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Posted by Editor on 6th August 2010 at 06:27 PM Video: Salford Knights ride again
by Tony Flynn
Every Thursday evening at The Dutton Arms, Canal Bank, Patricroft, Eccles, one of the longest established scooter clubs in the North West of England meet.
This is the home of The Salford Knights.
Established in 1982 it now has nearly seventy members.
The club have regular rallies throughout the UK; the Isle of Wight is a regular venue whilst several Knights have recently come back from the Euroyeye scooter rally in Spain.
I spoke to Aussie, one of the main faces in the Salford Knights who explained to me the ethos of the club.
The main raison-d'etre of the Salford Knights is a love of scooters, northern soul music, Tamla Motown, ska, bluebeat, mod clothing and all things mod-related, with age being no handicap.
One of the club's biggest days out is the annual Gingers Egg Run where the Knights collect Easter eggs and take them to local children's hospitals.
I have to admit, the first sight of thirty or more scooters complete with chrome side panels, personalised artwork, wing mirrors and that distinctive sound of a two stroke engine really got my adrenalin flowing.
Many years ago I used to have an obsession with scooters, my first scooter was a Lambretta LD 150cc, a veritable death trap, this was followed by a Lambretta Li 150cc, a classic scooter which I wish I still had.
Finally for two glorious weeks I borrowed a scooter in green and white, which I was told last night would be worth in the region of £4,000!
Some of the classic scooters on display at the Dutton Arms included Vespas and Lambrettas dating from the early 1960s right up to the present day.
Each one is lovingly personalised and obviously adored by their owners, just take a look at some of the photographs that we took to see: I think each one is a thing of beauty.
If you are interested in scooters or the whole mod thing, then get down to The Dutton Arms on a Thursday evening and I guarantee that Aussie and mates will make you more than welcome, give it a try you won't regret it.
Related Links
For further info on Salford Knights click here
 Comment by little sanno ( member ) 22nd September 2011
hi aussie its leighton sannos lad could you tell me what days and what time you meet up so i can come down and see you all because i havnt sin the club since i was 6 i am now 17 riding a 250 hyosung :) |
Comment by aussie 10th May 2011
thanks for all comments positive and i feel very honoured to take the club forward.i'd like to meet sanno 1 more time and other ex knights who would be more than welcome to visit the club.keep on keeping on! |
Comment by leighton santos 5th April 2011
when is the next meet up as my dad will like to come dow as like old times to see what he is missing out on as he is not riding any more but i could get him back with a lambretta ? |
Comment by Bell Boy. 22nd March 2011
Get down to The Dutton you will be welcome the boys are all great blokes and they are the one's to talk about if you are buying a scooter. Bet you wish you had kept your know! mind you I think the Li 150 would be worth more. Strictly old school me. |
Comment by ChrisRedUK 22nd March 2011
I have been looking for a Scooter club, as I was thinking of buying one purely for nostalgic reasons. I used to have one in the early 70's which I bought brand new from Leicester Road in Salford. I wonder if anyone remember that place. I bought a GP 150 and my mate bought an LI 150. We had so much fun in those days. It seemed like every teenager had one. It wasn't Mods and rockers in the 70's it was Greasers and Smoothies. I live in Prestwich now, but would love to get down to the Dutton Arms on a Thursday if welcome. I think I sold my GP for something like £250, little did I know how valuable they would become. |
Comment by 66 2nd February 2011
must be casey jones puffing on summat |
Comment by Grand black purple Heep 2nd February 2011
Or Here comes the knights -Them, Back in the Knight-Dr Feelgood,and finally Silent Knight |
Comment by Scooter Boy 2nd February 2011
How about Boogie Knights, Mid-knight train to Georgia or Miss You Knights? |
Comment by Ancelloti silencer 2nd February 2011
Is Knights in White Satin by the Moody Bluesa tribute the Salford scooter boys? |
Comment by Purple Ronnie 2nd February 2011
Roger Glover was born on 30th November 1945 at Brynllicci Farm, Bwlch, near Brecon, South Wales to Norman and Brenda Glover. The closest he got to Monton was living with his grandparents in St Helens for three months in 1955 before moving to London. Nice Monton story though Casey... see rogerglover.com and even wikipedia gets it right too! |
