India-in search of Lambretta
I had no need to go back to India. I was in Bombay 22 years ago and the place was overwhelming- since then the population of India has almost doubled. However, Rebecca really wanted to go (+ a girlfriend) so the husbands reluctantly agreed. At least I would see plenty of scooters and Indian Lambrettas.
After a week of Delhi, Shimla and Agra, I had gasped at the beauty of the Taj Mahal, but only seen one Indian Lambretta, from a taxi.
Then after an elephant ride in Jaipur, I spotted a Vijay Lambretta from the bus outside a shop and managed to locate it on foot the following day. I chatted to the shop keeper who said it was his uncles but did not establish whether it was a runner. Loads of Baja’s , LML’s and even a few Vespas about. All the girls ride side saddle, Italian style from the 60’s. Wish I could relive being in Naples in 1966. In fact I had a licence to photo women in their Saris as Rebecca was intent on having a couple of outfits made.
I saw a jumbled heap of dusty scooters piled outside what turned out to be a Police Station. The police said all the scooters had been involved in criminal acts and had crime numbers written on them. We had the experience on an overnight sleeper train from Jaipur down to Udaipur, a beautiful spot with a palace on the lake. Walking around the old town I finally saw a turquoise GP and flagged the guy down but he only spoke Hindi. Two other Vijays were spotted. Helmets are obligatory but not for passengers but many break the rules. I got a couple of girls to pose in their saris on their scooter.
These were big cities, Jaipur over 2 million, Udaipur over 1 million, so where have all the Lambrettas gone, long time passing, gone to graveyards nearly everyone, or to England ? Maybe you know more?
Paul Barker
Dec 12
After a week of Delhi, Shimla and Agra, I had gasped at the beauty of the Taj Mahal, but only seen one Indian Lambretta, from a taxi.
Then after an elephant ride in Jaipur, I spotted a Vijay Lambretta from the bus outside a shop and managed to locate it on foot the following day. I chatted to the shop keeper who said it was his uncles but did not establish whether it was a runner. Loads of Baja’s , LML’s and even a few Vespas about. All the girls ride side saddle, Italian style from the 60’s. Wish I could relive being in Naples in 1966. In fact I had a licence to photo women in their Saris as Rebecca was intent on having a couple of outfits made.
I saw a jumbled heap of dusty scooters piled outside what turned out to be a Police Station. The police said all the scooters had been involved in criminal acts and had crime numbers written on them. We had the experience on an overnight sleeper train from Jaipur down to Udaipur, a beautiful spot with a palace on the lake. Walking around the old town I finally saw a turquoise GP and flagged the guy down but he only spoke Hindi. Two other Vijays were spotted. Helmets are obligatory but not for passengers but many break the rules. I got a couple of girls to pose in their saris on their scooter.
These were big cities, Jaipur over 2 million, Udaipur over 1 million, so where have all the Lambrettas gone, long time passing, gone to graveyards nearly everyone, or to England ? Maybe you know more?
Paul Barker
Dec 12
Back in 2009 I cycled with 2 ladies, yes Diddly Diddly Dee Two Ladies (you know the song from Cabaret), to Bath.
The Lambretta Bar was a welcome sight after 3 days and we sat outside in warm sunshine and the beer kept on coming and going.
I expect a lot of you have been there but sadly it is now not what it was with little in the way of Lambretta stuff on show.
Just 4 months earlier I had stumbled across another Lambretta Bar or should I say Café in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand. We
Had only popped into Nelson for a quick look around about 5pm ,before going onto Picton to get the ferry to the North Island. Things shut down early in NZ and even the curry house in Picton had closed it’s door at 9.30 until one of the other diners let us in.
Any way here are a few pics.of the Lambretta Café Bar. Quite an art to stick a Lambretta high up on a wall. The card illustrated is usually available upstairs in the Market, down the middle on the left past Mike & Jean’s books and China.
Regards Paul (Barker)
The Lambretta Bar was a welcome sight after 3 days and we sat outside in warm sunshine and the beer kept on coming and going.
I expect a lot of you have been there but sadly it is now not what it was with little in the way of Lambretta stuff on show.
Just 4 months earlier I had stumbled across another Lambretta Bar or should I say Café in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand. We
Had only popped into Nelson for a quick look around about 5pm ,before going onto Picton to get the ferry to the North Island. Things shut down early in NZ and even the curry house in Picton had closed it’s door at 9.30 until one of the other diners let us in.
Any way here are a few pics.of the Lambretta Café Bar. Quite an art to stick a Lambretta high up on a wall. The card illustrated is usually available upstairs in the Market, down the middle on the left past Mike & Jean’s books and China.
