The Club
History of the Club from the beginning 1906 to the present day
Club moto “LABOR OMNIA VINCIT”
“Work conquers all”.
It all started back in 1906 when a bunch of enthusiastic folks, around 40 of them, gathered at the Royal Hotel in Darley Street on the 12th of February. They were brought together by Mr. Bernard Read, who had reached out to motorcycling enthusiasts in the Bradford area through Motor Cycle Magazine, and asked them to join him in forming a club.
At that exciting first meeting, chaired by Mr. G.E. Vint from Idle, they officially founded the club, which was initially known as the Bradford Motor Cycle Club. Representatives from the Leeds M.C.C., namely Messrs JR Kelly and H. Wheater, were there too, offering valuable advice on setting up the club.
Bernard Read became the Secretary, and they appointed Mr. Bullus as the Treasurer. As they set everything in motion, they decided on an annual subscription fee of 7/6d (37 1/2p), which was probably a pretty good deal at the time!
So there you have it, the heartwarming story of how this awesome club came to be. Can you imagine the excitement and passion of those early members as they embarked on their motorcycling journey together? It’s incredible to see how far they’ve come, all thanks to that very first meeting at the Royal Hotel.
Early Prominent Members
Back in its early days, the Club had an enthusiastic provisional Committee, with members like Messrs A. Hodgson, W. Mitchell, Barraclough, Brook, Lamb, ES Myers, and Fowler leading the way. They rented premises in the New Inn block (now known as the Bradford Law Courts) at the bottom of Manchester Road. These premises became a hub for the Club, complete with a bar, snooker table, and even a piano, where members gathered for some good times.
Among the Club’s notable members were Alfred Scott, Percy Shaw (Works Manager at P & M Motor Co), Clarrie and Tim Wood (TT winner), J Arnold Smith (Bradford garage proprietor), Charles Sydney (who later established his own business and played a key role in reconstituting the Club as the Bradford and District Motor Club in the 1920s), and Felix Scriven (Secretary of Scott Motor Cycle Co.), who handled the Club’s administration. Many of the early members, including Alec Dovener, worked for the Scott Company.
Unfortunately, with the outbreak of World War I, the premises had to be closed down. But they didn’t let that dampen their spirits! The piano and snooker table found a temporary home at Mr. T.G. Bullus’s place during the war.
After the war
After the Armistice in 1919, the Club resumed its activities, and Alec Dovener took up the secretarial duties. It was during this time that the Club played a significant role in forming the Yorkshire Centre, with Alec becoming its first-ever Secretary and W. Haggas of Keighley becoming its first President.
In 1926, the Club headquarters moved to the Belle Vue Hotel on Manningham Lane, where meetings continued until the late fifties. They also had a Country HQ at the Golden Lion in Settle.
Early Success
Members of the Club achieved remarkable success, securing Club Team Prizes in the TT events of 1923 and 1924. By 1926, the Wood brothers A.W. and CH were enthusiastic members, with T.G. Bullis serving as Captain and his son emerging as a rising star in the sport.
Several skilled riders made a name for themselves through the Club. Eddie and Stan Flintoff were notable on their Sunbeams. Alec Jackson, winner of the first Lancashire Grand National, stood out as the Club’s best all-rounder, while Harry Langman, Tim, and Clarrie Wood excelled as leading road racers. Junior members Charlie Helm and Allan Jefferies caused a stir with their impressive riding abilities, and although Allan may not have been consistent, he sure had fun doing what he loved.
Other prominent members
The Club was honoured to have Joe and Geoff Hepworth, Piston Ring Manufacturers from Bradford, as Vice Presidents. Joe Hepworth discovered Hepolite Scar, the venue for Bradford’s hill climb events after road speed events were banned.
Hepolite Scar
1926 Bradford MC Hill Climb video from Yorkshire Film Archives
Meeting locations
Throughout the Club’s colourful history, its meetings have taken place at various welcoming venues. In the 1950s, members gathered at The Girlington Hotel, creating fond memories of those times. As the ’60s rolled in, the gatherings moved to The Hare and Hounds on Toller Lane, followed by a stint at the Kensington Club, previously known as The Girlington Liberal Club, and then The Victoria at Sandy Lane.