Comment by paul santos 2nd February 2011
hello i am paul santos and me and my old friends made this club up wen we was younger and i had a lambretta 200 but i am missing it because i sold it 10 years age so let the club keep on and if anyone wants to get in touch leave a message on this and ill check up on it :) |
Comment by Casey 2nd February 2011
No you check your facts. Billy Briggs was born in Hope Hospital on 03/12/45 and grew up in Monton, he changed his name to Roger Glover to make it sound more glamourous, not very bright was Billy Boy, but he became very rich. |
Comment by 666 1st February 2011
what a load of cobblers casey. black knight by deep purple was written by blackmore/gillan/glover/lord and paice,with roger glover on bass guitar |
Comment by casey 1st February 2011
One of the original Knights, Billy Briggs actually played bass for "Deep Purple " a heavy metal in the later sixties, and co-wrote "Black Knight" and was a sidewards tribute to the club,give it a whirl some time, stood the test of time, by the way he's still got his old Vespa |
Comment by leighton santos 1st February 2011
i am paul santos's son and he is the one who started it off with his m8s |
Comment by Guest 13th September 2010
I have been a member of SKSC for 17 years. Great to see it online and see the perspective from a point of view outside of the scooter scene. You barely scratched the surface and it would be good to see a report from on an actual scooter rally. In answer to the question asked all in the interview - I have a custom Vespa and two Custom Lambrettas but I class myself as a Lambretta man.
Howard.S.K.S.C. |
Comment by Guest 17th August 2010
Salford Days and Salford Knights a perfect combination, just like two stroke. |
Comment by Guest 17th August 2010
Great to see a local club like that thriving.Scooters are good fun but I,m a bike man myself. Just want to say hello to Barney
not seen him for years. Remember St Petes,Swinton? |
Comment by Guest 9th August 2010
some fantastic scooters on display at the Salford Knights club meet.It brought it all back to yesteryear when I owned a Lambretta SX 150 back in 1968.I,ve seen hundreds of scooters on the roads at weekends so I guess the scooter scene is well and truly ALIVE & KICKING.Best of luck in the future to the Salford Knights I just may pop down One thursday night if only to smell the two stroke oil once again.....oh happy days. |
Comment by Guest 8th August 2010
Great report tony. you're showing the other side of Salford folk. enjoy meeting the charcters you uncover.
never knew salford had some scooter boys. It'd be cool to see them more round salford.
keep up the good work tony. |
Comment by Guest 7th August 2010
Great piece Tony - brought back so many memories. I too had a LD150 which was equally a death trap - I too then had a LI 150 - I was friends with Jimmy Briggs whos father Billy ran a garage/shop on Chapel Street which sold scooters and Reliant 3 wheelers - Jimmy had the holy grail of a Lambretta TV175 - I still have a receipt for bill from Salford City Council for £8 - repair to one keep left sign on Regent Road following one brake failure.
Scooter comminity had a language and style of its own, tank aeriels, tiger tails, "mega" exhausts fur trimmed parkas. It was fantastic to see a union jack seat - just like the one I used to have.
These short videos showing the less high profile aspects of life in Salford are magic - they get to the people and the fabric of a community and set off such clear memories - keep it up |
Comment by Guest 7th August 2010
Some absolutely fabulous scooters here, great to see that the Mod following hasn't died out and is alive and well with people like Aussie and his mates.
I have seen them driving through Salford and they really look the part, good to hear that they do charity work as well, anybody renember Zundapp Bella scooters?, big German things really hard to drive, easier to crash. |
Comment by Guest 6th August 2010
Absolutely brilliant!, could almost smell the two stoke engines petrol, and what fantastic scooters, Lammies and Vespas nearly brought a tear to my eyes, and the young girl liking Northern Soul and all Mod things with her own scooter and Tootal scarf what a girl. Aussie you are a star keep on keeping on, same to everyone at the Salford Knights Scooter Club, keep the faith!! |
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