The Meteor Group

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 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 in the pre-war years and in post war events, on a variety of machines, including a home brewed special that was featured in the weekly magazine Motor Cycling with pictures of its construction.

Mick Clarkson, a Pre 65 specialist, he has many immaculate "Brit" bikes, he has won the British bike class in group events many times!

The immediate post war years were of course restricted by petrol rationing, one HUX member ran his bike on a mixture of petrol and paraffin to make the ration go further!

Shortly after joining the group in 1949 the Mid Bucks club stated that they could organise either a trial or a scramble on the group's behalf. The meeting decided that a scramble "might be popular" if it included a standard tyre class.

The first winners of the club shield in 1951 were the Wycombe club and it is recorded in the minutes that the shield cost 40/- (£2). Some clubs were admonished for charging 6/- for an entry when 4/6 was the norm.

In 1952 a letter from the Wycombe club stated that "some riders were persistently trying to intimidate observers to obtain a lower score", have times changed that much!

In 1954 Jack Rees won the trophy for the best performance by a Meteor group rider in the Inter group team trial. Jack then went on to win the centre expert championship in 1955. 1959 and 1968. His son Steve did rather well in trials becoming expert champion in 1998/9. He now lives in Australia and is doing well in state championships on a sidecar!

A novice championship was introduced in 1955, but it lapsed and almost 40 years to the day it was reintroduced in 1995.

A problem in 1960 was caused by foot and mouth and swine vesicular disease, all these problems contributed to the trend for the multi lap courses used today by most clubs. The Ramblers association were "making waves" in 1969 and the group's Rights of Way man Eric Wrigley of Berko' was well to the fore in representing motorcycling both locally and Nationally to combat the RA's excesses.

Today's Rights of Way are dealt with by Chris Hurworth of the Wycombe club, he has made quite a name in the Centre for his efforts to keep by-ways and tracks used by clubs from being closed often illegally.

A Farnham Royal delegate was congratulated in September 1995 on his forthcoming wedding, but surprise was expressed that he had not entered the trial on the following day! In 1983 a riders request for entries to be allowed on the day was met with a firm NO!

Entry fees today are around the £15 mark and a rider levy in all group events helps to pay for the group's trophies. Annual awards are presented to all classes except clubmen and the most improved intermediate receives the Bob Pearce trophy in memory of a past HUX member who was real "trier". There are two trophies to commemorate the late Tommy Gatrell of WMA, one for novices and one for the best British bike rider.

Neil Osman AJS, Neil comes regularly to group events.

There is now a twinshock championship to cater for the resurgence of those machines.

The famous Meteor group shield, complete with the model of a 500T Norton is still presented to the best club. Since then the group has added a Pre 65 Sportsman trophy kindly donated by Ted North of the Berkhamsted club. There are also trophies for the best A, B and C class youths. The awards are presented at the Berko' clubs trial in March.The Kenton and Kingsbury club ran the 70th anniversary trial at Plashes Farm in May 2016 with a very healthy entry.

The Golden Jubilee celebration of the group took place at the Brill scramble course on the 27th of October 1996, but it was plagued by dreadful weather, resulting in some massive scores. Clerk of the Course Mick Murdoch stated that "the weather and the nature and size of the terrain rendered it a hard trial"! He was also disappointed with the lack of observers from the group's clubs.

Jason Clifford 200 Fantic, he now rides occasionally after a nasty knee injury, a nice lad!

Unfortunately the last few years have seen the passing of some of the stalwarts of the Meteor group, Ed Stott, John Kinkead, Jack Rees and several others, all irreplaceable members that served the group well from the 1940's up to the present day have gone, they are all sadly missed. So in over 70 years the group has survived fuel rationing, cow and pig diseases, snow drifts, the Ramblers association, the Lords Day observance society, some "loony" government legislation and many different meeting places.

At the group's 21st Birthday supper the founder secretary Jack Thurston said. "I little realised the stature to which the group would grow, with a corresponding influence on South Midland matters". He had no doubt that it would survive another 21 years, but it has done better than that, it's meetings every other month are well attended and are notable for the vigorous way that the group's events are discussed, the group looks set to go on for many more years.

Veteran Pet Haines 250 Beta, a regular competitor in group and South Eastern trials, a Farnham Royal stalwart, one of the groups experienced "older" riders!

Meteor group clubs: Barnet, Berkhamsted, Farnham Royal, Hayes and Southall, Hillingdon and Uxbridge, Kenton and Kingsbury, Milton Buzzards, North East London, Oxford Ixion, South Harrow, West Middlesex Amateur, Wycombe.

Chairman, Mick Murdoch, Treasurer, John Cox, Championship recorder, John Eckhart. ROW rep', Chris Hurworth. Secretary. Bob Twigg.