Letter of the issue

A bloke and his bike

Here is a love story for you. I first rode this bike went I was 10-years old and I’m now 68. It’s a CSR 650 Matchless Hurricane, which belonged to a shearer who came to our farm in Victoria to shear our sheep.

He saw me gazing at it lovingly and asked me if I wanted a ride? Yes was the reply, so off we went – I did have some trouble with the right-hand gear lever, though.

I never really saw him again, but four years ago I was working in the Kimberley and I got a phone call from him (I still have no idea how he found me). His news was not good, he had a terminal illness and told me that he still had the bike and he wanted me to have it with stipulations; I was not to sell it, not to