 |
E-mail from Angus MacMillan : Hello Lorraine.
I was browsing the Internet and came across the MMCC website and your appeal for early information to build up a historical profile of the club and its members.My name is Angus Macmillan. I have never been a member of the MMCC. but I was involved in scrambling from 1959 to 1980 and knew quite a few of your members over the years. I was a member of the Loch Lomond Club and a founder member of the Strathclyde Motocross Club. I am now 70. I knew Alan Weir when he had the shop in Yoker and built his own sleeved down 250 KTM Velocette which if I remember correctly was painted cream and red. Other names are:Jimmy Valente , a motorcycle dealer whom I worked for from 1958 to 1964. George and Ian Shearer from Scotstoun who were both very good scrambles riders in the sixties. Ian McFarquhar who I think had a DMW 197cc. Alex McGuffie who later had a motor repair business on Great Western Road, where the now demolished Volvo showroom was, near B&Q at Garscadden. I can't remember what kind of bike he rode. Might have been a DMW. There was another Alex ( ??? ) who rode a 250 AJS scrambler (the early blue four stroke model with the intergral gearbox) who emigrated to America around 1960. There was also a chap called Alan ( ??? ) from the north of Glasgow who road raced a 350 Gold Star. I think he was a friend of two brothers who had Vincents( ??? ). I also think Norrie Provan and the McLean Brothers (who raced a AJS 7R) were members. and a chap who lived in Westerton Ave who raced an Ariel Arrow. I think his first name was Angus ( ??? ), Unfortunately, he was killed at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy, around 1962. There are some others that I know the faces but have forgotten the names.You probably know about all this but in case not I thought I'd drop you an email.
Best regards
Angus.
Reply : Thanks Angus for all your names and information. I am sure it will jog someone's memory. E-mail from Robin Denny : I have just checked your club's site to contact your Events Secretary and found your request for historical information. So, in case it may be of interest, my brother, John Denny, was a member for 2-3 years in about 1956. He rode a Velocette GTP 250, then later a Norton 500 (350?) International, riding up and back from our home in Kew, Surrey.Unfortunately, the Inter had no proper lights, bicycle lights were used as "Bobby-dodgers" making the often overnight journeys quite interesting. He was once given a dressing down by Bob Mc and Alistair King for riding the Inter too fast up the lochside. Trying to keep up with them, (as they rode "sensibly") proved impossible! He rode the Inter in grass-track, road-race and scrambles, even though the bike had only 2.5 inches ground clearance! If this is any use I could try to prise more tales from him.
Reply : Thanks Robin. Great memories for you there. Great stories. E-mail from Mr. David King : Nice to see mercury motorcycle club is alive and kicking. My uncle (Alistair King) was a member back in the 50s/60s and as well as Bob Mcintyre. How things have changed with all the modern sponsorship, when all you could see then on Alistair's and Bobby's helmets were the Mercury logo
Regards,
David
Reply : Yes, they certainly have come a long way, but I love the old photo on our History Page of Bob MacIntyre with the Mercury logo on his helmet. E-mail from Allan Thomson ( Humph ) : Hi Lorraine,
I was messing about on the net tonight and came across your request for information on club history. I am Allan Thompson sometimes better known as Humph. I was on the committee for several years and was Chairman for two, I think 1989 & 1990. I joined the mercury in 1979 when they met at Knightswood Scout Hall on a Thursday night. The club moved site in about 1980 to Bells Car wash in Clyde St. and stayed there for several years. During the early 80s the club used to produce a club magazine, although nowadays it would be classed more as a fanzine, which I still have some old copies. The first edition of this publication carried a brief history of the club. I came across a copy just the other day when I was looking through some old stuff.The club moved again in the late 80s to the present site when I was Chairman, after much negotiation with Stuart Bell who was reluctant to say the least to have us, but after a few months his fears proved completely unfounded and, as they say the rest is history.I have been at the club a couple of times in recent months and would be happy to nip down again soon to meet with you to try to help you with the history. Please let me know if you are still looking for information. Regards.
