BERYL BURTON'S VIKING

An eagle-eyed collector saved this gem from the tip

- Simon Fellows

This crimson Viking track bike, which was ridden to victory in the 1963 Pursuit World Championships by British legend Beryl Burton, nearly ended up on a northern rubbish dump.

“Viking promised Beryl £100 if she won,” explains current owner, Dave Marsh of the Universal Cycle Centre, Rotherham. “But the Wolverhampton brand reneged on the deal, so Beryl sold it to her friend Walt Hall, who owned the Bridge Tearooms in Blyth.