Classic Scooterist Aug/Sept 2017

WIN A PAIR OF BOWLING SHOES

PROJECT DIRT QUAKE

THIS IS ’ULL PAUL ATKINSON’S CULTURAL TRIBUTE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

RED STAR

THE RUSSIAN VYATKA

is 20

ALL OR NOTHING BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW

STIG’S

VESPAS

TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS

Are bedrooms the right place for scooters?

SCOOTERAMA! – A FELICITOUS FANFARE OF FACTS, FEEDBACK & FACES

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SEE PAGE 30 Issue 116 Aug/Sept 2017 Founding Editor: Mau Spencer 01507 529408 mauspencer@classicscooterist.com Publisher: Dan Savage Contributors: Rich Addison, Gill Beecham; David Brown; Terry Brown; Cédric Cools, Jock Dewars; Jon Betts; Pete Davies, Dave Dry; Martin Heath; Frank Lancaster; Stefanos Papadopoulos: Kevin Salt; Jonathan Schofield; Erik Stigsson, Steve Tasker; Phillip Tooth; Turbo; Chris Wainwright, Dave Walker, Phil Weedon and Andy Westlake.

Apologies to anyone we’ve forgotten.

Some of the articles within these pages express the opinions of the contributors and are not necessarily those of Classic Scooterist.

Design: Fran Lovely, Tracey Barton and Holly Furness Production editor: Dan Sharp Picture desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield and Angie Sisestean Divisional advertising manager: Martin Freeman mfreeman@mortons.co.uk Advertising: Emma Buxton-Rockley 01507 529410 ebuxton-rockley@mortons.co.uk Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole Editorial address: CLASSIC SCOOTERIST MAGAZINE PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ www.scooteristscene.com General queries and back issues: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk Next issue (117) published: September 20, 2017 Editorial deadline: August 18, 2017 CLASSIC SCOOTERIST (ISSN:1756-9494) is published bi-monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $36 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC SCOOTERIST, Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 Email: chris@classicbikebooks.com www.classicbikebooks.com Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 30 for offer): (12 months 6 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £22.80. Export rates are also available – see page 30 for more details.

UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Customer services number: 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm, Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton © Mortons Media Group. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication maybe reproduced without prior written permission.

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Back when we had hair Nostalgic memories from times gone by

6

Scooterama A felicitous fanfare of facts, feedback and faces Reader’s submissions, reviews and opinions

16 What’s going on?

A look at the scooterist calendar

17 Events round-up Coverage of recent events

Dirt tracking and a Lambretta is not your usual combination…

42 Behind the scenes At the All or Nothing Mod musical

46 Back in the day 48 The Olympic connection A fitting combination

50 Stig’s Vespas Keeping scooters in the bedroom is a little off the wall…

54 16 in ’66 The 60s hold special memories for one (then) young Mod

56 The Hunslett Scootacar

26 This is ’Ull Paul Atkinson’s cultural celebration

The Vyatka VP150

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

38 Project Dirt Quake

Alan Kimber at the ISDT

14 Mailbox

32 Red Star

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

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CONTENTS

35 Happy birthday!

Classic Scooterist celebrates its 20th

What do you do if your wife finds it difficult to park her Jag?

60 The scooter that never hit the road Marc’s untouched Model C

64 Taking it to the top Conquering Ben Nevis, but with heads hung in shame

66 Beyond redemption An LD dilemma

70 Poppy Ketchup Kath Blackburn’s saucy secret

74 Trials and tribulations 1966 Scoot to Scotland

76 The art of customisation Offering a bespoke service

78 On the Mount Scooters compete at the Scarborough Festival of Speed

80 ‘Race, Rock & Ride’ A day out at Santa Pod

82 Scooter clubs Meet and greet your local club

86 Scooterist classifieds For all your wants and needs

90 Blast from the past A for Italy

A time of sadness and reflection

O

bviously as a scooter magazine we try to stick to scooter-related matters within these pages – and more specifically within my column where I try not to be too politically vocal or controversial. But since we published the last issue there have been some particularly tragic and high profile incidents around the UK – especially in London and Manchester (where Olivia Campbell’s family had close ties to the scooter community – so that does bring it home).