Regards Paul (Barker)
Shrewsbury Flower Show 2012 with Starfish Advertising and Marketing
Many congratulations to Andy Walton from starfish for winning a gold medal for his 'Mod' themed garden at this years Flower Show. He was even interviewed on Central News. Here's a short video of the garden (and my scooter, of course), and a very nice accessory added courtesy of Amy. You can't beat a bit of bling;)
More pictures to be added soon-sorry about the cheesy music.
More pictures to be added soon-sorry about the cheesy music.
And then there were 9!
Having never attended a full rally, I decided to attend the 65th. Anniversary Rally in Lincoln this year (2012). Once the ‘pass’ was signed by the management in January, it seemed a long way off. However, as you all know, these things have a habit of creeping up on you! Plans were made, and accommodation booked. Yes, I know, you’re supposed to camp-but I’m getting a bit old for that, so B&B seemed the best alternative.
Safety in numbers, we all arranged to meet at Lem’s house for a 9am start, planning to meet Chris and Marie in Telford. All packed and fuelled, I left home in light drizzle for the 10 minute journey across town. Once all were assembled, we started our bikes-all except me, that is. Only a new spark plug required, but by now the rain had increased its intensity. Off we went (now running late) to Telford, to meet two very damp souls. By now, we were all wetter than a mackerel’s pocket!
Steady but sure, we made it to our first fuel stop (Catchems Corner), before we headed for Nottingham. By now, the rain was very heavy, and things were not pleasant. Just outside Nottingham, Ollie’s bike gave up. He transferred to Chris’s bike which, 5 miles later, threatened the same. So, Ollie transferred to me, for what was the driest part of the remainder of the journey to Lincoln, arriving around 3pm. Then the pantomime began. Some members (it’s fair to say) were quite adept with their erection skills-others, were not. You can draw your own conclusions when you see the video in the ‘Gallery’.
Yvonne, Brad, and myself arrived at our B&B, and were given a very warm welcome, and the use of the garage for the bikes-top man Gordon!
Good display for the custom show, where our club sponsored the trophy for ‘Best Series 2’. It’s amazing the lengths some people will go to in the search for originality and innovation. Two bikes which did impress me were ‘Little Lam’ and a three wheeler-which I think’s been in Scootering.
Usual music-Indie and Northern/Soul, whichever floats your boat? I watched a set by ‘Basket Case’. Never seen them before, but really enjoyed them.
As usual, a copious amount of ale was supped, purely in the interests of entente cordial, or course. Great bunch of like-minded people-no trouble, just a huge amount of p**s taking (some by me), and general banter. Sunday morning arrived all too soon, so we packed up, I collected my passenger for the home leg, and off we went. Not a drop of rain did we see on the way back to the Shire-bit different from the journey to Lincoln! The journey home was uneventful, and seemed quicker-just the customary fuel and fag stops.
So, all in all, what was my impression of my first full rally? In all honesty-great bunch of people, decent venue, and great craic, and yes, I will do it again;)
Jez
Safety in numbers, we all arranged to meet at Lem’s house for a 9am start, planning to meet Chris and Marie in Telford. All packed and fuelled, I left home in light drizzle for the 10 minute journey across town. Once all were assembled, we started our bikes-all except me, that is. Only a new spark plug required, but by now the rain had increased its intensity. Off we went (now running late) to Telford, to meet two very damp souls. By now, we were all wetter than a mackerel’s pocket!
Steady but sure, we made it to our first fuel stop (Catchems Corner), before we headed for Nottingham. By now, the rain was very heavy, and things were not pleasant. Just outside Nottingham, Ollie’s bike gave up. He transferred to Chris’s bike which, 5 miles later, threatened the same. So, Ollie transferred to me, for what was the driest part of the remainder of the journey to Lincoln, arriving around 3pm. Then the pantomime began. Some members (it’s fair to say) were quite adept with their erection skills-others, were not. You can draw your own conclusions when you see the video in the ‘Gallery’.
Yvonne, Brad, and myself arrived at our B&B, and were given a very warm welcome, and the use of the garage for the bikes-top man Gordon!
Good display for the custom show, where our club sponsored the trophy for ‘Best Series 2’. It’s amazing the lengths some people will go to in the search for originality and innovation. Two bikes which did impress me were ‘Little Lam’ and a three wheeler-which I think’s been in Scootering.
Usual music-Indie and Northern/Soul, whichever floats your boat? I watched a set by ‘Basket Case’. Never seen them before, but really enjoyed them.
As usual, a copious amount of ale was supped, purely in the interests of entente cordial, or course. Great bunch of like-minded people-no trouble, just a huge amount of p**s taking (some by me), and general banter. Sunday morning arrived all too soon, so we packed up, I collected my passenger for the home leg, and off we went. Not a drop of rain did we see on the way back to the Shire-bit different from the journey to Lincoln! The journey home was uneventful, and seemed quicker-just the customary fuel and fag stops.
