Clem Beckett: Motorcycle Legend and War Hero

Clem Beckett’s fearless ascent from blacksmith’s apprentice to speedway icon defined a transformative, turbulent era.

Clem Beckett was fourteen when he first rode a homemade motorcycle over the cobbled streets of his hometown. It was the start of a lifelong love affair with speed and machines. For Beckett, the motorbike was a means of escape from the uncertain future of Oldham’s stricken industries in the aftermath of the First World War. Beckett’s zest for life, his natural exuberance and d...