OLDACE
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Posts posted by OLDACE
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In 'Nottingham 1897-47', Douglas Whitworth states that Griffin and Spalding built their department store in 1886. In 1926 it was pulled down and replaced by the present store.
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Rings a bell, was he from the LT, Jack's, Robin's or White Hart time?
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not heard of Wraggs, and didn't know re the one at the bridge, there were no end though, esp as I recall Arkwright St area, Blacknells? Macton Motors, Andy Bone, plus one on Queens Rd? and big one canal street, Hooleys/Moons? just seen your post dgbrit, that's another one I didn't know of, do recall a guy Brian who had a shop on vernon rd near nottingham rd, bought a combo off him, BSA plunger A7 and jet 80 chair, within half hour of buying it hit back of a bus with the chair! then girl friend Issy went mad!
Blacknell's had at least 5 shops on Arkwright Street,and there was Campion's (BSA)on the road the other side of the Midland Station from Station Street. The shop on Canal Street was Hooley's, and the island was known as Hooley's island. I collided with Geoff Hickman's bike going round there in 1961, my very first prang, nobody hurt.
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It was on Sunday nights we went to the Savoy, the films were usually B movies, we then rushed back to Jack's before they shut.
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Yes you're right Ashley, the Daybrook shop was Wing's, and it was a Velo Agency. Was Wragg's on Union Road?
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Sutch used to get around, he hung out with the Aces at the Toreador, and later he was a regular at the White Hart Lenton. He was an early hippie, spending summer 67 sleeping in the sandunes at Skegness.In the 60's and early 70's quite few bikers became hippies, or had an affinity with them.
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Now let's see if I can get these right, Ashley will let me know if I am wrong. The shop at Daybrook was Wragg's, the Shakespeare Street shop was Dawson's, he used to specialise in ex MOD bikes. The Carrington Street shop was Kingston's.Did I get them all correct Ash?
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The Triumph sprung hub simple???, surely it was the most complicated rear suspension ever. If you want simple rear suspension then nothing to compare with my 1929 Ariel Mod H 500cc OHV. It had a sprung seat.
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Were you very blonde when you went to the locarno if so now i know exactly who you are
Are you thinking of Dave Staples, Pat.
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Hi dgbrit, Johnny Walker ended up owning Foxes Kawasaki Center. His son Chris is the pro racer. The only bike I built that I replaced everything, except frame and crankcases, was an A10 basket case I bought in 1982, long after the Aces period.
Regarding a fast outfit on the boulevard, somehow the name Ferris comes to mind,it might have been a Nortin OHC with an alloy chair.
My bikes on the boulevard were an Ajay 650 and later a 1965 Bonneville. My nickname was Tappet.
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The CSR rider might have been called Mick somebody. He was down the Sante Fe one night when Ronny May asked him outside over a girl they both fancied. I can't remember what happened next.
The girl (Sue?) lived near Edwalton and he was coming back from her place when he lost his license.
One night I was doing a demo towards Beeston,I'd just changed up to top, when the back wheel locked, my first thought as I pulled in the clutch lever was big ends. Nothing happend, the back tyre was still screeching. S++t it's the primary chain, nothing to do but hold on. I skidded from a ton+ to about 20mph without much trouble, then it started snaking. I held on to it until it stopped.
My sense of relief was short-lived as I found myself in the middle of the dual carriageway unable to move my bike as the back wheel was still locked solid. I waved over to the middle gates, where the bikers stopped cheering and clapping as they realised it was not a deliberate part of the demo.They ran over and we got the bike to the gates.
The speedo drive had siezed, I had to drive home with the back wheel as loose as I could manage. I had a new back tyre on which now had a beautiful flat spot.
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Who was the guy that broke his leg had it in a cast then next week broke the other one riding his bike again
I don't know that one, but I remmember when Sambo misjudged a gap betweem cars and broke his leg. He coninued riding after wetting the plaster so he could bend his knee a bit.
He kept on scraping the metal hoop at the bottom of the plaster when cornering. Eventually it wore through and he had to cope with two spikes instead of a semi circle.
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One of the best demo's I saw on the boulevard was Graham Selby and his mate whose name I forget,(he got a 4 year ban for doing a ton+ along Central Avenue in Bridgford one night). They were both on CSR's, and were heading Beeston way.
A car was overtaking another as the bikes were tonning it along, as the overtaking car was returning to the inside lane it was overtaken on either side by the CSR's. The timing was incredible, there were only inches to spare all around. They never hesitated or shut off, they would never have got away with in another hundred tries.
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I think the record for prangs in a short time was held by Martin (Nature Boy). He dropped his A10 and bent the forks. He continued to ride his bike although it was virtually unrideable,in following 3 weeks he came off another 13 times. After the last time the bike was pretty badly damaged, he only claimed for one crash, the first one. Naturally he claimed for all the damage, I think he got away with it.
Each night at the Toreador he would come in with another set of scratches, or new limp, or a freshly bandaged arm.
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When I was on the pillion, I was always aware that I might have taken a bend, overtaken, etc slightly differently, and we all had total confidence in our own ablility as riders. That being said I always went with the bike no matter what the rider did.
When Sambo and I both lived in Lady Bay, if one of us was off the road, the other would sometimes provide a lift. I did many miles on the back of Sambo, not always a pleasant experience.