With all the individual stories of personal tragedy and heroism (not only by the emergency services, but members of the public as well) that we’ve been hearing about, I’d like to send out a message of sympathy, on behalf of all our readers, to all those who have been affected by, or lost someone they knew and loved; also a message of thanks and resp pect to the heroes who risked their own lives to help others under some particularly distressing circumstances.

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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n e h w k Bac we had hair DO YOU HAVE A NOSTALGIC STORY TO TELL, OR AN OLD PICTURE ✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9

TO SHARE?

6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408

Whitley Bay Drifters These pictures were taken in the late 1960s – can’t remember where, but I think it was The Lakes on a club run.

Bill Jarman

Lambretta GP Launch

These pictures, taken in 1969, show the launch of the new Lambretta GP range at Whittaker’s West End Scooters, Stoke on Trent.

John Murphy

1967-2017

The first picture here is of my SX200, taken in 1967; the second picture, taken this year, is my retirement present, a Vespa PX200 in 2017 – 50 years between, but still a fair amount of hair.

Tony Stansfield

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A M A R E T O SCO

CK & FACES A FELICITOUS FANFARE OF FACTS, FEEDBA ooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 ✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncast

le, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@clas

sicsc

Street Ace e waterproo of sneakers RRP: £119.99 Italian footwear sp pecialist TCX has just launched its latest fashion conscious ‘biker sneaker’ – an updated version of the Street Ace. The ‘biker sneaker’ has become a popular choice for lots of riders who are after a casually-styled boot that can be worn both on and off the bike, that promises to keep you safe too – and these stylish new boots from TCX fit the bill perfectly.

The boots are made from full grain (vintage-look) leather, feature a redesigned sole with improved tread, and have a waterproof lining to help keep you dry in the wet.

Most importantly, the boot is CE-certified and features additional protection on the toe, heel and ankle. They’re available in sizes 36-48 in Black, Coffee Brown, Dakar Brown and Cold Grey.

The new Street Ace is also available for women – and comes with a specially designed sole, which has been adapted to the shape of the female foot and according to TCX offers exception comfort thanks to a detachable, antibacterial footbed, an EVA insert to absorb vibrations and an assembly footbed made of thermoplastic material.

The Street Ace Lady (same price) is available in sizes 35-42, in either Dark Lady (matt black with studs), Dark Grey or Cold Grey/ Fuchsia.

Info: www.nevis.uk.com

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SIP Open Day The annual SIP Open Day took place recently with around 700 Vespas and Lambrettas and over 1600 visitors attending. These included the Scooter Club du Sudest who travelled more than 1000km on their Vespas from Marseille for the event. Other scooterists came from Switzerland, England, Moscow and St Petersburg, Malaysia, Serbia and Austria.

The all-day Saturday event included the opportunity for a free measurement test on SIP’s own P4 Amerschläger performance test bench, alongside other free entertainment with vinyl sounds being played by DJ Leo Ernst (Atomic Café).

A selection of video footage taken during the event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ events/155775394957475/?ref=br_rs The date set for next year’s SIP Open Day is May 5, 2018.

Q&A CORNER with the Scooter Guru Were Vespa SS180 seats originally black or very dark blue? I was looking at SIP’s site and the seats and covers all seem to be in very dark blue – not black?

Paul B

This will always be a matter of opinion. GS150 seats looked black, but as they became elderly and the woven material that was faced with what was possibly PVC began to disintegrate; the dust that rubbed off them was a definite blue colour.

This may be the start of this discussion point.

All that can be really said about the GS160 (later

Series 2 type) and the SS seats (yes, I know they’re different) is that these are black as far as the eye can see – or if they’re blue, the blue is so dark that it might as well be black.

Just to confuse matters further, I once heard the Series 2 GS160 grey seat being described as grey with a navy blue piping (this would render, one supposes, the Series 2 seat being the opposite colours)? This description was being given by a long-time Vespa enthusiast, so I felt that I had best not challenged his assertion.

