AJS & Matchless Owners Club

While I'm still a Jampot club member (albeit with a brief gap), I haven't been very active (OK, not active) in the Surrey section for a while. My 18S is on the road again after its 10+ years 'rebuild', but I, as with my chum Robin Gregory, no longer live in Surrey; not even close. East Suffolk looks to be my nearest section now. I have a dim recollection of being at a Jampot rally at/near Woodbridge, many years ago. I recently spied the house in the clouds at Thorpeness when out for a walk with SWMBO. The only time I'd seen it before was out on a run from that Woodbridge rally.

So long Surrey; adios amigos!

How long ago was the Newbury section's Stockcross Alternative rally? Anyone remember? (Does anyone care?) I remember finding hard frost all over the tents on the last morning. Or was it absolutely persisting down? Whatever, I just remember it being bloody miserable. My AJS went into the garage when I got home and didn't come out again until mid-2021, having spent the large part of the intervening period in nuts-and-bolts level lumps. Lockdown got me active again, reconditioning the AJS - I'd had the frame powder coated at least 10 years ago - and doing a lot of cycling.

Hi Charles, There was a Stockcross, Newbury Alternative in 2008

Hi Duncan, that sounds about right, timewise. Your pic looks positively balmy. I remember a lovely ride out on the Saturday, up the B4000, etc., around the bottom of Swindon (ooo, er) and back. The Sunday morning was crap...

So much water under the bridge, bet the BM and the Girlie Tiger have gone as well Charles.

Ha! Rob, I just spotted you in one of my photos at an Alternative. Oh yes, the R100S and Girlie went a long time back. A long time ago. A Tiger 1050, a couple of BMW GS's since then. Besides the AJS 18S, I now have an R1200R (from Bahnstormer, down your way) and a Triumph Scramber 1200 XC, which replaced the last GS. I'm hoping to retire this year. Who knows, perhaps I'll even venture out on the 18S again...

Charles , you will be most welcome at the Alternative down in Sussex this year . Even if camping is too much for you now days , you can stay locally in a B&B , Premier Inn etc and come in as a day visitor . Details of the location and dates should be available in the next couple of weeks

Hi Charles,it’s good to see to have become “ re-activated”: so to speak. I remember the runs you used to lead on your little BSA and yes I too remember that Alternative at Stockcross. I went there as a day visitor and left for home with John Telfer, he had problems with an oil leak on his rocker feed and after fixing it couldn’t get my bike to start and had to call home for help. Went back for my bike next morning in the dry.
Hopefully we may meet up again sometime at one of the Jampot Rallies in the future. Best wishes to you and yours for 2022.
MikeM.

Hi Mike, that's stirred a memory - John Telfer's bike and the oiling problem at Stockcross. Crikey, the things one dredges up with the right prompt.

g80csp11 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:11 am Charles , you will be most welcome at the Alternative down in Sussex this year . Even if camping is too much for you now days , you can stay locally in a B&B , Premier Inn etc and come in as a day visitor . Details of the location and dates should be available in the next couple of weeks

Not the Piltdown Man again, Peter?