But I can say that when I was on the front I loved to hear him say, as he was getting, on words like 'take is steady' or 'watch it the roads are a bit wet'. Needless to say I totally ignored him.
I can only recall 2 crashes when I wasn't driving, compared to maybe 9 or 10 when I was, but then I was driving myself 99% of the time. The serious ones were caused by car drivers pulling on or off the road without looking. the others were sliding off because excess speed for the conditions. The former were usually painful with broken bones, the latter usually just gravel rash and bruises.
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Yup Old Ace............lol
Hi Pat, long time no see, about 45 years I reckon, have you figured out who I am yet?
I Remember the time I was giving you a lift home one night, and we were stopped by PC Metcalfe on Bridgford Road, just passed the railway bridge, I was doing a mite over 30mph. Metcalfe was a good copper, unlike Shirley, most times he would give you a lecture rather than book you. Trouble was he didn't half spray when he talked, you just had to sit there and take it.
Like all of the Aces girls, you were a brilliant pillion passenger. I don't know how you did it. All us blokes were bricking it on the back seat.
There is a nice photo of you over on the Rockers Reunion sight sitting on Keith Towers' Bonneville.
Are you going to the Skeggy do this August? I went last year and hung out with some of the other originals. Johnny Dench was there with Johnny Coombes, Paul Newbury, Tony Starkey and Mick Marriott.
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zenywunelsgunnaskeggythisuma.
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I remember it well...........Would stop at Middle Gates for a fag & a natter....lol Watched Sambo getting chased by a nice (haha) police officer one night. He was only caught cause he stopped at middle gates.
One night Sambo and I were at Dunkirk end by the island waiting for a gap in the traffic so we could race by the middle gates. Off we went, I had the slightly faster bike, and was doing about a ton five at the gates.At the Beeston end I looked round and saw that we had been joined by PC Shirley on his Triumph Trophy.
I scraped it round the island and got valve bounce as I accelerated back down the boulevard. I cut in front of a lorry and drove into the lay-by at the middle gates.
Sambo came past oblivious that he was being followed by Shirley. I remember Shirley's ariel being horizontal as he went past at a ton.
Sambo got banned for racing on the highway, there was no speeed limit on the boulevard.
BTW are you the Pat who used to live on Rodney Road, and I used to give a lift to from the Toreador?
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I didn't reset the dials, the meter reader knew what was happening. There was a rebate each time, sometimes he gave us some money, other times he told us how much we owed and we gave it him. As long as the money was forthcoming he was happy.
He probably preferred the notes to all the shilling coins he had to carry.
He would be able to explain the notes, as many people would ask for change when he called.
I can't remember ever him being robbed, nor the tallyman come to that.
The reputation old St Anns had for aquisitive crime was exagerated.
Regarding Cranson, Once when I was pillion on his Black Shadow, he opened it up leaving a traffic island. I went backwards and just managed to grab the rear mudguard stays. My head was inches from the tarmac, and I could see the look of horror on the face of the car driver following. When Cranson saw my boots going by his head he braked hard, and I shot back up. I turned to the car driver and gave him a smile and a wave, he was still open mouthed. This all happened in a couple of seconds, but you know how time slows when the adrenalin hits. BTW this was before helmets were compulsory.
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We lived in St Anns for 5 years, 1967-72, and I can't remember any burglaries either.
They were much more relaxed times,for example many people used their elecricity meter as a money box.
If you got an old piano key and filed it correctly it would fit the meter. the meter reader wouldn't blink an eye when he found the odd ten bob or pound note in there.
We had one neighbour who had lived in the same house on Norfolk Terrace all her life, she told us about the celebrations on hearing of the relief of Mafeking. She and her friends tried to make their way to the Market Square, but the crowds were so big they could get no nearer than Hockley.
Like many of the old folk there, she did not want to leave.
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I seem to remember that the owners of Knebworth Park had a connection with historic aircraft. They either owned some, or more likely, were involved with those who did.
No doubt Beefsteak will let us know.
Regarding the synchronicity between the aircraft and the music, I always thought that was just what happened at Knebworth when everything was right.
Don't even think about the toilets, whoops too late.
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I remember Plant standing under a cone of laser light, or at least that's what I think was happening.
At the start the Floyd gig, Rick Wright sent a sound around the four towers of speakers, when this got a bit loud, I looked up and a Spitfire or Hurricane was circling the park in sync with the music. It flew off with most peoples heads in the slipstream.
This was after a B17 had bombed the crowd with thousands of multi-coloured ping-pong balls.
Later just as it was getting dark, a large passenger jet flew over, disappearing behind the stage, My mate said to me 'that must have cost a fortune', I nodded in agreement. It was only several days after that we realised it was not part of the show.
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Talking Knebworth, I was there in 1975, Floyd supported by The Allman Bros, Beefheart was there as well. 1978 Beach Boys, but we were there to see the support bands. 1979 went there just the once, but weren't they great?
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Floyd played at Meadow Lane in the 60s, and the Groundhogs played the Running Horse a few times during the 80s and 90s.
Used to see The Jaybirds,(Ten Years After)regularly at the Gaumont on Saturday mornings.
The Cow in Beeston
in Lenton, Beeston & Chilwell
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The Royal Oak was next door to the famous Jack's Cafe, although the bikers didn't use the Oak too often, preferring the Crown Inn.