Title.
History of St Helens Scooter Club
A group of 30, well to be more accurate a group of 40 something’s meet each week at Haresfinch Social Club in St Helens, friends for many years they have one thing in common the one thing that introduced them all to one another; their passion for the motor scooter and all associated pastimes. This group meet under the banner of St Helens Scooter Club and have done so since the early 1980’s.
St Helens Scooter Cub has a longer history however, many current members can date its origin back to 1979, and thus the club celebrated its jubilee year in 2004. Recent discussions have prompted the question of just how long has St Helens had an association with scooters and regular club meetings.
I’m a relative youngster at 41 and my memory takes me back some 25 years or so, others are a little older and can remember the start of things in 79. What was needed in the quest of unearthing St Helens Scooter Club’s dim and distance passed was a visit to those people around in days gone by.
It was felt the starting point would have to be Kev Walsh, an authority on all things Scootering throughout time. Kev kindly agreed to help so Oggy and myself paid him a visit, not only was Kev pleased to reminisce on his early Scootering days he also furnished us with various documentation, testimony of his and other peoples involvement.
Kev Walsh first got into the Mod scene in 1962.
He bought his first Scooter in 1965, a Vespa 150 Sportique from White City Motors on Dentons Green Lane, at that time he was a solo Mod rider.
Kev’s first visit to a formal Scooter Club was in 1969, when he started a long association with Widnes Saints (he was 21).
Widnes Saints was also attended by other lads from St Helens, so many in fact that on occasion there were more travelling from St Helens, than those who actually lived within the Widnes boundary.
Things naturally progressed and with thoughts of attracting Scooterists from other regions ie: Wigan and Warrington, it was time for St Helens to have a Scooter Club of its own. Kev together with local lads Brendan Glynn, Kev Molloy and Steve Taft started what could be considered the very first Scooter Club in St Helens.
Late in 1970 they started meeting at the Bird i’Th Hand Pub at the junction of Dunriding Lane and Prescot Road on Tuesday evenings.
Kev remembers it to be the days of push button service in Pubs, but he can’t remember the name of the busty blonde who brought them their drinks from the bar (can you help?).
Soon the ranks swelled to include Mike Ryan, Dave Appleton and his brother John, Phil Crayon and Mad Brian Davies. This band of Scooterists now had a Club of their own; only one thing was missing “a name”.
A St Helens businessman provided that, he was Geoff Collins who ran a Scooter sales and repair business on Boundary road; he provided much support to St Helens Scooter Club in those early days. Using his organisational skills and offering discounts at his shop for Club members, it was his suggested name that was adopted and St.Helens first Scooter Club became known as The Saracens S.C.
The coastal rallies of the early 60’s had lost popularity at this time, and had been replaced with more competitive events, St.Helens Saracens did have some success in road trials winning their first trophy in 1971. This was presented to Kev Molloy and Steve Taft for an event that was won in the forests of Wales.
Many of these old boys are still in touch with one another, however due to work commitments etc, the St.Helens Saracens broke up as a Club in 1973. Kev Walsh continued to meet with the Widnes Saints before his calling took him to the Lambretta Club of Great Britain; other St Helens Scooterists continued to ride solo.
In 1979 the current Scooter Club took over where the Saracens left off, meeting each Tuesday in the Alex pub in Thatto Heath before moving onto the Pub that provided their first name the Phoenix in water Street in 1980. Many of the members went on to have along association with St Helens and outlying areas. The exact dates and details of this period are not known, but what is known is that the Pheonix S.C. rode with the South Lancashire Alliance Scooter Club – who’s aim it was to promote the interest and strengthen membership of all clubs in the region; Southport, Skelmersdale, Wigan, Manchester, Warrington, Liverpool and Chester.
Indeed St Helens was the birth place of this initiative with Tommy Cunningham and Rob Ross instrumental in the SLASC inception; their first meeting was held on the 22nd of February 1981 at the Glassbridge Club in Cowley Street St Helens. Evidence of this can be found in news letters circulated by the SLASC together with evidence of Pheonix intention to attend the Isle of Man rally in Easter 1981.
