The Meteor Group
Q By Bob Twigg
On July 31st 1946 at the home of Jack Thurston, in Pinner, Middx, six South Midland clubs met for the inaugural meeting of a group that was to be called The Meteor Group. The six clubs were.. Amateur MCC, Berkhamsted MCC, Hillingdon and Uxbridge MCC, Watford and District, Edgware and Mill Hill, and West Middlesex Amateur. Of these six "Berko" HUX and WMA are still members of the twelve clubs that make up the group today. F.W Pinhard, "PIN" of Pinhard trophy fame, was elected chairman and the rules of the already successful Star group in the South Eastern Centre were "copied and modified". The South Midland Centre board at the time saw the formation of trials groups as something of a threat to their authority! But they reckoned without the clever "PIN" who tabled a motion at a centre board meeting which said "this centre approves of the formation of trials
Mick Clarkson, a Pre 65 specialist, he has many immaculate "Brit" bikes, he has won the British bike class in group events many times! 6
Gus Oblein on his Sherco, he is a very promising rider He scored well in the National youth championships a while ago. He is a regular Meteor group rider. groups" and his speech in support carried the day with an almost unanimous vote. The marking to be adopted at group trials was three marks lost for a "foot" and five for a "stop". Clubs found it difficult at a later date to get observers "diligent" enough to cope with the 1, 3, 5 marking system! October 1946 saw the first Meteor Group trial run by WMA at Brill in Bucks, with sections on the now famous "Scramble" course. The minutes of an early 1947 meeting state that events were curtailed all over the country by severe weather, the infamous 1947 "freeze up"! There were three groups in the South Midland centre at that time namely.. Meteor, Ace, and, Beds, Herts and Northants (BHN) and all three were very active. The treasurer at the time Ed'Stott, reported that the group's balance of funds at the time was £5.11.7d (£5.63) which apparently was enough to see the group through the year. Ed was very active in group affairs and he later became a Life Vice President of the group. He was almost "unique" in that he rode
