SHIP SHAPE AND NOXAL FASHION
The bike and sidecar combination were too wide to fit in Chris's Transit van or any other van or bike trailer, so we had to think again. I'd driven to Buckinghamshire, viewed the 1938 Royal Enfield Model J outfit for sale and done the deal, but now had to transport it back to the west country. After only a moment of head scratching, we had a solution.
'No problem: said Chris in his usual cheery way. 'I'll ride it over to your place, if you pay for my return train ticket:
Two weeks later he did just that. Chris bounced and bucked along the 120 miles of a very indirect route avoiding fast roads and congested towns at a maximum speed of 45mph to my front door. Feeling not quite as fresh as a daisy from his four-hour funfair ride, Chris soon recovered when refreshed with strong coffee and bacon butties. The sidecar was piled high with old bike tyres which served two purposes. The ballast helped to keep the sidecar wheel on the road, and it seems that worn-out Avon Speedmaster rear tyres have a new lease of life on any of the three wheels of a combination when they have worn too square for a solo. I was given enough to keep the wheels shod for a long time, while in truth Chris was probably glad to make the garage space.
This vendor's complete confidence in the reliability of the ancient three-wheeler was impressive and must be the ultimate sales guarantee. Then there's the physical effort he expended on the journey, which I would soon discover for myself.
I'd always fancied trying my hand at driving a sidecar combo (they're driven, not ridden, by the way) and had been on the look-out for a 1930s single cylinder machine. When the two were offered to me in the same
