Wayzgoose 1966

By Dave Blanchard

A few weeks ago I was given an original programme from the 1966 Wayzgoose Trial and as many of you will know this is the name given to the infamous "Press Trial" which also incorporated "The Trade Barons Trial".

It all sounded very serious and official but was a real let your hair down "Fun Day"! The venue was Brands Hatch and it took place on the 1st of December 1966 where it had been held many times previously and has been repeated many times since.

The "Fun Format" is obvious in page one of the "Typewritten" programme where it reads that this is the "British Un-experts". A trial for the Lads and Lasses of the Motorcycling Press including a "Romp" for their good friends the "Trade Barons".

Seventy entrants would attempt to ride twelve sections twice but the last section would be a timed hill climb in the old fashioned tradition. Section names were in keeping with the atmosphere and were called, Brands Scoop, Subs Folly, Miss Print and Front Page "Streamer" to name just a few. Incidentally, the timed hill climb would cost the rider a tanner a go (2.5 pee) with all proceeds going to the Benevolent Fund.

Marking was quite simple with the obligatory 0-1-3-5 system in operation. But! Something else complicated it somewhat and it happened to be an unusual "Handicapping system". Any previous solo winner was given 100 marks against him or her before they started. Also if you used an over 3.50 section rear tyre you incurred another 20 marks lost. Thoughtful consideration had been given to the beginners because anyone who had previously participated in an ACU regulated Trial immediately gained 40 marks lost!! So the "Fun Format" was brought into play with everybody in with a chance of an award.

There were plenty of awards to be won fairly or dishonestly, with extra special awards up for grabs that looked just like bottles of whisky. One bottle for the "longest recorded jump" another for the "fastest recorded climb" and the last one for the "most outrageous headgear".

The competitors list quoted many well known people and others quoted were famous household names. I will give you a brief run down of some, Harry Louis, Mary Driver, Dennis Jenkinson, Don Morley, Dennis Bates, Brian Johnson (from BBC Grandstand), Charlie Rous, Mike Bashford, Cyril Quantrill, Monty Banks, David Dixon, Bruce Main-Smith, Bert Greeves, Bill Brooker and Ray Petty to name a few that I recognise. The whole programme read like a who's who of motorcycling, all assembled to let their hair down for a "laid back, highly competitive" fun day out.

Page seven was the days programme of events and I truly wish I had been there! It started at 10.00 am with coffee in the Club House. At 10.30 the Trial began with Harry Louis leading the way. The timed hill climb was at 12.30 and you had to be quick because the bar opened at 1.00 pm!!!! Lunch came along at 1.30 so drinking had to be pretty damn quick. After the refreshments had been consumed the awards were presented at around 2.30 pm. Then the film show started! Unbelievably there were no less than seven films to enjoy, featuring Trials, Point to Point, Grande National Scrambles, Motomania?, Shell Motorcycle sport from 1956, a Firestone Tyres film on Indy racing and finally "Six of the Best" from the Castrol film library. Phew!! That would keep me interested for months!

Ah! But that's not the end of the day yet. Because, everyone returned to tea and other more interesting liquid refreshments at almost precisely 5.30 pm just to quench their thirst of course before the opening of the "Tombola" at 6.00 pm. Next came fashionable, "Music, Drinking and Dancing" and the motorcycle enthusiast's finely honed pastime, "Talking"!! When 11.00pm came it was time to wind it all up with a "sing song" and Auld Lang Syne was the choice. In my minds eye I can hear it echoing around the Brands Hatch Valley on a cold and dark Decembers evening, unashamedly being belted out by many warm and cosy inebriated enthusiasts.

WHAT A DAY!! WHAT A TRIAL!!! Lets have one next weekend!!