So, all in all, what was my impression of my first full rally? In all honesty-great bunch of people, decent venue, and great craic, and yes, I will do it again;)
Jez
The 'Awfully Pleasant' Scooter Rally
Goffy had given me a flyer for the 1st Awfully Peasant Scooter Rally organised by Disco Dez Askill (ex Grand Sport Birmingham). This was just to be a Pre-62 period styled Rally, (sorry you Slimstylers and Mod-ernists, a racist rally).
We thought we would take it in on the way to camping in the New Forest for the P&O 175th Anniversary shipping parade at Southampton, so set off on 29th June with scooter and camping
gear in the Espace to Shrawley south of Stourport, to the Lenchford Hotel and campsite, a pretty spot on the River Severn with cabin cruisers gliding by. The hotel has a triangular hedged campground with portaloos adjacent so wasn’t far to walk for ablutions or a breakfast. A couple
of tents were already up when we arrived at 8.15 after a fish and chip stop in Kidderminster. Dez
had a tent, slimstyle about as big as a coffin. We first met Lee, Harry & Nathan with the greyhounds
from Weston –Super-Mare. Not sure about big dogs on scooters. Dez came and said Hello and Steve who had ridden 5 hours from Walthamstow – that’s tother side of Tottenham. With Dez we managed to find a quieter spot in the hotel away from the Karaoke, ( I didn’t fancy singing that night). Then Paul from Bideford came in looking pretty damp but cheerful in his parka. He had set off with his Royal Stuart upholstered Li in the van, the van broke down at Taunton so he got his
Lambretta Lifeboat out and carried on, kitless, only to brake down at least twice more with a hot plug. Lee appeared outside on his blue Vespa Sportique with a giant sail of a windscreen. With the wind in the right direction he might beat a Targa Twin. This scooter had just been resusicated after many years in a coma.
The following morning we were woken early by a parked diesel truck starting up over the hedge and then at 7.30 a Rallyist was broadcasting, did anyone know where he could buy a toothbrush. At least it was a dry morning and more scooters began to arrive early parking up in echelon beside the hotel. We cooked bacon and eggs then chatted to everyone arriving in sunshine. I was delighted to find a rather distressed two tone, blue and rust Li Series 1 with the same dealer plate as mine – Fred Rist of Neath.
After Dez had concluded the sale of a pale blue TV with pale blue saddles and transferred the Reg doc, we set off, 25 scooters at 12.30 for the Ride Out to Tenbury Wells, 22 miles away, through winding county lanes, up and down and glorious views. The flash flooding from 2 days earlier was evident by mud and gravel deposited on bends which made riding a bit tricky particularly when you are two up. Dez led the way on his cool Riviera LD. A couple of guys broke down – Paul from Gloucester on his newly ebay purchased white LD and Bideford Paul again who had stopped to help. The cavalcade rode into Tenbury and the Bridge pub for a good lunch laid out on a big table of sandwiches, samosas, sausage rolls, porky pies, etc, etc and we sat on leather sofas in warm sunshine.
We left before most to ride across to Droitwich to visit friends who had moved there from Shrewsbury – how daft is that. Rounding a bend after cars had been flashing us, there was a dog in the road and two scooters stopped, Eamon & Andrew from Derby, one parked up across the oncoming lane, stopping the traffic, helping to round up the dawg. We just carried on , passed the turning off for the campsite, then became aware that one of the scooters was following us. After we turned south onto the A38 for Worcester, I pulled over at the next roundabout for Droitwich and Andrew stopped alongside asking me if I was lost. He thought we were going back to the campsite.
I gave him the sketch map of the ride out and said he just had to retrace his steps or come and have tea. He never made it back to the campsite. After getting further lost he decided to head home to Derby via God knows where and encountered another incident an accident, leaving his kit at the campsite with Eamon. Eamon, Andrew’s – This is Your Life – Getting Lost.
That evening we had a chicken curry in the hotel and a good crack with the lads and lasses and Gino who had fallen off with a blow out, with his lady on the back, after the IOW Rally last year, ending up in the Oxford John Radcliffe with cracked ribs. I had a breakdown truck out on the Sunday morn as had flattened the battery on the car leaving the fridge connected.
Allo Allo – the rarly in the varlie has been booked for the same weekend next year. Thanks Dez for the experience.
