Spent last weekend staying in a lovely pub in Stockton on Tees ready for the VCC Jack Taylor ride in North Yorkshire held on the Sunday and Monday. It was a really fabulous weekend, though a long round trip. Between Friday night after work and Monday night around 10.30 I did about 947 miles and had spent 19 hours driving, 9 down and 10 back.
I was asked why I wasn't headed to SSUK as per my usual riding but just decided on a change for this year. I missed the Jack Taylor weekend last year due to last minute family stuff and really regretted it and told Brian back then that the Jack Taylor weekend was for me in 2019.
I decided a long while back that the Jack Taylor weekend would come first this year. The single speed isn’t the same without Brian anyway, though I did have his entry but to be honest, I have a bit going on and it would just be too much as I thought of racing Sat then driving down there for Sunday morning but to be honest it would just make both things stressful. Maybe I'm getting old ;)
One consolation was I had to detour through Durham to pick up this 1963 Sport frame I bought a couple of months back.
It came with a set of wheels and while the frame may have been built, it looks like it was barely used, if at all, and the wheels are as built, never used. Sachs hubs and Dutch Van Schothorst 27 x 1 1/4 rims built by Race Wheels Birmingham. Found in the guys mother in laws loft and believed to be her husbands sisters husband. Unfortunately they are long gone and the sister in law has dementia, so after several months the trail comes to a dead end. It was just found when clearing out the mother in laws loft in a bin bag. Several chips but as good as new. Well pleased.
Yeah it was a good buy. I had been worried about buying it off of photos and from a guy who knows nothing about bikes. Then paying knowing I wouldn't see it for a couple of months, but we both did our homework and assurances were given and all worked out very stress free and accommodating. It was a fair price but seeing the condition and the fact he threw the wheels in it is now a bargain.
I helped originally to identify it and pointed him to where to sell it. He mentioned on several posts that he would like to maybe sell it, though he had given the size wrong. I did ask about the size and asked if he could check and he assured me it was a 22'', which is too big for me. In the photos it didn't look 22'' judging by the headtube and also the build books from Ken Taylor showed it being a 21" Sport model. When it was offered to me for helping ID etc I again said about the size and it was still 22" but I took a safe gamble that the size from the old build book was correct and did a deal. Still a slight relief when I finally got to take it out the bag that it was indeed 21", which was clear to me without any tape measure needed. I never mentioned it, as it wasn't needed to be, I was just happy it was indeed 21". I paid his wife as the money was for his mother in law. The mother in law had no idea of anything in particular about it and only vaguely remembered stuff coming from her sister in law when she passed. Clearly covered in the bag as while a couple of chips the paintwork, it is still so bright and vibrant and the only defect is the Reynolds 531 decal is crinkled and all dried and flaking as these went on after clear coat, so not protected. Wheels have some pinpoint rust spots but not a mark of fitting, use and never had a brake pad touch them.
As I said before, I already knew what it was as the gentleman had given me the number and with access to the copies of Ken Taylors build books on the groups document pages I knew the size, model and the fact it was finished on 23/7/1963.
I went to the ride meet on the Sunday morning and met a lot of really great new friends and met up with people I had spoken with and conversed online with in various groups for a long while. So nice to see so many great condition Jack Taylors in one place as well as such an enthusiastic bunch. A great social ride before returning to Swainby for the historic car show that as well as having some of the nicest motorcycles seen in a while had lots of historic bike displays with some really amazing examples. Our Jack Taylors, amongst other marquees joined the others at the VCC setup.
On the Monday I had decided that I wouldn't do the ride to Stockton on Tees as I had such a long drive home and it wasn't going to finish until later that afternoon. I was going to the meetup and breakfast/coffee as I knew I would be there for a few hours socialising. As well as meeting a lot of new people who couldn't make the day before we were also joined by Ken Taylor. This was a highlight for me to be able to spend a couple of hours with everyone sitting around outside in the glorious sunshine admiring all the bikes, Jack Taylors and lots of others, everybody chatting away in a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere and also to chat away to Ken, discussing everything from wheels sizes to telling me stories of cyclotouring in France.
We took a couple of photos with my Super Clubman and the Eric suggested showing Ken the new frame as several wanted to see it as well. Most were well impressed with it's original condition and Ken signed the back of the seat tub on the yellow band with his usual ' Have a great ride' and then asked if I wanted him to sign it like the old shipping boxes with Taylor Brothers, I said I would prefer Ken :wink:
One of the nicest guys you could meet and a true gentleman. Even after he flagged the guys and girls away on their ride he and his wife Honor sat round and chatted for ages. As it was I managed to get away just on lunchtime.
Just one of those weekends that just falls into place and makes the world right again. It was certainly an easy drive back north feeling like one lucky guy on all fronts.
To think as well that on the way down I was thinking that maybe I should sell the new frame, not that that is why I bought it, more because my Super Clubman is my favourite ride so wasn't sure I even needed another Jack Taylor. Then after the weekend, eventually seeing it, then having it signed, I thought, this isn't going anywhere and is the closest I am going to get to a new JT. It may now sit in my loft until I get a few other projects sorted, but there's no rush, it's not going anywhere ;)
Jamie
Apologies for the bad lighting, and also this is as found, not even wiped over with a rag.
