Unsung Heroes

The Bodfish family follow in Brian’s trialling tracks!

The Bodfish family of West Atherston Farm, Valley Road, near Narberth, clearly enjoy their total involvement with the Narberth Classic Motor-Cycle Club because they all take part, both as competitors, and stewards or observers – and sometimes as both.
Brian, the father-figure of the Bodfish family, admits to having reached his ‘three score years and ten’ but still competes in the sidecar scrambling on his 1975-built 750cc Norton motor-bike and side-car, ably assisted by grand-son Jonathan (14), who takes good photographs of the events and has already achieved the happy knack of throwing himself around the sidecar so that he can help granddad Brian keep the bike balanced as they negotiate tricky bends, humps and other obstacles in their way to the line as they often compete against other bikes and side-cars with riders half their age and even younger.

A family affair

Brian met his wife Dorothy when he had a BSA 125cc motor bike and they have been married for over 50 years and she still attends the trial events, where he does all the organisation as trials secretary, and she helps with the registration and other administration jobs that need doing.
Their son Tim has a 350cc BSA bike and is going to start back at trials, when work on the family farm allows, and, as wife Julie says,
“When the kitchen at home is finished!”
She isn’t a bike rider but again is involved at the trials because she provides lovely hot soup and coffee, all free, for riders and spectators who need a little warming up. Tim and Julie have sons Andrew (17), already a keen trialist who is gaining a reputation as a skilful rider, and Jonathan.
Brian and Dorothy’s other son is Derrick who has recently retired from the sport at 44 years of age, having previously been a top three rider – and his son Matthew has also been trained in the side-car with Brian to complete a committed trialling family!
Brian first attended a scramble when he was taken as an eight year old to a meeting in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, by his uncle basil – and was immediately hooked by the bikes, the noise of engines and the smell of oil!

Early scramble – and Narberth discovered!

When he was old enough, and could afford a bike, Brian scrambled in the Midlands and it was only a decade ago, when Tim found a family farm at West Atherston suitable to move everyone, lock, stock and barrel, that the Bodfish clan moved to Pembrokeshire.
He then discovered the existence of the Narberth Classic Cycle Club and was made very welcome and was soon involved there and eventually became trials secretary and helps to organise the four trials that are held annually around the county. The most recent was at Cresswell Barn Farm, near Cresselly, courtesy of Ian and Fiona Elliott, who are both involved in trialling, with others at West Atherston, on their own farm, Ludchurch, Cold Blow and the Mine Depot, Milford Haven.
Brian and Co are not averse to travelling to other club’s trials or scrambles, either, and last season the fact that he only competed at seven venues was down to the awful weather – and not his tremendous enthusiasm!

Brian in control . . .

The trial at Cresswell Barn Farm attracted around fifty competitors, from as far afield as Cardiff, Abergavenny, Mid Wales, Neath and Swansea, as well as local riders from nine to over 50, all of whom register with Brian and Dorothy before taking on the challenge of the course, which is carefully designed to test their knowledge of angles and tight corners, balance and throttle control. There were ten sections, with an observer in each judging whether a contestant had put a foot down or not, or stopped, and the winner being the competitor who scored the fewest points as they tested their skills over four visits to each section.
There are three routes for each section, clearly marked in the colours red, blue and white and indicating a scale of difficulty that matches the rider’s skills and experience – and a rare feature in sport these days is the fact that riders thank the observers when they leave the section and move on elsewhere!

. . . and helping out with mechanics

After completing his recording duties it was nice to see Brian watching the competition in a variety of sections, weighing up the riders and their bikes, and he was also able to assist with minor repairs for his grandson.
Brian has always done his own maintenance on his bikes and laughingly says,
“Initially it was because I couldn’t afford to pay anyone else but now it’s because I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my beloved BSA!”
One only has to talk to him or his family and it is easy to see the joy that they have in competing or helping out with trials riding under the auspices of the Narberth Classic Cycle Club – and long may the Bodfish family, ably led by Brian, be so involved in their chosen sport.