Allan (Humph) Thompson
Quay Vipers MCC
Reply : Thanks Allan. Yes please come down and give us any information that you can and thanks also for the missing badge photos. E-mail from Dorothy Weir :
Hi. my father is Allan Weirs brother (Leslie) who is now 82. The Allan and Leslie Weir and John Steel were the founders of your club. especially Allan and John. I remember as a child the big Roneo Vickers machine in our kitchen printing off all the leaflets and the magic smell at the scrambles- Our house was always busy with John Steel, Bob McIntyre Fred Petty -, Allistair King. Do you have meetings or anything because I think my Dad would love to come to one - to see how the club has flourished.
Thanks Dorothy Matheson (Weir)
Reply : Dorothy, the club would be honoured to have your father visit us at the club and we look forward very much to meeting him. E-mail from Iain Shearer : Hi , my name is Iain Shearer, my brother George and I were members from the 50's and 60's. You may have guessed by this we are still alive . I have some things about old members you may find of intrest to the club. Would it be ok if I came to a club meet one night?. Yours . Iain Shearer. Reply : Hi, Iain.
Thanks for getting in touch with us. Of course it would be alright for you to come along. We'd be delighted to meet you and hear what you have to say. As you know, I am especially interested in the club's history and it's ex members, so I'd love to hear from you. We are at Shakespeare St. Youth centre every Tuesday evening from around 7.30 / 8.00PM . Reply : Re: Reply : Iain Shearer again. My wife had booked a wee surprise holiday for next week so i will come the tuesday after next. I spoiled that surprise didn't I ? Any how heres a wee photo that shows me in the club rig out.Its me in 1957 age 16 yrs at newton mearns on a 197 CC DOT. Reply : Sorry you spoiled your surprise holiday. I hope you both enjoy it anyway and we look forward to meeting you soon. Thanks very much for the fabulous photo of yourself. I absolutely love it. It's just the type of thing I am looking for to enable me to compile my club history. It's a terrific photo showing you and the club logos and the wonderful old bike very clearly. I will post it onto our website immediately. Thanks again.
(please click on link to see photo on our History page) E-mail From Iain Shearer : You will like what i will bring. I have loads of pics from the 50s and 6os. Iain. E-mail From David Donovan :
I don't know if we have any decals still available, but if not, we may be getting them made up some time soon. I'll see what I can do on a lapel badge though. E-mail From Jamie Boyle / (Shirley (Page): I used to be a member of the Mercury MCC (and Loch Lomond MCC) from about 1973 until 1980 and new many people of whom I have forgotten the majority of names. I attended many of the Rallies by both clubs way back then and would love have a few memory joggers of who was around way back then. I remember the Huttons from Yoker, Norman and David (they were butchers) and we used to all go round to their house at New Year where we drank endlessly and ate loads of rolls with square sausage. James & Robert Douglas from Mountblow, Clydebank and Tommy McIlree & brothers from Mountblow. Fred Wright from Glasgow somewhere married my best friend and moved to Norfolk. I used to have my own bike from the start in 1973 and on a Sunday evening and on the way home from Rallies we would all meet at the Rowardennan Hotel at the top of the Loch for a few hours where Billy Connolly sat and sang a few ballads etc. before he became well known. Hope you can throw a few names my way so I can try and pick up a few old mates.
