Mark and Linda Wilsmore

Mark and Linda Wilsmore

Mark's member profile taken from the LINK magazine 2022

Tiumph Owners and the 59 Club were the first motorcycle clubs that I joined, affording a lot of joy over the years, as well as lasting friendships.Being born in 1957, I witnessed the swan-song of the British motorcycle industry and of those who rode the machines and wore the black leather jacket. My best friend at school had an older brother, a Mod, who had several scooters. His pride and joy was mirrored to the hilt, but he also had ‘racers & wreckers’, and this combined with living in the countryside, meant that when we could, my friend and I would ‘borrow’ a scooter and take off around the fields, learning to ride. Amongst the ‘pocket money’ jobs I had when still at school, was with a near neighbour who, at the time, was a serious off-road motorcycle scrambler. He had several bikes and the right off-road gear, as worn by Vic Eastwood on TV. I had the honour of cleaning his mud-caked machines and boots, all for two shillings.

Another such job was as a Butchers delivery ‘boy’. The home of one of the customer’s was always surrounded by cafe racer motorbikes, a son owning several machines, and there always seemed to be endless friends of his around with their bikes. Much later, I learnt that this was as a consequence of the son being a mechanic. Looking back it was as though I was constantly being drip-fed British bikes. At secondary school, the fashion and music of the day was mainly ‘Soul’, but on attending some youth clubs, I discovered rock n’ roll. This music was usually played towards the end of the evening, when older guys riding British bikes arrived, wearing patched and studded black leather jackets - Rockers, many wearing what to me at the time was a mystical 59 patch. I wanted a bike, I wanted to look like them, I wanted to ride faster than them and I wanted to know all the words to ‘their’ song “Just for Kicks”.At last my 17th birthday arrived, and I won the protracted and difficult debate with my parents, allowing me to get a motorcycle on Hire Purchase (Credit). Limited to L-plates (L-plates being the compulsory “Learner” symbol), I purchased a RD Yamaha, which meant I was able to travel further afield. This enabled me to frequent rock n’ roll clubs and meet up with more people of my age who were also enjoying the same particular type of raw rock n’ roll that came to be known as Rockabilly.

After a bad ‘off,’ in the early ‘80s, an accident that was not my fault, my leg from ankle to thigh was in and out of plaster for about 17 months, to include an extensive stay in a hospital with which I and many of my age group had become very familiar with! When I had fully recovered, two seminal things happened, the Stray Cats burst onto the scene, and after a short while riding a Honda XL, I bought my first British bike, a Triumph TR65 Thunderbird. From that moment on, despite the demise of Meriden, I felt that my interest in Rocker culture had been cemented. In 1987, a book came out by Johnny Stuart, called Rockers! With an interest in history in all its forms, this book articulated and seemingly gave account for why I felt so drawn to the rocker heritage. Many other motorcycles were purchased over the years to include; Norton Commando; Triton; Harley-Davidson Electra Glide; Rickman Metisse Cafe Racer (750cc Bonneville Engine); Triumph Flat Tracker; Triumph 8-valve TSS; BSA A65 Rocket with Dustbin fairing; 1959 BSA Gold Star Clubman 500 (taken out to 604cc), and a Trident T160 which I blew up three years running whilst trying to keep up with Ninja and Exup rocket-ships on route to the British Moto GP at Donington. I knew I was pushing the bike too hard and maybe, subconsciously, I was trying to get a feel for what I missed, not having been old enough to ride in the sixties. Another enduring memory was riding the Norton around the Isle of Man TT circuit five times on what is known as ‘Mad Sunday’, and consequently having to limp the bike, two up, back home to London on very worn tyres. Not only that, my pillion (my wife) had to keep me awake! Thankfully this was in the early hours of the morning, so not much traffic about.

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