About me (Alison)

It feels a bit strange to be introducing myself to everyone (especially as I am usually so shy and retiring) but putting aside the natural modesty that generally would prevent me from talking about myself, I thought I would show some solidarity with my partners in crime / teammates and tell everyone a little bit about myself.

I got into scooters through the Mod scene – my brother was a Mod during the early 80’s Mod revival so it was almost guaranteed that I would follow in his footsteps in some way... it definitely wasn't by being a Mod though, that's for sure!. My parents bought him a Vespa 100 smallie for his 17th Birthday in 1981 and he looked very cool (to me) riding around in an open face helmet, tonic Harrington, with a fag hanging out of his mouth. He didn’t stick with it very long though  (only until his first off – the lightweight) and It sat in the garage for a little while, abandoned and neglected, until I sneakily taught myself to ride it; taking the opportunity of coming home from school for lunch, when everyone else was out, and fiddling with it until I could make it go. Just as well he didn’t ride it anymore as it would have been flooded every day until I worked out what the hell I was doing. From that point on, there was no looking back (other than the over the shoulder ‘lifesaver’ of course) and it was 2 wheels all the way; especially as I had no interest in cars (and didn’t pass my car test until months after my 39th Birthday). 

For nearly 20 years, I used scooters or bikes for my daily commute, travelling from Kent into London and back, sometimes taking my camping gear with me so I could head straight off to a rally. It was very handy that Kickstarts in Lee Green was on my way to and from work and had a train station right next door - many a time I rode the scooter to there, handed it over to Ken and Simon’s loving care (and relentless piss-taking) and then got the train to work, doing the same in reverse to pick it up again in the evening. The box on the shelf in the workshop labelled Alison's mullered pistons was only a little bit funny! 

Over the years, I have owned a multitude of scooters that included: PX125EFL, P200E, Primavera, T5 Mk1, T5 Mk2, GTS 300 SS, GP150, LI 150 (the only one that had any chrome on it) and of course the very ‘marmite’ of scooters, a Vega. I have also had motorbikes including owning and riding a Harley Davidson for nearly 20 years. 

I sold the Harley in 2017 which leaves me with my current weird and wonderful selection of scooters: 1961 Lambretta Series 2, 1992 Vespa T5 Classic, 2006 Vespa GTS 250 ie, 1961 Heinkel 103-A2, 1956 TWN Contessa, 1969 Agrati Capri 150 Super. I also have a Vespa VBB project and a nice shiny new Malossi 200 engine that, if / when combined, could either be a marriage made in heaven or my version of a wolf in sheep’s clothing! 

I have never been in a scooter club but, as a solo rider or with various friends and mates, I have ridden up, down and side to side of our fair isle as well as across the continent for scooter rallies and do’s for over 40 years now. My first rally was Morecambe 82 (I’d like to say I was a babe in arms, taken there by my mum and dad – but I’d be lying) and I think I can safely say I have done at least one rally every year since then and many more than that most years! I have travelled to rallies by scooter (and because one typically follows the other, via the AA), by motorbike, car, train, plane, ferry, and once (Redcar 1985) in a very smelly over-laden transit van - a never to be repeated experience.  

In my spare time (what is that exactly?)  I manage a scooter endurance racing team (IDK Racing) who have gone from novices in 2019 to Club Class Champions in 2022 and 2nd Overall (over 4 classes) in the same year. 

In 2016, I, together with a fabulous team of likeminded people, planned and rode a fundraising trip for Breast Cancer where we raised over £7000. I learned many, many lessons from The Breasticle Run; the first of which was don’t plan an epic fundraising scooter ride in February. Hello August!!! 

So, obsessed, dedicated or just plain mad? I’ll let you decide… but the chance to do something I love, with my fabulous other half Henry, to raise awareness and funds for a cause that has affected him, and could affect every single one of us, is an honour and a privilege.