52 |AUTUMN 2019
❝Iamoften askedtorecallthe odd
memorablemoment from my days travelling
across Europe to trialworld championships❞
B
ack foragallop–orperhapsahack
would be moreappropria te fora
cynical old journo–onthatold
hobbyhorse theScottis hPre-65
no less,and the never ending debate
over eligibility. Only withatwist this
time,the question being one ofriders –
not machinery!
This old chestnut dropped from an
unsuspecting treeat aKIA round in
whatcould best be described asabrief
unexpectedexchange of ignorance. Iwas
chatting about DanThorpe ’s ScottishPre-65
victory withawell knownand respec ted
trials facewhenapleasantchap standing
within earshot chipped in with:“It
shouldn’t be allowed,thes eyoungriders in
the Pre-65.”
Responding,possiblytooquickly,with
raised eyebrows,Isaid:“What, that young
whippersnapper,40-year-old DanThorpe
shouldn’t be allowedtoride thePre-65?”
“Well,it’sthe principle isn’t it?”was
the reply.
Okay,Iknowwhathemeant, but in
realitythereisactuall ynoprincipleto
adheretoany more.
Theoriginal Pre-65 eventwas indeed
aimedat people who had actuallyridden
TheScottish in or beforethe year 1965. But
that, remember,was back in 1984!Thereal
1984, notGeorge Orwell’s version, which
incidentally has proved to be remarkably
perceptive. Whatever, that first Pre-65
Scottish is all of 35years –yes 35years –
ago.Time doesindeed fly.
Aquick session with the old abacus,plus
theaid ofafew fingers andadoseofbrain
achecomes up witharemarkable fact:
assuming thatyou were16 years of age on
May1,1965, (the legal ageto ride a250cc
motorcycle in those enlightened days)and
had secured an entryinthatyear’s Scottish
SixDaysTrial,guess howold youwould be
today? I’ll sa ve youthe hardworkand just
tell youthatyou would be (and maybeyou
are) 70..
Ithink thatprettymuch explains why–
with the occasionalexception,we have to
dropthatparticular argument. Foreve r.
Yes, we’d alllovetosee Si dLampkin
cleanPipeline again on his BSA C15;Mick
Andrewstease his James upLoch Eilde
Path; and BillWilkinsoncoax that lovely
Greeves upMamore, but,unfortunately
folks,realityrules and it ain’t goingto
happen.I’masgutted as the next manto
have to admitto the end of an erabut what
can youdo?
Given thatsimple 70years old thing,
wherewouldyoucaretodrawyour next
line in the sand asto who should be
eligibleto ride theScottishPre-65 TwoDay?
Riders aged over 60, 50 or perhaps,tongue-
in-cheek,41years old? None of which,to
me anyway,would make anymoresense
than 21years old.
Youcouldrestric tentry to riders who
had previouslycompeted in theScottish
Six Days Trial,but thatwouldexclud ethose
who,for avariet yofreasons,havenever
been ableto enterthe trial of th eirdreams.
If it were downto me Iwould just declare
it open and inviteall and sundry... which is
prettymuch whathappens anyway.Glad
we sortedthatout.. .again!
Iamoccasionally asked during chance
conversations,tor ecall the odd memorable
moments frommy days travellingEurope
to reportonthe trial worldchampionships.
Andasthese trips werefrequently
undertakenat highspeed with last minute
flights onFridayand early startsMonday
morning therewas plenty of opportunity
fordrama.
Caughtinthe middle of the mother of
all early morning Barcelona traffic jams
back in 1981–the citywas incomplete
disruption priorto the OlympicGames due
the following year –myself andACU/ FIM
representativeDaveWilloughby, afrequent
travelling chum back in the dayand we did
have some fun–eventuall yarrivedatthe
airport15minutes afterthe plane should
have departed.
Ever optimisticwe abandoned the car,
burst through the doors,raced across
departuresforthe desk and aswe skidded
to ahalt on the polished tile floor,cartoon
style ,weweretold withasmile,“No
problem, the pilot and crew arestuck in
trafficat least half-an-houraway!”
Trythatthese days and you’dfind the
gate would have been slammed shut bang
on time andwe’d have had it.
Willoughbyactuall yhad to returnto
the hirecar,which we had dumped on the
concourserightoutside the main doors,
and returnitproperlytothe depot across
the way!
Then therewas the time inAndorra with
Bill Wilkinson andSteveSaunders... but that
will have to wait foranother day!
Flightsoffancy
Ageisatimelessthing.
JohnDickinsonhasbeenin,onandaroundtheoff-roadsceneforyears.Trainedasa
mechanic,hespentsometimeinthemotorcycleindustrybeforefindinghiswayinto
journalism.Thankstohiseditorshipofacertainweeklypaper,he’swellknownintheworld
oftrials,enduroandscrambles.Oh,andhecanrideabit.
WHOISJOHN DICKINSON?
JOHNDICKINSON
