Suicidal.

[old_git]

Found a note in the fireplace grate this morning.
"Tried to get the prototype Bauhaus-Walstein Baritone sax down your chimney last night but wouldn't go. Tried straightening it out but the bell is still too big, so returning it to Lapland.
signed Santa."

 

[DaveW]

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[AlanU]

What a ******* nightmare!

Hang on. I haven't got a chimney!
Is this why Santa hasn't been?

Sink is blocked too. Nothing in, nothing out.

 

[old_git]

Automatic, non-reply-able e-mail this morning:-
"Would have left it at my franchise at Matchams Park but Dorset Trading Standards closed it down. Pick up from Lapland only."

Passport elapsed.🙁

 

[Col9]

mmmmm I wondered where it had gone xmas night, mind you those elf techs know their stuff as it was back soooo quick and no sign of any bell straightening 😛

As for Matchams, that brings back memories from a few years ago (30) wasnt it a small theme park thing with a little train near Christchurch?

Col.

 

[old_git]

Col9 wrote:
As for Matchams, that brings back memories from a few years ago (30) wasnt it a small theme park thing with a little train near Christchurch?
Col.

Don and Derek Rickman's home Scramble (MotoCross) circuit before they started building road racing chassis.
Do NOT remind me how long ago that was.

 

[Col9]

Oh yeah, youre right, I knew it was holiday related somehow. 8|

Col.

 

[peedee]

I chuffed along to Matchams on me little beezer bantam to see the stock cars about 26 years ago. Drove a bus past there a few times before i retired, horrible roller coaster road.
🙂

 

[old_git]

Wasn't it the Hants Grand National that was THE event of their MotoCross year? Possibly Easter Monday as always went to Brands for the Hutch on Good Friday. Must admit my Leader looked wimpish compared with those sickles.
Incidentally Pete, how often did your Bantam plug whisker?

 

[peedee]

correction: for 26 yrs ago read 46 yrs ago. Trying to kid myself again!
'plug whisker'? Must be bikers talk, clarify bitte.

 

[old_git]

Two strokes of that era were prone with the fuels and oils used, to grow a metallic spike between the electrodes of the plug, resulting in instant stop. Must admit I only rode one Bantam and around fifteen miles was its record. Golden Lodge surface discharge plugs generally cured the problem but as the Bantam was borrowed, didn't bother.
Any other ancient remember the Hutch at Brands. Went round the other way. At least Paddock wasn't so scary.

 

[young_col]

Oh yes Bill. First time I saw bikes there I wondered what was going on with them going the wrong way round. Have done Paddock over the years in a few different cars - including a single seater -and it catches you when flat out unless you get the apex right. Most scary of all was being a passenger in an Audi TT driven by a professional driver - hitting the bottom before going up to Druids you really feel the compression in your spine and feel quite sick after a few laps!
Colin

 

[old_git]

Agree Colin, one of the guys during the C2 sports car era reckoned without the compression, you'd end up in Gravesend, in both senses.
Always used to aim at the Ambulance Gate and then turn in. If you were battling with someone, try and put them through the ambulance gate.
The wasted years of youth, we could have been playing saxophone.

 

[peedee]

old git wrote:
Two strokes of that era were prone with the fuels and oils used, to grow a metallic spike between the electrodes of the plug, resulting in instant stop. Must admit I only rode one Bantam and around fifteen miles was its record. Golden Lodge surface discharge plugs generally cured the problem but as the Bantam was borrowed, didn't bother.

Had a few things go wrong with it, but not that. Used to get 45mph out of it (stop laughing Smiffy
😡 ) and thought I was flying. Happy days. Used to commute to/from HMS Mercury, Clanfield nr Pompey. One trip back taking the country route back late at night (dark country lanes) and me lights went, ended up in the ditch, and a hedge couple of times, then about two miles from destination the throttle cable went, so had to push it the rest of the way. Got there about 3 am and was on duty again at 7! A lot of steep hills around Clanfield/Meon Valley. Sort of lost interest in it after that, but was off to sea again anyway, so flogged it for a fiver as far as I can remember. The reg. was POU 336, wish I'd kept it 🙁
If not careful this could turn into yet another bikers thread! 🙂

 

[AlanU]

Ooh-er!
When I originally posted on this thread I never imagined it would turn to motorcycle past lives!

My last bikes were a Greeves 24 TFS trials and a Cotton Telstar road racer. Wish I still had them.

The one that really got away was a BSA 350 Gold Star that a mate lent me for six months while I re-built my Ducati single.
He offered it to me for ?75 in about 1974. I didn't have 75 quid then and gave it back to him.
Imagine a DB32, close ratio box, lots of Tickle mods etc for ?75.

If I'd only thought of borrowing the money. Getting a loan for example? How stupid I was.

By the way, motorcycles don't fit down chimneys. Evel Kneivel told me that.

 

[old_git]

Push, PeeDee? Did it never occur to you to increase the tick-over speed and ride the thing. Sorry Pete, you'll never be a real grime crusted biker.

Alan one of Bert's 'fart in a colander eardrum busters' and one built in Kent. And they tried to tell us bikes couldn't be built in the South. The Norman was a useful tool, won quite a few production races, or was that Derek's input?

edited to remove an extra 'bike'.