What shop?

[Les Howard]

Fantastic photos Poul (ajsph) & thanks very much indeed for sharing them with us. Joe Francis seems to have the worst window display that any motorcycle shop ever had but the beautiful big signs above the window look like they were there from before the war, and certainly from the early 50's....which must make my memory of the shop being on the corner of the nearby side road completely wrong.

In reply to Rob, I knew every motorbike shop in North and East London all the way out to Hoddesdon and I just vaguely remember S F Norris but I never entered the shop to buy anything...it would be fascinating if you did get a reply to your story though.

Thanks to all you others for joining in too!

Les

[SPRIDDLER]

Jeffereys of Guidford, AMC dealer. The business closed in the 80's when Mr Jefferey died after a lifetime in the business. He rode a '47 Model 18 daily from new until just before he died at 87 and bequeathed the bike and a trailer load of NOS spares to his (then) young Saturday Boy who never used it and kept it under a sheet in a dry heated garage. I bought it and the spares from him in 2008. He is now a design and engineering teacher at Eton (yes, THE Eton) college.

100_1343 (700x525).jpg

and here's Mr Jeffery and his apprentice in the shop...

100_1344 (640x480).jpg

and here's the bike...

One owner '47 Model 18 AJS (770x578).jpg

[Les Howard]

Nice story and bike Neville

Now my local Bike shop within walking distance (handy if the bike was broken) was:

Stockists-Moores%20Motorcycles-1959-1.jpg

Moores of Tottenham.JPG

What a change...I would love to see a photo of the original motorbike shop....note there were hordes of brand new bikes all lined up shoulder to shoulder right along the front...just where all the fruit is now...This tempted three of us to walk there in our school's dinner break regularly, the round distance of nearly 4 miles, just to ogle the gleaming machines which looked huge to us especially the 650 Triumphs...now they look quite puny. I'll never forget the shop staff all dressed in their white full length engineers coats probably all dead now sadly. The boss, Mr Moore himself was quite shy and said little, inflicted with a severe birth mark over his face, he drove a large Rolls Royce.

Les

[ajsph]

Here we have some pictures of the old AJS factory taken in 1987, one with the Stevens family outside

AJS 3.jpg

AJS 2.jpg

AJS 1.jpg

[Peter Morris]

[quote"Rob Harknett"]It says Russell on the shop sign.

I was being silly Rob, click on the photo. My favourite shop, I am always in there pestering Les.

Peter

[Peter Morris]

Another place I used to spend a lot of money in......Happy Hamrax.

Never actually went there, it was all mail order, even though it was only 11 miles from home. (I used to work 7 days a week)

[nvmat1]

Hi. Does anyone remember 2 shops in SE London? Firstly, back in the early 1970's there was a shop in Lewisham Way run by Ron Jolly and his wife (both ex AMC). The shop at this point sold motor accessories and had a Morgan 3 wheeler in the shop window, but had earlier been a Panther dealership. I remember going there with my father on Sunday mornings and my father would have a good old chat with Ron who would sometimes find engine part in his stores for my father's pre-war AMC v twin. Often we would join them for a cup of tea in their home above the shop after lunchtime closing. I recall once Sterling Moss stopped and came in for a chat when she saw the Morgan. Secondly, there was Collier Scooter, in Lee, owned by Bob Collier, who was a cousin of the Collier family. He had an old family photograph above the shop counter. I remember going there in 1980 to get my Matchless MOT'd – he was always happy to see a bike with a family connection.

Cheers

Paul

[spookefoote1956]

I used to go to Joe Francis in New Eltham when I was at college

[spookefoote1956]

Another place I used to spend a lot of money in......Happy Hamrax.

Never actually went there, it was all mail order, even though it was only 11 miles from home. (I used to work 7 days a week)

Chopper was the canine's sphericals. He was an AJS bible. Once I went in for some cub and aj bits. I had to walk through different doors for each marque. The triumph section didn't appear to be on speaking terms with the aj section. Lots of fun and missed.

[spookefoote1956]

Deeprose in Brownhill Road of course - just round the corner from where I used to live. You could get your wheels rebuilt just over the road in Ron Compton's.

Jim

I lived in Catford for thirteen years and remember going to Ron Compton's (or honest Ron's as we called it) for bits and bobs and MOT's (remember them?)
There was also a triumph bsa norton shop out Penge way which was good and Dodd's I think on the South Circular which sold velos.