Someone a while back at a Club trial casually asked Don Barrett why he was one of our Vice Presidents and much to the embarrassment of the few older ears present pushed on with ,"What have you done for the club, did you used to ride or something?", questions both, which Don rather too modestly side-stepped.

Frankly, to my generation, it was a bit like asking this once great all rounder did the King ever rule, or what did you do in the War Daddy and incidentally Don did indeed serve with some distinction in World War Two. What's more this was when he first became something of a Trials Star, riding one of His Majesty's War Department 500cc Side Valve Norton in Military competition events held over in Egypt where he was serving in those days.

Once de-mobbed and back on Ciwy Street Don took the sport up again and eventually became a "Works" contacted rider for the "Norman", the Ashford (Kent) based company. For the benefit of our younger readers they were in fact one of the best Two Stroke Trials bike manufacturers during the early to mid 1950s at a time when British riders and bikes still dominated Motor Cycling, meaning Dons prowess in gaining a "Works" ride can easily be compared with being signed up as a "Works" jockey for such as Beta or Gas-Gas today. This I would point out was in an era when most Trials, even at local level, got an entry of around three hundred and all would expect at least a smattering of the Top Works runners, including Don, to be entered amongst them. Sadly, due to my failing memory and my not having kept good enough records, I can't even begin to adequately list his truly incredible number of Trials awards and successes and Don himself is far too modest for me to bother to ask him.

Suffice perhaps thus to point out just a few highlights. For instance he was Star Group Solo Champion as far back as 1954, rode the Scottish Six Days on several occasions as a Norman "Works Team" rider, though I have no record of his results. He opened his original shop "Don Barrett Motor Cycles" of Redhill, which in those days used to be right by the railway station before it was purchased compulsorily so the Council could build the current one way system.

Don's shop more or less became the RRND's unofficial weekday home or meeting place, not least because people like the late lamented Lew Cook would be in regular attendance. Working for Don were our other great pillars the Sherlocks and incidentally I refer here to Kens' senior and junior with the latter being the better known or remembered nowadays both as one of our current Honorary members and as father of modern riders Robin and David.

Barrett's of Redhill meanwhile were also being guided by Don, the rider, into the business big time, signing to ride enduros for the now defunct Italian make Capriolo during the early 1960s. Apart from bringing him even more success with a "works" ride in another branch of Motor Cycle Sport, also resulted first in an Agency to sell Capriolo's own machines and more importantly later, the offer for him to become the official UK importer for Moto Guzzi. Don still has two "Works" International Six Day Team Capriolos which were gratefully presented to him for his riding services rendered. I recall that this included one particular 1960s Herculean Six Day effort when the rear brake shoes broke up and locked the back wheel up solid whilst at speed and with him seemingly sure of a Gold Medal having for days literally thrashed the might of Briton's big engined bikes with his relatively tiny 125cc Italian job. That included winning virtually all of the special speed tests.

Not that Don gave up, indeed he was so close to the finish he damned near picked it up and carried it over the line. Sadly the time lost cost him his Gold Medal though he still won the Silver. This would not be the last of his giant killing acts for his exploits had been noted by Suzuki, who were better known in Road Racing circles back in the mid 1960s, but were also by then intent on making an "Off-Road" sporting name for themselves and their products. Suzuki particularly wanted to target the International Six Days Trial (Enduro) in 1965 which then as now was seen as the Olympics of Motorcycling and so signed up Don Barrett, who by then had of course proved himself as a bit of a light-weight specialist. Their idea was to convert three tiny little 79cc Roadster based Suzuki KlOs to be ridden in a three man team led by Don, along with the former BSA Works Moto-X team star John Harris and a chap called Stan Miller, who's claim to fame I cannot now recall, but who I can say was not related to Sam.

The somewhat cheeky master plan was to test the squad and their near ludicrously tiny engined bikes against the seemingly still dominant might of the entire British motor cycle manufacturing industry (and all their top contracted riders including Sammy Miller) at the all important Welsh Three Day Trial (Enduro). In those days this was run by the ACU almost specifically as a selection test to decide which riders and machines would actually represent Great Britain in the ISDE proper, which would be held in the Isle of Man later that year. Not that the Suzukis would have been considered for inclusion however, for it just wasn't done in those days for the ACU to select or choose anything non British. In fact all they were actually trying to do was win the coveted Maudes Team Trophy, but no one had told Don this was all that was hoped of him and so he simply blitzed the lot to win overall!.

What an embarrassment it must have been both for the ACU and the then entire British Industry, indeed it was not considered to be quite "Cricket" to ride foreign in those day's let alone use anything made in Japan and also win. No one had told Don, so that is exactly what he did that fateful year over in Wales and what's more he had won with a completely unfancied machine and by a truly magnificent margin. Zero marks were lost over all the fastest speed schedules and achieved with just 79cc. Obviously it was also a sign of what was to come, though it was sadly ignored at the time by the British "head in the sand" industrialists. Our National newspapers of the day, who did in fact cover Motorcycle sport in some depth unlike today's lot, headlined "Saucy Suzuki's" victory as being "The most sensational in the event's fifteen year history". As for Suzuki themselves? Well they promptly took out full page adverts showing Don and their great moment of triumph in more than a few of them.

Come October and the Manx ISDE and it sadly went pear shaped. Suzuki machine preparation failed them that time, two going almost straight out with broken crankshafts whereas the cylinder head blew clean off on Don's bike, causing his employers to somewhat unfairly suggest he had ridden it too hard and over-tuned it by removing the cylinder head gasket. To which he could have been excused had he pointed out "At least I did not break a crank!"

That was about it as far as Don's International Enduro career went but he successfully continued riding as a one Day Trials rider right through until 1972 when he was riding "Works" Montesas' and based at his new (Reading Arch Road Shop) as the official importer for Trials and Moto-X Montesas. He was also very largely responsible for the ongoing machine development, as well as his running the Spanish Company's "works" off-road Teams.

Ken Sherlock (Junior) incidentally was both Chief Mechanic and test rider, with another RRND member, Charlie Harris, as one of a trio of "Works" riders. Locally best remembered from Don's Montesa Moto-X team are perhaps Mike Peach, Roger Snoad and Freddie Mayes, but DB himself by then was also getting involved with a new hobby having just as successfully taken up competition shooting .Few of our younger members will remember Don's twenty two years at the top of Motor Cycle Trialing, fewer still will realise he also mastered his new hobby sufficiently to become one of this country's best known Shot Gun shooting competitors and prior to reading this I doubt if anyone in the RRND knows he also became Senior Coach at The National Rifle Associations home and Olympic Training Ranges at Bisley, such again is the modesty of the man.

Meanwhile Don's help, encouragement, (and discounts!) to and for the RRND and it's members over the years have literally been incalculable and though he closed his Redhill based Motor Cycle business during December 1986 to concentrate on shooting, it continues to this day via the use of his land at Betchworth. So if you find yourself within earshot when another mere youngster asks who he is or what he did, you might just think to inform them rather a lot really and that they will have a very long way to go before they will even begin to equal his exploits.

Thanks Don, The pleasure has been all ours. Don Morley