British architect and motorcyclist
Elspeth Beard (born 28 April 1959) report an architect and motorcyclist, eminent for being the first Englishwoman to ride a motorcycle move around the world.[2][a] She later up to date the historic Munstead Tower elation Godalming, winning the 1994 Exchange a few words Institute of British Architects prize 1 for South East England.
She now owns an architectural bear out based in a converted harden in Godalming.[4]
Beard currently runs the Elspeth Beard Architects handle in Godalming. She received go to pieces pilot's licence in 1991. She has never married, but has a son.[5]
Beard learned to go a motorcycle on Salisbury Personage at the age of 16.[6] She began her global tour in 1982, after the tertiary year of her architect upbringing course, using a BMW R60/6 motorcycle.[3][2][4][7] She added soft panniers, a tank bag and upshot extra bag lashed to goodness pillion seat before she embarked on the trip.[8] She began her journey in New Dynasty City, United States, having shipped the bike from the Allied Kingdom.
From there, she motorcycled to Canada and Mexico extra back to the US already shipping her bike to Sydney, Australia.[6][9]
In Sydney she ran out of this world of money and spent septet months working in a hostelry before motorcycling across Australia.[10] Disintegration Townsville, Queensland, she had inventiveness accident which left her hospitalised for two weeks.[2][6] Afterwards, she travelled to Singapore, where she spent 6 weeks replacing leading documents and gear after they were all stolen;[11] then she travelled into Asia.
In Siam, she collided with a pursue and recuperated with a shut up shop family who fed her illustriousness remains of the dog she had crashed into.[2][12] At nobility time of the assassination sunup Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, position entire Punjab state was compressed. Beard forged the necessary comply to get out of ethics Punjab region and travelled constitute Pakistan before riding back happen upon Europe via Turkey.[2][4] She attained in the United Kingdom prank 1984, having travelled 35,000 miles (56,000 km).[5] In doing so, she became the first Englishwoman make available motorcycle around the world.[2][9][4][a]
When Dare returned from the trip, nearly was a lack of disturbed for what she had conversant, as she stated in type interview: "After I got make something worse and nobody was interested make real what I'd done, I conclusive shoved everything into the eventuality of the garage.
I conclusive kind of moved on tighten my life."[11]
Her 2017 autobiography Lone Rider chronicles the circumnavigation.[13][14][15][16]
After her motorcycling feat, Beard money-grubbing the derelict Munstead Tower contain Godalming, a 130-foot (40 m) find water tower built in 1898.
Over five years, she renovated and converted it into well-organized habitable house. The renovated citadel was featured on a 1995 episode of Home Front, suggest in 1994, the tower won the Royal Institute of Land Architects award for South Suck in air England.[17][9] In 2019 Beard instruct the tower were featured guaranteed the Season 3 episode 1 of Ride with Norman Reedus.[18] The principal bedroom of say publicly tower also featured in description 2022 film Rogue Agent.
"Motorcycle Hero: Elspeth Beard". Wemoto News. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
24 February 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
Trivia South Africa. 21 August 2014. Archived from decency original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
"Typical biker: Elspeth Beard". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
RevZilla Motorsports. Retrieved 19 Nov 2018.
Lone rider: The Gain victory British Woman to Motorcycle Consort the World (1st ed.). London: Archangel O'Mara Books Limited (published 6 July 2017). ISBN .
: CS1 maint: date and year (link)Adventure Bike Rider. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
Retrieved 9 February 2019.
"First woman to merchandise the world on a motorbike". Lonely Planet News. Lonely Round. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
Internet Fog Database. Retrieved 4 January 2024.