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targetman wrote:I thought you meant real bikes......

What, like this one?

Brilliant pic Bobbob, any history on it, who it is and where it was?

ovenpaa wrote:Brilliant pic Bobbob, any history on it, who it is and where it was?

The man is Arthur William Bennett 1906-71, my grandfather. The little girl is my mum born in 1934. Not sure where it was taken. (Just called my mum but she is out somewhere). I know war was declared just after her fifth birthday so I think it was probably taken around 1937/8. As for where it was, they lived in Poplar and used to go down to Kent so I would guess it was in Kent. I think he probably built the sidecar himself as he was a good carpenter, used to be an odd job man at the cinema in East Ham. He was an ARP Warden during the war, couldn't join up as he was blind in one eye after a dog bit him.
I don't have many memories as I was only about 6 when he died. I know he made me a lovely blackboard and easel and taped a roll of threepenny bits to the leg :)

How about this fine specimen, (the engine, not the man, my dad. :) )



Never too young to learn. My dad and big brother in about 1959/60.

Good pictures, I think there is a picture of my father with an ES2 and chair somewhere, I need to find out. I have no idea what the engine is the first picture but if it fits the bike in the second picture it reminds me of a Brock or similar, any ideas?

Not sure what it was but I know my dad had quite a few bikes, sadly unless I hold a seance I can't ask him

I do remember though that when I was little and we went back to my nan's house where the pictures were taken, there was the corrugated iron bits of a war time shelter against the wall in the garden with a motorbike in it. It was something my dad owned when he and my mum lived there and it was just left. As my dad said, bikes were two a penny in those days.

The first memories I have of our family owning our own transport was a motorbike and sidecar. Apparently we raised smiles as we went on holiday with my potty bungeed to the back :shock:

Update on the picture.
They lived in Stratford so it was probably taken on Wanstead Flats. (Didn't move to Poplar until they were bombed out).

As for motorbikes, he had a James at some point. My mum has load of pictures with bikes and airplanes from the fifties onwards. Have to get my paws on them. :)

For some reason he reminds me of my father. He taught me the basis of what I know about motorbikes, we restored an early post war 350 RE together in the early 80's and what I learnt allowed me to take on my first restoration which was a 1946 500 Norton 16H. I have always had a thing for old bikes and had quite a collection until I got divorced. Maybe one day I will do one more restoration but finding a suitable candidate is getting harder by the minute. Until recently I had a mid 20's 996 V Twin Matchless in bits but that was sold to fund a 4(T) last year. I guess rifles are more important these days

My Dad used to have an Ariel Square Four, with sidecar. This sketch used to sit on his bedside table. It now sits on mine.





Jenks

My dad used to ride a Vallacet (250cc?), but I can't find any information at all on the net....

My dad had a 1925 Matchless 1000 v twin also in bits it was a started but never finished project it ended with him selling the bike to a friend who just wanted the engine for a 3 wheeled Morgan a crying shame but it was needs must at the time I think as the friend was pestering him for years to sell it