Sunday 12th February

Meet at Ace: 10.30am to depart at noon for London's Pentonville Prison

Many people will recall the extraordinary example set by Fred Hill in defying the compulsory helmet law throughout the nineteen seventies and eighties. Nowhere in the world has anyone made such exceptional sacrifices in the name of biker's freedoms.

A former army dispatch rider during WW2, Fred worked for many years as a mathematics teacher before leaving to enjoy what he doubtless expected would be a quiet retirement. Incensed by the compulsory helmet law, Fred rode everywhere in an old beret, collecting literally hundreds of tickets, which he stored in a large suitcase. Fred's refusal to pay the fines for helmet-less riding constituted 'Contempt of Court' for which he was given custodial sentences thirty one times.

Some of the sentences were very short, as little as 24 hours on one occasion when he was held in an unlocked police station cell and told by the desk sergeant to - 'bugger off when no-one's looking.' Other sentences were much longer however and the company which Fred found himself amongst in Her Majesty's hostels was not always the finest. Fred loathed prison life and once wrote a disturbing account of his experiences for Magnews. 'What is a man deprived of his name, his freedom of movement taken away, his every privacy invaded, every move spied upon, locked away in a filthy cell for 23 hours out of the 24 hours- and half of these miserable hours spent in darkness.'

A member of MAG, Fred's face was a familiar sight at MAG demonstrations all over the country. Fred always made speeches at the demonstrations, dressed in his arrow - patterned prison suit he would treat the crowd to theatrical helpings of his Yorkshire wit, always maintaining a characteristic good humour even when being booked. Though in every other way, a law-abiding citizen, Fred would encourage the crowds he addressed to follow his example, as the law would have to be repealed if enough people simply ignored it. In so doing he risked the more serious charge of incitement to break the law, though such a charge was never brought against him. Once in the dock of a magistrates court where a lady magistrate berated his lawlessness, Fred took the opportunity to remind her that if it hadn't been for members of her sex breaking the law some years ago, she wouldn't be sitting where she was.

With the passage of time, police in Fred's neighbourhood frequently turned a blind eye to his indiscretions. though when he went further afield he would invariably be stopped. In order to cover the necessary distances Fred replaced his Honda 50 with a 250, aboard which, on one occasion, he battled all the way to the Gower Peninsula in Wales and back, a distance of about 500 miles in one day despite appalling weather.

Demonstrations of support by MAG members were frequently staged outside prisons in which Fred was held and a commemoration of his efforts is made annually at the gates of Pentonville Prison on the anniversary of his death. Fred Hill was seventy four years old when in 1984 he died from a heart attack suffered whilst in custody in London's Pentonville Prison . Despite the tremendous news angle of one man against the state, the national media, with the exception of two columnists, Mathew Parris and Auberaugn Waugh, suspiciously blanked the tragedy.

Fred was imprisoned 31 times, his final sentence of 60 days, proving too much to take, was half completed. The prison governor had warned Fred that the harsh prison environment could be the death of him, to which Fred replied that, 'it didn't matter where a man died but how.' An enquiry into Fred's death resulted in a coroner's report which concluded that Fred's prison experience had not contributed toward his death.

Whether the helmet issue is important to you or not, we all owe it, not only to Fred but to ourselves, to sustain a ceaseless call for the reform of this outrageous legislation for, as Fred wrote - 'what is a man deprived..of his freedom ?'

Motorcycling is about freedom. Fred understood that. We must never forget Fred's example lest we forget why we ride motorcycles.

For more information about MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) and the many and various campaigns they deal with on behalf of motorcyclists and motorcycling, check out: www.mag-uk.org

Jamiroquai front man and self-confessed petrolhead Jay Kay is bringing his Porsche 914-6 to this year’s Race Retro for a reunion with one of its original drivers, rally legend Bjorn Waldegard.

Bjorn will be seeing if the car stands the test of time on the high octane Live Rally Stage on Saturday 25th and Sunday 25th February, before Jay Kay himself gets behind the wheel.

Bjorn drove the 914-6 in the Monte Carlo Rally, an event in which the Porsche was expected to excel. Three works-prepared cars were entered, driven by Bjorn, Ake Andersson and Gerard Larrousse, all highly skilled drivers who knew the Monte course like the backs of their hands. But the weather was to deal the Porsche team a cruel blow.

The 1971 Monte Carlo Rally was the snowiest on record. Andersson and Larrousse were forced to retire with gearbox problems, but Bjorn soldiered on to finish a worthy third overall. Sadly this marked the end of Porsche's support for the 914-6 in competitiondespite the fact that a 914-6 GT had won its class at Le Mans in 1970.

The 914-6 is just one of the amazing vehicles in singer Jay Kay’s collection of over 37 rare classics and luxurious supercars. Jay is a keen competitor when it comes to cars, having topped the leaderboard on Top Gear’s Star in a Reasonably Priced Car challenge so he’s bound to push the car to the limits on the specially designed course at Stoneleigh Park.

Adult tickets for Race Retro, sponsored by Peter James Insurance, start at £20 in advance with children’s tickets at £5 for Friday and Saturday and free on Sunday. Car parking is free and has been moved to a hard surface area nearer to the halls. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.raceretro.com

Silverstone Auctions has teamed up with the organisers of the Footman James Classic Motor Show, the UK’s biggest motoring exhibition, to hold a prestige car auction at this year’s event at Birmingham’s NEC on Saturday 17th November.

It’s the first auction of its type in the show’s history and promises to be one of the highlights for classic car lovers when it takes place as part of the three-day extravaganza from 16th to 18th November.

The season ending Footman James Classic Motor Show and the neighbouring Classic Motorbike Show has become a ‘must-attend’ event for anyone harbouring a passion for cars and bikes, attracting around 50,000 owners and enthusiasts.

