There’s a place in London that is the heart and soul of British motorcycling history. The bikes have changed, the mode of dress has changed. One thing remains; it’s THE place you have to visit if you are ever in the UK.
Closed between 1969 and re-opened again in 2001.Custom Streetfighters and sports bikes have replaced the famous twins and singles of yesteryear. Ariel, Norton, Douglas, Brough.
The Rockers (the original name for bikers in the UK.) are still there, though today they are more likely to be riding a souped up Japanese or European Streetfighter than a Velocette Venom.
The page below is just a brief history of the Ace Cafe, how it all started and where it’s going in the years ahead.
(Note to overseas readers; the name Ton-Up Boys came about because the target to reach in terms of speed was the Ton, 100 mph.)
The Ace Cafe was built in 1938 as a roadside cafe to cater for traffic, particularly long haul trucks using the new North Circular Road. With its proximity to Britain’s then new and fast arterial road network and being open 24 hours, the Ace Cafe soon attracted motorcyclists.
In World War Two, the building was badly damaged during an air raid on the adjacent railway marshalling yards. The Ace Cafe was re-opened in temporary accommodation and subsequently rebuilt in 1949.
The post-war increase in road traffic and advent of the “teenage” phenomena saw the Ace booming, and with it, the arrival of the “Ton-Up-Boys”. The British motorcycle industry was at its peak, and along came Rock ´n´ Roll. Not played on radio stations, initially the only place it could be heard was at fairgrounds or on juke-boxes at Transport Cafes.
The Ace became the place to meet, have a meal or cup of tea, arrange runs (often to other cafes or the coast) or simply to work on your bike. People came to listen to the juke-box, many subsequently starting bands or clubs. Some of whom gained considerable reputation and success.
From this powerful fusion of motorcycles and Rock ´n´ Roll came the legends of street-racing – “drop the coin into the slot of the juke-box” – and race to a given point and back before the song finished.
The Ace Cafe, with its combination of motorbikes, speed and Rock ´n´ Roll was the launch pad for many famous racers and the birthplace for many bands.
Changes in the English social order, the growth of the car market at the expense of the motorbike industry, and the expansion of the motorway network saw the Ace Cafe serving its last cup of tea in 1969. The building has been used as a cafe, petrol station, bookmaker’s office and a tire depot. It remained however, largely unaltered. The legend of the Ace Cafe lived on in the minds of those who went there, those who wish they went there and those too young to have been there.
The Return
Mark Wilsmore had a dream
Re-open the Ace Cafe.
The Ace Cafe Reunion was the brainchild of Mark Wilsmore. In 1993 he shared his ideas for an annual event, to mark the closure of the original Ace Cafe. A book and a movie, documenting the history of the Ace Cafe followed.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the café’s closure, Mark, with his riding friends, formed the organising team for the reunion and arranged for motorcycle runs to converge at the former Ace Cafe site on Sunday 4th September 1994.
The idea was well received by motorcycling organisations and clubs. Media support was sought and the event turned into a major free motorcycle and Rock ´n´ Roll event.
It was estimated that over 12.000 people gathered at the old cafe site. The event spread from the Ace site, along the North Circular Road, to the Abbey Public House. This was one of the largest motorcycle gatherings in the country that year and received unparalleled media coverage.
A film was made, entitled “An Ace Day”. The official Ace Cafe Reunion video, with its Rock ´n´ Roll soundtrack has received worldwide acclaim.
In September of 2001 Mark and his friends dreams of re-opening the Ace Cafe came true.
“ We got the planning permission, and ACE CAFE LONDON bought the original Ace Cafe site. Finally, after a complete rebuilt, September 2001 saw the Grand Opening of the famous bikers haunt. The Ace Cafe is back and is here to stay!”
For the complete history of the Ace Cafe and it’s current website and future plans and activities go to:http://www.ace-cafe-london.com
