Classic Bike Guide Magazine 338 June 2019 Edizione posteriore

I still love the Stafford show, there’s always something different and it makes you feel like you’re part of a much larger classic world. This month I had one of those lucky ‘pinch me’ moments, being fortunate enough to spend a little time with some true racing legends – in no order, Charlie Williams, Alex George, John Cooper, Ben and Tom Birchall and Ian Hutchinson.

Being a journo and working around racing a little, I’d spent some time with Ian, knew what troubles, pain and hard work he’s had to endure, as well as how honest and damn talented he is. It was great to see him feeling confident, on the mend and he was saying he’s just bought an old Bultaco trials bike. It was also really interesting to see Hutchy talking to the racers from previous generations, about their lives, careers and how the world of bike racing differs nowadays. The mutual respect was evident among these guys.

I’d never met Charlie Williams, Alex George or John Cooper before, and what true gentlemen they are. Being able to get a first-hand glimpse into the world they came from was incredible and totally different to today’s racing. They may have got start money in the old days, but boy did they earn it.