The first meeting of the committee which formed the North Oxfordshire Motor Cycle Club (NOMCC) was held at the Unicorn in Deddington on Wednesday 3rd December 1952; it was the outcome of an earlier discussion between three local enthusiasts - Mr E O'Neill, Mr L Sykes and Mr Padbury. Because of the weather conditions on the night only 10 people attended. A 5-shilling entrance fee and 5-shilling annual membership fee was agreed.
In April and May 1954 the members of NOMCC and the Banbury Autocar Club voted to amalgamate their organisations under the name of Banbury NOBAC. Records of these early meetings can be found in the minute books of the General Committee and Annual General Meetings. Membership records survive for much of the Club's existence - the first membership book includes 77 names by November 1954 and 180 names by the end of 1956.
The Club was affiliated to the South Midland Centre of the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) and the collection contains lists of registered Club members of ACU as well as correspondence and minutes of ACU South-Midland Centre meetings. Other notable items in the collection are the Club's monthly newsletter, The Griff - unfortunately a full set survives only for the period Feb 1972 to Oct 1978 - a good set of financial records and two fascinating Yearbooks for 1966 and 1968.
Banbury NOBAC became one of the most active and successful motor cycle clubs in the country, organising numerous events such as Grass Track racing, Trials (at all levels from club to National) and Moto Cross (from club to British Championship). Social events included runs (in earlier days), annual dinners, gymkhanas, tramp suppers and so forth. Club membership included several international road racing and moto cross competitors.
The Club disbanded in its 50th year, 2002, and some of the Secretary's correspondence in the latter years hints at the reasons.
This archive was deposited in February 2003 as Accession number 5107.
Catalogued by Chris Gilliam, Dec 2007.