Edward Frend (3 November 1916 – 6 September 2006), born in

South London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...

, was a British

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

sports competitor from the late 1930s to the early 1950s,

road racing Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...

with the AJS works team from 1948 to 1954.

Early years

In 1932, employed as an apprentice sheet-metal worker at

Hawker Aircraft Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer that was responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history. History Hawker had its roots in the aftermath of the First World War, which resulted in the bank ...

, he bought his first motorcycle, a 250 cc Dunelt. On completion of his apprenticeship in 1936, he found employment with

General Aircraft General Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1931 to amalgamation with Blackburn Aircraft in 1949 to become Blackburn and General. Its main products were military gliders and light transport aircraft. His ...

Feltham Feltham () is a town in West London, England, from Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it became part of the London Borough of Hounslow in 1965. The parliamentary constituency of Feltham and Heston has been held by Labour Party MPs ...

, and bought a 350 cc Ariel Red Hunter motorcycle for competition. Soon after attending the 1936 Olympia motorcycle show he part exchanged his

Ariel Square Four The Square Four is a motorcycle produced by Ariel between 1931 and 1959, designed by Edward Turner, who devised the Square Four engine in 1928. At this time he was looking for work, showing drawings of his engine design to motorcycle manufactur ...

for the just released new

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

1000 cc V Twin Rapide for £138 to use on the roads. In 1937 he joined the

Streatham Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. Streatham was in Surrey ...

& District MCC, and competed in

trials In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...

. (He later became the Club President.) In 1938 he competed in the South Eastern Centre Championship meeting Unlimited class, and might have won if his exhaust had not fallen off.
TimesOnline ''Edward Frend Obituary'' (Retrieved 6 November 2006) In 1939 he lapped Brooklands' outer circuit at 110 mph on his 1937 Vincent HRD Rapide winning the three lap race and earning the acclaimed Brooklands GoldStar for lapping over the ton. He also joined the British Motorcycle Racing Club.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he was in a reserved occupation, an engineer manufacturing aircraft parts.

Post War competition

In 1947 Frend came fourth in the 1947 Isle of Man TT, and

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...

offered Frend a place in the 1948 AJS works team. He proved an all-rounder, not just competing in road racing, but also in grass track, hill climbs, trials, and scrambles. His business, Paramount Sheet Metal,Title: Classic Racer, Issue: 122, Publisher: Gerard Kane, Printer: William Gibbons & Son, Wolverhampton November–December 2006, pp 10. in Kingston providing aircraft and motor cycle parts was more important to him than racing, and when it grew, demanding more of his time, he cut back on racing. Frend came eighth in the Junior on an AJS 350 at the 1949 Isle of Man TT, and came fifth in the Junior, and fifteenth in the Senior at the

1950 Isle of Man TT The 1950 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy festival was the second year the Isle of Man TT races were part of the Grand Prix World Championship. After his win in the 1949 Isle of Man Clubman event, Geoff Duke entered the 1950 Isle of Man TT only to fi ...

. In the 1953 Isle of Man TT he rode a Norton to seventh. In 1954 he rode his last TT. He continued to ride motorcycles after, in the end riding a

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

550 until he no longer could. Ted was a member of the Brooklands Society, president of the Streatham & District Motor-Cycle Club, and a member of

West Byfleet West Byfleet is a village in Surrey which grew up around its relatively minor stop on the London & South Western Railway: the station, originally ''Byfleet and Woodham'', opened in 1887. More than from the medieval village of Byfleet, the i ...

Golf Club.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frend, Ted 1916 births 2006 deaths Sportspeople from London British motorcycle racers English motorcycle racers Isle of Man TT riders 350cc World Championship riders Sheet metal workers