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The club was formed in 1948, having originally been a northern branch of the Peveril Club which had been going since 1923. Early events included trials, scrambles, hill climbs and sprints, with the majority of those taking part using the same machine for them all – and using it for day-to-day transport too! The first permanent scrambles course was at Glen Auldyn, just outside Ramsey, which featured a fearsome hill barely able to be climbed on wet days. The venue was also used for hill climbs and trials and attracted large crowds for scrambles on Mad Sunday in TT Week. Prominent among the regular local riders were Roger Kelly, Dennis Craine, Neil Kelly, Terry and Peter Fargher, Ellis Lowe, Guy Reid, Jack Sweetman, Kipper Killip and Keith Shimmin. Early in 1964 the club moved to West Kimmeragh Sand Quarry, courtesy of club stalwart Leslie Phillips of Island Aggregates. Hundreds of scrambles and trials took place there, including the annual Jeff Smith event when the full BSA world championship squad would come over in winter-time. Geoff Duke was then club president and accommodated the party at his Arragon Hotel in Santon. Jeff Smith, John Banks, Vic Allan, Keith Hickman, Dave Nicoll were joined by CZ rider Dave Bickers, Greeves, Alan Clough and company for spectacular racing at the sandy quarry. Now known as moto-cross, scrambling at West Kimmeragh remains a firm favourite. Prominent riders included Tommy Leonard. Later came Willie Riddell, Damon Rockwell and Brian Kelly. More recently, John and Kieran McCanney were Kimmeragh Kings. The club also ran sand races at Ramsey and Peel and sidecar trials and scrambles, as well as pioneering the Two Man Enduro and Two Man Trials at Christmas-time. Social activities, too, have been prominent throughout the club’s history, with annual dinners held at the Ravensdale Castle Hotel at Ballaugh, the Grand Island Hotel in Ramsey, and the Palace Hotel (now Hilton) in Douglas. At the Grand Island in 1980, Mike Hailwood was the guest of honour, having been unofficially “knighted” by the presentation of a replica of the Manx Government’s Sword of State bought by the club. World Enduro Champion David Knight cut his teeth in Ramsey club events and is still more than happy to turn out at club events at Kimmeragh, while the club also pioneered schoolboy class scrambling in the 1970s. |