# Beryl Swain

Beryl Swain (née Beryl J Tolman, 22 January 1936 – 15 May 2007) was a female road racer of solo motorcycles from the London area. In 1962, she was the first woman to compete in a TT race for solo motorcycles on the Isle of Man TT course.

## Early life

Beryl Tolman was born on 22 January 1936 and brought up in Walthamstow, in North East London. She worked as a senior secretary at P&O in the City until she married Edwin Swain, a motorcycle shop owner, in 1958.

## Racing motorcycles

She was noted for being the first woman to compete in a TT race for solo motorcycles on the Isle of Man TT course, a rare occurrence to this day on one of the world's most famous races held on closed public roads. This 1962 upset led the male-dominated world of motorcycle racing to revoke her international licence via the introduction of a minimum weight limit which she could not meet, due to the perception of the sport being too dangerous for women, and the resulting ban on female entrants persisted until Hilary Musson competed in 1978.
Swain finished 22nd on a 50 cc race-prepared Itom after two laps of the Mountain circuit in the 1962 Race. Her average speed was 48.3 mph after her bike lost top gear (of the three-speed transmission) on the second lap. This was the first time a 50cc event had been included in the Island's programme as from 1962 the class carried World Championship points.

## Motorcycle Grand Prix results

| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Points | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | Rank |
| 1962 | 50cc | Itom | ESP | FRA | IOM 22 | NED | BEL | GER | DDR | NAT | FIN | ARG | 0 | — |

## Later life

After her racing career was cut short, Swain, who was previously an office worker, embarked on a retail management career with Sainsbury's grocery supermarkets around the London area. She retired to Woodford, Essex, and later Epping, becoming secretary to WI local branches of the Women's Institute and helping organise meals on wheels for the elderly. Towards the end of her life, she suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and died on 15 May 2007, aged 71.

## Commemoration

A blue plaque was erected in Beryl Swain's honour at her former home at 18 Grosvenor Park Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9PA by Waltham Forest Council as part of the local Waltham Forest Heritage scheme on 31 May 2019.

## Sources

* ↑ England and Wales births www.genesreunited.co.uk, Retrieved 2015-01-18
* ↑ Girl Racer 1962 www.britishpathe.com, Retrieved 2021-03-10
* ↑ England and Wales marriages www.genesreunited.co.uk, Retrieved 2015-01-18
* 1 2 3 Beryl Swain The first woman solo motorcyclist to finish in a TT race www.thetimes.co.uk, Retrieved 2021-03-10
* ↑ "Will Beryl race on the Island again?" Motorcycle News, 27 Feb 1963, p.9. Accessed 13 April 2024.
* ↑ Goddess of the Gas Pedals BBC Isle of Man, 13 November 2014 Retrieved 2015-01-18
* ↑ Female Rider Profiles on the Isle of Man TT Website – Hilary Musson www.ttwebsite.com, Retrieved 2021-03-10
* ↑ "First Lady. Hilary Musson and Yamaha". Motorcycle Sport, August 1978, p.302, p.310. Accessed 16 September 2022
* ↑ Stealing Speed by Mat Oxley, p.179
* ↑ IoM TT Database 1962 www.iomtt.com Retrieved 2015-01-18
* ↑ Isle of Man celebrates 100 years of TT magic – Bike Trader UK – News and Reviews Hub www.autotrader.co.uk
* ↑ History: The TT Goddess of the gas pedals - by the Isle of Man BBC. Archived 12 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine www.classic50racingclub.co.uk, Retrieved 2021-03-10