Stan Stoddard’s 1959 Scot

This bike belonged to Stan Stoddard of Hawick. He bought it new in 1959 and took it with him when he emigrated to Australia on the “£10 Passage” in the same year. He used the bike to cycle to his job as a carpenter, which took him all over southern Australia. However, he decided to come home to Scotland in 1961 and used the Scot to cycle most of the way home! The actual route Stan followed is vague and stories conflict a little. However, it would seem that he got a boat to India and cycled overland to the Mediterranean and then through Greece, Italy, France and thus back to the UK. He averaged 100 miles a day and it must have been quite a journey.

He rejoined the Hawick Cycling Club when he returned in Oct 1961 and continued to ride the Scot through the 1960’s and 70’s. Stan sadly died in Sept 2003, aged 70 years, and sold his Scot a few months before he passed away.

The bike is almost completely original. Club members think Stan changed very few, if any, of the original components and I think only the tyres, GB brake levers and cables are non-original items. The machine is virtually as it was when bought from Rattray’s in 1959.

I do not intend to restore the bike, I will leave it in its original condition, just as Stan left it.

n.b. The serial number stamp on the bottom of the Nervex bottom bracket is unclear. The number I think is ‘123’ but equally it could be 126 or 128.