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Scrapbook









Photo album pic
Photo album


This page is intended to be a repository for items that are not directly relevant to any one particular department of the AMC firm, but which are considered sufficiently interesting to viewers who may have personal recollections of the subjects covered.

All the photos in this collection have been image-mapped (hover cursor over faces to identify) and names given where positive identification exists. If you recognise anyone - even yourself - in the pictures, whose face is un-named, then please contact the website where we will be happy to include any information you can give.


This photo of Vera Lynn on a WW2 G3L army bike was taken "don't know where, don't know when" (sorry, we couldn't resist that) and, if it wasn't for the cropping, would show the Forces Sweetheart wearing a very stylish example of crash helmets of the day.

Vera Lynn on WD bike

This set of photos was kindly donated to the website by Paul Packman, who worked in the AMC Race Shop around 1951.
Paul's father Albert was at the Plumstead factory between 1927 and 1961 as manager of the Press Tool Design Office.

Albert Packman at rear of Press Tool Design Office
Albert Packman at rear of Press Tool Design Office c.1936
1950 coach outing
AMC coach outing 1950
Father Albert and son Paul on bike
Father Albert and son Paul on bike
Paul on G45 bike
Paul on G45 bike
aul with the family's G9 bike
Paul with the family's G9 bike
PPaul with the 1951 TT support team
Paul with the 1951 TT support team
Paul on G45 bike
Paul enjoying a lunch break with others members of the team

You can view enlarged, image-mapped versions of the last two photos on the Race Shop page.


The following set of three photos, showing various transport vehicles used at the Plumstead factory, were submitted by Jos Vanderwoude.

Lorry leaving packing department
Lorry leaving packing department
Company van with competition bike
Company van with competition bike
Company van in 'retired' state
Company van in 'retired' state
Company van with Hugh Viney & others
Company van with Hugh Viney and others
Hugh Viney Gordon McLoughlin Bob Manns

Normally, each of the following four photos, taken in the late '50s, would have been allocated to its relevant department page but, as they appear to share a common theme, it seemed best to keep them together as a group (with appropriate links provided to them).

George Batley mounting G3C
Preparing to take G3C bikes for test (Maxey Road)
George Batley 2 3
George Batley testing G3C
Setting off to test a G3C bike (Maxey Road)
George Batley
Competition Shop
Assembling a G3C bike
1 Eric Pratt
Wally Wyatt and others with ISDT bikes
Competition Shop staff with ISDT bikes (Burrage Grove)
Wally Wyatt Jack Colver 3 Bob Manns

This photo was taken at the 1981 Isle of Man TT races by Ken Sprayson and appeared in his autobiography 'Ken Sprayson - The Frame Man'.
It shows ex-AMC sales manager/director Jock West keeping a tight hand on a rare AJS Porcupine bike.
Whilst at AMC, between 1945-1961, Jock competed at many TT and other International events, riding this unconventional machine, as well as the 7R 'Boy Racer'.

Jock West at 1981 TT pic
Jock West at 1981 TT

The following three pictures were taken of framed photographs spotted hanging on the wall of Russell Motors, a Battersea, London classic motorcycle business, by Peter Morris, one of our regular contributors.
They show a fine view of the Burrage Grove side of the factory, a team of test riders in strict formation in Maxey Road and the export packing department.

Peter is hopeful that he will be able to obtain better glare-free versions on a future visit to the dealer that we will be able to substitute for them.

AMC factory pic
AMC factory (Burrage Grove)
Test rider procession pic
Test rider procession (Maxey Road)
Export packing pic
Export packing department

Peter is hopeful that he will be able to re-submit better (glare-free) versions if he is allowed to remove the photos from their frames on a future visit to the dealer.


Norvil Commando #1 pic
Norvil Commando bike outside race shop
Norvil Commando #2 pic
Another Norvil Commando bike outside race shop
Norvil Commando #3 pic
Norvil Commando bike outside on factory roof

Three Norvil racing Commando bikes, posing outside the Burrage Grove race shop and on the main factory roof.
      Photos courtesy of Norman White website


Val Maddocks pic
Val Maddocks

Personnel Office assistant Val Maddocks (sister of Ron Maddocks, capstans machinist) showing
off a nice pair of US market Commandos, fresh off the Woolwich factory assembly line.


Teddy Mehan & Eric Pratt pic
Teddy Meehan & Eric Pratt

This picture is of AMC van driver Teddy Meehan and assembly shop worker Eric Pratt (in full stylish racing leathers)
enjoying a break on a country road with unknown girl aboard his Norton.


Terry Wetherfield publicity pic #1
Terry Wetherfield publicity pic #1
Terry Wetherfield publicity pic #2
Terry Wetherfield publicity pic #2
Terry Wetherfield publicity pic #3
Terry Wetherfield publicity pic #3
Ned Hooker & Joan Anderson pic
Ned Hooker & Joan Anderson
AJS bike and Cutty Sark pic
AJS publictity photo with Cutty Sark
   Photo courtesy of Brian Slark

The three monochrome pictures were used for publicity purposes and featured design draughtsman Terry Wetherfield and an office girl (not Dusty Springfield) in various photogenic settings.
The first colour picture is an advert that used Terry's drawing office colleague Ned Hooker along with Joan Anderson (Jock West's secretary) as in-house models, whilst the fellow in the second picture is John McDermott from the AMC Publicity Department.

