Well after a bit more research into Bob Foster and New Imperial it seems that Bob maintained his earlier involvement(1933) with the well known Shipston-on-Stour dealer, Arthur Taylor, as in 1936 when Bob Foster won the Lightweight TT on the sole Unit Construction Works bike for New Imperial , it appears Arthur Talyor was his entrant. So it seems Arthur Taylor was well up in the know at New Imperial.

It has been written that Bob Foster rode a 250cc New Imp in the 1933 Junior Manx and also rode his own 350cc New Imp (the one someone raced the year before in the Manx) in the Senior 1933 Manx. It has also been written that Bob Foster was given his first factory bike by New Imp to race in the 1934 Manx, so he could not have been using a factory works bike (250cc) in the 1933 Junior Manx GP.

The New Imp he used in the 1933 Junior remains a mystery and may have been supplied by Arthur Taylor. No doubt Bob had his own 350cc to use in practice and the 250 may have been supplied at the last minute.

Can anyone with access to articles or photos of this period confirm any of this?

Bob Light did publish a book “First Rich Mixture” in 2000 with 4 pages on Bob Foster but this book is unavailable here in Australia, so I am unsure if this sheds any more light on the 1933 250 bike.

Any input on this is more than welcome.

Peter