Peter Wild from Derbyshire

[sidecarf11]

Hi does anyone remember Peter wild he was a passenger in the 70s? any info would be great

[ianw]

Defo remember that name.

[sidecarf11]

I used to work with Pete at British Midland, I can't remember if it was his brother/cousin who also raced sidecars but I do remember him have an accident at Darley Moor where the outfit launched itself into the crowd injuring spectators one of which was a young boy. He stopped racing after this.
I am trying to find out if they are still about as I would like to get in touch. Any help would be appreciated

[ianw]

John Swindlehurst from here on the Wirral had a nasty accident at Darley in the mid 70's. If my memory serves me right, the bike left the track & ended up in the crowd, dont know who was on the chair though?
Stu Applegate who was a Darley specialist might be able to shed some light, Wal Saunders on here may be able to give you Stu's phone number.

[sidecarf11]

Thanks for that, I have been looking to see if there are any newspaper articals to shed light on this but as yet have not found any. Darley was a dangerous circuit in the 70's and there were a few fatality's.

[sidecarf11]

Just found this artical about Bill Thornton

I was in the market for a featherbed frame and answered an advert in West Kirby and it turned out to be Des Founds we got to talking, as you do, and it turned out he had an almost complete Rumble Chassis and was looking for someone to help him finish it off and passenger for him. I am not sure which was the greater lure for me-- the chance to help build a racing outfit or the thought of actually getting the leathers on myself!. Anyway we duly got it all together and entered a few meetings.I think my first race was up at Darley Moor and practice went off quite well, Me liesurely clambering about the chair with all the time in the world.When the flag dropped Des gave it some stick and I got out for the left kink of the chicane and nearly fell out as Des threw the out fit to the right
luckily he grabbed the back of my leathers and dragged me back on board .I quickly gathered that timing is of the essence when monkeying a chair. get it right and the g forces are all neutral, bit late and your arms are being pulled out of their sockets.
I think I enjoyed Oulton and Mallory the most although Aintree was great for seeing the relative speeds of outfits I remember us being passed by the Hardy Brothers on their Imp powered outfit like we were going shopping and the 180 deg bend at the end of the straight could be amusing.
I did a few seasons with Des and got a national licence then something (finances?) put an end to the show for a while .I chaired for
John Swindlehurst at a national meeting on the full circuit at Cadwell on one occasion I think John was a friend of Bill Curry at the time and had a very quick up and down Norton crank,Triumph cases ,Weslake head engine which was a lot faster than Des's outfit.
Unfortunately a feed pipe from the oil tank broke after about 3 laps so all that way overnight to Louth for nothing.
I also worked on and raced another outfit with Kenny Darlington.There were quite a few sidecar Crews based in the Wirral in those days.
I emigrated to South Wales to take up a job and lost track of all that scene but I still used to get over to the Isle of Man. and was lucky to see Mr Hailwood wrestling the 500 4 through Union Mills .A sight I will never forget. Ive just recently bought and renovated a CB400N ,I don't see myself on a H.D. somehow .So I am back on 2 wheels after 20 yrs and loving it.

[ianw]

That would be in the day's when John Rea had just started helping Des????, I remember the Rumble chassis. Des also has a dog named "Rumble" back in those day's
There were a few Welakes, Triumph/Weslakes from the Wirral & surrounds back then. Bill Currie, John Swindlehurst, Paul & Vince Biggs, me & my brother in law, who also passengered for John Swindlehurst, Chris Williams with Kevin Coles, Graham Hillditch, Micky Whitton, Alan Steele, the list goes on.

[sidecarf11]

Its amazing what turns up when you start looking, just read a program with John in it was for the transatlantic challenge and king of Brands with the likes of Barry Sheene. I used to go to these !! small world.

[ianw]

There was a passenger from the Wirral by the name of Kenny Dickinson around that time, he was the half brother of Donny Williams
who passengered Trevor Ireson, Roy Hanks, Bruno Holzer, Keith Galtress, Tony Peters, also he was the last passenger to win the TT on an all British outfit with Nigel Rollason.

[sidecarf11]

You are a mind of information just like Bruce Moore, I can't remember what I did earlier but Bruce would come up with who won what and when and he could even tell you there lap time unreal

[oldbelly]

There was a passenger from the Wirral by the name of Kenny Dickinson around that time, he was the half brother of Donny Williams
who passengered Trevor Ireson, Roy Hanks, Bruno Holzer, Keith Galtress, Tony Peters, also he was the last passenger to win the TT on an all British outfit with Nigel Rollason.

Donny was also one of lifes real characters .

[cargers]

Graham Hilditch has still got his old weslake outfit along with two others used for sprinting.
Ian

[sidecarf11]

So back to the original question anybody have any info on Pete Wild

[Helen Gibson]

If you want to spend time looking through papers from the time, contact the VMCC Library in Burton, and ask to look through their files. The librarian is called Annice and her email address is Library2@vmcc.net (might be better finding their phone number, though, as she's not mad keen on the computer!). She is the most helpful person you will ever meet... bike-mad of course.

[steve-e]

you might be able to get a phone number for her direct from this page.

It would help if I linked it http://www.vmcc.net/Contactus.aspx