Shirley (Page) Reply: I remember lots of the names you mentioned above.Tom MacIlree still comes to the club. but sadly, the others do not come along to the club any more. I do not know of their whereabouts these days and also would love to hear from Wee Norrie and Davy Hutton and Tommy Girvan, as my husband Alan Wright was very friendly with them at that time, but has since lost touch too. E-Mail from David Donovan : ( Can anyone help, please ? ) Hi Lorraine ,After my email to you last week , I was cruising through the web site and noticed a mention of a Howard Currie now resident in New Zealand who had done some work on the club patch as seen on Bob McIntyre's helmet. I wonder, is this the Howard Currie I worked with at Albion Motors,Scotstoun ? If so, him and I went fishing ,shooting and bike riding together for many years. He had a 1972 CZ175 trail bike that he rebuilt beautifully, and I had a 1974 Kawasaki S1. We lost touch when I moved to Canada in1994. What I would love is if you could forward this email to him, just to see if he is my old pal "Howie", Thanks. David Donovan. Reply : Sorry David, I didn't know Howie, but I am sure that someone in the club will know him and perhaps know how to get in touch with him. I will try to find out. In the meantime though, if anyone knows how to contact Howie, can they please let me know ? Lori E-Mail from Alan Laurie : Hi I regularly look at mercury site to see what's happening, and reading about the clubs history prompted me to write. I joined in 1976 after joining the RAC/ACU training scheme I like most guys was mad about bikes, I was a Mercury mcc member for several years and like some other members I became an RAC training scheme instructor, basically teaching bikers how to survive and enjoy there bikes safely. The club supplied many instructors. I met many pals that Ive lost contact with over the years, people like Stuart Lindsay, Alan and George Bradley, Frank Watson, Eddie Hall, Ian Hanlon, Davie and Norrie Hutton, Alan Salt, Stevie Quinn. I'm sure I have a couple of photo's showing mates and there bikes taken in winter 1976 outside Scout Hall, I'll look for them and maybe pop by. Thanks Alan Laurie Reply : Hiya Alan, and thanks for your letter. The club is still going strong and I recognize a lot of the names you mention in your letter. Stuart Lindsay and Frank Watson are still regular members, along with wee Jim Richmond, whom I'm sure you still remember. We haven't heard from Davy and Norrie Hutton for many years, but I recently got in touch with someone who says they still see them at times.I am hoping that we can get in touch with them soon. Only last week, Tommy Girvan came back to the club and is going to join us again. If you get the chance, why don't you come along to the club some night. We'd be pleased to see you and any photos you may have of the good old days E-mail from Alan Wright (old club member )************************************************************************************* Lori,
Whilst watching a recording of Grand Tours of Scotland I was amazed to see Mercury MCC ,my old club, featured. I then found your web site . Fantastic , me having lost touch for over 40 years and now living in Suffolk . What is even more spooky is that I once was a Mercury committee member . My name is also Wright , Alan Wright !!!!
You ask on the web site for any info on the club history. The image mmc 05 is a clipping from Fairfield’s the ship builders own paper and the article written by MMCC member Norrie ? ,who worked at the yard, and gives an idea of the clubs activities. The only other event that I know the Mercury MCC organized for a number of years prior to my time was an annual hill climb using the old rest and be thankful road. At one time there was some old cine film of it about.
The item that may be of particular interest to present day members is the reference to the RAC Training School. A group of us more experienced club members became RAC instructors , still got the badge somewhere I think. We ran a course of twelve weeks , one night a week, for learners. They could either come on their own bikes , or the club had a number of BSA 125 Bantams they could use if they had no bike of their own. We had the use of a Glasgow Corporation Builders Yard just off the Great Western Road where we could start with the basics of riding a bike , do maneuverability exercises etc from which we progressed to escorted riding around the local roads. We also used the Yard canteen to teach the basic mechanics of how a bike worked. At the end of the course they would sit a test with RAC and City of Glasgow police. Some insurance companies would give reduced premiums to holders of the certificate. None of this was compulsory nor did the certificate count in any formal way to passing your driving test. This seems to me the model for the present day motorcycle driving test process. You may well already be aware of this aspect of the clubs history.
When training to become an instructor we were told that when we were training others that demonstrating our control of our own bikes with various types of tricks would encourage them and give them confidence in our ability. Too fancy a trick that failed would of course have the opposite effect. One favorite was to do a complete circle with the footrest sparking all the way round. Attempted I may add on the Bantams and positively not on our own precious road bikes as it was not always a total success. Another was to flick the bike through 360 degrees, feet up, on an icy patch that used to form in the yard ,again not always a success. We all did it for free and got great satisfaction from it ,as we did with actually training future bikers.
Best wishes to the club and particularly to the committe members a job that can at times be a thankless one but never the less an enjoyable one. Alan Wright Snr. ******************************************************************* Thanks for all the info and photos Alan . Much appreciated. I' sure there will be folk out there who do remember the motorbike training. I have posted your pics to the photo page. ******************************** Lori
A couple of photos that may help you in your quest to interest a few more in the club’s past and in COLOUR no less. What can I say about them? They were taken on a club run in 1966 and as is evident we were having a flaming good time even if the bacon was a little crispy. We nearly always stopped off and built a fire on the winter runs. You would get the odd motorist stop and almost inevitably walk up to the fire rubbing their hands and holding them out to the fire for a warm. Having just got out of a warm heated car we would laugh at the irony and have a friendly chat after explaining what was behind our laughter. In winter there was no plugging into the bikes electrical system to get a heat. On very cold days a trick was to push old newspapers down inside your trousers to where they pulled tight over the knees to help with insulation. The good old days! I don’t think so but I did enjoy them.
