The Beginning

The scheme began in 1976 with a caucus of club enthusiasts.

Training HQTraining HQ

Club members interested in becoming instructors were asked to indicate the evenings when they would be available on a regular basis. Of course, the club met on Wednesday nights so that was never going to be the training night!

Name Mon Tue Thu Fri Sun
Morn
Tony Bradley      
Alan Tabiner        
Dave Smith      
Steve White      
Rob Nash    
Steve Brown      
Brian Porter        
Phil Freestone    
John Ireland        

Sunday mornings avoiding the dark evenings was only an option for the winter as we all wanted to go on club runs in the summer. You can see from the above survey why Tuesday was chosen.

Members were also asked if they were able to attend other county training schemes to gain experience of instructing and the way the scheme would be run.

Name Mon
Leicester		 Mon
C'ville		 Tue
Melton		 Fri
L'boro
Tony Bradley    
Alan Tabiner    
Dave Smith    
Steve White      
Rob Nash      
Steve Brown      
Brian Porter      
Phil Freestone      
John Ireland    

Dave Smith, Steve Brown and Ben Crossley regularly attended the AJS/Matchless Owners training scheme operated from the Ambulance Hall at Whitwick Pit. Now a supermarket stands on the site but The Victoria down the road is still a bikers pub! We used to take refreshments there while we discussed what we had learned during the evening.

 

Training materials

John Wilmot used to take great delight in showing the following film. Even in the 1970s it was terribly dated but the principles outlined are still relevant today.

We like the way that riders stand up and rub their knees after every accident. If only!
No need to try to be glamorous like this...