Paul Barker
We thought we would take it in on the way to camping in the New Forest for the P&O 175th Anniversary shipping parade at Southampton, so set off on 29th June with scooter and camping
gear in the Espace to Shrawley south of Stourport, to the Lenchford Hotel and campsite, a pretty spot on the River Severn with cabin cruisers gliding by. The hotel has a triangular hedged campground with portaloos adjacent so wasn’t far to walk for ablutions or a breakfast. A couple
of tents were already up when we arrived at 8.15 after a fish and chip stop in Kidderminster. Dez
had a tent, slimstyle about as big as a coffin. We first met Lee, Harry & Nathan with the greyhounds
from Weston –Super-Mare. Not sure about big dogs on scooters. Dez came and said Hello and Steve who had ridden 5 hours from Walthamstow – that’s tother side of Tottenham. With Dez we managed to find a quieter spot in the hotel away from the Karaoke, ( I didn’t fancy singing that night). Then Paul from Bideford came in looking pretty damp but cheerful in his parka. He had set off with his Royal Stuart upholstered Li in the van, the van broke down at Taunton so he got his
Lambretta Lifeboat out and carried on, kitless, only to brake down at least twice more with a hot plug. Lee appeared outside on his blue Vespa Sportique with a giant sail of a windscreen. With the wind in the right direction he might beat a Targa Twin. This scooter had just been resusicated after many years in a coma.
The following morning we were woken early by a parked diesel truck starting up over the hedge and then at 7.30 a Rallyist was broadcasting, did anyone know where he could buy a toothbrush. At least it was a dry morning and more scooters began to arrive early parking up in echelon beside the hotel. We cooked bacon and eggs then chatted to everyone arriving in sunshine. I was delighted to find a rather distressed two tone, blue and rust Li Series 1 with the same dealer plate as mine – Fred Rist of Neath.
After Dez had concluded the sale of a pale blue TV with pale blue saddles and transferred the Reg doc, we set off, 25 scooters at 12.30 for the Ride Out to Tenbury Wells, 22 miles away, through winding county lanes, up and down and glorious views. The flash flooding from 2 days earlier was evident by mud and gravel deposited on bends which made riding a bit tricky particularly when you are two up. Dez led the way on his cool Riviera LD. A couple of guys broke down – Paul from Gloucester on his newly ebay purchased white LD and Bideford Paul again who had stopped to help. The cavalcade rode into Tenbury and the Bridge pub for a good lunch laid out on a big table of sandwiches, samosas, sausage rolls, porky pies, etc, etc and we sat on leather sofas in warm sunshine.
We left before most to ride across to Droitwich to visit friends who had moved there from Shrewsbury – how daft is that. Rounding a bend after cars had been flashing us, there was a dog in the road and two scooters stopped, Eamon & Andrew from Derby, one parked up across the oncoming lane, stopping the traffic, helping to round up the dawg. We just carried on , passed the turning off for the campsite, then became aware that one of the scooters was following us. After we turned south onto the A38 for Worcester, I pulled over at the next roundabout for Droitwich and Andrew stopped alongside asking me if I was lost. He thought we were going back to the campsite.
I gave him the sketch map of the ride out and said he just had to retrace his steps or come and have tea. He never made it back to the campsite. After getting further lost he decided to head home to Derby via God knows where and encountered another incident an accident, leaving his kit at the campsite with Eamon. Eamon, Andrew’s – This is Your Life – Getting Lost.
That evening we had a chicken curry in the hotel and a good crack with the lads and lasses and Gino who had fallen off with a blow out, with his lady on the back, after the IOW Rally last year, ending up in the Oxford John Radcliffe with cracked ribs. I had a breakdown truck out on the Sunday morn as had flattened the battery on the car leaving the fridge connected.
Allo Allo – the rarly in the varlie has been booked for the same weekend next year. Thanks Dez for the experience.
Paul Barker
From mongrel to pedigree?
Marie and Chris purchased this specimen a little while ago, and have transformed it into another beauty! Yet another one for the Lions fleet methinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scooters at the bottom of the garden?
I heard an interesting tale the other day from Bayston Hill plumber Kevin Cater, who told me about the time they buried two old Lambrettas at the bottom of their garden when they lived in a council house off Ladymas Road in Hadnall.
His dad had been asking him to get rid of two tatty Lambrettas that were taking up space in the pig sty. I have heard that pigs might fly, but never that they rode Lambrettas. Mind you they were always very good at stopping yours truly when I was riding my Lambretta around Swansea and Cardiff in the late 60’s.
According to Kevin, they should still be there. Sadly they cut through the frames before burying them about 4 feet under.
Anyone fancy some digging ?
Paul Barker
His dad had been asking him to get rid of two tatty Lambrettas that were taking up space in the pig sty. I have heard that pigs might fly, but never that they rode Lambrettas. Mind you they were always very good at stopping yours truly when I was riding my Lambretta around Swansea and Cardiff in the late 60’s.
According to Kevin, they should still be there. Sadly they cut through the frames before burying them about 4 feet under.
Anyone fancy some digging ?
Paul Barker