A great all-rounder

Born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, in 1935, Gordon Blakeway was one of that rare breed of true motorcycling all-rounders – a man who was equally at home keeping his feet firmly on the pegs while cleaning a tricky section in the Scottish Highlands, winning gold medals in the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) or riding to victory at a championship scramble. By nature a self-effacing and modest man, the former Ariel, Triumph and AMC works rider is not one to brag about his achievements, but just a glance at any results from the long-faded pages of the Blue 'Un or Green 'Un between 1952 and the end of 1966 will see the name ‘Blakeway’ sharing column space and accolades with his rivals and team-mates Sammy Miller, Ron Langston, Ken Heanes, John Giles and Roy Peplow.

In the history of off-road sport there can be few competitors who won their first trial and even less who managed to land a works scrambler before they had ridden in a race, but in the 1950s it all happened to the young Yorkshireman, born with motorcycling in his blood. Gordon takes up the story…

“My dad was a founder member of the Stockton-on-Tees club and competed in all of the local trials, so from an early age bikes were part of my life.

“On reaching 16 I bought a second-hand 125cc BSA Bantam which I rode to compete in the Stockton club’s Linfoot Cup Trial, for my first competitive event. I can remember that the Bantam was absolutely gutless, but my dad kept encouraging me to keep moving and when the results appeared, I was amazed to see I’d won the novice award.”

To show that his win was no fluke, a month later Gordon competed in the Weardale Trial, which he won outright, and, still on the gallant little BSA, in March 1952 he sampled his first ‘national’ – The Travers – but was excluded for finishing outside the time allowance in this super-tough event.

With a change to a more competitive 197cc James, Blakeway started the 1953 season in fine style when he won the premier award in the Middlesbrough Winter Trial and later that year he finished a creditable 18th in the arduous Scott Trial. Keen to expand his riding horizons, May 1954