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I remember the number plate being on the Corniche I did lots ofJensens they were a nice motor good bird puller I was working on one in the showroom and when I turned round there was a woman standing

Not really relevant to this thread but to those who know about my ordeal with my first car, Pixie, the C3. She was bought from me on Tues for £150. I didn't want anything for it other than to no longe

I had a thames camper in the sixties me and my mate put a four speed gearbox in had the same problem we put a separate lever in between the drivers legs You had to make sure you were in neutral before

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Not really relevant to this thread but to those who know about my ordeal with my first car, Pixie, the C3. She was bought from me on Tues for £150. I didn't want anything for it other than to no longer be the owner so anything was a bonus and will be some spending money for my holiday! :)

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I worked at chapel bar in the late sixties with ken hicks as the manager he was ok but upper management was clueless they threw thousands of pounds at it Then moved lock stock and barrel to abbey bridge only to go back to chapel bar just before closure the Simca 1000 was the best of the bunch a rear engine box shaped contraption then the 1100 front wheel drive which was the fore runner of the ford fiesta as fords had shares in the company I suspect ken would be long gone by now as I am 75 a long time ago they had garages at Wollaton vale with Wilf Humphreys and Trent bridge with Dennis Orange and Woodborough road on Mapperly plains At chapel bar the Albert hotel was our favourite meeting place run by a fearsome woman called vera she could throw out a crowd of unruly football supporters single handed meeowed

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Re the earlier references to Raleigh toys, I was in the Industrial Museum at Wollaton Park today and guess what I saw there. The photo below shows the company's Scrambla, Go Cart, Jolly Jumbo trike and Scooter.

DSCN0692_zpsuudh76an.jpg

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Re # 317, I well remember that formidable woman at the Albert Hotel, I was told by an uncle of mine that she once broke up a fight and carried our the participants, one under each arm.

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Vera continued to serve in the tryst bar at the Strathdon for a while but her rather abrasive manner did not sit well with the more up market customers. the last time I saw her was many years ago shopping at Sneinton market she would walk round the tables and deliver a clip round the ear saying that was for nothing wait until you do something. A woman who would have no time for the pc riddled crowd of today we shall not see her type again sadly. meowed

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Hi Ray its bill I was your apprentice at Holbrooks garage I didn't know you were still top side the grass I am now 75 What great days you were the greatest mechanic I ever had the pleasure of working with I remember your picture in the post when you retired from Zipser motors down Trent bridge I would love to meet you again I guess it would be Williams son that posted the garage photo Do you remember taking the gearbox out of a French Delahaye I was gob smacked I never thought you would get it back together What great times with Taff and Johnny Lambert Some of the motors we worked on would be priceless now I went to Australia as a mechanic but am now back in Nottingham I hope you are keeping well all the best Bill

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Ray overhauled a large Christ Craft marine engine and it was so tight he put it on a test bench and put 24 volts through the starter to fire the thing up it duly struck up with the most horrendous racket We were ordered not to turn it off and it ran all afternoon with our heads ringing He later took me to the flats near the suspension bridge where this MontiCarlo type launch was moored He then decides to paddle this launch down river to the British Water Ways wharf near Trent bridge I was nervous to say the least not being able to swim but he assured me all would go well After paddling downstream at a fair rate of knots we arrived at the crane only to find the all our efforts were making little progress against the current He was valiantly encouraging me to paddle faster as we were making snail like progress Well we eventually got there and I had to ascend a long iron ladder up to the wharf I have feared water ever since Great times in the life of a teenage apprentice God bless you ray they don't make em like you anymore Bill meeowed

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Hi bill nice to hear from you freda and I went with you to motor cycling at leicestar you went round three times the rest did four great it was dennis howett was some bloke money no object he bought an alfa roemo I didnot fancy sevicing that he sead dont bother I will take it to milan great days bill yours ray

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Hi Ray I didn't get much better many years ago I went round cadwell with Jamie whitham stairoding down with rain threw it away at charlies bend came back in the ambulance Ha ha Do you remember when we came a cropper on Cranmer street one wet winters night going home Wish I had those two bikes now I sold the gold star £120 they fetch £20grand now That little moto guzzi went for £90 only ever saw one at auction went for £3500 Who was it that owned that big cruiser near Trent Bridge I remember you getting both engines going and it was in gear the ropes were stretching about to twang is Freda still alive ray it seems a long time ago if you let me know what pub you go in I will stand you a round thanks for all the good times Ray bill meeowed

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Hi bill thanks for your letter to let you know freda making a recovery after falling and braking her hip with referece to the cruser it was oned by ernest watts he was resident there he was also a member of the speedboat cliub and raced against us our boat was called tarka

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Hi Ray glad to hear Freda is ok I recall that Holbrooke soon took the speed boat off you when you started winning Ha ha who was the other mechanic at Hollbrookes he used to put a raincoat on when he got in the speedboat think he came from Bullwell I remember going with Taff to stoke bardolph to that big speedboat it was high and dry the trent came up and left it in the field don't remember how they got it back into the water What about George Suter I simonize waxed that Standard Vanguard it was immaculate within a fortnight he had trashed it carrying bags of cement in it all the seats were ripped his workmen were like the crazy gang when they whitewashed the stores they painted over the windows would have made a great comedy show All I ever saw Taff do was stoning a set of contacts he would stand at the bench cleaning them all day Then they banked the coke burner up and set the showroom alight it was like living in a Charlie Chaplin film He was a great boss though pity he didn't live longer Johnny Lambert blew that Jaguar up struck it up not knowing it had a hand throttle it went to peak revs then boom I saw it when you got the sump off it was full to the top with powdered ally nothing left bet that cost a bit I think he married that little Irish lass that used to wait at the pumps for him I last saw him in Bullwell he was running the last Blue Star garage a very long time ago Meeowed

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