Intro

The Clyde Valley section was started in 1997, by 3 members Reg Smallwood (chair), Don Riley (treasurer) & Bob Clark (section secretary). The inaugural meeting took place in June of '97, with approximately 14 people attended (12 VMCC members + 2 newly joining). Prior to Clyde Valley there was only four VMCC Scottish sections - Inverness, North East, Central based in Blairgowrie and Stirling Castle.

Over the years the our section has continued to grow with an average of 30+ members attending our monthly meetings, including 10 active committee members.

Clyde Valley Founders

Founder + 1st Chairman - Reg Smallwood

Reg moved from Northern Ireland to Scotland in the 70's bringing with his love of classic bikes. Reg with friends started the Clyde Valley section in 1997 and remained a member until 2020. Reg's son has shared an entry from Reg's diary were he wrote about the inaugural meeting in June 1997 ''At 2.30pm I went to labour rooms in the ??? to hold meeting for V.M.C.C to form a new group. Twelve VMCC members turned up plus two who will join. We had a good meeting and agreed to form a group if allowed to be called Clyde Valley Group. Meeting closed at 5.00pm"

Reg outside Dalserf, Clyde Valley

Founder + 1st Secretary - Bob Clark

Some words from Bob Clark, original founder and 1st section secretary:

When I came to stay in Scotland in 1989 there were just four VMCC Sections. Inverness and North East, which existed within classic clubs, Central based in Blairgowrie, and Stirling Castle which drew in members from across the whole of the central belt. Initially I stayed near Falkirk and for several years was closely involved in Stirling Castle Section. In 1996 I moved to Crawfordjohn in Clydesdale, and soon found that meetings near Stirling were just too far on a weekday evening. It wasn’t long, however, before I got a letter from Reg Smallwood, who stayed in Larkhall. He knew me from Stirling Castle, had heard that I had moved to Clydesdale, and was aware that a few years previously I had helped to set up Edinburgh Auld Reekie Section. He was thinking of getting a VMCC group together in South Lanarkshire because there seemed to be quite a few of us. He has already got the support of Don Riley from Bothwell – another old friend from Stirling Castle - and would I be willing to work with them? I was happy to do so, and we started to make plans. As I recall, Reg said he would write to all members in the general area if I would find somewhere to meet, and I remember spending several weekends driving around South Lanarkshire in ever-increasing circles until hitting on a small and isolated pub, The Star Inn on the old A74 near Coalburn (long closed and converted to a private house), who would be happy to have us. I can’t recall a date for that first meeting, but I do know that around 15 people turned up, we decided to give it a try, we settled on “Clyde Valley” as the new group’s name, and I found myself taking on the role of Section Secretary with Reg as Chair and Don as Treasurer. I don’t think I stayed as Secretary for more than a year: work was very demanding, my wife and I had a new baby in the house and I was much more interested in organising runs than administration. And we did all have some brilliant times together – runs out from Biggar, over Talla Dam and down past the Grey Mare’s Tail to Moffat; south to Drumlanrig, west to Muirkirk, north to the edge of Hamilton, and of course the “signature” road from Larkhall down the Clyde Valley to Lanark. But times changed, work took me away all over the UK, and it’s too many years since I have been a regular at Clyde Valley meetings. But I’m proud to have been in at the start. Bob

Founder + 1st Treasurer - Don Riley

Don is our sections 1^st and current (although not continuous) treasurer, he was also one of the founders for the Stirling Castle section which started around 1979, when he realised that existing motorcycle clubs catered well for the West Coast and East Coast of Central Scotland, but not much in between. Don’s put an advert the Stirling Observer asking for likeminded old enthusiasts (that’s the bike that’s old) to meet up in Stirling at one of the pubs at the “top of the town.”. And the Stirling Castle Section was born.

Don was a keen racer and would race at the TT on his Norton, he still owns a 1959 Norton ES2 which he had for over 60yrs.