Here is the original copy sent to Ed plus all the photos for your interest . Did try to send him selected photos inserted into an article but made a mess of it on my machine . All done in a rush as we did not get back to Calpe until Monday .
-------Original Message-------
Date: 30/06/2009 10:40:11
Subject: Festival of Norton Owners Club 50th Anniversary at Donington Park, England
Do hope the attatched photos give some idea of the amazing collection of Norton,s at Donnington Park . Tried to put them in some sort of order without success .
My wife Claire and I attended the " Festival of the Norton " together with 'Old MJ ' ( Mike Jackson ) so with such a friend and expert on
Norton an interesting week-end was guaranteed .
The Norton Owners Club must be congratulated for undertaking such a large and difficult project to celebrate their 50th Anniversary .
There were Norton's everywhere !! All ages and sizes with static display , active demonstration areas and of course the racing bikes out on the Donnington Circuit . Visitors from various countries , including USA , most arriving on their own machines immaculately prepared
and keen to take part in what was surely the largest ever assembly of Norton machines .
I accept that I am a bit biased but you must agree that even after all these years the thunderous noise of a 500cc Manx engine bursting
into life is truly awesome . It was thus that Norton enthusiast Roy Richards , founder of the National Museum , described the sound of my own Moto-Cross Manx machine . Such a shame he is no longer with us ; How he would have enjoyed that week-end .
My 1956 500cc World Motocross championship bike was there . The only survivor of the original four we made for Norton ( 1951/2 ) sounding as good as ever and I even managed to get a short ride . I shall for ever be grateful to Roy for undertaking the rebuild to original condition and to ' Old MJ ' who
masterminded the operation .
These events are for many a " trip down memory lane " . Old and new friends meeting to discuss old times and experiences with always
a touch of the unexpected . I had almost forgotten my early road racing days with Norton when they gave me a brand new 500cc Manx
at Blandford in 1949 . That engine put a con-rod through the crankcase but how amazing that the replacement is now installed in another frame so I could not resist a photo with that bike .
A final family touch was that Donnington was pre-war one of my Father,s favourite circuits when he was mounted of course on the
New Imperial and Velocette machines . Known in those days as " The Aldershot Flyer " he would have been that week-end getting us together to celebrate his 100th Birthday .
We had to have a drink to that ! Thanks for the memories .
Kind regards ,
Les Archer
