Geoff S

We aren't all nesh 🙂

With a Spitfire you don't need to open the door to get in.

To get out of a tight spot you just need a steering lock like Triumph Spitfire - it almost turns the wheels at 90 degrees! Never had any problems 'unparking' - or parking for that matter when we had one. 🙂

I know exactly how you feel. I grieve my former life, too. I was in a similar position back in 1990 when I was 50. I did regain some of my fitness over time - and time, I'm afraid is what it takes. I was super-fit back then and you seem to be the same and that helps a lot. It's not easy but you're a very intelligent, determined person and I'm sure you'll overcome your difficulties. I can only offer my best wishes for an eventual recovery.

That sounds horrendous and must have been terrifying. People have been killed by automatic cars pushing them into an obstruction. It's not only cars that hi-tech is taking over. One of the big improvement to pedal cycles is in the gearing. I started out with non-indexed downtube shifters which have the advantage of being uncritical as to mixing components. However indexed gearing has big advantages. Our tandem has a 9 speed cassette at the back and a triple chainset at the front. Changing to the middle ring often means changing up a sprocket at the back for a comfortable gear - the gear change is so good, both can be done at once. Things are getting silly, though with electronic wireless shifting that's used on the most expensive bikes as used by prop road racers. The cable changers work well on our tandem, even with the long cables needed when there's room for two. Why change a simple, easily maintained length of bowden cable for an expensive (and potentially difficult to repair) piece of electronics? I feel the same about car handbrakes.

Yes, I remember my dad once saying that about the same period he witnessed the result of a head-on collision between 2 cars on a narrow Peak District lane when he was out on his motorbike. The consensus was that they were unlucky they happened to meet on a corner because the roads were so quiet. Of course, my father never needed to take a driving test 🙂 I have a photograph of our shop taken in 1956 on the main road between Nottingham and Ambergate on the A6. It's obviously the middle of the day because the shops are open but almost no parked cars even without any restrictions. The increase in traffic since is amazing, yet accidents are fewer.

Yes, so did we. The poor horse had to pull the laden 4 wheeled float up the hill from the Co-op Dairy into the town but it knew the round and provided manure for roses at the same time 🙂

Well, that'd help me when I changed up the BSA way 🙂 My 1965 Lightning swapped the gears to the left and made it up for up, which was OK until I 'forgot' when accelerating hard in 3rd and changed up to 2nd! Fortunately, I realised in time before any damage! Lovely 150cc Terrier. Someone's spent a few hours on the restoration. You? I did search for 1953 98cc Excelsior Consorts a few weeks ago (my first bike) and found one on eBay advertised at £3000! That's 100 times what I paid for mine in 1956! I did a lot of miles on mine but, as it didn't have a speedometer (not required on <100cc bikes) I've no idea how many.

Back in the late 60s I attended a short night school class series delivered by a traffic policeman. I remember his saying regarding 30mph speed limits that you're generally OK if you keep below 40mph! How things change! Nowadays I tend to keep to speed limits (though occasionally on a slight downhill I creep above 30) and I've never been a 'casual' driver (an attitude encouraged by being both a motor and pedal cyclist, when any accident can be more serious). I'm not too sure about these extra aids. I feel that the encourage a more lackadaisical attitude when what's needed is concentration at all times. I'm not sure if it's just my age but since buying a car with an automatic transmission I've become a steadier driver. However it certainly accelerates when needed and I still do that when overtaking as I feel the less time on the 'wrong' side of the road the better. Will speed limiting 'aids' make overtaking more dangerous when a very brief and minor excursion over the limit can be safer? I hate tailgaters! Overtaking is best done from well back as I learned when driving the well-handling but somewhat under-powered 850cc Mini I 'married' back in 1967 🙂

My wife complained yesterday that her single set of headphone cable got tangled. In this case you obviously don't need two to tango(l). I used to keep my meter, oscilloscope, signal generator etc cables tidily in my bench drawer at work - i was convinced they were reproducing they were so hard to extract.

My BMW R69S broke down in the middle of nowhere. I was pretty sure it was simply a matter of cleaning the points which are concealed under an aluminium cover at the front of the engine. I unlocked the toolbox and found it empty - I'd forgotten to replace them. In those days motorcyclists stopped to help a fellow rider and one did. He gave me a Bahco spanner and, saying he could get another at work, left me to go to said work. I was on my way in minutes and I still have the spanner 40+ years later. I have a bigger one I found at the side of the road when pedal cycling. They're brilliant .

Is that a wooden (built or ARTF) or a foamie? Glow or electric, in the first case?

My HK Gloster Gladiator is always fully assembled and is easy to transport. My Flair SE5a would also fit easily, though I usually assemble it at the field as I do my DBS&S 58" Moths (though at 58" ws they'd be a bit of squeeze assembled)

If a bipe doesn't need working rigging, then you can simulate it with quickly attached elastic thread and retain the look. My smaller scale DB Cirrus/Gipsy Moth looks reasonably OK even with one flying wire missing 🙂.

You can see all the 'Look at Life' series here as well as lots of other old films etc. It's a fantastic site.