Vic Eastwood RIP

[Ray Stadia]

Vic Eastwood, the very successful scrambles/moto X rider passed away on Sunday. You may say what has Vic's passing got to do with speedway, well, probably not much, but he did race machines which had Hagon frames. I did buy a bike from him once, at his shop and was a gentleman to deal with. RIP. 

[OveFundinFan]

A very good scrambler (as it was in those days). Used to watch him when scrambling was a feature on Saturday afternoon TV.    Dave Bickers, Jeff Smith, then they brought Torsten Holman and Rolf Tiblin (names if I remember right). Great stuff.   Another good in bites the dust.

[steve roberts]

6 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

A very good scrambler (as it was in those days). Used to watch him when scrambling was a feature on Saturday afternoon TV.    Dave Bickers, Jeff Smith, then they brought Torsten Holman and Rolf Tiblin (names if I remember right). Great stuff.   Another good in bites the dust.

Remember Tom Leadbitter also competing on the TV in those days. The days of 'Grandstand' and 'World of Sport'.

Edited December 6, 2019 by steve roberts

[FAST GATER]

World Of sport days With Dickie Davis if my memory serves me right also a certain fellow called Dave Lampkin ( if that's the spelling) springs to mind !

Edited December 6, 2019 by FAST GATER

[czechhero]

Scrambling on Grandstand, happy days. 
RIP Vic, who was one the biggest names in the sport, along with the likes of John Banks, Badger Goss and of course, the legend that is Arthur Browning! 

[chunky]

7 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

A very good scrambler (as it was in those days). Used to watch him when scrambling was a feature on Saturday afternoon TV.    Dave Bickers, Jeff Smith, then they brought Torsten Holman and Rolf Tiblin (names if I remember right). Great stuff.   Another good in bites the dust.

Vic Allan was another, I believe... Really was great stuff!

[Vince]

One of my heroes from my younger days, always the rider I wanted to see win the big meetings and now and again he would pull it off. Particularly remember seeing him on the CCM, he looked a bit of a geek with his thin frame and glasses but must have been immensely strong the way he used to hustle big four strokes around.

[Midland Red]

1 hour ago, FAST GATER said:

World Of sport days With Dickie Davis if my memory serves me right also a certain fellow called Dave Lampkin ( if that's the spelling) springs to mind !

Weren’t there several Lampkins regularly on tv?

[geoff100]

1 hour ago, czechhero said:

Scrambling on Grandstand, happy days. 
RIP Vic, who was one the biggest names in the sport, along with the likes of John Banks, Badger Goss and of course, the legend that is Arthur Browning! 

Was at derwent park helping alan middleton when he got a telegram off a rider who couldnt make it , i think it was the charlie williams meeting anyway he rang big Arthur browning after 3 pm can   u get here tonight no probs came the answer and off he comes from the birmingham area in less than 4 hrs , can u see any off todays " stars" doing that!

[NeilWatson]

8 minutes ago, geoff100 said:

Was at derwent park helping alan middleton when he got a telegram off a rider who couldnt make it , i think it was the charlie williams meeting anyway he rang big Arthur browning after 3 pm can   u get here tonight no probs came the answer and off he comes from the birmingham area in less than 4 hrs , can u see any off todays " stars" doing that!

Yes, I can think of a few. Chris Harris in particular springs to mind, he is always prepared ready to take a booking at the drop of a hat if it’s possible to get there in time. He’s a professional rider working in a professional way.

[PotteringAround]

58 minutes ago, Midland Red said:

Weren’t there several Lampkins regularly on tv?

It was Martin Lampkin and his brother Arthur.   Think there was another brother too, but I don't remember any Dave Lampkin.

Of course Martin's son Dougie Lampkin later went on to become more famous than all of them.

[foamfence]

1 hour ago, PotteringAround said:

It was Martin Lampkin and his brother Arthur.   Think there was another brother too, but I don't remember any Dave Lampkin.

Of course Martin's son Dougie Lampkin later went on to become more famous than all of them.

They lived quite near me, I remember Martin riding second halves at Halifax, there was another brother Alan, I think he was also known as Sid.

Edited December 6, 2019 by foamfence

[OveFundinFan]

Think it was Arthur Lampkin that was on Tv with Vic Eastwood and the others. But yes it was a very successful family in motor bike sports. And what Dougie Lampkin did in trials riding was amazing.

[Vince]

2 hours ago, PotteringAround said:

It was Martin Lampkin and his brother Arthur.   Think there was another brother too, but I don't remember any Dave Lampkin.

Of course Martin's son Dougie Lampkin later went on to become more famous than all of them.

I always think of Martin Lampkin as a Trials rider, first ever World Trials Champion in the mid 1970's on a Bultaco where previously it had been a European Championship.. Quite possibly he did some scrambles too as many did in those days and I remember they did a superbiker challenge where everybody had a go at other motorcycle sports and Martin Lampkin being useful on both Speedway and grasstrack bikes in that.

Arthur Lampkin was definitely better known as a scrambler and I may be wrong but I think Sid did a bit of both Trials and Scrambles to a good standard.

[E I Addio]

23 minutes ago, Vince said:

I always think of Martin Lampkin as a Trials rider, first ever World Trials Champion in the mid 1970's on a Bultaco where previously it had been a European Championship.. Quite possibly he did some scrambles too as many did in those days and I remember they did a superbiker challenge where everybody had a go at other motorcycle sports and Martin Lampkin being useful on both Speedway and grasstrack bikes in that.

Arthur Lampkin was definitely better known as a scrambler and I may be wrong but I think Sid did a bit of both Trials and Scrambles to a good standard.

Arthur and I think Alan as well, were BSA works riders. Martin, I am pretty sure was Arthur’s son. Arthur was known as a pretty fast starter ( I can’t really say gater in Moto Cross ) and was often first away but had a bit of a problem with fitness. I remember him once stopping at a pub in a pretty big trial , and having , in his words, “a couple of dinners “ !

Back to the point of the thread, Vic Eastwood one of my heroes as a youngster, but it broke my heart when he left Matchless and rode an ‘orrible two-stroke, although with hindsight I can understand that as a professional rider he had a living to earn, and the big heavy four stroke Matchesses  had had their day by then. 

In memorium, Vic Eastwood, a great rider.

[foamfence]

8 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

Arthur and I think Alan as well, were BSA works riders. Martin, I am pretty sure was Arthur’s son. Arthur was known as a pretty fast starter ( I can’t really say gater in Moto Cross ) and was often first away but had a bit of a problem with fitness. I remember him once stopping at a pub in a pretty big trial , and having , in his words, “a couple of dinners “ !

Back to the point of the thread, Vic Eastwood one of my heroes as a youngster, but it broke my heart when he left Matchless and rode an ‘orrible two-stroke, although with hindsight I can understand that as a professional rider he had a living to earn, and the big heavy four stroke Matchesses  had had their day by then. 

In memorium, Vic Eastwood, a great rider.

Martin wasn't Arthur's son.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Lampkin

[E I Addio]

1 hour ago, foamfence said:

Martin wasn't Arthur's son.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Lampkin

Thanks. It’s all slowly coming back to me now. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since those days !