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Veteran Vespa Club - About the Committee

President - Frank Brookes
Frank Brookes has had a continuous relationship with Vespas since on leaving the Navy in 1959 when he trained as a Vespa mechanic. In his day, Frank was a very active competition rider. Highlights include being part of the Vespa Club of Britain team in several European Vespa regularity championships.
Frank had the idea of forming a branch of the VCB catering exclusively for older Vespas in 1963 – long before the idea of preserving post war vehicles was fashionable. He personally organised the first Veteran Vespa run from Tattenham Corner, Epsom, to Brighton in 1964. Since then the Veteran Vespa club has gone from strength to strength always with guidance from Frank. These days he lives in retirement in Brighton with his wife Jean. Although he doesn’t do much actual riding these days, Frank still takes a fully active role in the club’s activities

Life Vice President - Margaret Farquhar
Margaret has it seems been involved with Vespas most of her life. She attended her first scooter rally in 1954 at Oxford. Margaret was Secretary to the legendary Bill Bond and at one time worked for Douglas Vespa in Bristol. Today she lives in Warwickshire and is retired. Margaret formally resigned as Hon. Treasurer of the club after 32 years service in that position. She was presented with a bouquet and made a Life Vice President in recognition of her considerable contribution to the VVC.

Chairman & Journal Distribution - Roger Smith
Started out life with a beloved GS150 in the early sixties, rested up for 30+ years and now feeling revitalised with an active vespa collection. Riding one of my vintage vespas to the annual Eurovespa pilgrimage gives me a buzz as does seeing friends and colleagues enjoying
the camaraderie that Vespas inspire.

General Secretary - Dick Smith
First Vespa was a Clubman, bought in the mid-sixties when aged 14, and paid £2.50 for it. Had a virtually new Vespa New 150 for his 16th birthday. Crashed it on Epsom Downs about four hours later (still has scars to prove it). Since then had countless Vespa's, including about a dozen GS 150s and 160s. Now got a SS180, a series one GS160, and a 92L2 with its original paint and everything else, and 1,800 miles on the clock. A previous editor of Vespa News. Main claim to fame: Persuaded Ashley Lenton to give up his hopeless attempts to look cool on a ropey Lambretta LI, and brainwashed him into converting completely to Vespa.

Membership Secretary,Treasurer & Web Manager - Peter Rose
Peter got involved with Vespa in 1960 and was an active member of Luton VC until around 1966.He took early retirement in 1995 when he purchased a PX to get back into scootering. He re-joined VCB and then VVC. He has restored a SS180 to replicate the last Vespa he owned in the 60's. Also a GL 150, which was always a bike he fancied but never owned. Recently he has rebuilt a German made GS3 which he hopes to be riding later in the year. Married to Carole who also gets involved in the VVC events and living in Hertfordshire, Peter is also involved with Herts Beds Vespa Club.

Journal Editor & Public Relation Officer - Ashley Lenton
Ashley Lenton is a 50 year old recently retired British Telecom Manager who lives in Brighton with his wife Annette. Ashley was a committee member of the club from 1984-88 and again since 1998.
Ashley got his first scooter in 1967 and was originally a confirmed Lambretta enthusiast. However, after a period of helping a friend “do up” GSs he changed to Vespas forever in 1969. Ashley has owned scooters consistently since these days (though he kept a bit quiet about it in the ‘seventies) and has had about thirty GS models of various sorts –though many of these were non-runners. Currently his road scooters are a pair of GS 160s.
In the past, Ashley has written regularly for British Scooterist Scene and Scooter Scene. Currently he writes for Scooterist Scene and edits (and mostly writes) the Veteran Vespa Club Journal. Unless otherwise stated, all the words on this web site are his. Various doomed ventures have included commissioning a model and producing posters, Ashley was lucky to get given large quantities of “Jag Lights” and GS speedos in the late seventies –and even more lucky to find people that he could give them away to in the early eighties. He wishes it to be known that he just doesn’t care that he’s lost money on every aspect of scootering – he’d do it all again.

Technical Advisor - Dave Hawkins
Took early retirement in 1994 and ive in Cheltenham. I have been a VVC member since 1980. During that time I have filled several committee posts. Committee Member, Newsletter Editor, & Membership Secretary for about 8yrs until end of 1994. After retirement I lived in Tenerife for 5 yrs. Since 2004 I have been Club Registrar and Technical & Spares Officer. The Spares Officer no longer exists, I retain the Technical Advisor role but following the 2007 AGM handed over the Club Registrar role. Over the years I have owned & restored about 40 Vespas and 3 Lambrettas but my main interest until recently was maintaining and riding my collection of 10 GS 150's. In the last 3 or 4 yrs I have sold some of my collection. I also own a rod-type which is currently on loan to the Motoring Museum at Bouton-on-Water Glocs, together with 4 GS's. My regular ride is a 1977 PX200E and a 1969 GP Lambretta.

Committee Member - Peter Harris
I started my scootering days as a mod at the age of fifteen on a rather fast Vespa 50 special with the help of my Granddad . Since then over the past 22 years have had various scooters come and go such as Lambretta,NSU,Zundapp and Heinkel but always had a real passion for the Vespa. I joined the VVC around 89/90 as a good source for parts for my first GS restoration project,elected in 2000 to be VVC membership secretary which I carried out for four years.
During my time with the VVC I have made many friends young and old and have had great fun riding all over Europe to different Vespa events.

Committee Member - Paul Hart
Always loved the designs & lines of Vespas, very much design classics. I do enjoy rideouts with like minded people. I bought my first vespa (T5 Millenium) in 1999. Kept this for a couple of years before trading it in for a Gilera VXR 180, which I had for a year & a half. I sold the VXR as I wanted a classic vespa & bought a 1976 ET3 Primavera. This was very nippy & agile in traffic but a bit lacking on open roads, so after a year I sold it on so I could buy a 1963 GL150. Was very pleased with the GL, it came with a Sprint Veloce engine fitted, so has an extra bit of oomph. Then I changed the chassis for a VBB. Also swapped my dual seat for a good condition original single saddle & purchased a repro rear rack. Keen to help the club grow and enjoy the older bikes.
   
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