Perhaps I should have done so?

Scooter Guru

‘Bike It’ motorcycle visor rain repellent RRP: £6.99 Reviewer: Mau

PRODUCT REVIEW

As bike riders, we all know how our visibility can be impaired by the rain that gathers on your visor and impairs your vision – and this can be worrying, especially at night; so this handy little aerosol spray could be the answer to your problems.

Coming in a handy-sized 75ml can, you just spray it on a soft cloth and then apply it to your visor to create a non-stick coating which has the effect of forcing the rain to bead and run-off aerodynamically while you’re riding.

The spray can is small enough to just poke into your pocket (or to place under the seat of a scooter) so that it is always to hand for when your visor needs re-coating.

Info: www.bikeittrade.com/

Kenny Radcliffe, RIP Sadly on December 2016, the scooter world lost a favourite son. Kenny Radcliffe – the man behind the Isle of Man Scooter Week.

Kenny was the inspirational ‘clerk of the course’ for the events from the mid-1960s till its demise in 1976. He was a fantastic guy, always working to give the scooterists a week to remember. He was strong willed (you Kenny on his 75th birthday had to be to entertain over 1500 people for a week every year) and had a passion for the – happy times! event, the IOM, plus his family and friends; to those who visited the island he was part of scooter folklore.

The dreaded cancer struck Kenny and eventually took him from us.

I have many lovely memories of being with him playing the organ at his house with his lovely wife Anthea. We send our sympathies and condolences to Anthea and the Radcliffe family. As Kenny would say at the end of the scooter week: “I’m glad that’s over!”

RIP chum.

WIN ...WIN ... WIN ... WIN ... WIN ... WIN

ONE OF TWO PAIRS OF BOWLING SHOES WORTH £68 PER PAIR

We’ve teamed up with Delicious Junction to offer you the chance of winning one of two pairs of bowling shoes worth £68 per pair.

There’s a pair for the ladies and a pair for the men available as individual prizes, so get your entries in now.

“I wish I could be like David Watts,” as The Kinks once said – and you can with these fantastic retro-style ‘Watts’ leather bowling shoes with leather uppers and suede trim detailing; they also have a smooth resin outsole, making them ideal for dancing the night away. Visit the website at www.deliciousjunction. co.uk for more information and to view the full range of Delicious Junction products.

COMPET ETITION T ENTRY FORM (Also available for download at www ww ww.classicscooterist.com) w Simply fill in the form below and return to us by first class post before midday, Friday, August 18, 2017 Post your entry to Classic Scooterist Shoe Competition, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ. One entry per person please.

Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….........

Address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………......................................................... Postcode: ……………………………

Age: ………..... Male / Female (please circle) Email/telephone: ………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….

Normal terms and conditions apply – see website for details.

Norriie & Janett Kerr

Two blasts from the past: scooter riiders from backk in the day andd an original BLOA advert

New national Lambretta owners club launched Almost 50 years after ceasing to exist, the British Lambretta Owners Association (BLOA) has been relaunched. Set-up by scooterists and backed by insurance companies Bikesure and Footman James, plus scooter dealers offering servicing and parts discounts, the club plans four rallies for next year (three being historical BLOA rally locations).

Club membership (£10 a year) is already growing and

BLOA has already produced its first club magazine; they also have club merchandise in the pipeline. Other club services are offered as well, including valuation certificates (£5) and dating certificates (£5) for vintage bikes and scooters.

For more information phone 07846 728821, email innocentisx200@btinternet. com or they can be found on Facebook (British Lambretta Owners Association B.L.O.A.).

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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SCOOTERAMA!

Lam Lambretta Concessionaires o 1971 The Complete Story 1951 to

Breaker helmet

RRP £119 The Breaker is made from a lightweight Kinetic Polymer Alloy shell (polycarbonate and thermo-plastic). It’s ventilated through the chin, a large scoop-style top vent and an exhaust on the back. The quick-release visor is relatively large, offering a wider field of vision than normally expected; it’s also fog- and scratchresistant. The liner is fully removable and washable, and the helmet should be straightforward to get on and off, thanks to a DOT approved micrometric, quick release chinstrap system.

