She sits across the table from the 'Antiques Roadshow' expert, this woman in her fifties in middle-aged clothes. As he paws her items for valuation, a wan condescending smile smears across his middle-class face."So,these Sex Pistols posters you've brought in, I shall assume these are from when you were a punk?". Her eyes dart,and a broad Brummie accent retorts, "I STILL AM!"
When I first got the bike bug as a kid,my first passion,my daydreams in school,were trials bikes. Bultaco's,Yamaha TYs,Twinshock Hondas; I wanted one so badly, and things only got worse when the TV trials series "Kickstart" began to be screened. There was now no escape from this obsession, my eyes became saucers as Schrieber,Lejeune and co did battle every summer teatime from 1979 onwards.
Time rolls on and I now have that TY175 I always wanted,and a damn sweet machine it is too.Six months after smashing my knee in India I was out practising on it, all felt OK (even when I fell off !) so I decided to enter a trial. A new club to me, Dales Classic had set up a good course for the 50/60 strong pre 65 and Twinshock riders. Up there on that Derbyshire moor, the contemptuous wind whipping it's way through skin and resolve,I did examine my commitment to motorcycle sport. Nonetheless,I donned the five-quid-plus-postage brand new classic trials coat and ripped over to the easier sections. Some were indeed easy, which I repeatedly "cleaned",( i.e no faults) and others were nightmares,but the most satisfying is the one that's defeated you all day and on that final fourth attempt you sail through balanced & beaming. In no way did I achieve a respectable score, but it was in two figures rather than three, and I don't see many places these days where you can get a 2 hour buzz for £12. So,a nice to return to 'competition' and a welcome dig down to my roots.For me and poster lady it's a case of never lose sight of "What Makes You Tick and What Gives You a Kick" .That's my saying for today -and days still a twinkle in the twylight.
