This year, the Eastern Region (formerly Centre) celebrates a hundred years of operation back to 1922, when 13 clubs representing the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, joined and affiliated to the ACU and formed the Eastern Centre. Some of those clubs such as Ipswich, Wymondham, Diss and Southend, are still running and organising events to this day. The outlook of the ACU a hundred years ago, was however, more directed on the needs of the road rider with sporting events being somewhat secondary, though major meetings such as the T.T., Arbuthonot and Six-day trials were run by the Union.
By 1923, the ACU had 16 Centres which then covered the whole of England and Wales. They represented a total of some 270 clubs. Many clubs of the time were listed as: “Auto clubs” or “Motorcycle and Light Car Clubs” One interesting example in the original Eastern Centre group, was the “Pelly Wheelers C and MCC” and it is thought that this was originally a Cycling club.
With only the Second World War, causing a gap in activities, the Eastern Centre developed from strength to strength with meetings throughout the year in all the disciplines, which included road racing when circuits such as Snetterton and Boreham were available. Today, there are 31 affiliated clubs operating in the Region.