In 1988 Mike Parry had handed over the Chair of the Club, to Graeme Lynam, who was a very enthusiastic motorcyclist and skilled dentist from New Zealand, working in London. During his 2 years tenure as Chairman, Graeme had encouraged more Club off-road riding activities, European Touring events and also started arranging Track Days for Club members. In his personal life, Graeme rode to work, competed in Motorcycle Road Racing events and was an Off-Road enthusiast. Graeme enjoyed sharing his motorcycling experiences and helping any one if asked!
So in 1990, Richard Frost took over as Chairman and inherited a Club full of Members with high expectations of more exciting motorcycling activities to come. They weren’t let down.
During the Nineties there were 6 Chairman: Richard Frost, Eddie Barnes, Angus Lees, Martin Bartlett, Chris Holland and Ken Gore. Richard, Eddie, Angus and Martin are still active Club Members.
The annual membership during the nineties fluctuated between 160 and 210. During this period there were a lot more overseas events organised which proved increasingly popular. As in previous years, the Club held a Christmas Party for members and their partners at the end of each year.
During the Nineties, as the average age of Members increased from the early days of the Club, the emphasis moved towards more touring events and day ride outs to pubs, restaurants, factories and Motorcycle Dealer test days etc. A new term arrived on the Calendars towards the end of the nineties: “Retirees Rendezvous“. For those Members who were retired or able to get time off work, such mid-week and Sunday events increased with popularity during this time. Another tradition that had started in the early days of the Club continued – Members, who had appropriate facilities, invited Members to join them for a barbecue at their homes. Another couple of more unusual UK events were: a trip to Dog racing near Brighton, and a Golf Day; both much enjoyed by their participants.
Throughout the Nineties, off-road riding remained popular in the Club, each year, there was a Club Enduro competition and at least a couple of organised off-roading events, quite often in the Pennines or Dales. Not to mention the regular get togethers of several PEMC members for trail riding at the weekends, which, while not PEMC events, were very popular.
For several years there was at least one GoKarting Day organised each year, which were all great fun, as were the regular Club Track Days, often at Cadwell Park and / or Mallory Park.
When Eddie Barnes was Chairman, prompted no doubt by his wife, Elaine, he decided to organise a “Girls Only Day”. This was to give CBT Training exclusively for the girls, no husbands, boyfriends or any male onlookers.
Elaine who was an accomplished rider herself and regularly turned up on Club events on her Red Gilera (see below). With great enthusiasm she managed to encourage eighteen attendees at this event, which was three times the numbers originally envisaged. This unique event in the Club’s history went very well and was enjoyed by all participants, who each received a CBT part 1 certificate in motorcycle training at the end of the day!!
Angus Lees took over the chair in January 1994 from Eddie. Having just returned from a skiing holiday, Angus floated the idea of a Club Skiing Event in the future. In 1994 there was a good range of tempting events including motorcycling tours to the Black Forest, Green Spain (the Picos de Europa), a “Fast Boys” bimble in Germany, six nights in the Auvergne and an event entitled “Berlin or Bust”. In the UK apart from the usual turnups etc. there was a “Lands End to John O’Groats” ride, a few days in Pembrokeshire, Wales and a Club “Track Day” at Cadwell Park. By September of 1994 there was a 1995 event in the calendar called THE PEMC ”DOWN HILLERS” RUN, a week at the Méribel ski resort in France, in the second week of January.
In 1995, the events Calendar also included European motorcycle tours to Normandy in France; a Swiss Lakes & Mountains tour; “Red Italy” including stays on Lake Lugano (including a visit to the Moto Guzzi factory), Cutigliano (including a visit to the Bimota factory) in Tuscany and Venice; a week in Poland visiting Warsaw & Krakow; a visit to Corsica; and a visit to the French Battlefields; including the Somme and Verdun. In the UK there were weekends in Exmoor; the Peak District; longer events in the Isle of Man for the Manx GP; a Scottish Coastal Route tour; another Track Day at Cadwell Park and several off-road events including the PEMC Enduro.
Martin Bartlett took over the Chair in January 1996 from Angus. In his first comments in Newsline as Chairman, Martin looked to the future of not having to print Newslines and distribute them by post; and to be able to include colour photos. How technology has changed since then!! In 1996 there was another set of appealing events for members, including motorcycling tours to “Gourmet Normandy”; the World Superbike meeting at Hockenheim; a “West meets East” in Germany; a ride through France and back ending in a stay in Corsica; a stay in Northern Ireland; 5 days in Germany for the “Fast Boys”; 7 days on the “Vosges Voyage”; 18 days touring Northern Spain and Portugal; plus two official Off Road events; a Go Karting day; a Track Day at Cadwell Park again; and a number of UK Weekends and Turnups.
The Robin Farmer Memorial Trophy was conceived at the Cob Web Run in 1996 and commissioned by Olive Farmer in memory of her husband who was an early member of the Club (No.2) and was so well regarded by fellow members. The trophy was a model of a red/pink helmet which was shrouded in ice. Ironically, Graeme Lynam who had spent many hours preparing the trophy for Olive was to be its first winner in 1997, when conditions were extremely icey!!!
Following Peter Ashdown’s tragic death in August 1996, Martin Bartlett donated a trophy in Peter’s memory, which was to be presented annually to the member who attended the most events and event days. The first winners were Kidge & Carol Elder.
Mid way through the nineties, the Club logo appeared on stickers, badges and clothing as the PEMC brand was established. Here are a few examples:
n 1998, the Chair was passed to Chris Holland, who inherited an Events Calendar of appealing events for members, including a tour to “Nascent Normandy”; a Spanish tour of “Paradors, Pyrenees & Picos”; Corsica again; the World Superbike meeting at Nürburgring; “Perched Villages” in the South of France; two days in Ardennes; “Deutsche Alpenstresse”; a number of UK Weekends including “The Club’s going to the Dogs”, a night out at a Dog Racing meeting; plus a range of Turn Ups; a Club Enduro and two “Trails in the Dales” meets.
In 1999, Chris Holland’s events calendar was full of promise and included: a comprehensive programme for the year’s Retirees Rendezvous courtesy of Alan Foggie; an “Easter Splash” in Wales; West Country Weekend; a weekend in Cornwall; Bellingham bimble; Total Solar Eclipse (x 2); Vicar’s Tea Party; “Kentish Kastle Krawl” and a number of European events including: a Tuacany Tour; Weekend in Germany (x 2); a “Spanish Cruise”; Italian Lakes; the Manx Grand Prix; and a trip to Southern Ireland. Unfortunately, Chris Holland departed from the PEMC before seeing these events through and Martin Bartlett took over the Chair for a few months before passing on to Ken Gore.