The LS2 Breaker meets both DOT and ECE 22.5 standards and is available in a range of designs and colours, in sizes XXS to 3XL. Info: www.ls2helmets.com

Drayko Drift Jeans RRP: £169 Featuring handdistressed dark blue denim, washed to achieve a worn finish for the fashionconscious rider, Drayko Drift jeans come with the very latest MR7+ Roomoto fabric that combines DuPont Kevlar and Dyneema to produce what Draggin claim is the lightest and most protective lining available.

Heavy duty seams, a locking zip plus knee and hip pockets that accommodate Draggin’s CE approved armour all combine with the denim and Roomoto to make the Drayko Drift jeans comfortable, fashionable and protective.

Drayko Drift jeans are available in men’s waist sizes 28 to 42. Armour upgrades are available at extra cost.

Info: www.draggin-jeans.co.uk

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ISBN: 978-0-995781-0-5 RRP: £15.99 The subject of Lambretta Concessionaires is shrouded in a certain amount of uncertainty, hearsay and misinformation.

Before the advent of this book, most other informed publications on the Lambretta theme have been Italian language publications translated into English and tend to gloss over the subject of the UK Concessionaires, further reinforcing the air of mystery.

It must be seen, therefore, as something of a relief, to have a volume dedicated to Lambretta Concessionaires as a company and one that avoids the global distraction of the Lambretta.

This new publication is a book of two parts. The first part concerns the excellent graphic representation of varied advertisements, brochures, documents and photographs, many of which are unique as far as being the subject matter of a book is concerned. The cover price of ‘The Complete Story’ is worthy of its cost just on the basis of these graphics alone, so one might, ignoring the text altogether, purchase this volume for these representations alone.

The text is a very difficult item to sum up (more about this later).

The book follows the Lambretta Concessionaires history from its inception in 1951 under James Agg and his son Peter (more commonly known as PJ) to the demise of the Innocenti factory when the British Leyland Motor Corporation took over production in Italy and decided that two wheeled manufacture would cease in 1971. The depth of research into this subject is obvious and sections, such as one outstanding example on the subject of the ‘British Lambretta’ – the GT or TV200 – exhibit the hand of a master of this subset to the genre.

As the book is obviously aimed at the enthusiast, the varied readers will all, no doubt, have some particular interest on variations on the theme covered by this volume and as such will

IoW ferry bookings

have their own ideas on what might have been included – som me outside the author’s personal choice of subject matter. The author has written this book from m a management and organisation nal perspective as well as covering the various models handled by the Concessionaires, so therefore, the book sadly lacks the more human touch that might have been instilled if there were e anecdotes from, or references to o, the factory floor workers. A lightter touch might have included various publicity stunts including the Aqua Lambretta and other eye-catchin ng themes that caught the popular imagination and cast the spotlight on the Lambretta the eyes of the media of that time.

There are (unsurprisingly one might say, due to the breadth of the subject matter) at least two minor factual mistakes in the text. The disc brake hub was indeed made by the Campagnolo company who, at that time manufactured bicycle components – not wheels, as claimed. The other error concerns the Pacemaker (as the Li 150 Special was christened by the Concessionaires) – the gold ‘Pacemaker’ badge was actually fitted to the legshield, not the sidepanels as stated.

These two comments may be seen as churlish under the circumstances, but other students of the Lambretta will hold their own and alternative opinions on these matters. Also, somewhat strangely, the Pacemaker and the ‘J’ Range are covered without a mention of the notable problems that caused these models to be less than the sum of their parts – namely the Pacemaker’s engine destroying gearbox and the ‘J’ Range’s propensity to metal fatigue and associated chassis cracking. These were both problems largely overcome by diligent development by Concessionaires engineers and would have been worth a couple of paragraphs as a footnote to the flexibility of the shop floor workers. Possibly space constraints mitigated against the

The VFM have negotiated a ferry deal with Red Funnel for those going to the IoW International scooter rally. The deal covers the SouthamptonEast Cowes ferry route and applies to scooters

BOO REVIEWK

inclusion of these aspects, rather than the depth of knowledge of the author?

