Scooters
Maurice Moore – “What scooters did you drive back then – make, colour, mirrors, etc. Did you have a tail?”
Paul Terry Watson – “LI 150 my pride and joy, full front rear racks mirrors whip aerial, crash bars, mudflap with chrome tax disc in the middle, skinny front Mudgard, blue side panels white stripes, flyscreen , wish I still had it. No photos either 308- DVO.”
Siddo Mel Senior – “I can hear you cursing from here, not a conventional Mod scooter, I had for a very short time a BSA, 608 HRR, then progressed to a Grey Mini Van. Sorry!!!!”
Danny W.Gill – “A Barton’s bus.”
John Hauselt – “Lambretta Pacemaker, Silver, Chrome Side Panels, front and rear racks, whitewall tyres (painted) Flyscreen. Still looking for pics.”
Stephen Coleman – “Rover 90 then a Hillman Imp.”
Tim Northern – “Li 150 red Front and back rack, mirrors, flyscreen, crash bars, back rest, aerial and broken foot stand from banking around corners.”
Paul Thorpe – “This was the only one I had in the 50’s, got a red & white Li 150 now, it’s a work in progress …”
Paul Terry Watson – “Better late than never Paul, well that ones about as cut down as you could get.”
Paul Thorpe – “Triang, very economical, brakes a bit ropey though ….”
Paul Terry Watson – “Probably the same as my Lambretta then.”
Roger Lowe – “Blue minivan.”
John Murphy – “1960 Li 150 series 2. Had it 1964/65. Painted it different colours every few weeks. Ripped front mudguard off and put ally motorbike one on. No chrome ‘cos I was a prento on 4 quid a week, but did have the 11’ tank aerial with Esso tiger tail on. Loved the Skeggy Easter runs and only mode of transport then.”
Louis Singer – “LS 125, chromed up, Union Jack mudflap, 45 mph top speed down hill wind assisted.”
Alan Jukes – “LI 150 series two. Still do.”
Chris Lawson – “Lambretta 150 blue and white with fox fur tail some lights and back rest.”
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Maurice Moore – “I don’t think most mods had lots of mirrors or spotlights etc on their scooters back in the 60s … or did you?”
John Murphy – “On £4 5s 1d a week as a prento I couldn’t afford it Maurice.”
Alan Jukes – “I did Maurice until I came off and couldn’t afford to replace it. Bought a minivan instead.”
Dougie Bairstow – “Best extra on my Lambretta LI was the outrigger silencer, used to echo off Harrisons, Curtess, Jeffs and Continental House when you rode up Hockley.”
Peter Wilson – “Did you have an aerial on the back with back rest and a tiger’s tail at the top. And what about chromed side panels or Union Jack on them?”
John Murphy – “11′ tank aerial from Bath Street, Army Surplus. ESSO tiger’s tails hanging from handlebar grips.”
Embed from Getty ImagesMal Redman – “Had one on Lambo not for long got nicked.”
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Dougie Bairstow – “I remember coming off my scooter on Ekowe Street, still cobbled back then and as soon as it rained they were deadly if you were on two wheels. I went to Jocylyns if I had money which wasn’t too often as I was still at school when I owned my first Lambretta LI. I bought it from TMS on Carlton Road for £49.00. Had hire purchase and my Mum had to sign as a guarantor. Sold it on after a couple of years to Roy Harrison (Sparrow) or Dave Renshaw can’t remember which. Spent more time fixing it than riding it.”
Paul Terry Watson – “Brings back memories, slipping and sliding on the cobbled streets plus white lines, tyres nearly as shiny as my accessories. Got talked into taking Liz Holgate to Wakefield, seized up on the way back, my dad collected my scoot in the boot of his Humber Imperial. Had the engine rebuilt, then sold it. Wish I had car and scoot now.”
John Wood – “One for the old ‘Scooter Boys’ … did anyone buy accessories – crash bars, racks, mirrors, spots, etc from sure it was called ‘Josslin’s’. It was on Vernon Road in Bulwell on the right going out of the city … spent a few bob in there.”
