The classic scooterists club magazine

Raiders Of The Lost Archives

This initial contact led to Mike sending us a couple of pictures that had been taken on the Isle of Man during the late 60s. He also happened to mention that he had loads of other photographs taken during that period, so a trip down to Oxfordshire (where Mike now lives) was on the cards.

After a wet and eventful journey south, bogged by accidents and roadworks, I finally arrived at Mike’s home in Thame to be greeted by a smiling face and the offer of refreshments. Mike had all his memorabilia laid out for me to browse through before we got down to the business of discussing his scootering experiences.

It was during 1962 (after he had left school) that Mike first got himself involved with scootering. He met up with an old college friend who introduced him to a world of riding on two small wheels and has been hooked on it ever since. He bought his first scooter, a Lambretta LD and joined Greenford Lambretta Club, which, at the time of joining, boasted a substantial membership of around 120-130 members – a vast increase in membership for the club since it was initially formed sometime around 1955.

Every club likes its own identity and Greenford Lambretta Club was no exception with everyone wearing club jumpers (in those days, all made by mum's and wives). During his time with GLC (that’s Greenford Lambretta Club and not Greater London Council) he served as the Club Captain and used to travel all over the country to scooter related events with his fellow club members and other scooterists. They didn’t restrict themselves just to scooter events and even attended motorcycle rallies like the Dragon Rally, held in North Wales.

Mike wasn’t adverse to travelling alone either. On one occasion in 1954 (after he sold the LD and purchased a Lambretta Series 2 Li), he rode all the way to John o' Groats, getting a total of eight punctures along the way. He soon developed the habit of changing the wheel with his spare and then repairing two punctures at the same time the next time it happened!

Apart from being involved in various social scooter events, he developed a liking for scooter sport and quickly became involved in competing at various events, including well-known places like Snetterton, Brands Hatch and – of course – the Isle of Man. This led him to be involved with a selection of well-known scooterists, including Mike Karslake, Malcolm Clarkson and Tony Tessier, to name but a few.

He has some happy memories from those times. It wasn’t just track, road or gymkhana type events that caught his imagination, but off-road scrambling as well. In fact, GLC and other local clubs used to meet up on land borrowed officially from the local council to hone and develop their riding skills.

One memory that Mike remembers with a smile was the time when he hired a van to transport his scrambler to a meeting. Arriving with the scooter inside, but with all his gear on the roof rack, he was instructed to ride under a bridge towards the pits – totally forgetting about having all his other gear strapped on the roof rack – oops! Luckily, no serious damage was done. In another anecdote, he tells of the time he was partnered at an event by none other than Mike Karslake in a night competition. Somehow Mike C managed to fall asleep in a ditch and was found by Mike K – who immediately nicknamed him ‘Rip Van Winkle’.

Mike continued to be involved in scooter activities until Greenford Lambretta Club eventually packed up in 1969, by which time, club membership had dwindled to six members. Mike’s love affair with scooters continued sporadically over the years and he never sold his Lambretta GT 200, which he has faithfully owned since 1968. It’s had a few modifications along the way (the GT, not Mike) and is now converted from 6-volt to 12-volt electronic ignition. Other mods include a 30mm Amal carb and a Rapido stator.

Today, Mike rides with the Oxfordshire Red Kites Scooter Club and still attends rallies and major scooter events. His passion for scootering is still with him – as it will always be.

Mau

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