Having seen the Lexham Insurance stall on rallies for a few years, and stopped by for a free pen on more than one occasion, I finally met the guys properly at the Isle of Wight last year. It was nothing to do with the sudden downpour and the fact that they were in a dry gazebo, honest!
I had a lovely chat with Andy Goodson, who is the Sales & Marketing Director and we had a proper geek-off about scooter insurance, a subject close to my heart and something I’ve written about before, having worked in the Financial Services industry for many years. My ‘scooter insurance tips‘ post is a must-read for scooterists looking to avoid the pitfalls and exclusions in many policies.
Scooter Insurance Tips
Click here for my must-see guide about how to get the right cover for you and avoid the pitfalls that can trip you up when you need to claim.
Since their arrival on the scene Lexham have supported many of the businesses we know and love with their advertising, their presence at all the major scooter rallies and are now very proud to be the official sponsors of the BSRA national rallies.
I’m sure many people wonder if they actually own scooters (they do!) and can ride them (they can!).
It started way back in 2009 with Andy and Sean introducing Lexham to the rally scene, and they still try and get to as many events as possible – although it is now Lewis who attends most events. Sean recalls when it all started…
Sean from Lexham : my first rally
What was your first rally?
Our very first rally was back in 2009 at Cleethorpes, and I remember it very well! Back in those days we had a van that we took along to the rallies and a pop-up gazebo which we placed in front of it. We would pitch up a tent behind the van and enjoy the camping life, a bit different now that we’ve had the very same van converted to a camper! As I live in Manchester and the office is in Norfolk, I would drive to the rallies and meet Andy there who brought the van loaded with the stand and scooters.
On that first rally in Cleethorpes I was the first to arrive early on Friday and parked my car on the pitch that I’d been directed to. I remember a larger than average guy who was setting up his stall opposite and although I attempted to make eye contact and give him a smile, he was having none of it. He just glared over at me and I began to wonder whether or not this was the place for us.
Initially, whilst I sat around patiently waiting for Andy to arrive with the van, I felt this was a scene in which we would struggle to be accepted – whilst still constantly trying to get a reciprocal smile from Mr Big! As the Lexham liveried van pulled onto the field and took its place on the pitch the unfriendly guy now seemed to become Mr Friendly. Surely it wasn’t my car he had an issue with?
After having a quick chat with the now nice chap it turned out that as I was a new kid on the block, he was worried that we would be selling the same as him and he no longer considered us a threat! As all the other traders arrived they all seemed really nice and chatty and made us feel like we’d been doing this for years, which was a relief after my initial arrival.
Once we’d set up and the rally-goers were well lubricated and in full swing, we started to try and mix in with the crowd and get involved in the scene. It seemed a little difficult at first and being smartly dressed in our newly pressed Lexham shirts didn’t seem to help! We weren’t really kitted out for the occasion and this is now something we’ve addressed with our branded rally polo shirts and hoodies.
We got changed into something more comfortable, wandered over to the clubhouse and had a few drinks ourselves. I remember walking in there for the very first time and seeing the whole room dancing away and having a great time. They were all there for the same reason and everyone seemed to know each other. It was like one big happy scooter family and over the next few years we would become part of it.
The following day everyone was up and about bright and early and me and Andy were back in our Lexham shirts, the PX & GP were displayed either side of the stand and we were ready for the crowds in the trade area. I remember thinking whether we had done something wrong in the clubhouse the night before as everyone seemed difficult to approach and not really too happy to see us there. I felt like we were being frowned upon and the same two questions were coming up again and again :
Are those your scoots?
Can you ride?
When asked we began to tell people that we can actually ride the scooters but some people just shrugged this off and didn’t seem to believe us. I couldn’t blame them as there are still plenty of industry-related companies out there who claim to be ‘run by bikers for bikers’!
As the Saturday trade fair came to a close, we popped into town on the scoots to get some essentials for the evening – and the more people saw us riding the more we were accepted into the scene. Not only rally-goers, but other traders too!
What job do you do?
Area sales manager, Lexham Insurance (Jack of all trades)
Where did you stay when you were there?
We had a two man tent pitched behind the van. It wasn’t the biggest of tents so after that first night I left the tent to Andy and slept on an airbed in the gazebo. I’ve done plenty of camping so didn’t have a problem where I slept.
Do you have any memories of the rally itself?
The clearest memory is that scary guy staring over at me not wanting to say hello! The best memory is walking into the clubhouse for the first time and seeing just what it was all about.
Was the journey home eventful?
As we were in the comfort of a car and van, the journey home was easy enough – the only struggle over the three hour drive was trying stay awake after the late nights and early mornings. I think Andy was similar in the van back to Norfolk.
What was your favourite rally anthem?
One of my favourite songs is Down in the Tube Station at Midnight so hearing this belting out at a rally and seeing everyone singing it word for word is awesome.
What was your favourite custom scooter of that era?
It’s got to be the Pulp Fiction scooter – not only for the stunning work on the scoot, but my love of the film too!
Do you still have a scooter now?
Both myself and Andy have been riding for years and although I only own bikes, I do enjoy riding anything including all the Lexham scooters. Andy has always been into scooters and would probably need to take his socks and shoes off to count the number he owns!
Lexham currently have a Lambretta GP200 (new Lexham livery 2018), a Vespa PX (rally patch custom paintwork), an Aprilia SR50 (Lexham livery) and a Vespa GT200 (Quadrophenia paintwork).
What do scooters mean to you now?
Since that first rally we’ve lost count of the number we’ve attended. We started to have rally patches airbrushed onto the PX for everyone we attended but this quickly became congested.
We still take and ride this at most of the rallies and have even entered it into the odd custom show. We’ve travelled the full length of the UK and are proud to still be supporting and sponsoring the BSRA rallies and to be part of the scooter scene.
We’ve now finally managed to become a member of that big happy scooter family! We’ve been to weddings, presented awards, attended Vespa World Days, helped set up new rallies, sponsored the BSSO, been at the LCGB 60th Anniversary Dinner. The list goes on and we’re still enjoying being a part of this great scene.
10 years on we are still attending every BSRA National Rally that we can get to, and also appearing at the odd non-national too. Looking back at our time spent at the rallies over the last decade it’s great to have been a part of the rally family, and we hope to remain involved for many years to come!
For 2018 and 2019 we have also sponsored the BSSO Scooter Racing series, which holds regular races at some of the best tracks in England on Lambrettas and Vespas. It’s certainly a sight to behold, so get yourself down to the next race or have a look at our BSSO highlight videos on YouTube.
Thanks to the Lexham guys for sharing their stories and including some great photos! It’s definitely worth having a chat with them when you see them at a rally as they really understand the scene and can offer plenty of advice whether you need to insure a modern, classic or custom scooter.
Read more
If you want to check out this year’s rally calendar then check out my 2019 rallies post here. Or if you’re planning next year’s events then my 2020 scooter rally calendar is filling up quickly! There’s lots of info in there including how to get the best accommodation before it’s all booked up.
More My First Rally stories
Read more My First Rally stories using these links (in alphabetic order)
– Ali Richards
– Bill Mac
– Dave Lloyd
– Dean Percival
– Dizzy Holmes
– Iggy Grainger
– Jo Jackson
– Lee Parker
– Lee Richards
– Mike Oxley
– Niamh Pennington
– Nick Jolly
– Norrie Kerr
– Roger Williams
– Sandra Smith
– Sarah George
– Sean Robinson
– Stacey Gardner
– Steve Bone
– Sticky
– Stuart Owen
– Vince Wooloff