Mick Hatcher – “I remember Josslin’s on Hyson Green.”
Paul Terry Watson – “Was that Glens or Brownhills? Both sold scooter accessories.”
Roger Flowers – “It was on Hyson Green facing the Old General.”
Paul Terry Watson – “Remember it now Roger.”
Peter Wilson – “Yes, Josslins was at Hyson Green almost opposite The Old General Pub. I bought a Vespa from there, my Grandfather had to be guarantor.”
Peter Brown – “Bought my Vespa from Blacknells. Accessories came from Josslins, wheel discs, crash bars, racks and sports exhaust. Failed my first driving test in Basford. Fell off after skidding on damp cobbles during emergency stop. The examiner laughed.”
Les Burton – “No Blacknells Trent Bridge near Globe Cinema.”
Stephen Jeffery – “Blacknells Motor Parts. The other one was Jocelyn.”
Peter Brown – “Still got the receipt.”
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Maurice Moore – “I had to be different. I had a DKR Defiant, British scooter made in the West Midlands. It was powered by a 197c.c. blower cooled, single-cylinder, two-stroke Villiers engine. It had a big hump over the front wheel, which to many made it look ugly or even pregnant and I painted it a bright orange colour to make sure it stood out. I used to drive this to the Dungeon and around the Square, hanging around and parking with the other mods on scooters in front of the Council House. One Bank Holiday weekend, I took it on a run – to the Mojo for an all-nighter, followed by Skegness for the rest of the weekend.
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Mini Vans & Cars
Eddy Barry – “A few of us were known as the Mini Boys, we all crowded into Gra Whalley’s green mini van. Only ever the one van. Some of us had scooters as well.
Lots of other mods at the time had minis, it was big in Nottingham. But some people thought the other Mini owners were part of our group. They weren’t. I’ve named the lads who were part of our group before on here. Can we get a list together describing the other minis and who owned them?”
Peter Wilson – “I had a Ford Anglia 396 LNN then a Minivan 166 AAU B.”
Siddo Mel Senior – “I had a Ford Anglia Van 698 GXD (Firms) and my own Maroon Mini FNN 643 D, but I was not one of your group. This picture before I fitted twin Webber Carbs, Lucas spot lights (plus one on the boot) and of course go fast stripes, which didn’t make it go any faster …”
Mario Joseph – “I remember the green mini vans had the letter L on the back, what did this stand for?”
Craig Strong – “You sure you don’t mean E on the back, which meant free love?”
Mario Joseph – “That’s right it was an E. Don’t know we’re the L came from.”
Craig Strong – “It’s because you could make an F and L from the E. Just overlay the letters.”
Brian Jones – “A few of the lads from the Chilwell/Beeston area had the mandatory Mini Van … Dropped suspension, wheel spacers and the spare wheel mounted on the rear door were the norm …”
Pete Wardle – “And the spot light on the back to dazzle anyone behind.”
John Hauselt – “I had a Grey one. Rack on top, stripes on side, black painted wheels and spotlights on the front. Have photos somewhere, will find and post.”
Ann Carlton – “Only one lot of Mini boys, Eddy Barry.”
Peter Hawkins – “I swapped my Lambretta 175 for A35 van and that for grey mini van with go faster stripes and thick town and country tyres. It was always parked under the Hyson Green flats, loved it, exchanged that for Zephyr six.”
Philip Jones – “The one I remember was grey with a Nottingham Coat of Arms on the bonnet, don’t know who owned it.”
Ann Barry – “Metallic pale blue owned by John Berry, found usually in the company of Alan Daft from the Meadows and Keith Oxby. I think also a lad called Alan Smith.”
Ann Barry – “Kenny Astle … was his mini the black one?”
Maurice Moore – “Kenny had a black one with a yellow stripe and an E, Nigel Tatton had a grey one with a black stripe and an E.”
