Ken Stone of Isleworth, sent this action shot from a grass track event at Stockley Park in the early 1950s.

The 79 year old retired teacher was about 18 at the time. Riding for Southern Sporting Motorcycle Club, he can be seen astride a Rudge Special wearing 333 in close contact with Ken Blay on an Ariel, pictured left of the pair. Ken Blay, founder of the Twickenham Motorcross Club, had the longstanding motorcycle business Blays of Twickenham, now closed, along with Harwoods of Richmond, a sad loss to the motorbike fraternity.

The Teesdale Gardens resident recalled: “Ken Blay was a topnotch rider in those days. The track at Stockley Park was on a gravel pit, filled in and grassed over. Concrete posts and wire mesh fencing was not health and safety standards - the dust adding a further hazard”.

Ken was a familiar figure on his Triumph and for a time, edited his club’s magazine. He was always out riding, scrambling, stunt riding at Hanworth Park, sidecar racing with his late wife Anne and playing motorcyle football, now called motorcross.

He taught technology at The Green School and started a motorbike training scheme at Isleworth Town School, later joined by his son. Ken retains his enthusiasm and isstill involved with the scheme.

The ex-Roland Martin, Brooklands 1927 Zenith-JAP 8/45hp Championship Motorcycle Combination went under the hammer at Bonham’s auction house for £180,000 in September. The machine, with a racing JAP 8/45 engine, and Graisley TT model sidecar, had been supplied Blay's of Twickenham on April 5, 1927 to Roland Martin who was given £45 in trade for his 1925 Zenith 680cc combination. Picture courtesy of Bonhams.