Monthly Archives: November 2013

Recent images taken along the route: ISDT 1938 Wales

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Wales

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The ongoing mapping of the ISDT route and the availability of Google Streetview makes it fairly easy to see the locations that featured on the route maps as Checkpoints, Fuel and Lunch Stops and other intermediate points. Here we are following the route of the ISDT 1938 as set out in our article on mapping the ISDT 1938

Below are a collection of images taken of the route and hopefully more can be added as the route is revisited by those interested with the history of the ISDT.

Day 1

After the start in Llandrindod Wells at 6.00am there was an introductory check at 1 ½ miles (2.5km) at 7 ¼ miles (11.7km) the riders crossed the river bridge at Cregrina.

Photo - River bridge at Cregrina on route Day 1 ISDT 1938 (Google Streetview)

Photo – River bridge at Cregrina on route Day 1 ISDT 1938 (Google Streetview)

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Mapping the ISDT: Wales 1937

23 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Wales

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#3 in a series is still on the drawing board to be started when 1933 is finished. This post is for now just to put online the maps and check details should anybody be curious enough to wish to give it a go.

Route Maps and Check sheets:

Image of scanned Route Map from event programme ISDT 1937

Image of scanned Route Map from event programme ISDT 1937

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Mapping the ISDT: Wales 1933

23 Saturday Nov 2013

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#2 in a never ending series will take a look at how we mapped the route, where did it go and possibly eventually feature points of interest along the way as they exist. As this is an ongoing project and requires an element of local knowledge. In #1 we looked at 1938 and the almost now completed task would not have happened without the help of Colin Jones of the West Glos and Forest of Dean Motorcycle Club. Any further offers of help are welcome please drop us a note, especially for non-Wales route maps

The map so far ( this image will be updated as the work is completed)

image - route of event with checkpoints days 4 and 5 ISDT 1933

image – route of event with checkpoints days 4 and 5 ISDT 1933

In order to prepare the map I am using Google Earth although dedicated packages such as GPS orientated applications like Memory Map, Anquet Map or GIS packages like Q GIS will be helpful.

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What did the ISDT riders do during the war?

17 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Europe, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, Photography, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Image scanned photo from article 'the Recorder' 21 June 1941 BRITISH DESPATCH RIDERS.—"Swift and Sure" is the motto of the Royal Corps of Signals'of Britain's Army. Many of its motor cycle despatch riders are famous on motor racetracks. - (Department of Information photo).

Image scanned photo from article ‘the Recorder’ 21 June 1941 BRITISH DESPATCH RIDERS.—”Swift and Sure” is the motto of the Royal Corps of Signals’ of Britain’s Army. Many of its motor cycle despatch riders are famous on motor racetracks. – (Department of Information photo).

Many of the works riders when drafted into the forces in 1939 who were not already army riders found their skills were sought after to ensure the army had a full compliment of riders who could take motorcycles into action.

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Not just about the motorbike: where did the Beetle come from?

16 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Germany, Magazine

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A rare outbreak of moment of personal indulgence.. this is nearly my 100th blog after all

Photo - KDF Wagen

Photo – KDF Wagen

Whilst busy trawling through the vast ocean rich with articles abut the International Six Days’ Trial in the archive of the National Library of Australia’s interwar years newspapers, sat alongside a key report on the ISDT 1938 I stumbled onto an article on the development in Germany under the direction of a well known despot the production of a new car for the citizens of Germany one that would cost only the equivalent of the average workers salary for 20 weeks. In addition this car would be built in a factory run by the state in direct competition to the private sector who had failed to take up the design challenge… Unlike however the ill-fated efforts at state car building in Britain or the Meridan co-operative at the end of our bike indutry. From this humble beginning came one of the worlds greatest cars and one of the worlds largest and advanced automotive companies.

As a help to any other VW Beetle fans or researchers who stumble onto this blog I have added below some of the treasure of articles about the arrival of the KDF Wagen and its liberation at the end of the war.

“PEOPLE’S CAR

Huge German Factory BRIEF DETAILS

If things turn out according to Herr Hitler’s programme to build for the German people, in the next few years, millions of low priced motor cars at the huge Government factory now being erected in Brunswick, the people of that country will be able to buy a new car through the Labour Front at the equivalent of 5/ a week, plus about 1 / a week for insurance

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ISDT Research: Historic Newspapers

15 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Motorcycling, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Whilst recovering the history of the ISDT, sometimes from oblivion, much of what happened prior to the war is no longer accessible via living memory. Most of the pre-war racers and the event supporters have sadly left our company over the last 10-30 years. Whilst we may still have those copies of the old magazines ‘the Motor Cycle‘ and ‘Motor Cycling‘ neither are published any longer and so its a case of trawling old archives and eBay auctions to find any references to the ISDT which is often fraught with difficulty and significant cost. These magazines tell us the story from the enthusiasts point of view but it’s also clear the International was a major sporting man familiar with many people with little active interest in the events and it is intersting to see how it was perceived then by the man in the street to compare to the sports relative anonymity today. A surprisingly great source for this kind of material is the daily national and regional newspapers of the time.

image - scanned from the Courier - Mail, from Brisbane Queensland Australia 10th May 1937 ISDT 1937

image – scanned from the Courier – Mail, from Brisbane Queensland Australia 10th May 1937 ISDT 1937

the image of the cycling contraption is described in its caption as this: FAMILY CVCLE.— An unusual machine, devised by a resident of Kent, England, to solve the transport problem for five people.

