Triumphant lives
Don Hitchcock’s last motorcycle journey was clocked from the pillion of the hearse by grandson Matt at 65mph on Wednesday, September 14, 2016. One last blast; a fitting memorial to a life centred around family, motorcycles and speed. Originally, it was my intention to write a tribute solely to Don, but this was not possible without reference to his father Jock, as the two were bound so closely together through their J A Hitchcock and Son motorcycle dealership and associated motorcycling activities.
John Angus Hitchcock, known to all as Jock, had one passion: motorcycling. Happiest riding (or working on) his beloved Triumphs, he soon became a well known local figure, founding the ‘Folkestone Motorcycle Club’ in 1926 at the age of 20 and as a regular entrant in local competition events. As his prowess grew, he took part in long distance and endurance events. Legend has it after the 1929 Scottish Six Days Trial, he turned his bike around and rode home to Folkestone, nearly 500 miles, in a day, no mean feat 90 years ago. At one time, he also held the Brands Hatch short circuit record.
Jock and Don are synonymous with the Folkestone motorcycle dealership that bears their name. ‘J A Hitchcock’ was founded in 1932 by Jock on the site of