The Pheonix club grew and grew during the post Quadrophenia years with the club numbers swelling with younger members from much further a field than the town itself. Current member Mark Harrison remembers being 15 years of age and watching from his finger Post home as 70 or 80 Scooters some visiting from Widnes, Warrington and Garston areas would ride to their meeting destination in the town centre.
They met at the pub of the same name until the spring of 1981, when the meeting venue was moved to the Vic in Pocketnook Street. New venue, new name – The Purple Hearts! And many new members too, it was at this time that Bri Beesley, Mike O’Toole and Oggy first got into the scene. Many Lads came from the folded Haydock SC who used to meet at the Owls Nest on West End Road in Haydock. I remember being a little too young to ride legally and having to walk up to the Pub with Mike Barr. Mike turned 17 before me, though he never left me behind and would often offer me a pillion on his GP 200 his pride an joy bought from Horners in Manchester. The stay in the Vic was brief as was the Black Horse on Park Road in 1982.
1983 saw another move this time to the Northern Union in Finger Post, this club was simply known as St Helens S.C. I had come of age in 1983 and bought an LI 150 from Dave Turner, he painted in red and Black to meet my specification and he kept it until I reached my seventeenth birthday. I was in my element as part of this large club riding out most nights of the week to meet friends such as Sully, Percy, Mad Geoff and Duggie in Widnes, Warrington and Frodsham. It was at a meeting of Widnes Saints in the Main Top at West Bank that we first met our good friend Paul Williams (Willy). These clubs would not only attend regional events together but would ride to National Rallies as one unit.
Things were changing, the scene once again moved away from the Mod revival, with the emergence of newer more vibrant styles of music and fashion, Punk was again popular as was, psycho-billy styles. These styles were echoed in the machines ridden. No longer would you find a large collection of full bodied scooters elaborately festooned with a plethora of mirrors, lights and other ironmongery. Instead you were more likely to come across matt black cut downs, race replicas, skeleton cuts and choppers. The legacy of these times is seen in modern day custom shows where all styles across the years can be seen.
At this time some of he older crew had moved on or moved away from the scene to be replaced with a younger set of Scooter riders wanting slightly different things than their predecessors. A fresh start was needed and in 1984 four lads got together in the Ship Inn at Blackbrook to discuss the future of St Helens Scooter Club – Mike and Kev O’Toole (that’s me) Mark Harrison and Willy.
This meeting started what has become the most settled period in the history of St Helens S.C with the Glass Blowers on Boundary Road staging regular Monday night meetings from 1985 through to 1991, when poor quality beer forced proceedings to move to the Travellers Rest.
This period also saw the most popular Scooter rallies on the National scene, with larger attendances than the most publicised rallies of the 1960’s. St Helens riders embraced this life style and attended such rallies in numbers – Favourites being Great Yarmouth, Margate, Isle of Wight and the regular Easter Rally held at Morecambe.
The move to our present home of Haresfinch Social Club, was made in 2000 when the Travellers Rest was faced with closure. Apart from one minor blip when it was given the Drug induced name of the Throbbin members (don’t ask), St Helens SC has remained the constant name throughout this period
Soon after moving to the Glassblowers another decision was made to help settle the club and help it move forward. It was decided the club would not have official post holders. Earlier clubs had secretaries and treasurers who would collect joining fees and subscription money each week. It was always the intention to use this money to benefit each member and help finance accommodation at rallies or travel to local night time events. St Helens scooter Club has run itself since those days without the inevitable problems that money and posts of office will bring.
Haresfinch Social Club has given greater scope to entertain and the concert room is utilised each February for our Spring Madness Bash, well supported each year by local clubs.
These events have gone from strength to strength with 2007 seeing St Helens SC stage their first ever custom show, a rare opportunity to see the best machines in the north west compete for trophies and cash prizes.
Can you help fill the gaps in this story – please don’t shout if I have a name or date wrong but get in touch and help me correct my mistake?
Please also join us and help reminisce at Harefinch Social Club, we meet there each Wednesday evening and everyone is welcome to join us.
