Tim Gibbes
Regarding your obituary in OBA 112 for Tim Gibbes, I have a good photo of Tim taken at the Tatra Trial in Poland 1959. I was one of a team of five from Britain who attended, being tasked with the transportation of the bikes to and from the event, organised by Norman Sharpe of Motor Cycling for the organisers, with Bob Manns and Tim Gibbes on the factory AJS bikes, Olga Kevelos, myself, and one other whose name escapes me. Sorry, but I can’t recall the results, for me, the trip turned out a disaster, retiring at lunchtime on the first day with torn ligaments in my right ankle after taking avoiding action of a fallen rider in front of me. I had three options, hit the fallen rider, hit a tree, or take to the rockery below, which I did, wrapping my ankle around the footrest. I can say, I was very well looked after subsequently, being flown back to England at their expense. The bikes arrived back eventually looking the worse for wear. To say it was an eye-opening experience would be an understatement.
Dave Kenah
Coromandel, NZ
Sabre rattling from VW’s legal department
Australia-wide have received a letter from Ducati, or more so the VW Group. It now means that the VW group have trade marked d.o.c and no Ducati club in Australia can use Ducati or doc in their name. If the clubs, and many of them have been running for nearly 50 years, back before Ducati was main stream and were classed as overpriced and unreliable, want to join they have to be known as doc, can’t mention Ducati at all, on their t-shirts, website or letterheads, and have to get approval every year. It also means any newsletter, event,
