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S.C.M.C.C.The Back Page - S.C.M.C.C. BIKE SURREYPOL - THE FIRST THIRTY-ONE YEARS !This site could not ignore the S.C.M.C.C. therefore it was only right that the musings of a certain motor-cycle fanatic was allowed to contribute in true Constabulary fashion. So here is a facsimile of the introduction to 'Sooty' Bridgman's book on how the S.C.M.C.C. evolved with it's iconic badge shown as a watermark below his words......Did you know that the Surrey Constabulary was 124 years old before it had a motorcycle club? You didn’t? Well, not many people do, but in 1974 two keen eyed supersleuths noticed the absence of such a club and began conspiring to form one. These were two debonair young sergeants who were thrown together in the turmoil known as the Training Department. The work load in that department gave them ample time and opportunity to plot the formation of what was to be the force’s superior sporting section -- the Motor Cycle Club. They were devoted to two things - motorcycling and laughing. They were Alan Bridgman and Chris Kay. They laughed so ecstatically at the thought of motorcycling for Surreypol, that they rather upset the then Chief Constable who saw no good reason to change the tradition of not having a motorcycle club. The Chief said plainly he didn’t want such a club; this made Bridgman stick his chin out and argue the point, a habit which endeared him to many senior officers, and caused him to remain a sergeant for fourteen years. At the 1974 Annual General Meeting of the Surrey Constabulary Sports Association, authority was given for the Motorcycle Club to be formed, and so it was that on 7 January 1975 the inaugural meeting of the club was held.The minutes of that meeting record that twenty founder members attended; in addition to Bridgman and Kay were Dick Poulton, John McBride, Dick Lawrence, Bomber Brown, Frank Johnson, Andy Couch, Alan Fowler, Roger Adams, DaveHarriot, Phil Dunford, Nick Paneth, Mark Henson, Andy Stephen, Martin Guiver, Bruce Dew, Martin Wodehouse, Dick Leedham and Mick Whalley.In superbly democratic manner the meeting elected its officials; Bridgman was to be secretary, since he could write; Kay was to be treasurer since he liked handling money; Dick Poulton was to be chairman since he was bigger than anybody else, and looked august, and had his own trials bike.Dick’s reign as chairman lasted five weeks. The Chief, still furious that the club had been formed, directed that the chairman must be ex officio the Superintendent of Traffic Dept. Bridgman urged defiance; Kay offered to hold his jacket; Poulton thought he’d like to stay in the job, and graciously made way for Superintendent Vic Drummond, who turned out to be a keen motorcyclist anyway.The club members then got down to serious business. In the first year there were regular monthly social meetings at police clubs around the county and the 72 enrolled members devoted their energies to entering all manner of motorcycle competition - navigation trials, road racing, sprinting, grass tracking and of course trials-riding. It was very soon realised that publicity was needed to help the cause, and club scribes were appointed to report to the planet at large on the activities of the club. The scribes were Bridgman and Kay, and their chosen vehicle for world renown was the force newspaper Off Beat. Before they could even start writing they gained sight of a confidential report to the Chief Constable, which declared, much to the Chief’s satisfaction, that most police motor clubs collapsed within five years of inception. Red mist rose before the eyes of the youthful chums, and with hands clasped over the tank of a 650 Triumph, they vowed never to let the club die during their service, even if it meant blighting their careers.So now, fifteen blighted years later,(written in 1989), you can follow the trail of the Motorcycle Club through the reports which regularly charted its progress in the pages of Off Beat, and spot the names and faces which made the club the success it is. Our priority has never been to win, but always to enjoy taking part, and that priority has always been achieved, as we hope this history will indicate.Alan Bridgman. Chris Kay Click on the badge to go the Club's web-page Continuing in the social theme the Editor would like to draw your attention to the following web links. These web sites are supporters of the Surrey Constabulary website and are in addition to the ones already included. The sites have a police interest and some have kindly contributed a few of the photos used here. Please take time to view - just click the badge. The furthest south the Constabulary uniform ever went? The late Alan Robinson M.B.E in The Pyrenees. Alan Bridgman hoping not to fall off in front of Dick Coles Dick Coles SURREY AND http://scmcc.moonfruit.com/ http://www.policememorial.org.uk/Home.htm http://www.policehistorysociety.co.uk/ http://www.narpo.org/ http://www.pica.co.uk/ http://trooperhats.tripod.com/index.html http://www.shootingevents.ltd.uk/ http://www.surreypf.co.uk/ http://www.polfed.org/ http://www.surreypa.gov.uk/Surrey Constabulary 'For those who served' 1851 - 1992 Editor: Robert Bartlett. 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