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Remembrance Sunday 2013: Motorcyclists at war

09 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Europe, Motorcycling, Photography

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As another year passes as we approach Remembrance Sunday this weekend and Armistice Day on the 11th November. The remembrance of the war has always been considered of great importance by British Motorcycle clubs, many clubmen riders went war and many never returned, those who remain have always believed that this sacrifice should not go un-noticed. I do not want this article to simply be a mark of respect to the many British soldiers who were called up by their nation to defend this country and paid the ultimate price for our freedom with their life. The ISDT has been an international community and at the same time as many British Racers were called up and ran the risk of not returning home, riders of other nations were being required to do just the same facing the same penalty. The time to remember the wrong of particular wars is no longer important it is well studied and taught as part of school curriculum history. However the anonymous individuals who were the casualties and who perished, deserve remembrance as the years pass and the witnesses no longer remain to remind us of the  cost that war imposes on all those who take part in it.

Photo - Women Dispatch riders on Royal Enfield Motorcycles (Image courtesy Imperial War Museum)

Photo – Women Dispatch riders on Royal Enfield Motorcycles (Image courtesy Imperial War Museum)

I have included a number of images from the archives of the Imperial War Museum. But would encourage you to take the time to listen to this recording of Wrexham Steelworker Trevor Edwards, born 1917, from Ffrwd near Wrexham. Continue reading →

Where did it go? mapping the ISDT

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Uncategorized, Wales

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I can recall whilst out trail riding in the Clwydian Hills in my teens during the late 70’s when one of the old blokes pointed into a hedge (they said it was a track, but you could not get into it to stand and look.. it was a hedge) and that once the ISDT had gone up there…. I knew the event and it filled my head with images of far off exotic trails in wild forests. I had never even heard of  the ISDT in Wales although I knew that once the Tour of Wales Enduro had come these ways it had not done so for years, the only active local off road competition were the Scrambles at Bodfari, the Fosters Cup an observed trial run by the South Liverpool Club and local observed trials organised by the Denbigh and Mold MCC. Even so that story stuck in my head and everytime i drive past this hedge I think the ISDT went there once.

Image – Scanned copy of course map as published in either Motor Cycle or Motor Cycling for the ISDT 1938

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ISDT: Women and Motorcycling revisited

02 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Enduro, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Motorcycling, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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After picking up the task of restoring Taff’s old website Speedtracktales back in May 2012 from a cd of memories to its former glory, many areas of the story it told opened my eyes and dispelled a belief that our daily life was evidence that we had advanced as a society, it became clear we have in some ways stagnated or gone back in time by comparison to opportunities taken for granted in the past.

I was particularly inspired in reading and rediscovering the feats of the ACU ‘Ladies’, a fearless but quite civilised corp of women who took their place in Motorcycle racing as equals, although a minority. The history of Motorcycle sport that I have participated in has depended heavily on the willingness of wives, girlfriends and mothers to put in a great effort but sometimes felt that role was not properly recognised nor the many women racers adequately covered. This gave rise to an article I wrote about the many Women at the ISDT who were led by presence of the very strong character of Marjorie Cottle who featured in her own article, a great niece of whose recently visited this site giving much pleasure. Although towards the end of the ISDT women had all but disappeared, there has been a renaissance of recent years in world enduro and so much so there is a women’s team prize in the ISDE. My hope is the sport will get more competitive and more popular possibly as young women introduced into the sport through action & gravity sports, such as MTB downhill, find that they can transfer those skills to a motorcycle as Wales based international Downhill racer Fionn Griffiths has being doing in both British and European Enduro events riding for KTM.

Image - Article in Marjorie Cottle in FIM Women in Motorcycling Magazine

Image – Article in Marjorie Cottle in FIM Women in Motorcycling Magazine

It came as a great pleasure when browsing recent FIM publications to see their ‘Women in Motorcycling Newsletter‘ which in issue 3 of 2013 featured a fantastic article on Marjorie, who remains a modern inspiration and, just like the often overlooked 20’s English travel writer Freyer Stark, her life is long overdue a Hollywood / Elstree Biopic feature film. I am please also to note that the FIM credits Speedtracktales as the source of their article. Its great to be paying back our gratitude to the FIM for the help they have given scanning their archive of ISDT results for our use.