trial near Buxton in Derbyshire.

In 1958. she took part in the Silverstone circuit High Speed trials on a 500cc AJS, the following year on a 197cc DKW. Rather than a wheel-to-wheel race, the high-speed trials required riders to maintain a specific average lap speed over a set distance (typically one hour) to earn an award. In the same year, Mary and Dennis married.

In 1959, when BSA launched their 249cc C15T model specifically for trials, Dennis bought her one and Mary started riding in national trials. She won an award at the Hoad Trophy trial and qualified for expert status and rode in the Southern Experts in 1963.

Sponsorship became available to Mary firstly from London dealer, Bill Slocombe, whose dealership was based in Neasden, North West London, from 1961 until 1963. Mary’s bikes were prepared there by Alec Wright who later became Kawasaki’s off road manager in the 1980s. She continued to ride the Slocombe supplied BSA C15T before moving over to ride Greeves for Comerford’s of Thames Ditton, Surrey.

Mary entered and finished in no less than seven Scottish Six Days Trials from 1961 until 1966. Four times BSA mounted and three on Greeves machinery. In the 1961 SSDT, Mary won the award for the Best Performance by a Lady Competitor, which was a Travelling Clock presented by The Grand Hotel, Fort William, she finished in 111th position losing 249 marks that year. She was best lady competitor the following year and again in 1963 and in 1964 was presented with a minature cup presented by the Edinburgh & District club in 1965 and then a silver cup in 1966 by the motor club.

In 1961 Mary decided to have a go at the International Six Days Trial at Llandrindod Wells in Wales on a 250cc BSA C15 (9051MF) prepared and supplied by Bill Slocombe. This machine was prepared in their workshops by Alec Wright. Mary finished the event with a Silver Medal. She competed in the ISDT a further five times, West Germany in 1962, when she retired, 1963 in Czechoslovakia with a Bronze Medal, the only female to compete in the ISDT that year when only 60% of the entry actually finished. She failed to finish in East Germany in 1964 at Erfurt; the Isle of Man in 1965 and finally in 1968 at San Pellegrino, Italy riding the 1966 factory Greeves (SOO56D). But she gave the event her all at the time and these were the toughest motorcycle events on the planet.

Mary’s Greeves Challenger ISDT (DOO94B) that she rode in the 1964 ISDT at Erfurt still exists, in fact it is safely on display at Sammy Miller’s wonderful museum at Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire, still showing the official dabs of paint on the frame. The engine is a 246cc Challenger unit and the bike was prepared and supplied by Comerford’s specially for the 1964 event with a little help from the Greeves factory. The machine was first registered on 13th May 1964 by Invacar Limited, Church Road, Thundersley, the company name for the Greeves marque, it was described as a ’24IN’ basically a Challenger International.

Sammy Miller MBE: “Mary Driver competed in the 1964 ISDT in East Germany on the factory supported Greeves. I also rode for Great Britain in that event on a 505cc Triumph, over-bored so that I was in competing in the 650cc class. It was a delight to find Mary’s Greeves in July 2021, after all those years and have it restored to it’s original specification in my workshops at Bashley.”

Mary also took part in the Twickenham Club’s 100 mile scramble at Pirbright which formed her training for the 1964 ISDT. She also took part in the National Hawkstone Park scramble the following year, both times Greeves mounted,

Mary also took part in the International Trial de Forteresse at Namur in Belgium in 1964 on the Comerford’s Greeves. She finished in twentieth position from ninety-eight competitors. She also took part in the International St Cucufa Trial near Paris, France in 1965 on her Greeves.

In 1962, Mary rode a 246cc Greeves TES which was registered by the factory at Thundersley, Essex as HWC24 and then supplied to Mary through Comerford’s. This particular machine eventually ended up at Drumnadrochit in Inverness-shire, having been sold through Comerford’s second-hand department and was in the MacLean family for many years before being sold to a collector in 2013.

In 1966, having worked for the Auto-Cycle Union for twelve years, a position became available as their Competitions Manager, Mary applied for the job and was appointed to the post. Without doubt, the knowledge and experience of being a trials rider must have helped with the job interview. This appointment meant that Mary was to swap her Barbour suit for a business suit, but was in constant communications with all ACU centres and clubs and of course the many competitors who raced overseas and in International events. Mary became a very well-known face at the ACU until 1975. She had also been assistant Secretary of the Meeting for the annual Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races.

After her departure from the ACU, Mary became interested in boats and sailing with husband Dennis, which became their main past-time. However, she did maintain an interest in motorcycling, having purchased an Ex-Roger Davy 325cc Comerford’s Bultaco Sherpa in 1975, because she liked the look of the bike, which she eventually sold in 2013.

In 2011, in recognition for her services to the sport, Mary was invited to be Guest of Honour at the Pre65 Scottish Trial at Kinlochleven by the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, chatting to riders of yesteryear.

It is without doubt that Mary Driver was a lady who not only promoted the sport at high level, but was a worthy competitor, and proved that the girls can do everything the boys can do!

‘Mary Driver’ is the copyright of Trials Guru

With special thanks to Sammy Miller MBE & Sharon Bumpsteed of the Sammy Miller Museum, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire.

For more features of women in trials, see Trials Guru’s Trials Ladies HERE

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