Multi-world champion opens Uckfield road safety day
A friendship formed while riding trials motor-cycles in the 1950s led multi-world champion John Surtees to Uckfield last week.
Surtees, who lives at Lingfield, Surrey, opened a schools’ road safety day on the Luxford Field.
The event was organised by Cllr Jim Molesworth Edwards, who first met Surtees when they both competed in trials events. They are pictured here with Surtees on the right.
They are also below with a sidecar racing outfit.
Surtees is the only man to be crowned world champion on both two wheels and four wheels.
He won seven motor-cycling world championships between 1956 and 1960 and the F1 world championship in 1964 driving a Ferrari.
He was also an accomplished sports car driver.
Children from 11 schools – Blackboys, Buxted, Harlands, High Hurstwood, Holy Cross, Little Horsted, Manor, Bonners (Maresfield), Nutley, Rocks Park and St Philip’s – attended. Some of them are pictured below.
Also present was Matthew Dix, from Uckfield, with his sidecar racing outfit. He competed in this year’s Isle of Man TT races.
Other organisations supporting the Uckfield Town Council safety day included Sussex Police, the fire and rescue service and the county highways department.
Thanks to Ron Hill for the photographs.
(Added to site Monday, June 28th, 2010)
.jpg "Chance to raise planning queries with council officer in Uckfield")
