19th July 2026
Founders Day
Synonymous with ‘The Taverners,’ is Founders Day set in the scenic Stanford Hall grounds, it has become one of the major UK events in the ‘old bike’ calendar. From humble beginnings almost fifty years ago with just a hundred or so visitors and half a dozen people selling surplus bike bits out of their car boot or laid out on the obligatory ‘paste table’ the event has grown in to a vast slick and professional operation.
Originally the event took place on the area to the right of the driveway with a small ‘arena’ to the back of the hall, nowadays there is a large arena to the front of the hall along with an autojumble nearing 300 pitches in number and taking up the whole area to the front of the hall. ‘Happy’ Hamrax is remembered as one of the first commercial paying companies to attend with money only changing hands if they’d had a good day – oh how things have changed!
Admission:
Adults, £12
Children under 16, Free
Entry tickets to the event are available on the gate only, taking cash or card payments please.
Pre-booked camping tickets can be booked via the website - details coming soon.
In recent years the attendance levels have grown to around the 4000 mark or more if the weather cooperates, even with the challenges the weather threw at us in 2012 around 3000 visitors made the pilgrimage. There will be no such problem in this year as the organizing committee have booked good weather in advance . Plus which other event allows you to see everything from an FS1E to Brough going around the arena. It’s also worth having a wander round the bike park as there are many very nice bikes actually ridden to this event.
2026 event
This year's theme is 80 years of the VMCC and Flat Tankers
Steve Colley will be putting on trick trial riding displays in the arena.
There will be a beer tent on site and food will be available.
Hall tours
The Hall is also open for tours as part of the event between 11am - 4pm.
The Hall will be open for tours from 11am, with the last tour at 3:30pm. Admittance to the Hall can be purchased for £10 per person, available to pay via cash or card at the Hall door on the day. (Under 14s are free of charge.)
The Stanford tea rooms will also be open, serving a range of light refreshments and drinks. No pre-booking is required.
