Sometime in the early ’90s my cousin, Sharon, was living in a little side-street in Portssmouth and I had noticed this Jawa across the road from her house with a f=good coating of moss – it never moved. It was only about 5 years old so I knowcked on the door and the owner told me it had a problem with the front brake which he couldn’t fix – or couldn’t be bothered? I think I paid £35 for it. I discovered a cheap sopurce of Jawa parts at a rustic fromer blacksmiths somewhere in the sticks outside Guildford and the oparts to fix the brake cost £25. Time for an MOT … I had never driven a sidecar outfit before and was duly careful as I made my wau down top Havant. It passed withput any problems and, pergaps, encouraged by this success I was less cautious on the way back …

As I turned into our lane, the sidecar – with our precious Evan sitting in it (about 14 the, I guess) – decided that it wanted to continue in a straight line. Happily we made it through the turn but ended up on the wrong side of the road. Good job nothing was coming the other way … This upset me so much that I rather short-sightedly put it up for sale immediately. I asked £400 and the first person to see it, bought it at that price. I have to tell you that he was the only caller! It’s probably the only time I have made a profit out of buying and selling vehicles …

On reflection I wish now that I had persevered as there is doubtless a real satisfaction to be gained in learning to control one of these strange beasts.