The Bothams tent had only one pre 1963 British 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle. Leaning up against its front wheel was a laurel wreath such as given to winners of classic races such as the Isle of Man. This one however did not have the race name nor their placing instead the gold lettered words read To the Memory of Clive.

The Bothams Lansdowne British Championship for pre 1963 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle had a round scheduled for this track today. I was in the paddock at Donington Park Raceway one of the very historic British tracks.

The fields wre full of Matchless G50's, Manx Nortons and AJS 7R's however a vacant grid position observed the loss the past weekend of one of the top riders Clive Ling 53 who was holding 5th position. Clive had died in Chimay in Belgium when he crashed at around 200kph losing his helmet in the process before hitting his head on the racetrack,observed by his wife Donna,his father and another family member. His beloved Lannsdowne bike came to the track and its seat contained a message book for fans,followers and those who never knew him to leave a lasting written word.

I have an ongoing involvement with the Classic bike scene via my home club The Coffs Harbour & District Motorcycle Restorers Club and with The Old Gold Classic racing Team. Between them I get to enjoy the fellowship with like interested people and the opportunity to view,ride and seen unique motorcycles in action. This two day visit back to Donington was to the largest Classic bike race meeting in the United Kingdom. Entries topped the 600+ mark with around 450 riders some bring their priceless motorcycle from many parts of Europe. The meetings are as much about showing both to fellow enthusiasts and the general public as to having the opportunity to run the motorcycle on a historic track with the rules of the meeting clearly showing the status as UNSILENCED.

A classic meeting allows the general public the right to enter the paddock and freely wander the pit and garage areas thus affording a first hand look,smell,sound and often a touch experience. many of the riders have come from backgrounds in racing and so it was not unexpected to spend time with Steve Parrish infact we have had the time to talk no less then 3 times this year in 3 different countries such is our levels of interest in the classic scene.

No large commercial tyre trucks attend these meetings instead I witnessed Ken Inwood selling and fitting tyres from his rusted out van in the camping area. His business was brisk despite others selling similiar products because riders like to support fellow riders and trust their knowledge. Ken raced between 1957-89 winning 11 Silver & 6 Bronze replicas in the IOM TT & MGP.

Unfortunately the UK like Australia has a älternative"classic scene and Donington had vast numbers of "replica"classics from the main suppliers Walmsley AJS and Molnar Manx, Kay MV Agusta while there products look the part they are manufacturered using different materials to the period correct machines and some "rule allowances"see bikes like the Norton Manx running disc brakes when they were produced with drum brakes only.

Other variations at these meeting include period correct fairings that may have been outlawed by event organisers in later years. I have photographs showing a MV Agusta with a "period correct"dustbin fairing something I have only witnessed on Gilera and AJS before.

These meetings see a very small group of "brand enthusiasts"running makes that have largely left the sales arena (unless a Chinese copy or a rebadging exercise) such as Jawa, Bultaco,Gilera,Morbelli,Benelli and Laverda all of which at various times were Championship contenders.

This meeting also had often large numbers of common motorcycles that in their racing era had frames supplied by a third party or a mix n match effort and taking my eye was a whole row of Seeley's but also many had Harris frames or the more common Tribsa & Triton combinations.

However later you will read of a couple of very unique bikes handbuilt as Alpha Centuri motorcycles and despite their age are stilling running strong but when I asked builder and owner about seeing them in action the cycle was complete. His answer " äfter Clives death coming not long after Dan Kneen, Adam Lyon, Tom Cowin and William Dunlop, I couldnt ask a rider to tke that risk."