I'm not a fan of social media, and as such I'm currently on one of my self imposed social media blackout's where I have disabled my Facebook account, relying on the wife's for any events or news that are relevant. This is far better than reading about what someone had for their breakfast or political views I am not remotely interested in.
As such I'm a supporter and would rather informative posts on this site, such as Alex's excellent TV175 build
To that here is another contribution of my own which hopefully encourages others to post here and increase readership/forum use...please!
Ultimately this thread will provide some detail around my current GP, but thought some previous history of my GP's maybe of some interest.
My current GP, a few weeks before Lincoln 2023
Incidentally those metal gates are the back of the Didcot Power station. The power station long since flattened as we as a country move away from fossil fuels
It all started in 1984, whilst working as an apprentice at Didcot Power Station, both working with Iain Renwick ex of 'Vale of the White Horse SC' and riding to Barry Tech with Charlie in his Austin a40 playing the Who's Quadrophenia..this got my hooked
Strangely I had no interest in the mod revival from a few years previous, but got interested in scootering to get out of the small Oxfordshire market town, where the entertainment was soley a town pub crawl week in week out, repeat.
I worked at Didcot not only with Iain whose stories of riotous parties travelling the length and breadth of the country but also one of the fitters I worked with had built this Lambretta - he told me at the time it was because he'd watched Quadrophenia - as far as I recall he never had any interest in rallies, but rather this GP was sat in his garage unused for years. Which I bought in 1984 for £500
This is me a year after purchase at Margate national in 1985
During 1985 I did as much and as many rallies as I could on my GP
Unfortunately Easter 1986 I was involved in a bad scooter accident. Hospital for 6 weeks, off work for 6 months. I was done with scootering for 5 years, instead doing every northern soul all niter, at every week-end I could experiencing life and the music to the absolute max.
As a side bar I have since tracked down my yellow GP, but sadly only the number plate exists. The number plate is attached to some weird chopper in the Lambretta museum WSM (no longer a GP frame or engine).
Having burnt myself out on the all-niter scene 'burning the candle at both ends' as the saying goes I found scootering again and restored the turquoise blue GP
Cue endless trips to buy parts from Nigel Cox in WSM, where it was also sprayed via Nick Jolly at Surrey and Hants scooters
My blue GP was finally built by Bob White in Swindon
Picture thanks to Adam Winstone IOW, 1996
Me doing the gorilla on a skateboard impression, with the wife hanging off the back!
Milan 1997, doing our thanks to Castrol for the two stroke sponsorship duties with a visit to the Castrol HQ in Milan
from right to left obvs. me (Andy Blake) on the blue GP, Adam Winstone, Dave Deans, Wayne Crowley (restored Jet that was later stolen and found burnt out), and Sacha Freeman
Sacha later buys my blue GP which he still owns to this day
Here we are again on route to Milan, with Monte Carlo in the background
A few years later I moved away from Oxford, my scooter club and sadly fall out of scootering - a young family, no money for a sofa and the blue GP was sold
thats it for now
next installment - back into scootering for a 3rd time, and an unfortunate incident/life event, where I was able to tick off a bucket list item.