THE VCB BRANCH MAGAZINE

You never hear their names mentioned anywhere. They’re the forgotten heroes who were the glue that kept VCB branches going at a time when communication was much more difficult than today. Every month they would somehow contrive enough material despite the inevitability of their previous pleas for contributions having fallen upon deaf ears. They kept their magazines going until membership sank to below half a dozen. They were the ones who left last and turned out the lights. They were the VCB branch magazine editors.

Viewing things from the twenty first century it’s easy to forget how difficult it must have been to produce anything at all. There was rarely enough money to have anything professionally printed, so it was all down to hand typing and duplicating machines. No Microsoft “Word”, no spell check, no desk top publishing. Not even a company photocopier to press into illicit service.

But through adversity will always shine human spirit, and the selection of magazines in my collection all give interesting insights into club life at the times they were written. In most cases the local Vespa dealer provided not only a focal point for the club but subsidised the magazine by taking advertising space – I say “subsidised” because all those reading the magazine would have used that dealer with or without the advert.

The degree of dealer involvement varied; in the case of South Devon it was very great indeed. Local dealer Ken Harris was the president, his wife the vice-president, his advert was the largest and the club headquarters was at one of his shops. One imagines that it was this level of support that enabled South Devon to be one of very few clubs to have their whole magazine “The Spark” professionally printed. Probably as a consequence of this, “Power and Pedal with the scooter” even took a small ad.

A tactic employed by Bromley, Thames Valley and others was no have a professional cover produced and then duplicated immediately by the hundred. These could then be used for years to come meaning that at least the outside looked reasonably good even if it was all dodgy typing between the covers.

Looking the oldest magazine that I have – a 1955 issue of “Buzz” from South London Vespa Club – Withers of West Norwood were the starting point of all club runs and a permanent fixture on the back page. Like all the others, Buzz was a product of its own particular time. Club nights were spent indulging in “Housey-housey “ and “What’s my line”, while club members and the VCB were subject to only the mildest of mickey taking. As time progressed the nature of club magazines altered to reflect changes in wider society. The cover of the 1963 edition of the Preston club magazine has an ironic nature that suggests that its editor had been subject to the influences of the satire boom and Private Eye.

By the time 1965 was reached the Thames Valley Journal was full of fierce criticism of that years Supernational Rally at Nottingham. At a time when club membership in general was declining, Thames Valley’s was still over seventy so maybe they felt confident to say as they pleased. It so happens that the editor at the time is still an active member of this club. At our AGM, a couple of years ago, I tackled him on the subject. It was here that I discovered that thirty-five years is a mere twinkling of an eye in these matters. At first he denied all knowledge whilst clearly aware of rumblings from the other side of the room. Undeterred, I produced the relevant issue complete with his name at the bottom of the editorial. The rumblings grew louder, our one-time editor cited insanity and/or diplomatic immunity, and all sides retreated. Best leave it another thirty-five years I thought. These old magazines may just look like mouldy old bits of paper but they have absorbed passion, dreams and commitment from times gone by. They can still bite after all this time.