The 289 Register News No 37 Autumn 2010 | Page 23

‘takes me back.. . My other classic is an Aprilia Mojito custom scooter. Back in the 60s when I had my own hair and teeth I was one of the original mods. The upside of being around back then was that I got to see the likes of The Who and Cream in a club above a shoe shop and later on Led Zeppelin in a pub in Welwyn Garden City. Van Morrison was a bit surly even in the days of Them but not as out of it as the drummer who fell off his kit completely pissed in the middle of a set. Jedward – pah! Don the bespoke collarless suit (12 guineas), the tab collar shirt and the centre seam Cuban heel boots and you were hot to trot. Apart from the local places, clubs like The Scene, The Flamingo and The Whiskey a-go-go in the West End were just a short scooter ride away. The Small Faces, The Quik and Billy Preston were regular fare at that time. The only scooters anybody rode were Vespas or Lambrettas and I was always a Vespa man. The GS eventually went to help fund something I wouldn’t keep falling off - a car - so that I didn’t ruin any more clothes. I loved that Madras striped jacket even though it lasted only two days. On my 60th birthday I opened a lumpy looking card from my two granddaughters and was puzzled to find a key inside. All was revealed when I opened the other envelope inside the card containing a V5 for an Aprilia scooter. Not a Vespa, but a much more practical modern alternative for an old fart like me. Ok, so my other classic doesn’t have the kudos of an E-Type or a Mini