Steve Banting – “Did one of the Mini Boys work in the mudguard shop at the Raleigh, Eddy?”
Eddy Barry – “No I don’t think so. But one of our mates from a bit later worked at Raleigh. Dave Baguley.”
Ann Barry – “A few lads who had minis in 1966 … Twink. John Nequest. Mick and Ian (don’t know surnames), Frank (no surname) who had a red mini.”
Ann Barry – “Twink had ‘a white mini with a Cooper engine’.”
Chris Lawson drove some Newark Mods to Newquay in the car pictured below.
Ann Barry – “Someone called John O’Reilly had a red mini. Can’t remember him, can anyone else? ‘He’s a proper lad, always dishing out compliments but he does to everybody so you don’t take any notice’. Sounds like he kissed the Blarney Stone.”
Ann Barry – “On a roll now. Lad called Everett (forename) – British Racing Green and white.”
Susan Foster – “Everett Kirk !”
Ann Barry – “Last ones for a bit. Derek had a pal Davey, with a TURQUOISE mini with a white roof. And someone called Nick with a mini van that was GOLD with a black roof. Hope someone recognises themselves.”
Ann Barry – “More?”
Ann Barry – “Green Mini Cooper with a white roof … Dave.”
Maurice Moore – “Also during the 60s, I had a Ford Popular which I often had to start with the starter handle and it had physical direction indicators which appeared out of the side of the car when switched on.
“The Popular was followed by a Morris Minor and the decade was completed by the obligatory Austin Mini.”
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Maurice Moore – “Just thought … we have talked about the scooters or cars (minis) that the guys drove back in the old days, but what about the girls?”
Steve Leadbeater – “They drove you mad – loved them to bits.”
Christine Tarr – “Here you go Maurice. Girls on wheels.”
Maurice Moore – “So Chrissie – very nice – when where who what?”
Christine Tarr – “Triumph spitfire … was 1967, the year I passed my test … the location you may recognise as near to you and Micky …”
Douglas Bairstow – “Was it broken down, they usually were.”
Christine Tarr – “Always breaking down!!!!! One night after the Brit it nearly went in the Trent … awful car.”
Carol Heithus – “Girl power back in the day, not all about the boy’s. Good one Chris, Girl power.”
Eileen Smith – “Go girl.”
Ann Barry – “As I thought Maurice Moore, Christine Tarr was and still is something a bit special. As far as I recall, I didn’t know any girls who had a car in those days. Let alone a cool car like this. It’s not Wollaton Vale is it … maybe Thoresby Road?”
Christine Tarr – “Thank you Ann for the kind comment, it is Thoresby Road just before you hit the hill to Bramcote Lane shops … a pain in the bum reversing onto!!!!”
Ann Barry – “Shanks’s pony for me, I didn’t learn to drive until 1973. So here’s one for you Maurice, of me sitting on my dad’s car about 1966, which is the closest I got.”
Margaret Kerslake – “Lovely photo Ann – gorgeous girl.”
Ann Barry – “Thank you for saying so Margaret.”
Eileen Smith – “You look so young Ann.”
Ann Barry – “I was. Once. A long time ago.”
Jacky Swift – “You look like a model, Ann, lovely photo.”
Ann Barry – “Skinny enough but that’s about it Jacky. But thank you for saying so.”
Stuart Morris – “Ann. Reminds me of the times I sat on the long bench seats on buses where my feet didn’t reach the floor.”
Ann Barry – “Ha Ha Stuart Morris.”
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Peter Wilson – “Who remembers having Air Horns on their scooter or Mini?”
Bob Musgrove – “Had them on my Vespa!!! “
Colin Messon – “Had them on my Morris minor they were great.”
Josephine Pate – “Still got one on ours Pete just doesn’t work!“
Steve Leadbeater – “In me Escort Masarati twin.”
Paul Thorpe – “Had them on my minivan (in the early 80’s).”
The Dungeon Club, Nottingham 1964-8 