My granda would have been 100 years old this week. Here he is back in ’65 with my nana on my Uncle Dave’s scooter. The pair look so cool like Gregory Peck & Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday,
ROMAN HOLIDAY, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, 1953
Though it’s a close call I think Ernie & Edie are the cutest!
After yesterday’s beautiful example of a century-old survivor here is an old image of the Trusty Triumph when it was the cutting edge two-wheeled speedster. This is a 1915 view of an owner and his ride in New Zealand. Even commemorated on a stamp…
Tin sign of some flat capped chap haring along on his H across a rural landscape. Hints & Tips? Watch your trousers don’t get caught in that ruddy leather belt drive chain!
We all have a mother and, for the greater part, owe our upbringing to become the sensible (!) people we are. They made sure we didn’t waver from our path ahead: holding our hands when it was rocky, listening when it looked daunting, and an encouraging nudge when it seemed foggy. Most importantly they are the first love of our lives, unconditionally!
“Ma! I’m getting a tattoo!”
Beach Babe: a box brownie snap of someone’s love. Both two-legged and two-wheeled. Back when you just drove down to the waters edge and had a ride along the damp sand. You can smell the salty air and feel the gritty sand in your toes.
Especially when they have aspirations of the two-wheeled kind. The Thunderbird is just the finest to be galloping around on. “Annie get your gun!”
Here is a candy colored selection box of the Triumph offerings at MCC that I saw last weekend.
Speed Triple. Tiger
Speedmaster. Thunderbird. Daytona
Bonneville/Thruxton. Street Triple
Tasty options!
A Steptoe like character trundling the damp streets of some English town in search of unwanted items that may turn into a groat or two. Flat cap, fag in mouth, trusty Model H Triumph pulling the basket and bag laden cart. It reminds me of the classic BBC comedy starring Wilfred Brambell and Harry H Corbett as father Albert & son ‘arold respectively.
“You dirty old Man!”
My Gran would have been one hundred today. Muriel Lawrie née Hartnupp. Here she is with my Grandad George on his AA combination motorbike and aunt Jean on his knee. Puts this photo about 1939 at 5 Whitsun View in Wooler Northumberland. Uncle Cuth looks on. Muriel died a week shy of her 90th.
Her Triumph
I did the dragon’s will until you came
Because I had fancied love a casual
Improvisation, or a settled game
That followed if I let the kerchief fall:
Those deeds were best that gave the minute wings
And heavenly music if they gave it wit;
And then you stood among the dragon-rings.
I mocked, being crazy, but you mastered it
And broke the chain and set my ankles free,
Saint George or else a pagan Perseus;
And now we stare astonished at the sea,
And a miraculous strange bird shrieks at us.
WB Yeats 1865-1939
Speedometer: miles per hour is the number we hinge our riding to. How fast we want to go, how fast can we go, how fast we are going. 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 The Ton.
One of the most famous motorcycling photos was taken in 1948 of a speedo suited Rollie Free lay prone along the backbone of a Vincent Black Lightning and tore along the Bonneville Salt Flats at 150.313 mph.
The image goes down in history giving Vincent the title of fastest production motorcycle in the world. The “bathing suit bike” came into the possession of Herb Harris the Austin TX collector (whose ‘shop I visited yesterday) before being sold recently for $1.1 million. His trailer is still adorned with the iconic outline.
Now that is history.
Old promotional photo of a new Cub being hauled up into a van off to its owner. Nice big shop sign, pre-unit machine in the window, I can smell the scent of oily machines fresh off the boat from Meriden.
As every laddie knows he gets most of his curiosity from his father. When it comes to things mechanical my dad seemed to make sure I wasn’t afraid of fettling with things. Taking things apart is the only real way you can start to understand how things go together. Putting them back together? Well that’s another story!
“This here is the petrol tap”.
Happy Birthday Paw!
Beginners bikes: smaller ‘cycles such as the Cub were ideal machines to gain experience on the roads. Working your way up to the big machines like the Bonneville. The fairings look like bra’s of the day…
Perms-lift: we’re learning.
Got the engine firmly bolted in. Oil return lines attached and starting to get the clutch adjusted – missing a ball bearing that seats between the push rod and lever. Made a simple support stand so I can shuffle it around easily. Will need to amass some stainless fastenings for the oil tank, fenders and other ancillaries.
geordiebiker.com 