Finally – and most embarrassingly – there’s a glaringly obvious major problem with this book in-as-much as its production values and editorial end product are pretty woeful.

Sadly, this aspect renders the book difficult to read in detail. The text, by any measure, has been poorly scrutinised before being sent to the printers and contains a king’s ransom of schoolboy English howlers, poor punctuation and over-reliance on the ‘spellchecker’, not to mention many typographical errors – some of them quite hilarious (the Cento, allegedly, was released in the year 194. Presumably for the Roman Legions)? As a prime example of these defects, chapter five has the keyword ‘Lambretta’ printed as ‘Lauretta’ no fewer than 80 times – difficult to miss, but playing havoc with the reader’s attention span into the bargain.

It’s a great shame that the author has spent considerable time and effort in researching and writing what’s in essence an interesting and unique book, only to have it very nearly ruined in the realisation of the end product.

The best that can be said of this book is that it deserves to be reprinted, but with all the clerical errors ironed out to fashion it into a fluent, coherent and not to forget, complete read.

Lambrettista

and riders only (not cars, vans, etc.). You can book online at www.redfunnel.co.uk using the special crossing menu (offer does not apply to flexi tickets).

The new Lambretta

WANTED! REWARD OFFERED For the apprehension and Cesar of this Ruff & Ready dog-faced Chappie; the Wagg has been caught on CCTV in the act of defacing a copy of our Well Beloved Classic Scooterist magazine.

This Royal Canin is believed to be a member of the Barking Heads, Urban Pup gang who recently raided Lilys Kitchen in the Essex area; they are known to be notorious ‘Groomers’ of Pedigree pups with the aim of recruiting them into their style of Petlife. Their modus operandi appears to start by infiltrating Pets at Home and sending a Pets Parcel to an innocent Good Boy who might be leading a current HiLife at home; using this method, they could easily Winalot of converts to their Pet Rebellion.

It would appear that this DogGrooming method of operation is attracting plenty of recruits. Canine psychologist, Dr John, commented: “I can’t believe the methods of recruitment this gang is using – it’s just unreal – they are barking mad.”

Classic Scooterist editor Mau Spencer also commented: “Iams really saddened by the action of this individual and I hope he Burns in hell!”

The suspect was last seen fleeing from the crime scene wearing a Harringtons jacket.

If anyone has any further information SimplyGo to the Classic Scooterist Facebook site and contact Mau Spencer.

The notorious Groomers gang…

In case you’ve missed the previous press hype, the new Lambretta V-Special was unveiled at the recent 70th anniversary event held at Adria circuit.

The company behind it is Lambretta GmbH, a joint venture company of Lambretta Consortium (Innocenti S.A. based in Lugano) and Austrian KSR Group who say they will reveal the full model range (six versions) at the EICMA show in Milan. Initially,

three engine sizes will be available (50cc, 125cc and 200cc); an electric version will follow. Sidepanels will be introduced in different styles, shapes and colours to make the scooter more individual; the company is also hoping to reintroduce the iconic GP and SX classic styling.

At the time of going to press Lambretta GmbH told us that it was undecided as to who would be handling the import franchise for the UK. Interestingly though, Lambretta GmbH appears to be involved with KSR Group GmbH – and the UK importer of KSR bikes is Moore Large, based in Derby…

Ernie Sales Payne – update In the last issue we reported on the death of Ernie Sale Payne.

Ernie’s daughter, Samantha, would like to thank everyone for the support and condolences they have expressed at this very sad time.

