My life with Molly
I HAD MY 16TH BIRTHDAY IN APRIL 1967 AND PROUDLY set off that day on my father’s hand-me-down LE Velocette, having spent many hours in the drive trying to master clutch control. It was a Mk2 version and therefore equipped with a hand starter lever. Unfortunately, this never worked and my father, with myself following, always bump started it which was actually remarkably easy.
It did however cause a certain amount of consternation with the examiner when I took the LE for my driving test the next month, but I assured him it had just gone wrong that morning and we proceeded as if it were quite normal, with a satisfactory outcome.
I then abused the poor old Velocette by getting it to go as fast as possible and exceeding the recommended maximum speed, clearly shown inside the toolbox lid, of 50mph. Well, you had to keep ahead of those pesky Lambrettas.
I then drove it down a trench on the main runway at RAF Oakington (who left that there?) one summer night at about midnight, taking a short cut home without lights, so as not to be seen. That didn’t do it a lot of good although I kept running it for a few more months, including a
