Circulates throughout the world Established 1903

Great Scott

In the 1963 Scottish Six Days he was riding as number 11 and I was number nine, so I saw quite a lot of him. We were both riding Tiger Cubs and he helped me repair my clutch when a spring retaining stud pulled out and he also provided air from his air bottle when I had to replace a rear tube. I suppose I should have been disqualified for receiving outside assistance! After hearing about my clutch problems, Henry Vale, Triumph competition manager, said he had never heard of this happening before. Scott later told me that this was rubbish and the works ones were riveted as standard and, as an extra precaution also brazed.

The main reason for this letter is the picture of Scott on his Cub on page 87. A group of spectators are watching Scott riding up Diamond Lane in the 1961 West of England Trial.

The gentleman in the white mackintosh is Hampshire school teacher Jim Peplar, to his left is the Southern Centre rider Richard Loder, next is Ariel works rider Jack White and behind him is almost certainly his wife Gwen. Jack White has a trial named after him, run by the Southampton & District Club and Gwen is co-organiser of the annual Perce Simon reunion.

My question to readers of The Classic MotorCycle is what do they know about Jim Peplar, or is it Pepler? I know that his parents were farmers in the Hampshire village of Waltham Chase and also owned some local watercress beds. Jim was a school teacher around Petersfield I believe. Jim was also a trials rider who I only saw ride when I was a schoolboy, he rode, to the best of my knowledge, a James. It always looked smart and the word around the village was that it was a works James. Can anybody confirm this?

Mick Brown
Essex