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Fourth generation motorcyclist

All these years I have been tinkering with old bikes and I thought I was the black sheep in the family with a passion for bikes that no one else in my family had ever taken up before me. And every time I read a story in Old Bike that started with “my grandfather rode a …” I would think “wish I had family bike heritage that would give me a project”. Then last month dad came back from the UK with a bunch of photos after cleaning out recently deceased Great Auntie Betty’s place. First one he drops on me is this amazing photo of my great grandfather Edward Ernest Mobbs on his motorcycle outfit in 1925. Edward served in the Royal Navy for many years and saw action in WW1, before leaving the navy between the wars and getting that bike. Suddenly I had a cool great grandad posing on what I am guessing is a BSA with a very shiny side car – I have heritage!

Next photo dad drops is of his mum and dad, Walter and Kitty Overton on bikes, some time in the ‘30s we think. Now the story