www.marston-sunbeam.org
The Marston Sunbeam Club & Register
The club for owners and enthusiasts of Marston Sunbeam motorcycles and cycles - experience the joy of 'Beaming!
About the Club
2010 was a big year for us! Since 1982 we have been organised as a register for Sunbeam motorcycles and cycles made by the company founded by John Marston in Wolverhampton back in the 1880s. We have now expanded our role to that of a fully-fledged club for owners and enthusiasts of the Marston Sunbeam. An exciting new era for us.
MSC&R ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2011
The Club's second Annual general meeting took place at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley on Sunday 16th October 2011. It was attended by six members of the outgoing committee and 20 other members Business started at 11.30am and by 1.00pm was ove; followed by a social lunch and chance to visit the museum exhibits and the Wolverhampton Heritage trust archive.
Brian Watton acted as Chairman in the absence, for personal reasons, of David Spencer. David's report of the club's first full year as a formal body was presented. It spoke of a great deal of positive work including good membership numbers; a developing spares scheme; growing presence at at national events ; and informative website and magazine, noting the excellent contributions from members.
Derek Beddows provided the Treasurers Report. Annual accounts were circulated, and scrutinised by those present. The first year had been an onerous one because of the need to fund five, rather than four copies of 'Beaming. With income of £7,613 and expenditure of £8,101, the loss of £488 was covered by the Spares Scheme profit of £418. The net loss being £69 which was accommodated by the club's cash flow from 2011-12 renewals. Accounts were approved unanimously.
Reports were presented by the Club Secretary, Membership Secretary, Editor and Spares Co-ordinator before the election of Directors and officers.
The three current Directors of the club, Trevor Davies, Brian Watton and Bruce Harrison stepped down. David Spencer and Peter Ashen were unanimously elected as Directors for 2011-12.
The election of officers of the club saw all the current team continuing, with additional duties of Archivist taken up by Paul Hutton, and Publicity Officer by Steve Corbett. Geoff Brazendale joined the committee as Technical Co-ordinator. The only post unfilled was the club's Merchandising Officer.
Members of the the new MSC&R Management Team have now been elected to a number of executive roles for the club at its second annual general meeting on 16 October 2011. Members of the new MSC&R Management Team and their roles are listed below should you want to contact the club in relation to any particular issue.
What are Marston Sunbeams?
The club, as with the register before it, caters for all Wolverhampton-made machines plus those from the brief period between 1937-43 when the company was acquired by Associated Motor Cycles of London (AMC) who continued to build Sunbeam cycles and motorcycles, the latter from Wolverhampton-made parts as well as a range of their own models very much in the vein of their Marston predecessors. Sale of the Sunbeam name to BSA in 1943 effectively ended the Marston Sunbeam lineage and owners of post-war Sunbeam motorcycles will need to look to the separate Sunbeam Owners Fellowship as the club for their marque.
But that's far from the end of the story! Marston Sunbeams, with their hand-built quality and pedigree of sporting achievements have been held in high regard by the vintage motorcycle and cycle fraternities who continue to keep Sunbeams running for all to enjoy.
From Register to Marston Sunbeam Club & Register
The Marston Sunbeam Register commenced with the backing of Marston Palmer, the successor to John Marston's original company. Staff voluntarily put in time and effort to set up and run the register and complete the restoration of the Marston collection of machines. The collection is now housed at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley in the UK where they are regularly run around the museum site. And that's very much what we are about at the club - supporting owners in getting together and keeping their machines running whilst allowing the public a chance to see - and in the case of the motorcycles to hear! - these fine machines.