Kev O'Toole
A group of 30, well to be more accurate a group of 40 something’s meet each week at Haresfinch Social Club in St Helens, friends for many years they have one thing in common the one thing that introduced them all to one another; their passion for the motor scooter and all associated pastimes. This group meet under the banner of St Helens Scooter Club and have done so since the early 1980’s.
St Helens Scooter Cub has a longer history however, many current members can date its origin back to 1979, and thus the club celebrated its jubilee year in 2004. Recent discussions have prompted the question of just how long has St Helens had an association with scooters and regular club meetings.
I’m a relative youngster at 41 and my memory takes me back some 25 years or so, others are a little older and can remember the start of things in 79. What was needed in the quest of unearthing St Helens Scooter Club’s dim and distance passed was a visit to those people around in days gone by.
It was felt the starting point would have to be Kev Walsh, an authority on all things Scootering throughout time. Kev kindly agreed to help so Oggy and myself paid him a visit, not only was Kev pleased to reminisce on his early Scootering days he also furnished us with various documentation, testimony of his and other peoples involvement.
Kev Walsh first got into the Mod scene in 1962.
He bought his first Scooter in 1965, a Vespa 150 Sportique from White City Motors on Dentons Green Lane, at that time he was a solo Mod rider.
Kev’s first visit to a formal Scooter Club was in 1969, when he started a long association with Widnes Saints (he was 21).
Widnes Saints was also attended by other lads from St Helens, so many in fact that on occasion there were more travelling from St Helens, than those who actually lived within the Widnes boundary.
Things naturally progressed and with thoughts of attracting Scooterists from other regions ie: Wigan and Warrington, it was time for St Helens to have a Scooter Club of its own. Kev together with local lads Brendan Glynn, Kev Molloy and Steve Taft started what could be considered the very first Scooter Club in St Helens.
Late in 1970 they started meeting at the Bird i’Th Hand Pub at the junction of Dunriding Lane and Prescot Road on Tuesday evenings.
Kev remembers it to be the days of push button service in Pubs, but he can’t remember the name of the busty blonde who brought them their drinks from the bar (can you help?).
Soon the ranks swelled to include Mike Ryan, Dave Appleton and his brother John, Phil Crayon and Mad Brian Davies. This band of Scooterists now had a Club of their own; only one thing was missing “a name”.
A St Helens businessman provided that, he was Geoff Collins who ran a Scooter sales and repair business on Boundary road; he provided much support to St Helens Scooter Club in those early days. Using his organisational skills and offering discounts at his shop for Club members, it was his suggested name that was adopted and St.Helens first Scooter Club became known as The Saracens S.C.
The coastal rallies of the early 60’s had lost popularity at this time, and had been replaced with more competitive events, St.Helens Saracens did have some success in road trials winning their first trophy in 1971. This was presented to Kev Molloy and Steve Taft for an event that was won in the forests of Wales.
Many of these old boys are still in touch with one another, however due to work commitments etc, the St.Helens Saracens broke up as a Club in 1973. Kev Walsh continued to meet with the Widnes Saints before his calling took him to the Lambretta Club of Great Britain; other St Helens Scooterists continued to ride solo.
In 1979 the current Scooter Club took over where the Saracens left off, meeting each Tuesday in the Alex pub in Thatto Heath before moving onto the Pub that provided their first name the Phoenix in water Street in 1980. Many of the members went on to have along association with St Helens and outlying areas. The exact dates and details of this period are not known, but what is known is that the Pheonix S.C. rode with the South Lancashire Alliance Scooter Club – who’s aim it was to promote the interest and strengthen membership of all clubs in the region; Southport, Skelmersdale, Wigan, Manchester, Warrington, Liverpool and Chester.
Indeed St Helens was the birth place of this initiative with Tommy Cunningham and Rob Ross instrumental in the SLASC inception; their first meeting was held on the 22nd of February 1981 at the Glassbridge Club in Cowley Street St Helens. Evidence of this can be found in news letters circulated by the SLASC together with evidence of Pheonix intention to attend the Isle of Man rally in Easter 1981.
