Dad's motorcycle combination towing a caravan in Devon .. (1 Viewer)

scotjimland

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While sifting through dad's old family photos, I found this one of us on holiday, it was taken around 1954 ..

On the back it says.. Typical hedges of Devon..

The motorcycle was a single pot Norton 500cc .

He built the 'caravan' at home in the back garden..very simple affair.. .. it had two fold down canvas hammock beds for me and my sister.. mum and dad slept on the floor on a double air bed.. The rear wall opened up to form a roof, it had two legs, with side screens to form a kitchen/ washing room..


My mum looks as if she is posing side saddle .. gauntlets on the roof of the sidecar.. you can just make out the pilots goggles on her forehead..

perhaps one of the first motorcycle combinations towing a caravan.. ?

IMG_0002.jpg
 
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Anthea M

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While sifting through dad's old family photos, I found this one of us on holiday, it was taken around 1954 ..

On the back it says.. Typical hedges of Devon..

The motorcycle was a single pot Norton 500cc .

He built the 'caravan' at home in the back garden..very simple affair.. .. it had two fold down canvas hammock beds for me and my sister.. mum and dad slept on the floor on a double air bed.. The rear wall opened up to form a roof, it had two legs, with side screens to form a kitchen/ washing room..


My mum looks as if she is posing side saddle .. gauntlets on the roof of the sidecar.. you can just make out the pilots goggles on her forehead..

perhaps one of the first motorcycle combinations towing a caravan.. ?

View attachment 103703
Lovely memories ... Did it put you off tugging for years? Or did you do the same when grown up?

Just remembered my FIL took wife ,wife's sister and young baby in a side car on holiday in the early 1950s! No health and safety then as they had just lived through a war!
 

Anthea M

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errr.. never put me off.. :LOL:

yes.. had several caravans .. between motorhomes :) but never had a motorcycle.. one of my regrets..
Oops just read my post again !!! You know what I meant!!;) Caravans!!

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Snowbird

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Great photos Jim. One of my earliest travel recollections was going to New Brighton through the old Mersey tunnel in a double Watsonian sidecar accompanied by my mother and cousin. It was piloted by my uncle with my aunt riding pillion. No crash helmets, just an old army greatcoat for protection from the elements. I sometimes wonder how we managed to survive these jaunts unscathed.
 
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scotjimland

scotjimland

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No crash helmets, just an old army greatcoat for protection from the elements. I sometimes wonder how we managed to survive these jaunts unscathed.

yip.. remember my mum and dad all kitted out with ex army great coats, pilots goggles and flying helmets, and long armed gauntlets.. .. he also had a tank commanders leather waistcoat.. awesome..

I think at one time he had an ex WD motorcycle.. still painted in MOD green .. there was a huge Army and Navy store in Glasgow..

In the 60s I loved going to it and buying all sorts of stuff.. Japanese Navy Admiral's jackets etc .. :LOL:.. all the rage then

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Chris

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That's fantastic.

Thanks for posting Jim(y)
 

vwalan

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i still have a teardrop caravan i bought it to tow behind my trike years ago. it was built to go behind a m,cycle and side car and did two tors of europe . not my bike and side car. it is vinyl covered to match the busmar side car it paired up with.
i also took it around morocco and europe a few times behind my vw van
also behind my mazda bongo .
great bit of kit . it was made in 81 . dont think i shall ever sell it its great.
great pics jim .

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Great photos Jim. One of my earliest travel recollections was going to New Brighton through the old Mersey tunnel in a double Watsonian sidecar accompanied by my mother and cousin. It was piloted by my uncle with my aunt riding pillion. No crash helmets, just an old army greatcoat for protection from the elements. I sometimes wonder how we managed to survive these jaunts unscathed.

SURVIVERS Cause we were dragged up properly,,,no namby pamby interfereing do gooders about in those days...BUSBY...
 
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While sifting through dad's old family photos, I found this one of us on holiday, it was taken around 1954 ..

On the back it says.. Typical hedges of Devon..

The motorcycle was a single pot Norton 500cc .

He built the 'caravan' at home in the back garden..very simple affair.. .. it had two fold down canvas hammock beds for me and my sister.. mum and dad slept on the floor on a double air bed.. The rear wall opened up to form a roof, it had two legs, with side screens to form a kitchen/ washing room..


My mum looks as if she is posing side saddle .. gauntlets on the roof of the sidecar.. you can just make out the pilots goggles on her forehead..

perhaps one of the first motorcycle combinations towing a caravan.. ?

View attachment 103703

You wouldn't be able to stop in the road to take pictures like that now..!:)

Love old photos....(y)
 

Snowbird

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yip.. remember my mum and dad all kitted out with ex army great coats, pilots goggles and helmets, and long armed gauntlets.. .. he also had a tank commanders leather waistcoat.. awesome..

I think at one time he had an ex WD motorcycle.. still painted in MOD green .. there was a huge Army and Navy store in Glasgow..

In the 60s I loved going to it and buying all sorts of stuff.. Japanese Navy Admiral's jackets etc .. :LOL:.. all the rage then

Haha. I remember those leather waistcoats. All (older) motorcyclists wore them when I was a kid. What were those strange waterproof coats made from, I seem to remember them being a kahki colour and almost reached the floor, they were made from a strange rubbery material and all motorcyclist wore them in those days.

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vwalan

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Haha. I remember those leather waistcoats. All (older) motorcyclists wore them when I was a kid. What were those strange waterproof coats made from, I seem to remember them being a kahki colour and almost reached the floor, they were made from a strange rubbery material and all motorcyclist wore them in those days.
later they were known as black prince coats or something . i have one here my dad used one on his m,bike
 
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vwalan

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yes thats it for the leather jerkins .
i was on about the rubbery ones dav mentioned .
those leather ones are still available on ebay.
coalmen used to wear them alot i recall.

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Tootles

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I think this is, or very like, the one he had..

$_57.JPG

They are ex-Army WW2, and were issued to artillery troops and drivers, but of coarse, everyone got their sticky hands on them. I remember our coalman having one in the 1950's.

If you stood near to the East Lancashire Road in Salford on a Sunday back then, you could see fleets of bike combinations heading off to Southport for the day. Rider wearing 'Corker' helmet, ex Army dispatch riders long coat, and leather gauntlets, with clogs as well!! Wife on the back wearing a head scarf, and clutching a giant handbag, whilst the chair was stuffed full of exited kids. (y)(y)

corker.jpg
 

Snowbird

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So the strange waterproof coats could have been ex dispatch riders coats ?.

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Tootles

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fantastic.. I want one !
You can still get them, Jim.............(y) Condition is the thing though. Thousands were hung up behind outside loo doors in Salford.......:D

Mk 8 goggles, or ex WW2 fighter pilots goggles, could be bought for about six shillings.

Clothing-DLewis-1961-15449.jpg
 

Snowbird

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The reason I asked about the dispatch riders coat was that years ago I bought a hearse and sold it to a guy that had a large brood of kids. He had a motorcycle combo which I took as part ex. He arrived on his combo wearing one of these coats.
 

Tootles

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I bought one of these from The Famous Army Stores in 1966, for the princely sum of £6.00.....

the raft.JPG


Came complete with two paddles......

paddles.jpg


And a 'pump'........

pump.jpeg


Bet they are a fortune now.
 

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