Parents, a timeline on bikes.

[Nasher]

Earlier this year I sadly lost my Mother, 23yrs after we lost my father.

I scanned in some old Black and White Photos then realised that I should add some later images to create a timeline of them on bikes from the 1940s to the late 1990s.

I apologise for the self-indulgent nature of the thread, but I'm sure some of the images will be of interest to some.

We'll start with camping in the 1940s.







This has Easter 1947 written on the back, and is believed to be Friends of my Father he served with in the Navy.


On to my Fathers beloved 650 Gold Flash




Which ended up with a sports sidecar


Then many years later my Mother having a trip around the garden on my DT175.
Obviously I will accept everything I deserve for how I looked @1983


My father actually rode my RD350 YPVS a few times in the mid 1980s, but is just posing here.


Then lastly the pair of them on my Z1000H in the mid 1990's a short while before we lost my Father.

[Nasher]

Then just for fun an image from 1977 of my Brother and myself on his Fissie.

[Nasher]

That Z1000H of mine morphed from this:



To this over @15yrs:

[jerry]

Thanks that was great

[alan c]

Great photos, thanks for sharing. My dad started my love of bikes and I will always be great full, my son also rides and we have had some great times together.

Also have black and white photos of him and old club mates doing road trials on his AJS and meeting up to ride to the IOM etc

Its in the blood !

[Uncle Bob]

Great photos indeed. Thank you.

[alan s4]

Couple of constants through the years Nasher; your mums smile doesn't change and did she ever NOT wear plimsolls on the back of a bike!

[Jez900ie]

Great pics Nasher - thanks for sharing.

[Doggy]

Great photos! .

I got into bikes because my dad used to race and had bikes and still has . He's 73 and just booked a fortnight at the IOM and a ferry to Portugal on his Norton commando .
I can't imagine not having one in the garage .

[Nasher]

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

i'll try and dig out some more to scan in.

Nasher.

[Mr Gazza]

What a lovely touching and interesting thread Nasher.. Not self indulgent at all.

Lots of MM pre-fix reg plates on the early bikes, 'amphshire code by any chance?

First photo looks a bit like North Norfolk?

Clever how you managed to change the swinging arm on the kwaka without moving the EBC sticker..

[Nasher]

Thanks Mr G

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

Lots of MM pre-fix reg plates on the early bikes, 'amphshire code by any chance?

They'd have been living in Berkshire in the 1940's, then Buckinghamshire from 1952.
I'm assuming used bikes didn't move far from the original supplying dealer back then.

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

First photo looks a bit like North Norfolk?

That photo was almost certainly taken in Kent near Dimchurch, or possibly Cornwall.

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

Clever how you managed to change the swinging arm on the kwaka without moving the EBC sticker..

I'd never noticed that before, obviously a creature of habit.

Nasher.

[Mr Gazza]

Yes I don't think bikes, nor much else used to move very far before the advent of the national "trader" papers and now the internet of course.
I did once buy a little bike from a local and very senior fellow, who told me how he used to have Vincents put on a train from London for collection at North Walsham Station in Norfolk. They were advertised in one of the national papers. Presumably during the sixties.

The Norfolk pre-fix was AH I think.

Yes could be Kent.. Just as bleak as N Norfolk..

[Nasher]

In the 1940s summer months my parents would finish work on Friday evening, jump on the bike and bimble all the way down to Devon or Cornwall from Windsor for the weekend.

It must have taken hours and hours considering the road network, especially on a 350AJS, two-up and loaded with a canvas tent.
I expect they got there a bit quicker on the 650 Gold Flash.

They told me that if they didn’t get there before it got too late they would just park at the side of the road, pitch the tent overnight, and carry on in the morning.
How things have changed, you’d get moved on these days, or robbed.

I seem to remember stories of a pair of sheets sewn together which got stuffed with straw or whatever they could find to use as a bed.

I’m sure they’d laugh at the guys headed away for the weekend on their Multistrada or GS loaded up with tons of gear.

I tried to do similar and did a few local overnight trips into the woods with friends on the DT175 shown above, but with a tarp and short tentpole.


Nasher.

[manwithredbike]

Brilliant pics, thanks for sharing.
I love the headgear in them, esp the flat cap!
My brother had an a10 pre-unit for a while, he only sold the motor relatively recently. A beautiful thing.