The thread about embarrassing old photos reminded me of some images I scanned after I found them whilst clearing out my Mothers house late last year. We lost her earlier in the year, 23yrs after we lost my father, and I put together a time line of them with bikes starting in the 40’s. 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. Note the riding gear! Then many years later my Mother having a trip around the garden on my DT175. 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. He rode the Zed up and down the road once, but it was too heavy for him.
Thanks All I did wonder about posting them because I thought it was a little self indulgent, but knew the old bikes would have some interest Nasher.
The first really early images show what they used to get up to at weekends during the summer. They'd finish work at lunchtime on a Friday, and head off down to Devon or even Cornwall from Windsor, which 2-up with a tent on the back etc on that 350AJS would have been fun! If they didn't get there by dark, bad roads and lights making carrying on too dangerous, they'd just put the groundsheet down and cover up with their blanket by the side of the road. No blow up beds or anything, they filled the bottom of the tent with straw. Apparently it was normally part of the deal from farmers who let out their fields for camping back then. Simpler times. Nasher
