growing up i saw top Gear For many reasons, but if I were asked which presenter I most associated with, the answer has always been Richard Hammond. Sure, Jeremy Clarkson is larger than life and James May is extremely charming, but Hammond has always been someone whose interest in cars has always been the same as mine.
He liked funny things. Receivable Goods. Machines you might actually dream of owning someday instead of sticking them on your bedroom wall.
Then I came to know that he was also a motorcyclist. This took my admiration for him to a whole new level. He didn’t discover motorcycles until after he became famous. They were always a part of who he was. Fast forward a few years and somewhere along the way I too became a fan of Royal Enfield. So when I saw Hammond unveil a plaque celebrating 125 years of Royal Enfield, I’ll admit it shocked me a little more than I expected.
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Hammond traveled to Redditch, England to unveil a commemorative blue plaque marking 125 years of Royal Enfield motorcycles. The plaque, installed at Hunt’s End, recognizes the original home of the famous brand, where the company’s first motorcycles were built in 1901. Long before Royal Enfield became synonymous with India, it was one of Redditch’s largest employers, manufacturing bikes there until production ended in 1967.
The ceremony was organized by Royal Enfield and the World Origin site, with Redditch mayor Sue Eacock joining Hammond for the unveiling. This wasn’t just another corporate anniversary filled with speeches and photo opportunities. The event celebrated the people who created the motorcycles that helped transform Royal Enfield into one of the world’s most recognizable names on two wheels. Later guests headed to Arrow Valley Park to view the city’s Bullet sculpture before ending the day with afternoon tea.
Hammond also could not have been a more fitting guest for the occasion. Speaking after the unveiling, he recalled riding motorcycles on the roads near Redditch as a child, saying, “Motorcycles are everything I wanted, loved and dreamed of.” It’s almost like Richard Hammond. Anyone who has watched him over the years knows that motorcycles have never been his favorite hobby. They have always been a part of who he is.
Photo by: Royal Enfield
He also pointed out that it’s easy to ignore brands whenever they celebrate major achievements. The anniversary isn’t just about motorcycles. It’s about recognizing the men and women who worked in the factory, built the bikes and helped spread the Royal Enfield name around the world. You’d expect a similar perspective from someone who has always appreciated the stories behind the machines as much as the machines themselves.
Royal Enfield holds a unique place in motorcycling today. Many historic British manufacturers disappeared or became little more than museum pieces, but Royal Enfield survived by continuing production in India after the closure of its British factory. That decision did not erase its British roots. If anything, it preserved them. More than a century after the first bike left Redditch, riders around the world are still buying motorcycles proudly bearing that name.
Maybe that’s why I liked this story so much. It is not just about a celebrity unveiling a plaque or a producer celebrating the second anniversary. It’s about seeing one of my childhood heroes honoring a motorcycle brand in the same city where his story began. Sometimes the motorcycle world has a strange way of bringing things full circle.
