In memory of some of Heart of
TONY SURBEY
December 2009
Died
unexpectedly of a heart attack on 27th November 2009
Few men have
the charisma to become an icon in their chosen field. Tony Surbey though had
that special quality in abundance and acquired almost mythical status within
the AMC community.
Tony was born
in 1942. He was a bright lad, gaining a pilot’s licence in the Air Cadets.
While at boarding school he once rode over a hundred miles home on a Corgi
folding motorcycle to surprise his family. Strapped on the back of the Corgi
was a ukulele, his latest interest. Luckily for us, his passion for
motorcycles came before his love of music.
Tony attended
the
Tony’s
motorcycle involvement expanded, so the Surbey family moved into a terrace of
three ancient cottages. His bikes and parts completely filled one of them! Extricating restored bikes from the cottage
proved difficult so he rebuilt a derelict barn and relocated his workshop
there, much to Linda’s relief. Around then Tony underwent heart surgery
at
Tony took
early retirement and, buying and selling parts at autojumbles, he and Steven soon
became familiar faces. In 2002 he cashed in his pension to buy a massive job
lot of parts and started ‘AMC Classic Spares’. Tony’s
original aim was only to dabble in selling parts. He intended the occasional spares
sales to help with the cost of rebuilds from the stockpile. It was a shock on the first day of
trading to hear from thirty prospective customers! Soon Linda and
Tony was not a
tall man but he had a massive presence. He tried to give the impression of
being a ‘GOM’ but his good humour always shone through. His
bluntness was legendary. If he thought you had been an idiot he would tell you
but in such a way that it was impossible not to like him. Equally legendary was
his keenness to help AMC novices, giving time to them which far outweighed any financial
benefit to him.
A unique character
who stood out in the classic motorcycle crowd, Tony
will be greatly missed by many. Fortunately for devotees, Linda and
TREVOR BURROWS
August 2009
Trevor was
born on Christmas day 1937 and as soon as he was old enough to
hold a licence bought a brand new 1953
Matchless 350, which was one of those
produced during the Korean war with very little
chrome. When Trevor came to
restore it in the eighties he was in a quandary
as to whether to restore in
its original finish or go for the later
chrome look. As was the way with
Trevor he
went with his heart as he had always wanted the chrome finish.
Anyone who
saw the restored Matchless couldn't help but be impressed by it,
it was as near perfect as possible. This was
due to Trevor being a superb
engineer and perfectionist who had access to the
vast resources of AC Delco
at Dunstable, where he had worked for many years as a production
engineer.
He was always
willing to help fellow club members with small engineering
jobs and with advice about the marque.
He was a
regular attendee to the 80s Jampot rallies, gaining a certain
reputation when he and Carl managed to explode a tin
of beans inside their
tent. Why two people with an engineering
background should think you don't
open the tin till its cooked is beyond me.
Still they laughed about it after
they had scraped the beans of the walls and
they put up with constant p***
taking with good humour.
About 10
years ago Trevor and Audrey sold their house in Studham
and moved
to
gent. As he said to Audrey recently "the
last 10 years have been amongst the
happiest of my life". Not a bad way to bow
out.
MAURICE COULING
August 2007
Maurice Couling (also known
as Maurie) passed away at the Jampot rally doing what he loved. Maurice was
Advertising Manager for Jampot magazine and a well-known and well-liked figure
in the club. During the Saturday morning run he suddenly pulled his bike up and
collapsed on the verge. Despite expert medical attention from a doctor and
medics who were on the ride and the assistance of the air ambulance he died of
a perforated ulcer.
Maurice was
one of the nicest guys you could meet. He had an enthusiastic twinkle in his
eye like a naughty schoolboy. He was always cheerful and was a very efficient
and tireless worker for the club. His contribution to AMOC was considerable and
he will be sorely missed. He was always keen to play his part, saying that
“the more he contributed, the more his enjoyment increased”. Late in 2006 he volunteered to take the
reins of advertising manager. He proved to have been a shrewd choice for the
position. Within a short time he realised thousands of extra pounds for the
club funds. This enabled the Committee to maintain subscriptions at their
current level, for which every member has reason to be grateful to him.
Maurice was
the eldest of eight siblings, a kind man, very understanding and with an
enchanting sense of humour. Though he was comparatively young at 68 years old,
his life had been full. For many years he was a scout leader and apparently
cooked an excellent campfire breakfast. He was a gifted gardener and a keen
rambler. Having recently retired, he was looking forward to having more time to
enjoy life. After a spell in the Norton owners club he came to AMOC, attracted
by the friendliness and informality of ‘Heart of England’. His
death is a bitter blow to his wife, Beryl, who is a popular character at club
events. He clearly loved her dearly and was enjoying seeing more of her. They met
while the young Maurice was sitting on his Norton. He was immediately entranced
by her, following her around for a month until she agreed to go out with him.
After four weeks he was telling everyone who would listen that they would be
married. Sure enough, within eighteen months they were man and wife and had 43
blissful years together.
Though
Maurice and Beryl never had children, he leaves a large group of family and
friends who will miss him badly. The club sends its condolences to Beryl and
his family.