In the late ’70s until the early ’90s, The Frizinghall Conservative Club provided the perfect setting for their gatherings, offering a sense of camaraderie among the members. A change of scenery came in the ’90s as the Club shifted its meeting spot to The Bridge Inn in Silsden, creating a refreshing atmosphere for its activities.
Then, in 1999, the Club found a new home at The Punch Bowl in Silsden, marking a new chapter in their journey. However, as time passed, the members decided to explore new horizons, and in 2015, the meetings were moved to The Kings Arms in Silsden,.
In 2018, a change of pace led the Club to The Narrowboats Inn in Skipton, where the gatherings have found a delightful and accommodating space. To this day, members come together at The Narrowboats Inn, embracing the friendly atmosphere and sharing their passion for motorcycling. It’s incredible to see how the Club’s meeting places have evolved over the years, fostering a sense of community and friendship that has stood the test of time.
1970s to 2000
Since the 1970s, the Club has been primarily focused on organising Motorcycle Trials, and they have successfully hosted rounds of the ACU British Championships for both adults and Youth categories. Additionally, they have developed a highly popular Closed to Club series, spanning 8 to 10 rounds across a 12-month period. This series has been well-received and has provided riders with exciting competitive opportunities.
In the 1990s, the Club expanded its offerings to include specially organised trials for Beginners and Clubman riders. These trials are designed with simplicity in mind, allowing newcomers to get acquainted with the world of competitive motorcycling. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the late Stuart Cameron from Autowbars Ltd, the series gained momentum and was known as The Autowbars Beginners and Novice Series. This series consisted of six rounds, held throughout the year, and often attracted over 70 participants per event. Stuart Cameron had one specific rule for the series: competitors could only win the coveted Autowbars Shield once, ensuring a fair and competitive environment for all participants.
The Autowbars Beginners and Novice Series, in particular, played a vital role in encouraging newcomers to join the trials community and experience the thrill of friendly competition.
2000 to present
In 2015, the Club underwent a significant change when some long-standing members stepped down from their roles to pursue other interests. The new committee, however, carried on the tradition of organising trials, with a focus on Closed to Club and Beginners and Clubman type trials.
2017 With very little interest from members and competitors a tough decision was made regarding the Clubs premier trial, The Allan Jefferies Trial, and 3 weeks before the event in July the trial was cancelled. More info on the Trial can be found here
By 2019, the Club faced a challenging situation and was on the verge of folding. One of the reasons was a shortage of help on the administrative side while running trials. Fortunately, dedicated individuals like Brian, Anthony, Carina, Fran, Nick, and others collaborated to revive the Club and bring it back on its feet. However, just as things were getting better, the Covid pandemic hit, severely affecting the sport. The committee had a tough 18 months dealing with the situation. Still, they managed to run a couple of trials under strict rules, which were well-received and appreciated by the participants
In 2021, Trials made a comeback on the calendar, adding more responsibilities for the hard-working committee members. As the Club headed into 2022, they were in need of additional help, particularly in roles such as Event Secretaries, Clerk of Course, and course plotters. These positions are suited for individuals with some free time and require organisational skills for form-filling and coordinating events. The existing committee members are supportive and willing to assist anyone who comes forward to help the Club.
2022, the Club planed to resume the Closed to Club series and host a few Major Club Centre Trials. However, the successful execution of these events largely depends on more members stepping up. A couple of the old farts came back to assist the young ones in keeping the Club going.
2023, At the start of 2023 the governing body the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) decided to join Sport 80, a Sport Management software company. During the year there wasnumerous hiccups implementing the system. Memberships and entries began to fall.
The Club intended to organise a series of Novice & Beginners trials on Wednesday evenings, with details of dates and venues shared on their social media pages. Additionally, Closed to Club trials was also to be held during the year along with our 4 Centre Trials. To keep costs affordable for everyone in 2023, the Club agreed on an annual membership fee of £1 for all members. Trial entry fees were set as follows: Centre and Championship trials – Adult £25, Youth £15; Closed to Club trials – Adult £20, Youth £15; Wednesday night series – Adult £18, Youth £12.
2024 saw a new committee formed with some enthusiastic members who rode trials. A new Beginners and Clubman series was started. (More details here) The Centre trials are still be organised but our Closed to Club trials have been put on the back burner until more help is forthcoming.
2025 The Club is still moving forward but still only running 6 rounds of the Planit Opticians Summer Series of Trials and Centre /Open Trials.
To be continued…….