There’s over 1,400 amazing vehicles on display, from modest family saloons and through to head-turning supercars. There’s also hundreds of trade stands, shows and automotive services to enjoy as well as the Wheeler Dealer live stage and restoration theatre.

Show Manager Andy Rouse said: “We are extremely excited at the prospect of the UK's biggest and most popular classic motoring show now also hosting a quality auction. We have been hugely impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of the team at Silverstone Auctions and their commitment to and vision for this feature going forward.

“I view this as an extremely important development in both the growth and the 'standing' of the show, both at home in the UK and internationally and that it provides a new and exciting alternative in the annual auction calendar. We are confident that a sale at the UK's flagship show will attract a high volume of quality entries and enthused buyers.”

The decision by Silverstone Auctions is furtherevidence of its positioning as the Midlands leading specialist car auction house.

Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: “This is really exciting news and is definitely one of our calendar highlights for 2012. We will obviously be focusing on classic cars, befitting the surroundings, but I’m sure they’ll also be some competition cars and more modern supercars under the hammer, as well as a wide variety of motorbikes and  automobilia.

“However, this year also sees Silverstone Auctions host a further four sales, three of them at our spiritual home of Silverstone, so we’re definitely going to be kept busy.”

The other Silverstone Auctions for 2012 include The Race Retro and Classic Car Sale at Stoneleigh Park on the 25th February. Meanwhile, the Silverstone based auctions held in the circuit’s ultra-modern ‘Wing’ building are the Spring Sale on 16th May, The Silverstone Classic Sale on 21st July and the Autumn Auction on 19th September.

For further information about Silverstone Auctions visit www.silverstoneauctions.com

In an exclusive interview conducted for the BMF’s membership magazine, Motorcycle Rider, Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, reveals himself as a motorcyclist keen to tackle the issues facing motorcycling today.

The wide-ranging interview, conducted by the BMF’s Government Relations Executive Chris Hodder, covered rider testing, the red tape challenge, type approval regulations and Britain’s strength in Europe.

The Minister, having first started riding motorcycles as an Army despatch rider, currently owns a 900cc Ducati Monster and a Royal Enfield and despite his own riding being limited these days, said he saw motorcycles as “an enormous benefit for the environment because of their ability to keep moving, give off less emissions and cause fewer traffic problems than a car.” He was however concerned at the “number of riders inappropriately dressed for riding” and that was one of the reasons that he was passionate about training and educating riders.

Tackled over the thorny problem of rider testing and licensing, the Minister said that he fundamentally disagreed with the previous administration’s knee-jerk reaction to the European legislation on testing. “I keep referring to a single test and I still think that’s the best idea. We have to create a test that gives people the skills to enjoy their future riding and ensure that they are safe with other people on the road” he said.

On the test itself Mr Penning said that while he was frustrated at how long it has taken to get to the present revisions, “getting it wrong would be devastating to the industry, motorcyclists and, indeed, Britain. It’s not so much about getting people on to two wheels, but rather getting people to stay on two wheels – and stay safe,” he said. “In fact, one of the only television advertising campaigns I’m doing this year is focused on motorcyclists, because I’m committed to their safety” he added.

Tackling red tape had also been a priority he said and streamlining the SORN arrangements by removing annual renewals was just a start, adding that his red tape challenge (www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk) makes it easy for people to submit suggestions.

On European issues he said he had permission from the Prime Minister to “push back as strongly as possible” on anything he didn’t like and on the Commission’s latest Type Approval legislation he said he would do just that.

Questioned on our standing within Europe since the finance veto, the Minister said that all that will happen is that the European Parliament will realise that when we say no we mean no. “I get on very well with my European counterparts, but they know exactly where I stand” he said.

Note:  Mike Penning is the Member of Parliament for Hemel Hempstead. After the May 2010 election he was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport. He was born in North London in 1957 and educated in Essex at Appleton and King Edmund Comprehensive Schools.

Note 2: Motorcycle Rider is the BMF’s quarterly membership magazine sent to all Individual Members and officials of affiliated clubs.

After 2 years away the Japanese Bike Show is back at Donington!

The exhibition hall will be packed with trade and autojumble stands along with club displays and a concours area for private entries over 2 days. We have trophies and prize money available for completion winners along with expert commentary throughout the day. You can expect to see classic, modern classic and custom bikes on display representing all the major manufacturers such as Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha. As usual parking is free and there will be hot food and drinks available in the exhibition hall.

Dozens of trade and autojumble stalls form the leading suppliers in the Japanese market will be selling spares, new parts, accessories and services.

There will be displays from all the major clubs both local and national including VJMC, Kawasaki Z1 OC, Yamaha Classic Club, Vulcan Riders Association, The LC Club, Yamaha FS1E OC and many more.

There is a separate concours section for private entries where the public will be able to see an array of cherished machines on display which will be judged over the two days.

Bikes will be judged in the following categories with prizes available to winners and runner ups; Best Honda, Best Yamaha, Best Suzuki, Best Kawasaki, Best Custom Bike, Best Racing Bike, Best Club Display and Bike of the Show.

Donington Park is situated right at the heart of England, just minutes from M1 junction 23a and MOTO Donington Park Motorway Services and Travelodge, or junction 24 southbound.

We have an outdoor compound dedicated to bike parking which is within the show its self however only pre booked machines will be able to display in the exhibition hall.

Saturday & Sunday 4th/5th February 2012 @ Exhibition Hall, Donington Park, Derbs, DE74 2RP

Admission: £10.00 Adults, £5.00 Child (7-14yrs), under 7's free, free parking

www.classicshows.org