Coventry Transport Museum
I was up in Barnsley the other week and passing by Coventry I made a little detour to visit the Transport Museum there. The journey was hampered by fog and traffic jams and it seemed to take forever to get anywhere. It was worth the effort as the museum has done an excellent job with their new displays. Just walking in was different from before with a Triumph Trident in a display case and on the wall next to it were all the names of the manufacturers that had been in and around the city.
The displays were in order of eras with the early bicycles, cars and motorcycles put together by manufacturer. Rover, Singer, and Humber being the earliest. Each decade was represented as you moved through the displays. I did like the one of bicycles that seemed to curve around you and go on for ages.
As usual I took lots of photos to record what was there and how the displays looked. Although the Triumph factory was located by the Cathedral and was bomb damaged during World War causing, not only the factory to go up in flames but the Cathedral next door I felt that such an important marque would have more representation it did appear to be a little light weight with a feature display on the Hinkley Triumphs. Towards the end of the tour there was, as before Ted Simon’s Triumph noted in his book Jupiters Travels and also the BMW that he used on his second trip noted from his book Dreaming of Jupiter.
Both I have read and doing long trips is not impossible only yourself is the limiting factor. Doing them on your own is your best adventure. The more you have around you the less you interact with the locals. What was also on display, next to Ted’s bikes was the outfit of Stanley Glanfield on a Rudge Witworth all British World Tour 1927/8. Something to look up I think. It was a1927 Rudge Combination On the 2nd of July 1928, Stanley Glanfield embarked on a world tour, on his Coventry-built 499cc Rudge motorcycle combination. The journey was to take him just 8 months - covering 18,000 miles, passing through some 16 countries and crossing 4 continents to peak your interest.
Remember the epic journey of Richard and Mopsa English that took their Triumph 650cc Thunderbird around the world in just over 4 years covering over 90,000 miles in this amazing adventure that they started in 1983. Since my last visit the number of motorcycles on display has been reduced but what they have on display is easier to see and understand what the manufacturers were achieving at the time. Something to bear in mind that in this case “less is more”
Back at the Museum more interesting visitors the other Monday with a prospective around the world tripper coming along to see what we had and later in the day a couple of Scott enthusiasts commenting on whether our 1925 Flying Squirrel was really a Super Squirrel. A question to be asked of the BMCT as it is their bike and restoration. We had some interesting discussions about the Science Museum and the Scott aeroengine they have on display there. My biggest complaint about the aircraft and engine displays are that they are poorly lit and it is difficult to see much in any detail. I know there are austerity measures going on but reducing the lighting level helps no-one.
Last Sunday I was at the Wey Valley Advanced Motorcycle Club monthly meeting and out on the Buell for the first in many weeks. I had a good run out and back but it was a little too cold to spend much time on the bike. Crisp enough to freeze the cobwebs.
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