BBC Grandstand Scrambling

Paul Rochdale

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Back in the 1960s when I were nowt but a lad, most Winter Saturday afternoons would find me glued to the TV watching BBC Grandstand scrambling. No colour in those days, bikes with everyday names (Greeves, BSA, Matchless, Husqvarna, CZ, Metisse) and riders known to us boys (with Dave Bickers and Jeff Smith being the greatest). Feast your eyes on this gem of a film.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhuZk5q0qCs&feature=related
 
:aidan

Brilliant.

That brings back many memories, being glued to the TV on a saturday afternoon. No health and safety there.
 
Great stuff.

Dave Bickers went on to do TV and film stunt work with his son Paul an excellent mxer as well.

In that clip there were a lot of dads of future British MX/Bike stars.

Vic Eastwood - Scott and Mark
Dave Bickers - Paul
Andy Lee - Michael (World Speedway champ)
John Banks - Mark
 
That's the kind of competing my dad used to do :bow

I'll see if I can dig out a picture...
 
Dave Bickers went on to do TV and film stunt work with his son Paul an excellent mxer as well.

Have worked many times on set with Dave, a hugely experienced and resourceful man who no matter how tricky the job, always has a smile!
Dave is pretty much retired these days, Paul runs the business now.

Their web site is here...
http://www.bickers.co.uk/index1.htm
Have a look at some of their work in the various clips at bottom left of page.
 
Exciting stuff..... Too early for me being born in 1968, but I did like the rallycross in the 1970s broadcast on a Saturday afternoon.:)

Timpo.
 
As an add on to this thread, does antone else remember the Boxing Day Auto point to point Between the Army and I think, Kent motor club ???

My favourite was a little Standard 10 powered "bug" used by the Army team and one of the Kent lot had the first Haflinger I'd ever seen
WOW what a surprise that was, A 600 cc 4x4 mountain goat looking like a Jap mini truck 30 years before Rascals TN7's etc :):rob:rob
It was a must see, every Boxing day in late 50's early 60's
 
I think 'the Kent lot' were the London Motor Club. I was in Austria last year and came across a Haflinger truck. It seems Haflinger was named after a breed of wild horse or goat. DOT = Devoid of Trouble. Only once did I see a live scramble in that era, at Lydden Hill. Smith and Bickers again, battling for the lead. I think Dave B was CZ mounted by then. When Jeff Smith retired, he went to North America to work with the Bombardier people, and he now lives in the US. I recall his titanium framed BSA would have great problems when it's ultra-lightweight frame would break as titanium could only be welded in a vacuum. Not easy to locate in a scrambles circuit.
 
Scrambling

Wild and Woolly on Boxing Day is as good as it gets these days. Absolutely brilliant
 

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Well that was a trip down memory lane, A mate used to have one of those Greeves scramblers, leading link forks and all, I do remember seeing a Haflinger somewhere too? Steyr Daimler Puch made em. Anyway got to turn over now, Dad wants to watch Mick McManus :)

Stewart
 
Brilliant

Which track was it?

I used to go with my late dad, to the track @ Denbury, nr Newton Abbot in Devon organised by West of England MCC to watch the Grandstand Scrambles

Picket fencing and ropes, you could touch the bikes and eat the Castrol R

Great racing and catapulted me into a love of offroad bikesport...............a bike followed when I was 10 and I did a few Schoolboy scrambles, before switching to Trials fulltime

In those days all the riders could switch between Trials/Enduros/ISDT's and Scrambles and were competitive at all events
 
Memory lane with M.W. commentating - heaven. The Beeb also screened trials long before "Kickstart". I remember seeing Sammy Miller on GOV132 doing an up the hill, round the tree and down section - looked dead easy !!!!!!!
Finish Saturday afternoon off with Kent Walton, Les Kellet, Jackie Pallo and crumpets toasted on the fire.
 
The name Lampkin came up in the video - is that the Trials Lampkin? Or am I making things up in my head?
 


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