The Pheonix club grew and grew during the post Quadrophenia years with the club numbers swelling with younger members from much further a field than the town itself. Current member Mark Harrison remembers being 15 years of age and watching from his finger Post home as 70 or 80 Scooters some visiting from Widnes, Warrington and Garston areas would ride to their meeting destination in the town centre.
They met at the pub of the same name until the spring of 1981, when the meeting venue was moved to the Vic in Pocketnook Street. New venue, new name – The Purple Hearts! And many new members too, it was at this time that Bri Beesley, Mike O’Toole and Oggy first got into the scene. Many Lads came from the folded Haydock SC who used to meet at the Owls Nest on West End Road in Haydock. I remember being a little too young to ride legally and having to walk up to the Pub with Mike Barr. Mike turned 17 before me, though he never left me behind and would often offer me a pillion on his GP 200 his pride an joy bought from Horners in Manchester. The stay in the Vic was brief as was the Black Horse on Park Road in 1982.
1983 saw another move this time to the Northern Union in Finger Post, this club was simply known as St Helens S.C. I had come of age in 1983 and bought an LI 150 from Dave Turner, he painted in red and Black to meet my specification and he kept it until I reached my seventeenth birthday. I was in my element as part of this large club riding out most nights of the week to meet friends such as Sully, Percy, Mad Geoff and Duggie in Widnes, Warrington and Frodsham. It was at a meeting of Widnes Saints in the Main Top at West Bank that we first met our good friend Paul Williams (Willy). These clubs would not only attend regional events together but would ride to National Rallies as one unit.
Things were changing, the scene once again moved away from the Mod revival, with the emergence of newer more vibrant styles of music and fashion, Punk was again popular as was, psycho-billy styles. These styles were echoed in the machines ridden. No longer would you find a large collection of full bodied scooters elaborately festooned with a plethora of mirrors, lights and other ironmongery. Instead you were more likely to come across matt black cut downs, race replicas, skeleton cuts and choppers. The legacy of these times is seen in modern day custom shows where all styles across the years can be seen.
At this time some of he older crew had moved on or moved away from the scene to be replaced with a younger set of Scooter riders wanting slightly different things than their predecessors. A fresh start was needed and in 1984 four lads got together in the Ship Inn at Blackbrook to discuss the future of St Helens Scooter Club – Mike and Kev O’Toole (that’s me) Mark Harrison and Willy.
This meeting started what has become the most settled period in the history of St Helens S.C with the Glass Blowers on Boundary Road staging regular Monday night meetings from 1985 through to 1991, when poor quality beer forced proceedings to move to the Travellers Rest.
This period also saw the most popular Scooter rallies on the National scene, with larger attendances than the most publicised rallies of the 1960’s. St Helens riders embraced this life style and attended such rallies in numbers – Favourites being Great Yarmouth, Margate, Isle of Wight and the regular Easter Rally held at Morecambe.
The move to our present home of Haresfinch Social Club, was made in 2000 when the Travellers Rest was faced with closure. Apart from one minor blip when it was given the Drug induced name of the Throbbin members (don’t ask), St Helens SC has remained the constant name throughout this period
Soon after moving to the Glassblowers another decision was made to help settle the club and help it move forward. It was decided the club would not have official post holders. Earlier clubs had secretaries and treasurers who would collect joining fees and subscription money each week. It was always the intention to use this money to benefit each member and help finance accommodation at rallies or travel to local night time events. St Helens scooter Club has run itself since those days without the inevitable problems that money and posts of office will bring.
Haresfinch Social Club has given greater scope to entertain and the concert room is utilised each February for our Spring Madness Bash, well supported each year by local clubs.
These events have gone from strength to strength with 2007 seeing St Helens SC stage their first ever custom show, a rare opportunity to see the best machines in the north west compete for trophies and cash prizes.
Can you help fill the gaps in this story – please don’t shout if I have a name or date wrong but get in touch and help me correct my mistake?
Please also join us and help reminisce at Harefinch Social Club, we meet there each Wednesday evening and everyone is welcome to join us.
Kev O'Toole
