Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Threepenny bits Sixpences Florins Half a crown I have a set of coins mounted in a picture frame. It has: Farthing, Halfpenny, Penny, Threepenny bit, Sixpence, Shilling, Florin and Half Crown. I also have a few Churchill Crowns, but I would have thought everyone my age has them. Marty, I was driving to Southend when had a girlfriend there. I was in a Red/Black MIni. As I approached Southend a policeman on a "Noddy" bike tucked in behind me. We were both doing 40 MPH, the correct speed. Everytime he pulled out to overtake the wind resistance slowed him down and he had to pull back in. After several mile of this with me laughing like a drain, we came to the traffic lights at the airport. They were red and I stopped. He came past me and stopped his bike across the front of the car. He got off and came to the door. I got out. He asked me why I didn't stop earlier. I replied I didn't know he wanted me to stop. I asked him if I was exceeding the speed limit, he replied that I wasn't. "So what's the problem" He mumbled something and asked to see my licence. I showed it him and he then got on his bike and turned left whilst I went straight on. The whole thing was about a kid driving a car, something that was rare in 1964. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 several days recovering. I've got a good story about that. But I must have some breakfast first. It's a long one, so better switch off now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain m Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 My dad had a green MK2 Jaguar in 1960 ( most cars were black) which I was allowed to take out the occasional Sunday afternoon, ( after collecting a hot date ) we were a target for every Wolsley and Speed twin in Surrey to pull us over as we must have nicked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyblues Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 I am not a big tv watching type, but I do like the period shows set in the fifties and sixties, heart beat, life on mars etc. just forThe cars on those shows, bring back good memories of my youth. The big black Wolsley police car was quite intimidating beautiful shiney paint . IIRC the Noddy bike was a vellocette. Stupid looking thing with a motorbike under him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Marty, that's it - a Velocette. I couldn't think of the name. Water cooled tiny engined thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pistonbroke Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 We used to drive the 20 miles or so down the East Lancs to Liverpool for a late night chinky after the pubs had closed ( everwhere was dead in the sticks) Used to drive it flat out , The plod had Z Car Ford Anglia's , we would just drive past them and dissapear into the distance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain m Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Velocette LE 149cc, a post war wonder to equal the Sinclair C5 and almost ruined the company, Police had to salute senior oficers, this was considered to be unsafe on a motorbike and they were alowed to nod, forever called Noddy bikes. They did make some very good bikes that are still pretty cool, if you had a 50s Venon 500 now it,s worth about £7/8k. The Wolseley 6/90 was ( I believe) the last police car to have a Bell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidersurfer Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Whatever happened to Puch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyblues Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Whatever happened to Puch? Its just the same now as it was then, comes out after several pints and a curry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Talking about Bikes, my friend (in France) has a Norton Commando bought new by him and his friend in about 1973. So what's this worth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain m Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Where is the front number plate?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Guess they don't have them in France. Does that make it worth less or more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyblues Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 1973, probably 850 cc mk3 long range tank assembled in a hanger at Thruxton First time I went over 100mph on a 1968 commando, i was pillion clutching a pair of gus kahn forks across mylegs. through Mark cross east sussex i was 16, the things we did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 I did know the spec but have forgotten now. I got the head fitted with inserts for the exhaust rings. I also got him a new front wheel rim and a speedo hub. I decocked the head and ground the valves in. Another friend of his put it all back together again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 OK, story about getting rat arsed. 16th October 1964. No, means nothing to you? Well it was the day Harold Wilson was first elected as PM. The London Motor Show was on at Earls Court, no NEC in those days. So the lads decided to go to the Motor Show. We all left work at 5 and then thought we'd have a quick drink first. After several pints in the pub on the corner (this was in Shepherds Market, Mayfair), we decided to call off the Motor Show and went over the market to the other pub. A few more pints in there someone said we should go to the poncy pub in King Charles II Street. We walked in singing "Good 'ol Mr Wilson" and the collected pin stripes with bowlers and rolled up brolly's had us thrown out. Back to the garage and 6 of us piled into Alan's mini and off we went to a pub someone knew off Shaftesbury Avenue. This is China Town. We drove round looking for a parking place. Then someone spots one and we park up and all fall out. The pub was a door. That's it just a door. A green door. Open it and it had a steep set of stairs going down. We all tumbled down the stairs and we started getting the drinks in. By this time we're all on shorts, I'm on Scotch and Coke. After a few rounds it's my turn. You have to remember that I'm only 16, but look more like 12. I go to the bar and get the round in. I came back to our table with the first three drinks and announce that a nice chap at the bar was getting them in. Jimmy jumps up and says "Oh no he's not" and pays for the drinks and tells us all to drink up as we're leaving. The pub is called "Robin Hood" and was a famous gay pub. I'm not sure if homosexuallity was legal then. By this time we were all well oiled and as it was about midnight it was time to go home. We walked back to where we left the car (There was no breathalyser in those days). We couldn't find it. We spent ages walking around the square looking for a little red and black Mini. Then, six young men squeezed into a phone box in the wall (remember them) and phoned the police to report a stolen Mini. The police showed no surprise, the car had been towed away to the Elephant & Castle car pound. We had parked it right across the small lane that ran from one side of the square to the other. We collected the car and by this time I was having trouble seeing clearly. I got the bus home and had a hangover for a week. To this day if you wave a Scotch & Coke under my nose I'll throw up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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