Motorcycling legend Sammy Miller named as fourth recipient of New Milton’s Honorary Freeman award

MOTORCYCLING legend Sammy Miller MBE is set to be the fourth recipient of New Milton’s prestigious Honorary Freeman award.

The 90-year-old, who has run his self-titled world-famous motorcycle museum for more than 40 years and has been a staunch campaigner for road safety, will be bestowed the honour by the town council in September.

He follows in the footsteps of late town councillors John Hutchins and Alan Rice, and former councillor and Royal British Legion New Milton branch vice-chairman Goff Beck.

Unanimously voting for him to receive the award, the council said Sammy had given “distinguished and eminent service to the people of the town for over 40 years”.

Born in Belfast in 1933, he moved to New Milton in 1964 when he left Birmingham’s Ariel factory as works rider and designer to join the Spanish Bultaco factory.

The renowned biking Rickman Brothers were Bultaco motorcycles’ UK importer, and Sammy helped with the Bultaco trials bike’s design and development.

It turned out to be the most successful trials bike of all time, changing the world trials scene and helping establish Spain’s dominance of the sport.

The museum marked its ruby anniversary last year, having first launched in 1983 as a relatively modest display of 50 bikes.

This was about 10 minutes down the road from its current site on Bashley Cross Road, opened in 1996 and hosting more than 500 bikes.

Sammy’s racing achievements include being 11-time successive British Trials champion and twice winning the European Trials Championship.

In 2007, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycling Hall of Fame, one of the highest honours in the USA.

Two years later, he was made an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List in recognition of his services to motorcycle heritage.

Sammy has also hit the headlines in the A&T for his dogged campaigning for the repair of local road defects, including potholes.

Earlier this year, he welcomed news that Hampshire County Council was finally repairing the pothole-riddled Bashley Cross Road.

He branded the holes “car wreckers” after at least seven were damaged by them in one night.

Welcoming the town council’s nomination, Sammy said: “It is a great honour to receive the Honorary Freedom of New Milton Town, and I will carry on doing all I can to help sort out problems with the carnage on our roads so that New Milton can continue to be a safe and wonderful place to live.”

The presentation takes place at the town hall on Ashley Road at 4pm on Wednesday 25th September, followed by refreshments at the museum.