My love of motorbikes started about 30 years ago. At the time, I didn’t know anyone who rode one (my mum and dad were adamant they were “dangerous” and made my brother promise to never ride one – they forgot to make me do the same). But I dreamed of getting my licence and buzzing around London and the countryside with a bunch of biking friends I didn’t yet have. After a decade of deliberation and, as a present to myself for my 30th birthday, I booked my one-day CBT. After a day on a Suzuki RV125 Van Van I was hooked, and not long after I was the proud owner of a full licence and a GS500F. Listen, we’ve all got to start somewhere – and I did a few track days on that 47bhp mean machine too. I moved onto a Triumph TT600, a Kawasaki ZX-6R, and my current bike – a Kawasaki Z800.
You’ll notice that an illustrious career in club racing doesn’t feature in any of the above. I’ve done a number of track days over the years – my proudest moment was getting some wheelies over the mountain at Cadwell and not binning it. But, as a non-racer, I think I can bring a different perspective to the Board.
I got involved with Bemsee completely by accident. Some friends had been racing for a few years and I’d turn up to support them at Brands, our local circuit. In January 2018 I was checking the Bemsee website for the coming season’s dates, when I saw a button that said “Become a marshal”. At last – I might actually be able to do something more useful than make tea and pass a spanner! So I signed up for the training and joined the orange army. I learned a vast amount from my fellow marshals and the Incident Officers (IOs) who led the teams on each corner – and, above all, I loved getting up close to the racing. Karen Higgens (our Chief Marshal) then trained me up as an IO and I was chuffed to win the “Marshal of the Year” award in 2021 (jointly, with Gary ‘the panther’ Timpson – a true legend and gent).
In 2023 I was asked if I’d like to train as a Clerk of the Course, and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to grips with the dark art of Clerking while under the wing of some very experienced and knowledgeable colleagues in Race Control. Being part of the team that runs the on-track activity is a huge responsibility and it has a lot of challenging moments. But the thrill of seeing the racers battling it out with each other on circuit, and the amazing sense of teamwork that pervades every aspect of a Bemsee race meeting, makes it all worthwhile. As everyone says, it really is a family.
My professional background ranges from radio and TV production, through to business support for chief executives – and I was invited to join the Board of Directors in 2024. I’m hoping that my ‘day job’ experience can bring another dimension to the running of this club, which has an important place in so many people’s hearts. Please do come and say ‘hi’ if you see me – I’m also happy to chat about cakes and spreadsheets.
