laird387 Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 (edited) Hi, Another of my offroadarchive images (there are 13000+ to go yet....) This one shows a rider on a rigid Norman trials bike, with a Villiers 8E motor stuck by the side of what looks like Loch Eild Path, furiously kicking it over. Waiting for his turn to enter the sub-section is Triumph works rider, my old friend Johnny Giles, with his rigid Trophy. In the back ground, in the black beret with a cigarette dangling, is another old friend, Harry Louis, editor of 'The Motor Cycle'. There was a recent mention in a post that a youngster had spotted an old magazine at an autojumble with a blue cover. For the modern enthusiasts, in those far away days there were two weekly magazines, affectionately known as 'the blue 'un' and 'the green 'un', 'The Motor Cycle' and 'Motor Cycling' respectively. I wrote for both of them on a very occasional basis, and contributed information for Peter Fraser and my sadly missed colleague, Ralph Venables on a regular basis. Happy days. Edited February 13, 2014 by laird387 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 (edited) sorry Deryk, I think the section is Craig-en-Elain (or celtic to that effect) near Aveimore. Edited December 31, 2013 by sparks2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted December 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Hi, Sparks et al, Yes, looking at that background I'm sure it is more likely Craig-an-Eilen. And, out of interest, here's another Norman trialler, this time Ken Edwards riding in the 1962 Dick Farquharson trial, photographed for offroadarchive by Gordon Francis. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Hi Guy's. It was a rigid Norman trials bike that got me interested in observation trials has a boy. growing up in a small village to the south of Banbury, i used to have the task of droving the milking cows to there field, as often as was possible when not at school. It was then that I used to block the road with the volume of the herd, and on most occasions would meet Glen Thomas on his Norman Trials bike winding his way through the herd. he used the bike for work every day and competed on it at weekends. Glen lived with his family at a farm at the top of the hill, and with only a cart track to get to it the trials bike was the best option. I vowed to myself that this is what I wanted to do own a trials bike. So later when a bit older and five pound in a jam jar ,i purchased a plunger James for that pricely sum. It was parked on the side of the road just outside the village with a £5 pound price tag on it. New 3-50 back tyre and rim,and a 275-19 Dunlop trials universal on the front a couple of alloy guards, and I had my very first trials bike. Happy Days. Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) Hi, Another image from my offroadarchive to help jog the memory banks, this time of the Norman B2/C trials model of 1957, fitted with the 4-speed Villiers 9E and Armstrong front forks. The image was created by a wonderful artist, Ted Hardy, whose day job was as an architectural illustrator, creating marvellous images of potential development projects to be used in sales brochures and the like. Like so many of us, Ted was a motorcyclist at heart and with his pen and ink drawings could work wonders. Enjoy Edited January 2, 2014 by laird387 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) Hi, To keep the pot boiling, another Norman trials model from the archives, this time Dave Lane who, along with his brother Mike, was also a keen grass track racer. Enjoy Edited January 10, 2014 by laird387 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman_wisdom Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) Hi Deryk, Enjoying all of the photos but the Normans are great! Haven't got any of the later (final) B4C model have you?? On a personal note, I always fancied a rigid Norman....even a frame would do.... Edited January 10, 2014 by norman_wisdom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi, norman_wisdom, I'm sorry to be a little negative but I regret I never had any personal dealings with Norman machines, other than taking photographs of them, so I wouldn't be able to recognise which was an earlier springer from a later springer. There may well be photographs of precisely the bike you want in my offroadarchive - but I'm afraid you would have to get access and look for whatever you want yourself- and I'm busily trying to arrange just such access potential right this moment, so, as Miranda Hart has been heard to say - "Bear With". Cheers Deryk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hi, I never realised the Norman trials models were so popular - then yesterday I had a request from old friend Derek Banks telling me he had a rigid Norman B2C in bits and any photographs might aid a rebuild - so back into the archive and, lo and behold, here is Dave Annis in a Cheltenham club trial in 1954 on his B2C. In his day Dave was probably better known as a sidecar passenger, riding with Bob Williams twice in the Scottish, coming second in class each time and a few times with Peter Roydhouse when he was living in Gloucestershire. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hi, Ken Edwards with one of his Norman trials models, photographed by Cecil Bailey. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Hi, Typical Hampshire downland going as Ken Edwards eases his factory Norman through a watery section during the Andover Club’s 'Joe Corbett' Trial in September 1962. Was the exhaust system a development inspired by the sheet metal Greeves TES unit – as seen on Chris Cullen’s works supported TES in local trials? Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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