Fast forward 20 years … and, having refurbished two houses and designed and built a third, I suddenly found I had some time on my hands. And, what’s more, a neighbour with a shed full of old vehicles including some motorbikes! I think I paid £40 for it. It had some problems, the worst being a crack in the cylinder head around the tacho-drive connection, which leaked a bit of oil. I guess it had probably been dropped on it. Other than that I thought it rode well.
Although a direct descendant of the highly regarded CB450 ‘Black Bomber’, the press didn’t like it. It was said to vibrate excessively and not perform very well. For me it was a rocket ship, with its twin overhead cams, torsion bar valve springs, twin carbs, disc brake (wow!), etc.. You will remember that the previous bike (20 years before!) had been the Francis Barnett.
I eventually advertised it in the local paper as ‘Aged Raver’s Rat-bike’. The first viewer paid my asking price (£250?) and the phone never stopped ringing. I used the money to buy another from my neighbour’s collection …
Peter Robert Turnill, third and youngest son of Joan, b 1/5/1947, m 19/10/1971
Little more than a shed! The picture shows it in 1982 shortly before we demolished it. The house to the left was built by Joan and occupies half the plot they bought in 1952. They had about 2/3 of an acre of ground.
Margaret Ianthe ? ? Hanson, first child of Derwent & Margaret, b ??/??/1942, m ????? d ??/??/2008? Ellen holds Ianthe – taken 1/3/43
Richard Brian Turnill, first child of Joan & Victor, b 23/10/1942, d 12/1/1961. Douglas must have got lost somewhere.
They certainly did …
Derwent George Cooper Hanson was their 3rd child, born 8/9/1918, and thus just 21 at the start of the war. Died ??/??/??
Margaret Williams, born ??????,