And here are three more photos of Joan Anderson, the first being another AMC publicity shot and the other two with sidecar racer Colin Seeley, whom she met as a result of his frequent visits to the Plumstead Road Sales Office - and subsequently married.

Joan Anderson publicity pic
Joan Anderson
Joan Anderson and Colin Seeley pic
Colin Seeley and Joan Anderson
Joan Anderson wedding pic
Colin Seeley and Joan Anderson's wedding

Photos courtesy 'Colin Seeley: Racer .....and the rest' book.


Bodium Castle car rally #1 pic
Bodium Castle car rally #1
(Mrs) Wetherfield Terry Wetherfield Bernard Copleston Wilf Graham
Bodium Castle car rally #2 pic
Bodium Castle car rally #2
Ted Tuff Eddie Pettit Bob Cakebread Bernard Copleston (Mrs) Copleston
Bodium Castle car rally #3 pic
Bodium Castle car rally #3
Bill Cakebread Edie Hazledon 3 Ray Hazleton
Bodium Castle car rally #4 pic
Bodium Castle car rally #4
1 Wilf Graham Bill Cakebread

The tool room personnel of the '60s organised several car/motorbike rallies in the summer months.
This set of pictures was taken in the car park of Bodium Castle, East Sussex, at the end of the event.


AMC party #1 pic
AMC party #1
1 2 Alan Crouch (Mrs) Crouch 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Leslie Vickary Charlie Tassell 21
AMC party #2 pic
AMC party #2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fred Miles 11 Leslie Vickary  Eddie Pettit

Not sure of the time, the place or even the reason for this party, but everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.


Ajays guitar group #1 pic
Ajays guitar group #1
1 (guitar) 2 (guitar) 3 (guitar) 4 (banjo) Bill Ellis (drums) 6 Jeff Boult (guitar) 8 (bongos)
Ajays guitar group #2 pic
Ajays guitar group #2
1 (guitar) 2 (guitar) 3 (guitar) 4 (banjo) Bill Ellis (drums) 6 Jeff Boult (guitar) 8 (bongos)

In 1963, at the height of the British Beat period, AMC had its own guitar/drums group who called themselves the Ajays.
These two photos show them playing in the works canteen. With that number of instrumentalists, it must have been quite a sound!

      Photos courtesy of Jeff Boult


Jock West and Douglas Bader pic
Jock West and Douglas Bader

This picture of Sales Director Jock West, discussing the features of a Matchless bike with WWII flying ace Douglas Bader, was taken at the 1960 Earls Court Motor Cycle Show

      Photo courtesy of David Lewis


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Gearcutting coach outing pic
Coach outing
1 2 3 Ken Burnside Harry Hatton Tom McCartney Les (Vic) Vickary 8 9 10 Ted Donovan 12 Bert Gardiner 14 15 16 17 Rowley Pickett Ray Hazleton 20 21 ? Dabbs 23 24

This photograph shows employees from the gearcutting and milling departments,
plus some office staff, about to set off on a coach outing in the early 1950s.


Assembly team Xmas 1951 pic
Assembly Team (and TRUNKEY)
Jack Colver, son of H (Bert) Colver) - Tester (twins) Bill 'Alby' Stroud - Engine rectifier 'TRUNKEY' - The over inflated inner tube Joe Allen - Supervisor, Testing Joe Nicholls - Runner-up (singles) Terry Ewens - Alby’s assistant Bill Martin - Runner-up (singles) Dennis Coghland - Tyres Bill Chapman - Supervisor, Assembly George Keen - Runner-up, twins Dick Jaques - Rectifier Lou ? - Rectifier

This photo of Assembly Shop personnel was taken prior to the Xmas 1951 holiday
and features special guest TRUNKIE (an over-inflated tyre inner tube)


Party early pic
Party early #1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Eric Goodfellow 13 14 15 16 17 18
Party early #2 pic
Party early #2
 Eric Goodfellow Ernestine Goodfellow 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Another party whose date, location and reason (who needs a reason) is not known, but plenty of smiling faces and full glasses.


Christmas Party pic
Christmas Party
1 Tom McCartney  Jimmy King Arthur Martin Rex ? Rex's wife 7 8 9 Dolly (platers) 11 Mary Corm (Mrs) King Sheila Jones 15 (Mrs) Warner  Sid Werner  Bill Corm Hugh Colman Alan Jones 21 22 (Mrs) Hewitt Burt ? 25 26  Jim Walby Eric Goodfellow Frank Hewitt

At least, from the decorations in the background, we can tell that this is a Christmas party,
but we still don't know the date or the location that it was held in.
(Quite a few test riders and assembly staff with their wives).


Toolroom Christmas Party #1 pic
Toolroom Christmas Party #1
 Eddie Pettit 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bill Mitchell Bill Crayford
Toolroom Christmas Party #2 pic
Toolroom Christmas Party #2
1 Bill Crayford 3 4 Eddie Pettit Bert Ilsley 7 8

Here are a couple of photos, taken at different times, showing the tool room personnel wearing their paper hats in preparation for the forthcoming Christmas break.
No expense spared on the balloons!


Beano group pic
Beano group
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Peter Sutton 20 21 22 George Sutton
Beano band pic
Beano band
1 2 Ted Donovan

Greg Sutton's father Peter and uncles George and Ronald all worked at the Matchless factory from 1956 onwards.
Greg found these two photographs in the loft, taken on a 'Beano' works outing for which funny hats appear to be mandatory,

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