When Ernie’s funeral arrangements were discussed, Samantha asked for scooterists to accompany the funeral cortege from Elstree to the Hendon Cemetery and Crematorium;

this resulted in 100-plus scooterists leading the cortege to the crematorium – the chapel was full and those outside watched and listened on video screens. The service was conducted as a humanist procedure and mourners were invited to a wake at Cricklewood Trades Hall to celebrate Ernie’s life. All donations made in memory of Ernie went to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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SCOOTERAMA!

San Francisco Scooter Centre

Leonard MK II wax jacket RRP: £249.99 Knox has updated its Leonard wax jacket, offering a fresh take on the traditional wax jacket design. It comes in sizes from S to 3XL and is available in either Black or Russet Brown.

It features a (breathable) waterproof membrane that is laminated onto abrasion resistant waxed cotton fabric, while fully tapered seams and Aquaguard®zips offer further waterproof protection. A ribbed collar and cuffs, in addition to the removable throat guard, offer further shelter against the elements (though they can be removed in warmer weather).

The unique ‘Knox dual fit design’ means that you can adjust the fit of the arms and body, allowing room underneath for appropriate armour (not included) – which in turn means the jacket is perfect for either on or off the bike.

There’s a cotton interior lining on the body, an interior elasticated cord at the hem and adjustable cuffs and waist belt – which all work together to provide a more comfortable draught-free fit. Plus there are some discreet underarm loops for attaching reflective arm bands, meaning you’ll be visible in the dark too.

Info: www.planet-knox.com

AQUAD waterproof packing cubes RRP: £24.99 Oxford Products have just released this cool bundle of waterproof packing cubes. The colour coded 12-litre, 7-litre and 5-litre waterproof bags look perfect for splitting and keeping track of your luggage on your next two-wheeled adventure.

Info: www.oxfordproducts.com

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If you’re ever visit the USA (in particular, San Francisco) there’s two places you must visit. The first is Alcatraz, the old island prison once home to the likes of Al Capone and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly; the other is San Francisco Scooter Centre, run by Barry Gwin.

On first inspection it appears to be a run-of-the-mill, auto scooter centre catering for commuters but on closer inspection there’s a Lambretta 125DL tucked away in the corner and cutaway display engines from both the Vespa and Lambretta marques. This is certainly no runof-the-mill scooter centre!

Proprietor Barry Gwin started in the scooter business in the mid-80s having bought-out a local Lambretta dealer’s entire stock of NOS parts and started selling them from his home. As business quickly took off Barry relocated to more suitable premises and he can now be found at his current location, just a few minutes from San Francisco’s Union Square and the Golden Gate Park.

With a personal collection of scooters (mainly Lambrettas) that would put most UK dealers to shame Barry has some of

his favourites on display on the shop’s second floor. Seeing the collection for the first time, it’s hard to know which one to checkout first. There’s some early racing bikes (built long before we did anything similar in the UK), custom choppers, stock-as-they-come LDs and a lovely Series 1. Then there’s Barry’s personal favourites – his collection of Model Ds including his 1952 racer originally built at the Innocenti factory and later restored at the West Coast Lambretta Works.

Barry has an undeniable passion for Lambretta scooters in all variations and he can talk for hours about the most obscure of parts in his collection – of which there are many. “I can’t really sell many of the parts I’ve collected, because I really don’t know what they’re worth,” explained Barry.

Segura Maddock jacket RRP: £219.99 (inc VAT) Reviewer: Mau If you’re into the vintage look then this jacket could be right up your street, as the Segura Maddock men’s jacket certainly looks the retro part – which is further enhanced by the quilting effect that adorns the shoulders and elbows.

The jacket’s canvas exterior is constructed out of 100% cotton material, supplemented by a hard mesh fixed lining; it also has a membrane waterproof and breathable insert, designed to help keep the wet weather at bay. Weather insulation is completed with the addition of a thermal aluminium liner (fully detachable for use in warmer weather).

It comes with CE approved shoulder and (adjustable) elbow protectors; there’s also a pocket fitted to take a CE approved back protector (at extra cost). Adjustable straps are fitted to the arms and waist

Scooters are still fairly easy to come by in America and Barry told us that most that do surface are nice low mileage examples.

