The club concentrated on delivering training to associates whilst working on recruiting new members via open days and local press articles (fifty-five in ten years).
In 1986 our dedicated Secretary, Keith Millican, stood down at the AGM having become involved in founding a second IAM motorcycle Group based in Basingstoke.
The following year saw WVAM hold an ‘Any Questions’ style of debate at the House of Commons. The panellists were Peter Bottomley MP and Under Secretary of State for Transport, Ted Clements the IAM’s Chief Examiner, and our very own President, Lord Strathcarron. Shortly afterwards, Bottomley referred to the WVAM in glowing terms (see Hansard 24th April 1987) during a debate on the Motorcycle Noise Bill.
Having manned the IAM stand at the NEC in 1986 & 87, the Group took responsibility for organising the following year’s IAM motorcycle conference at the Motorcycle Museum. This was the fourth such meeting and displayed quite an astonishing ambition for such a new IAM Group. Nevertheless Peter Parvin, as ever, took the initiative, getting a team together and chairing the day with professionalism and humour.
Also in 1988, the club membership had reached 130 and from August onwards the Observed Runs now took place at Ripley Village Hall, where we remain 25 years later. On our ten year anniversary in 1994 club membership had reached 179 and notably, Jim Osborne’s daughter Rebecca, had become an observer aged only 19, and later went on to become the IAM’s youngest ever female Senior Observer.
In 1998 Charles Hooker, beside his yellow Firestorm, was featured on the cover of the club magazine after fortuitously become the 1000th member signed up since records began (in the Medieval period). In fact the Club membership had just reached another all time high at the end of Mar, at 438. By the close of the year membership had peaked to over 500. Membership is now well over 600.

This history is an abridged version provided by John Bennett. Click here to read the full article.