My proud boast is that during my time as touring secretary we only turned back from a run once. This was because our goggles were freezing up on the inside and trying to clear them by sticking your gloved thumb into them was, even by our standards, uncomfortable and somewhat dangerous.
We normally met at the Odeon Cinema at Anniesland on a Sunday morning. Before heading off we would leave a note of the destination stuck in the glass fronted advertising box on the Cinema front which allow any late comers to follow us. Occasional we would get new members of the local burn up street gang type who would turn pale when they heard we would actually be going beyond the Glasgow boundary. Often this would be made known to them on their first Thursday club night and they would be concerned they would not have enough time to strip down and rebuild their bike for this epic journey on Sunday.
Alan Wright Snr. ( former member )
 Club run 1966 : Cooking the bacon seemed a bit risky, but a flaming good time was had by all. Photos courtesy of Alan Wright Snr.  ************************************************************************************************************************* Re : Time at Burnbank Terrace :
Sorry I cannot help you much on this one. It was always at Burnbank Terrace during my time but somewhere in the back of my mind I think Scotstoun may have been mentioned as a previous location. I was surprised at the size of the Maryhill premise with the main hall being somewhat like a small scout hall. It must have been some form of commercial unit in the past The glazed roof made me think of an artist’s north light studio. I have attached a rough sketch plan of what I remember it looked like. There were no windows in the general purpose room which made it an ideal place for those interested in photography to use for developing and printing their photos. We rented the rooms so had sole use of them.
Alan Wright Snr.
Reply : Thanks again for the information Alan. Perhaps someone will read this and be able to tell me more since you jogged their memory. Please keep the stories, photos and information coming, and that goes for anyone who can tell us anything at all about our club and it's history. Can anyone please send in the details of what years we were at Burnbank Terrace and also Scotstoun. And whereabouts in Scotstoun we were ? Or if anyone can remember other dates and venues that we held the Mercury Club meetings. Thank you. Lori Re : Tam O' Shanter Rally 2010 : To all the Mercury Club,many thanks for a great weekend, a grand job, Reply : Thanks Rab. Glad you enjoyed it.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ E-Mail From : I have previously emailed Joe Patrick but somehow I forgot about keeping in touch...and the rest is history. My name is Andrew Phillips and I am the son of one of Mercury's now deceased older members - Alexander Phillips. I wonder if you have ever heard of him or seen his name in any of the club memorabilia? I believe my dad was a very keen member of the Mercury just after the war. In fact he even celebrated his stag night with his fellow MMCC members in Glasgow - for which we have a rather hilarious printed night's itinerary. So my Uncle Sid told me, my dad was very pally with Bob McIntyre. In fact, I'm very proud to still have his original Mercury badge. Unfortunately, my dad died when I was 3 years old (1967) so I am very keen to hear if you may have anyone who knows about him and may have even a small story or two. I believe my dad was offered a professional speedway ride just after the war in Glasgow but he declined, preferring to Scramble with the Mercury. He loved both Trials and Scrambling and was an accomplished Speedway rider also. Via my mother, I have two large photograph albums which have quite a good number of excellent picture items and memorabilia regarding the Mercury. There's all sorts of scrambling, trials and 'gymkhana' pictures in the albums. The gymkhana pics show where the club ran motorcycle based charity events for disabled people, which look like they were a lot of fun. A bit like 'It's a Knockout' but with bikes. I'd be very pleased to scan some of the photos in if you're interested? If you do have anything at all that mentions my dad or know of anyone who knew him I'd be more than grateful to you. Kind Regards Andrew We are eternally grateful to anyone who can supply missing information regarding our club's history and of it's former members. Please keep sending it in, even if you do not think it is very relevant. Every little bit helps to build a bigger picture. Photos would be espescially appreciated too. And even if I never manage to compile a history of the club, the e-mails and photos make very interesting reading / viewing. Thank you all. Lori |
|||||||
 |
||||||||
E-Mails Page :
|
 |
||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
Founders of the Yorkhill Easter Egg Run.
| Site Map |