Having a healthy home-grown market however, doesn’t stop him from importing scooters both for his own collection or for customers. A few recent acquisitions include a KTMengined Lammie for personal use and allegedly one of the original ‘Jimmy’ Lambrettas from the Quadrophenia film sourced and sympathetically restored for a private US collector.

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in San Francisco, be sure to go see Barry and his team, you won’t be disappointed.

San Francisco Scooter Centre 127 10th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 http://sfscootercentre.com

PRODUCT REVIEW

to allow for personal wearing preferences.

As well as having four pockets on the outside, there are three inner pockets (although one of them is essentially a single pocket which has been stitched slightly off-centre to effectively turn it into two (possibly to allow for differentsized mobile phones maybe)?

In looks and feel, the jacket gives a good impression of being a substantial, well-designed and manufactured product – and if its weight is anything to go by, this backs that up; I can’t remember the last time I reviewed a jacket of this weight. Of course the big question was whether this would have an effect on how if felt in use on the road? Admittedly it was a bit of a struggle to get it on – although this was probably down to the number of extra layers I was wearing underneath (it was only five degrees outside at the time), so I didn’t really

have to make much use of the adjustment straps. Riding on a relatively cold evening, the wind chill factor made it feel even colder than it actually was, but the jacket’s insulation layers did a reasonably good job of keeping the elements at bay.

This is a top end textile jacket and it does the job it was designed for, as well as looking great into the bargain.

It comes with a year’s warranty in sizes S to 3XL in one colourway – green (at least, that’s what the manufacturers call it; I’d say khaki).

Info: www.tranam.co.uk

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

11

Marriage is intended to be a commitment for life and nothing can illustrate that philosophy more than what happened in Beeston, Notts. on August 5, 1967, when Christine Polak married Norman Ronald.

T

he wedding service took place at the parish church of St John the Baptist at 3pm (or ‘kick-off’ time according to Norman’s father) and was attended by family, friends and many well-known figures from within the scooter fraternity; these included the likes of BLOA general secretary Bob Wilkinson and his wife Ursula; Lambretta Concessionaires technical manager Rex White and partner Jacky; and Teams S Equipe innovator Arthur Francis and his wife Diana.

Also attending were members of the Nottingham Lambretta Club (The Bowmen) to which Norman belonged.

After the wedding, the happy couple left the church through an arch of Lambretta scooter silencers (yes, you could say that Norman had been well and truly silenced)!

Chris and Norman had originally met in 1963 when Norman was sent to repair a machine at the factory where Chris worked as a supervisor; it was love at first sight for Norman. At the time Norman had a Gold Vespa Sportique; the following year Norman took part in the Esso ‘Scoot to Scotland’ and the Isle of Man Scooter Week. The couple started going to scooter events together in ’65 and got engaged that Christmas.

At the time of their wedding Chris (then a member of the Bromley Innocents, was the reigning ‘Diamond Lil’ having been given the title at the Lambretta Concessionaires Croydon Lambretta Rodeo. Team S Equipe member, Norman was the reigning Lambretta Champion, having been awarded the title at Southend in 1966.

Norman andd Chriis smiile as they wallk througgh an archh off siilencers; the lefft arch was provided by Bob Wilkinson, Terry ? and Charles Taylor; the right arch consisted of Arthur Francis, Bob Jackson and Alan Cooper

♥ ♥ ♥ “Congratulations Chris and Norman and best wishes for the future”

“Hugs and kisses from Mary and Ray Kemp and all the staff” (AF Rayspeed)

Arthur Francis (Team S Equipe)

The wedding got a mention in JetSet magazine

Of course Norman soon knuckled down to married life…

“Love and best wishes to both of you – the perfect couple”

PJ Agg congratulates Christine at the Croydon Rodeo

Janet and Norrie Kerr (VE UK)

“Congratulations and best wishes to both of you for the future” Ken Herlingshaw (Lambretta Concessionaires)

“Best wishes to both of you – may there be many more years together” Mau Spencer (Classic Scooterist)