Sunday, November 28, 2010

Some more photos from the late Allen Burt's collection.........

Allen Burt was a racing acquaintance of mine over many years and in the latter part of his life , when I became involved with his day to day care, I'd like to think we became good friends....
I've featured him in my blog before and a search under his name  in the search facility on the RHS of this blog will take you to some of them.
A lifelong bachelor and motorcycle racer and enthusiast he also made the trip to Europe to participate in the "Continental Circus"...that happy band of motorcycle racers that followed the Grands Prix circuit and often as well rode in many of the smaller motorcycle race meetings in Europe, camping and eking out an existence on start money and hopefully finishing money, plus the money they had squirreled away working several jobs over the racing off season.
Lets look at some more of Allen's photos....
Many people have commented to me how much they enjoy looking at these photos from the riders I've featured....I guess for that short moment in time we are taken back to being with them and the pondering of "what if I had gone too"...
Left click on the images to enlarge...
I mentioned in earlier blogs of Alan, his disastrous crash on the first lap of practice in the 1955 IOM TT races.
I found this little pic in AB's stuff...it is Cruikshank's corner and the comment that the fence after it was repaired following his crash into it....guess he took it later in the year, as he convalesced for the rest of the year.
Below is his 7R AJS, mournfully awaiting repair outside the competition shop of AJS at Plumstead, London. 
Allen #97, in Brno, Czechoslovakia, 1958
Fellow Aussie, Richie Thomson, also at Brno in 1958.
Ken Kavenagh, IOM TT 1956.
Early days for Allen...Victoria Park circuit, Ballarat, Victoria likely 1947, Tony McAlpine , Norton. Tony was heavily involved in the riders strike at the 1956 Dutch TT and received, with others, a 6 month suspension.
Allen, AJS 7R, probably Bathurst, NSW at the Easter racing carnival, with Ron Kessing.

Two great mates...both on G50 Matchless's,  probably at Amaroo Park circuit on the northern outskirts of Sydney...when? 1980's at a guess.
Jack Saunders #53 rode in Europe in 1960's ,AB #5.



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