In 1924, four Soars brothers—Albert, George, William and John—joined with brothers Chas, Tom and Ike Ellis and their brother-in-law Les Parish to form the informal Gloucester Motorcycle Club. The young men, all in their late teens and early twenties, embraced the freedom and excitement that motorcycles offered in an era when motoring was still a novelty.
Riding machines such as BSA, Waratah and Douglas motorcycles, they spent weekends exploring the district and testing the limits of their bikes. According to Chas Ellis, writing in 1987, they delighted in removing their silencers to create more noise, racing through Gloucester’s streets and believing themselves to be “real speed merchants”. Their antics, however, earned regular complaints from residents about the speed, smoke and noise.
One race through town ended in a serious collision when Albert Soars crossed George’s path. Albert was badly injured, although both men eventually recovered. Police later setup a roadblock at Billabong Bridge after the riders thundered out of town towards Copeland with their silencers removed. Warned by Albert who spotted the trap, the group refitted their silencers before calmly riding past the waiting officers.
On one excursion the men rode their motorbikes for a mile in the tunnel of the abandoned “Mountain Maid” goldmine, where Chas Ellis narrowly escaped serious injury after striking his head on a mine support.
By the end of 1926, the club had dissolved as its members married, raised families and settled into adult life. Although short-lived, their exploits, preserved in later letters by Chas Ellis and Les Parish, capture a spirited and memorable chapter in Gloucester’s social history.
Author: Colin Soars
To read Colin’s wonderful story with direct quotes from letters please click here: The Gloucester Motorcycle Club: 1924-1926
References:
1 Story based on correspondence written by Chas Ellis in 1987 and Les Parish in 1975.
