Following the film of Norton Motorbikes whizzing around the lanes of Stonnall featured here last weekend, reader and local history author Clive Roberts has found the above video of Brian Crighton, who used to own the Honda shop in Silver Court, Brownhills in the 70s and 80s. It was posted on YouTube by Triumphman7.
Brian is apparently the chap sat on the motorbike as they start it. By all accounts he’s a genius and a gentleman, to boot. This film was from 2007 – if anyone knows what Brian is doing now, please shout up.
Cheers to Clive, and don’t forget, copies of his book are still available, but selling out fast, so bag one while you can.
Brian runs a bike up at Mallory Park in 2007.
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Just in case people didn’t see it, here’s my reply to the original post of a few days back, reposted here as it’s especially relevant:
Well, I didn’t know that Brian Crighton had owned the Honda shop at Silver Court. Crighton was an extremely important member of the Norton team at Shenstone and instrumental in the considerable success of the JPS Norton rotary racers in the late Eighties/early Nineties, especially when ridden by Steve Spray and Trevor Nation. Crighton split with Norton in, I think, 1990, and continued with his own Roton race project (Crighton/Norton), that then morphed into the Crighton Norton when he teamed up with Colin Seeley. The whole thing faltered, I think as much due to a lack of funding as anything else, by the mid-nineties. Not sure what Brian Crighton is up to now, but he’s a very considerable engineering talent.
I don’t recognise him in this video, but it was 1977 when I used to take my Honda 400 four into his place.
Yep, that’s Brian Crighton climbing on and off the bikes, and the racer in full leathers hovering in the background is Trevor Nation. The yellow and blue bike on the right is a Crighton-Norton in Duckhams livery, the other two are the JPS Nortons of the official factory team.
Duckhams 20/50!
That beautiful green colour.
Duckhams 20/50, that beautiful green colour!
Brian Crighton started out working as a TV/ electrical repairer ( remember them ???? ) and worked for Len Russell at Walsall Wood road, Aldridge.He used to come around and fix our TV when i was a kid.
Yes, that’s right. He did work for the Russell’s before we bought The Honda Shop. He was expert and repairing TV’s too.
AT repairing TV’s !!! (sorry for mistake)
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Hi my name is Marina and I’m Brian Crighton’s daughter. That is my dad on those bikes starting them all up. If you came into the Honda Shop you might remember me as the shy little girl in my own overalls. My dad is still working on bikes but he now lives down south, Bristol way, and if you were to go to the festival of a thousand bikes in July this year you will see him there with his new race bike that he has built that I believe will be parading with the Nortons. I am very proud of my dad and everything he has achieved and its lovely to see that he is being acknowledged on here.
Marina, omg, its been years, hope you remember me, Deb Wilkin, we lived above the butchers, we played together when we were kids, last time i saw you was in Weymouth…hope you are well??
Hello Marina, i remember you when you were a little girl at the Honda shop in Silver Courts Brownhills, and your mom keeping an eye on you.
God that was a long time ago, when i had long brown hair and a Honda motor bike. Now, short grey hair and a Yamaha motor bike..lol.
Hi Marina,
Your dad was ;and still one of the most dedicated men i know – brings back memories seeing us in this picture. Honour to work with him and Norton
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