I was introduced to AVVC by my good friend of over 55 years Tony Simpkins.  After leaving the club meetings most of us would ride down Park Street to the Wimpy Bar for a burger and coca cola spider.

 AVVC relocated to Frenchay Village Hall in Filton, Bristol in 1967. 

AVVC started as a Vespa only club but relaxed its rules to allow Lambretta owners to join as associate members.  It later changed to Avon Valley Scooter Club. We had a strong connection with the Bristol Eagles SC and a special connection with Torbay SC.  

Meeting early on balmy summer days for a hotly contested soccer match on the green was the precursor to club business of the day.  When this concluded it was on to the equally serious club table tennis championship all the while listening to the latest offerings of pop music.  AVVC was very active in attending as many national rallys as possible.  We had a core of young, enthusiastic members looking forward to enjoying everything a scooter club could offer.  The early years were all about riding our scooters to events, having a great time and riding home.  

Eventually this progressed to squeezing a couple of 90ss’s into the back of a minivan or three scooters on a trailer towed by a VW kombi van.  It became common place to travel anything up to 200ml, take part in the event, party most of the night (and more) and back in a weekend to front up for work on a Monday ready to go.  We slept in tents, sometimes in pouring rain and thought nothing of it.

I remember driving my minivan to a rally (I think it was a Manchester Lyons rally) we left Bristol after work  and I couldn’t find the campsite.  By now it was about 1:00am and we attracted the attention of the local contabulary.  I don’t why, a minivan with the front ends of two 90ss’s sticking out the back of the van with the barn doors tied together with string.  The cops were great once they knew we had a legitimate reason with strange transport to be roaming the streets.  They drew a mudmap to the site in the dust on the bonnet of the van and wished us goodluck!