Roadholder 364 - April 2018

23 Knocking around on my ES2 I’ve been riding old British bikes for years and have been a member of the VMCC for longer - just paid the subscription and received the magazine. Happily ambling alone along the beautiful lanes of Shropshire and Worcestershire on my 1956 ES2, I resorted to Google to find new routes. Up popped the North Birmingham VMCC and I contacted their Secretary, who invited me to join them on one of their rides. Of course, I’m a member of the Norton Owners Club, and intend to remain so, but like lots of us, I’m also in the VMCC and I hadn’t realised there was a lot I could get out of that more locally and more often than we can manage. They ride with route sheets so I can go at my own pace and with as many or few others, depending on my mood. I’ve ridden thousands of miles and rediscovered Shropshire, its countryside and tea shops! There are always experts about to help with technical problems with the bike and, in my third age, I have made a whole bunch of new mates! If you ride any bike older than 25 years and want to come and meet my mates, we’re having a ride-in Open Day at the Royal Oak, WV5 8BU at lunchtime on Saturday April 28th 2018. Stuart Munroe Not Just An Organiser Probably a bit late, but better late than never! Excellent write-up in the February Roadholder of our Show at Ardingly by Anthony Curzon, but I would say that as I’m biased! Very sweet of Anthony to refer to me as 'very approachable', but I prefer to be known as Unapproachable - here I am on my Norton Model 40 at Jurby! It goes a treat and is a delight to ride, although I suspect the reason there's no other bikes in the photos is because I’m at the back! I'm hoping to return to Jurby this year; meanwhile the Surrey Norton OC are back at Ardingly on Sunday 25th March, together with Brooklands Museum who hope to bring the unique Soane/Jackson Manx, the only one in existence, plus a genuine Pat Driscoll Norton Brooklands race bike from the mid-1920s and the ex-Dennis Jenkinson Manx, also with Brooklands provenance. Julie Diplock (Event Organiser and NOC member) National Motorcycle Museum (Friends Activities) Having attended at the weekend a workshop training day, I wanted to make NOC members aware of the NMM (Museum Friends scheme). This was started about three years ago and is under £30 for twelve months giving you free entry to the museum at all times and 10% off in the cafe. The training day is one of the free benefits that a member has and at the end of the afternoon you have time to individually talk to their workshop team for tips and help etc. Rick Parkington was giving the talk on this occasion which over 100 attended. We also get a quarterly magazine and the opportunity of being able, for a fee, of taking out different bikes from the museum's wonderful collection. It is worth going onto their web site to see the full list of benefits. In recent times the interior has been re-arranged so virtually all the Nortons are together and create a wonderful sight. Roy who founded the museum had a favourite brand which was Norton, so if you have not been recently make it a place to go. Ian Loram