Black Country MAG

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since 04.04.2000

The Fred Hill Memorial Run.

Fred Hill was a star.

No doubt about it.

Fred Hill was already a pensioner when the mandatory crash helmet law was imposed/inflicted on us. Having ridden for many decades wearing only a flat cap (as head protection - I don't mean he rode in the buff!), he refused to start wearing a lid just because someone thought they knew more about his safety than he did.

As a result, he was prosecuted and fined on several occasions.

He refused to pay the fines. This lead to more prosecutions, with bigger fines. When he refused to pay these, the magistrates of Uxbridge started handing out prison sentences. In all, he went to prison a total of 31 (yes, 31!) times, rather than wear a crash helmet.

Fred Hill died in Pentonville Prison whilst serving one of these sentences.

To commemorate this unique character who never gave in to the Safety Nazi's, many MAG groups around the country hold memorial runs around the date of his death each year. West Midlands MAG held a run on February 5th this year, from the Merlin Pub in Bromsgrove into the centre of Birmingham. The picture above is Neil Andrews giving a very quick speech (it was February and very cold!) in Centenary Square.