tures for the June issue. It will probably conThen Now

Then & Now Ian Hunter

Editor: This article was first published in T.U.G. in 2016. It is being reprinted in memory of Ian, who unfortunately died recently.

My association with motorcycles since 1956 has been an intermittent affair (“on & off” wouldn’t be the right phrase to use here). I learned to ride along the banks of the River Roding at Wanstead on a pal’s 125cc Bantam. During my last year at school I was the only one to attend by powered vehicle. It was a 25.7cc Cyclemaster motorised wheel that replaced the rear wheel of my pedal cycle. It had a throttle lever on the right handlebar, a sort of disengagement (clutch) on the left. I did a lot of miles on that. Cycle brakes in those days weren’t very clever either!

I later bought my friend’s Bantam and took my test on it at Leytonstone in 1955–a few times round the block and an emergency stop when I saw the examiner step into the road holding up his clipboard! That BSA did me proud as I rode it very regularly from Romford to Huntingdon during my two years’ National Service in the R.A.F. Changing spark plug & magneto points was a regular fix for problems.

On moving to Colchester in 1961, after some time with a NSU Quickly moped I became a full time ‘cager’ with an Austin Somerset, followed by a Ford Zephyr 4. About 1965 I bought a 1959 700cc Royal Enfield Constellation or Meteor with a double adult chair attached. A great outfit, my three young daughters in the sidecar and their mother on the pillion. This was our sole means of transport for some time. (See old photo) After that it was a 1949 Austin 16 –wow- leather seats (cracked & split!) huge headlamps,

running boards and awful rod brakes! That was replaced after a while by slightly more modern cars.

Around the mid 60s I bought a ‘Step through’ Honda C50 –I used that for commuting and shopping –a great workhorse although I always wished that I’d gone for the C70 or C90.I rode that for some years before selling it on for £15!

Years went by and I decided that with retirement looming fast I would get a scooter for running about locally so that my wife & I could then just have one car between us. In 2003 I bought an almost new Honda 250 Foresight scooter. It seemed brilliant except that when trying to overtake at 66mph there wasn’t much left in reserve. A bigger machine was called for!

In the summer of 2006 I found my present Honda 600cc 50HP Silverwing advertised on e-bay; this entailed an adventure journey to view & test ride it in Liverpool –a long way from Essex-and bring it home. Realizing that I now had a seriously fast bike (theoretical top speed 110mph!) I decided to take steps to improve my riding skills. I was fortunate having had advanced car-driving training in my work so it was mainly bike-handling that needed some serious attention.

A search of the web indicated that Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group (EAMG) might meet my needs so I went along to their January social meeting at Chelmsford. I was made most welcome by a bunch of guys (and girls) who were driven with a desire to improve the riding skills of themselves and others. This seemed too good to be true –for £50 a year as an Associate member I was able to have at least two 1 to 1 training sessions a month for as long as I wished with no pressure to take any test. One Sunday meeting each month was Associate training day where, after an hour’s theory instruction on varying aspects of advanced riding, I would ride out followed by an

(Continued on page 30)

Building, Civil Engineering and Maintenance

Extensions - Garages - Loft Conversions

Block paving Driveways - Patios

All Types of Roofing

Carpentry - Brickwork

Water Main and Sewer Repairs and Renewal

Fencing - Replacement Windows (uPVC, Hardwood, Aluminium)

uPVC Cladding, Fascias, Soffits

Underpinning - Landscaping

Painting and Decorating

Fully Insured (But not yet Needed!)

For free no-obligation quote, phone Clint on 01621 828276 (Office) 07836 277223 (Mobile)

Domestic and Commercial Work Undertaken Insurance Work also Welcome

Member of The Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors

All Full Member R ides will lea v e Sainsburys Springfield , C h elmsford

Diary 2 0 2 0

January 2020

Please note that all events in the Diary are now suspended until further notice

February

Sunday, 2nd Tuesday, 4th Sunday, 9th Sunday, 23rd March

Sunday, 1st Tuesday, 3rd Sunday, 8th Sunday, 15th Sunday, 22nd Sunday, 29th April

Sunday, 5th Tuesday, 7th Saturday, 11th Sunday, 12th Tuesday, 21st Sunday, 26th May

Sunday, 3rd Tuesday, 5th Sunday, 10th Sunday, ??? Sunday, 17th Tuesday, 19th Sunday, 24th Sunday, 31st June

Tuesday, 2nd Sunday, 7th Sunday, 14th Sunday, 14th Tuesday, 16th Sunday, 28th

July Sunday, ?5?th Sunday, 5th Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night - AGM Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night—Triumph Lings? Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2001) Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2001)

Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Super Sausage Run Associate Group Training (AGT) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night —KTM Associate Group Training (AGT) Essex Motorcycle Show, North Weald Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2002) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2002) Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Slow Riding Day Richard's Full Member Ride Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Maldon Motor Show Richard's Full Member Ride

Tuesday, 7th Sunday, 12th Sunday, 19th Tuesday, 21st Sunday, 26th Sunday, 26th August

Sunday, 2nd Tuesday, 4th Sunday, 9th Sunday, 16th Tuesday, 18th Sunday, 23rd September

Tuesday, 1st Sunday, 6th Sunday, 13th Sunday, 13th Sunday, 13th Tuesday, 15th Sunday, 20th Sunday, 27th October

Sunday, 4th Sunday, 4th Tuesday, 6th Sunday, 11th Sunday, 18th Tuesday, 20th Sunday, 25th November

Sunday, 1st Tuesday, 3rd Sunday, 8th Tuesday, 17th Sunday, 22nd December

Tuesday, 1st Sunday, 6th Sunday, 13th Sunday, 20th Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2003) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2003)

Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Audrey & John's Cotswolds Ride (to be confirmed)

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Essex Air Ambulance Run/Show Richard's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Slow Riding Day Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2004)

Copdock Show Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2004) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Group Night - Xmas Quiz Associate Group Training (AGT) Richard's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Group Nig h ts @ 1 9 : 3 0 , AGTs @ 9 : 15 am

Diary 2 0 2 0