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THE CROSSBOW CALENDAR

How it all began

Crossbow have been established for 26 years & supply customers all over the world with unique and exclusive products.

The company was started by John Winthrope & Graham Miles in 1979, and  was based at Three Cross Motorcycles in Dorset,  where they were both directors

At the time John was working for Superbike magazine being a founder member of the title in 1977, & Graham was the founder & owner of 3X Motorcycles.  It was while working for the magazine that they met and became friends. A friendship that has continued to the present day

                                          Initially the company produced fibre-glass body parts for  Ducati & Moto Guzzi machines. Which at the time had no aftermarket parts of this nature at all

Shortly after the company's launch it became clear that it would be more beneficial if the company was based nearer London

So Graham sold his shares in the company to John, and the business moved to Haydons Road Wimbledon, where it remained until 1986

It was in 1986 when Crossbow had finished building a special Harris machine for the International Bike Show that the second friend to influence John's future came on the scene, Brian Jones

Brian at that time was involved in the career of Samantha Fox, who in 1986 was just about the biggest celebrity going, in more ways than one. On seeing the bike Brian joked, "you should get Samantha Fox sitting on that, then you'll get some publicity"

Above: Crossbow Guzzi with Crossbow Fairing, Tank Seat Unit, Braced Front Mudguard, and Crossbow Exhaust System, all designed by John Winthrope

Although a joke, this sowed a seed with John and two weeks later terms were agreed. Everyone involved was sworn to secrecy and the photo shoot took place in Colchester a few weeks later at Brian's warehouse.

Frank Thomas were approached, and produced a one off pair of boots, as her feet were only size two. Rivetts of London  produced a special made to measure set of leathers, and numerous other companies were involved with clothing & parts for the bike

Right: Samantha Fox on the Crossbow Harris SLR (Street Legal Racer)

The last road bike built and ridden by John Winthrope 

The pictures were so good it was decided to print a poster of Sam on the bike for the Bike show, to be sold to promote the bike

The late John Cutts at Superbike road tested the bike for publication in their show issue later that  year. Everything was in place, nothing had been leaked to the motorcycle press, so when the bike was wheeled out on the Crossbow stand on press day the impact was incredible

A whole page in MCN, editorial in all the leading magazines of the time, both in the UK, and all over Europe. The bike & Sam were even on the front page of a London evening newspaper

During the show numerous nutter's leaped  on the life-size cut out of Sam, there were dozens of offers for the bike, and hundred's of request's to sniff the seat

The poster sold like hot cakes, and after the show John started to evaluate what had happened,  also the question kept coming back, why don't we have a Pirelli type calendar in the bike market ?

A few month's later John decided to take the plunge, he let his shop to the mechanics, signed over his house to the bank, contacted Harris Performance, and started working on the first calendar

Things had no sooner started than they came to a sudden halt, when John found out his daughter Laura was terminally ill.  Sadly she died six months later

Following a nine month period  John contacted Harris to suggest that maybe the project could be resurrected for the following year, only to find out that while he had been  mourning the loss of his daughter Laura, Steve & Lester Harris along with Steve Bayford had contacted numerous friends and customers and had 12 bike's ready to go

So the first Crossbow Calendar was photographed & published in 1986, since when John has always acknowledged  that without the help of his 3 friend's at Harris, the calendar might never have become a reality.

Pictured right is Miss Tracy Neve the first Crossbow Calendar Girl, who appeared on the first page in the 1987 calendar with an Ikuzawi TH1, you can see this and all the other months in the 18 year history of the calendar in the calendar archive section of the site

Tracy was the first model to appear in the calendar.

She proved to be very popular, and at the show at Olympia in 1986, when she appeared on the  Crossbow stand to sign calendars, the staff  were unable to get out  for 3 hours.  Eventually being rescued  by the security guards, in dire need of a nature release.

Tracy  was the first Crossbow calendar girl and appeared in both the 1987 and 88 editions, as well as making her last appearance in the 1991 edition.

A poster of Tracy on the Skoal Bandit Works Suzuki was also produced                            

In 1987 we were approached by the B.M.F. for Tracy to  perform the official opening ceremony  at that years B.M.F. Rally, terms were agreed and Frank Thomas agreed to produce a special white leather jacket for her to wear. It was arranged for her to ride round the arena at 11.00am on a special trike to open the rally

The reaction was incredible and we began to realize how popular the calendar was becoming. Every stand where we were booked to appear was swamped with people, and when we were in the Windy Corner marquee, the crowd swelled to such an extent that we had to escape by removing a panel from the side walls of their marquee

Not every one was happy though, as the whole back page in the following Wednesdays MCN. bore the headline  " Storm in a D-Cup".

It seemed they had received a few letters complaining about her opening the Rally, and that it should have been done by someone more involved with motorcycling.

We replied explaining that although Tracy was not a biker, due to the calendar and her involvement motorcycling had received a lot of extra publicity, in all areas of the media. The debate ran on for some time, and MCN received many letters in support of Tracy, not for the first time were a minority trying to spoil things for the majority.

We were quiet happy as over the 6 weeks the debate ran it brought attention to the calendar which at that time had only made its 1st appearance.

Over the past 18 years the calendar has gone from strength to strength, and  been featured in motorcycle magazines all over the world, as well as on TV & Radio.

Granada's "Men & Motors" have featured the calendar and a calendar shoot twice, BBC TV produced a superb feature on the calendar for the series "Mary Annes Bikes",  photographer Vic Barnes has made many appearances on TV chat shows, and John Winthrope has been a  guest on various radio programs and  phone ins over this time, as well as appearing in all the TV features on the calendar

The next TV coverage of the calendar will be in a program already shot for Channel 4 called "Model Challenge", and John Winthrope has been asked to appear on GMTV to  talk the program up, when it is broadcast. he will no doubt cause a bit of controversy as well by winding up the presenters

Down under calendar pictures  regularly form the center spread in Australian Motorcycle News,  and calendar pictures have appeared in motorcycle magazines all over the world, with extensive coverage in the States

Our thanks goes to all the trade people and  private owners who have contributed to the calendar over the past 18 years, as without their help the calendar would not have become  the  motorcycling icon it has today.

This year marks the publication of the 19th edition of the calendar, and the 2006 edition will be available early in September

The Crossbow Calendar, which came about following a throw away remark, and became a motorcycling legend

To be continued:

Left: Maria Whitticker and Dave Grants Harris from the 1988 edition, 6 months after the shoot  Dave started a company called Braided Steel

The company is now one of the leading in its field, and many featured bikes have had fittings supplied by the company

David and John became close friend's from that first shoot in 1987, right up until David's sad death 

 on Sunday the 10th September 2000 in a motorcycle accident

 He was a very close friend of us all at Crossbow, and to many other companies in the motorcycle market, and who tour the show circuit

Since his death David's widow Wendy has taken over the reins, and the company has continued in the successful fashion which David worked so hard to achieve, and we regularly see Wendy with their children  Cameron & Hannah at some of the shows

Many of you will have met David at bike shows up and down the country, where his vast knowledge could be tapped, while he assembled brake kits. 

The show scene will be a lot dimmer for his passing, as will the motorcycle market in general

Rest in peace Dave

Right: David behind his counter at one of the many shows he attended

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