Just stumbled across your site while aimlessly surfing and did it bring back some memories.
My Dad, Leonard Passfield, had a couple of 'combos' during the late fifties and sixties and many are the tales I could tell. His first was a 600 Panther with a child adult sidecar, and come Sunday, if Mum and Dad had 10 shillings to spare, we would load up and go to the coast for the day. My brother Terry and I in the sidecar.
One year it was decided to go away on holiday. They duly booked us into a caravan for a week at Bognor Regis. We left early in the morning and full of fun and spirit, got as far as Sevenoaks and had to stop. Clutch cable snapped.
Lucky for us there was a motorcycle dealers just round the corner and we were soon merrily on our way.
It was a beautiful day and a pit stop was made around half journey. Mum and Dad were pleased with the time we were making and we were all excited over the prospect of the following week. Again we piled in and off we went. Then it happened, the clutch gave up the ghost, middle of nowhere. Dad tried to fix it to no avail. Our only alternative was to go for help.
Now Dad, being a canny man, was a member of the AA (No! not alcoholics anonymous- Automobile Association) he decided to go and try to find one of their patrols. I, in my 10 year old wisdom, said That I'd accompany him.
So! Leaving Mum and my little brother with the outfit off we went.
We walked about four miles before we saw a lovely site. There, coming toward us was the familiar site of the yellow handlebar fairing and box sidecar of an AA patrolman.
As there was only room for one sitting on the box I offered to walk back. It must be pointed out that in those far-off days a lone boy could walk in complete safety on his own, virtually anywhere.
Traffic was minimal, if you saw more than half a dozen cars in a short period of time it was rush-hour.....Lol
I must add that we had a wonderful holiday and the bike behaved perfectly after that....Wonderful memories.
R.F.Passfield
by email
Do you have any fond memories you'd like to share with us? Please feel free to email your memories to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Similar Stories
HMS Victory on course for major overhaul - 13 January 2012
So which one is YOUR favourite....? - 02 December 2011
Modern mums are subconsciously turning into their own mothers - 01 December 2011
Recycle old photos - 16 November 2011
Tales of a Manchester Police Officer - A New Year's Eve Event - 17 May 2012
Campaigns & Issues
Councils’ care home policy may cost families £millions a year, says charity
Thousands of families in England may be paying councils millions of pounds a year for care home places that should be free, according to a report by older people’s charity Independent Age.
The families are having to ‘top-up’ their elderly relatives’ care home fees because some councils refuse to pay the full market cost themselves. Councils are required to provide an appropriate care home place to elderly people with few assets but the maximum rate they will pay in England is on average £45 a week, compared to an average real cost of £524.
News
Inflation falls for all age groups, although elderly still hit hardest
- The latest figures from the Alliance Trust Economic Research Centre show that all households experienced a decline in their inflation rates in April
- Despite this, it is still the elderly households which face the highest rate of inflation
- The over 75 year old households face an inflation rate of 3.6% and although this is the lowest level since October 2010, it is still higher than the official rate of inflation
- The 30-49 year olds, once again, have the lowest rate of inflation at 3.0%. This is the lowest level recorded for this age group since November 2009
- Gas price inflation remains elevated at 15%, which continues to affect the elderly households disproportionately
Competitions & Fun
Win a pair of tickets to South Pacific
This breathtaking and lavish Lincoln Center Theatre production reinvented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical.
It swept the 2008 Tony Awards, played for two years to sold-out houses on Broadway and was televised across America.
Reader Offers
You could win one of three superb weekend breaks in Silver Travel Advisor’s “Best of British” Diamond Jubilee celebration this month
Silver Travel Advisor is a friendly website packed with advice, tips, information and honest reviews written by and for silver travellers (aged over 50).
A team of advisors are on hand to answer queries (for free), and you can share your own experiences too.
It’s time to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee this month with an amazing British prize draw:
Win a two night stay for two people at Flackley Ash Hotel , Rye, East Sussex
Health & Wellbeing
Patients to benefit from better advice on pain control
New guidance for doctors and other prescribers on the use of strong painkillers for patients with chronic or incurable disease has been welcomed by researchers at the University of Leeds.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is today (23 May) launching a new clinical guideline on the safe use of opioids – a family of drugs derived from the opium poppy that have been identified by the World Health Organization as essential in the treatment of severe pain. The new NICE guideline should help ensure that when patients receiving palliative care for chronic or incurable illnesses start treatment with strong opiods, the drugs are prescribed safely and consistently..
Property & Finance
Older people need specialist housing
Britain’s housing market is failing to meet the needs of the elderly, despite a rapidly-ageing population and a growing demand for retirement housing, a charity has warned. Housing charity Shelter has found that if demand remains at current levels supply would have to increase by over 70 per cent in the next 20 years in order to keep up.
The report explored the housing options available to those over 55 - a group that will make up one in three people in England by 2030.
Lifestyle
Learn how the internet can make life easier for you
Stocking up on the heavy grocery essentials was a full day out for Sheila, age 82. “I could see the advantages of doing the supermarket shop on the internet: having the groceries delivered, saving the taxi fare and not relying on others to shop for me if I’m ill,” said Sheila.
“But although I used the internet for emails, I didn’t really enjoy or trust it. My daughter suggested that Pearson Love to Learn’s Internet Basics online course might give me confidence and when she offered to try it out with me, I decided to give it a go.
Travel & Leisure
New sat-nav for older people
There could be a new solution for the increasing number of elderly drivers in Britain who are driven round the bend by complicated sat-nav devices. Scientists are developing a new satellite navigation system - dubbed the Granny-Nav - to help technophobic pensioners. The new device, which tells pensioners to turn at a specific point, such as a pub and not in a certain distance, is being hailed as a new way to keep the elderly as independent as possible.
Again no paper to beat Mature Times from day one of first publication all inside we need - thanks to all!