laird387 Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) Hi, The rider is Sid Wicken and the works Matchless has those heavy old full width hubs and the hopeless 'jampot' dampers at the rear. The section is Kinlochrannoch in the 1956 Scottish. The machine was subsequently owned by long-time SA-CU stalwart Arnott Moffat and is now seen on display, suitably restored by the current owner, in Fort William during Scottish week. The spectator lower in the section, in the beret, is Bob Currie, Midlands Editor of the Motor Cycle magazine. Enjoy. Edited January 16, 2014 by laird387 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hi, A well known image in its day, used by AMC in its advertising in the weekly motorcycle press, (the blue 'un and the green 'un), of Dick Clayton on his works Matchless G3C in the 1952 Scottish, with the superbly photogenic of the background of Kinlochourn. Kinlochourn is not a happy place in many Scots memories because the sea loch was deep enough to enable the larger boats in used for carrying cargoes of highland families away to North America during the unhappy days of the clearances - people moved forcibly off the land to make way for more profitable sheep farming. As a photographer I am intrigued by the press cameraman in the shot, busily getting ready to change the roll on his press camera, they took eight shots on a roll of 120 film, so you were pretty selective about which riders in action persuaded you to fire the mechanical shutter. On his neck strap is his back-up camera - a Leica that took 36 images on a 35mm film. Neither camera had autofocus or automatic exposure and, in those days colour film was a rarity. When you click away with your fully automatic digital camera taking glorious coloured images galore, my current one takes over a thousand images before I have to change the memory card - a work of moments - think about all those who struggled to get images of the quality of the one in this post. Enjoy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot taco Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Funny,I was just doing a little research on my family history.It seems the clan with my surname (McKay) had to get off of its land in northern Scotland due to the sheep.Maybe my relatives went to England because great grandmother was English and then they ended up in Canada.Still more research to do. Thanks again for all of the neat pictures and history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Hi, Another Matchless in action, this time in the 2001 Talmag Trophy, the rider is P Ehringer from Austria on a very tidy looking machine. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Hi, Bernard Rodemark rode this Matchless 410 rigid in the 2001 Talmag Trophy trial. Seems to have more than adequate ground clearance - or so we thought at the time. Enjoy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hi, Here is a 'Matchless' trials model ridden by Andy Bamford, from Fleet, in a Bath Classic club trial in 1999. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hi, Another shot from the late 1999 Bath Classic club trial shows Dick Ramplee with his Matchless G3C in action. Dick was another of the regulars in the British Bike championship series. Enjoy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Hi, A much earlier works Matchless in action, looking as dapper as ever, Ted Usher with his works 347cc in the 1953 Scott Trial. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Hi, I suspect this image will come as a surprise to some of the older enthusiasts, it shows Ron Langston with a works Matchless riding in the Wye Valley Traders in 1960. What was Ron, a devoted follower of the 'Iron Horse' (Ariel's logo), doing on a Plumstead bike? When I asked him, there came his grin, then: "Well you see, David (his brother) was saying he would like to try road racing - and AMC were willing to let me have an AJS 7R for the 'Hutchinson 100' meeting coming up at Silverstone........." Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Hi, 1999 again and John Excell enjoys a day in the sunny Peak District at the 'Reliance' round of the British Bike championship with his 1954 Matchless. John was one of the regulars in the series. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Hi, Another image from the 1999 Reliance, finds Mike Barry, a regular visitor to the British Bike championship, on the middle sub of 'Hawks Nest' with his rigid Matchless. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 Hi, Out on his short-stroke Matchless 350, Adrian Moss about to check that Nailsworth Ladder is free of obstacles ready for for the Bonanza International trial the following weekend. Enjoy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 (edited) Hi, Another of the images from my pile of negatives that have become separated from their identity. It does show, however, a scene from one of my own favourite trials, as a rider, the Tour of Islwyn which takes place around the Welsh 'valleys' along many of the old drovers routes, including one long lane that had been set with large slabs of stone low steps in times past that would allow the ponies to climb the lane but would prevent water washing huge grooves. Enjoy. Edited March 26, 2014 by laird387 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Hi, This Matchless G3C left the factory at least forty years before this photograph was taken - but it is still in very original trim! Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hi, From the look on his face Stan Metcalf has just realised why the crafty Clerk of the Course put THAT flag just there............. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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