Our members have Norton Motorcycles from all eras of production. We have many years of experience riding, maintaining and racing. We can even boast that some of our members are world authorities of certain aspects of motorcycle engineering!
If you own a Norton and need some help why not join us and see what we can do?
Jim Green and Simon Clark both joined the Norfolk Branch in March 1991. Amongst the members we had Phil Mitchel, National Chairman, Colin Bowles, Roadholder Editor and Leda Killingback Bowles, as national treasurer, the latter pair being resident in Mattishall. The meetings were very informal, no structure or committee. We attended a few shows but these were very low key with only a handful of members attending.
This era of the Branch really fell apart when Colin Bowles tragically lost his life in June 1995 at the IoM. Subsequently Simon Clark, Jim Green and Roy Ramsbottom tried to keep things going but Roy as Secretary struggled to gain support from the National Club and finally called it a day.
This is the Roy Ramsbottom who toured Australia in the early 1980s on his MKII Commando and had his bike in the North Walsham museum for some time.
Then in May/June 1996 the main Norton Owners Club tried for a reinstatement of the Branch, they trawled through all the other members resident in Norfolk and said ‘How about a branch?’ A meeting was arranged at the Norfolk Dumpling-a transport café/pub in Norwich. With the attendance of Al Osborn and Phil Cocks from the Main NOC committee a fresh branch was inaugurated.
Secretaries and Chair persons have come and gone, membership has risen and waned but we still enjoy our Norfolk Branch.
Camping weekends at Fleggburgh , Wells, and Kelling Heath many times, Whitwell & Reepham Station, the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway have seen our club display.
We have had large Norfolk Branch presence at many International Rallies in Europe.
We have hosted the National Rally at Swanton Morley 2002, and Hingham in 2014.
We hosted Norton Day at Hunstanton 2010 and The Weeting Steam Rally in 2018.
Recently we seem to have majored on attending Transport Displays and quite a lot of Steam Shows. Weeting (in July) for many years. Stradsett Park Vintage Rally is becoming a popular one for us these days. We have a very smart Gazebo to display and brew coffee or tea. The Gazebo is taken to Hunstanton in August or September where we usually have a good display of Nortons on the green, which keeps the Norton name in the public/motorcycle mind. Whitwell & Reepham Station has seen a good attendance. A great turnout at the National NOC events, even winning the Branch turn out trophy at times which has been a highpoint. Charity ride outs is another of our events, we have collected and for the Air Ambulance and the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, has become one of our regular donation/events.
Finances within the branch are secure e.g. we have free biscuits at our events! We have had talks and quizzes in the winter evenings at our Branch meetings.
These days at Attleborough Snooker Club we have changed our meeting time, such that we meet in the afternoon, in the dark winter days, saves that dark night out for us ‘older ones’. Reverting back to the evening times in the summer months. As it happens we have a good chippy (and Indian takeaway) opposite the Club, so we usually have a mini feast before we start proceedings. There is a wealth of information available from the Club Members along with the usual motorcycle work assistance.