My First Matchbox Radio

56 miles to a secret place and parked it up and went home. I later used it for joy riding with my friends. I walked miles that morning and my mum never knew about it.

Michael also would visit us at Watford and see his old friends who played in a pop group and on one occasion he gave me a pair of bell-bottom trousers and a shirt, with a long pointed collar. Michael and his friend wanted to take me to the dance that was held at Leavesdon, on a Friday or Saturday night. I really enjoyed myself there and wanted to go again. I met some of my friends from school there and one boy noticed my clothes and said that I was a Mod.

Unfortunately for me after this I began to get bullied at school by a group of boys who were what you might call “Jack the Lads”. I learned afterward the reason and it was to do with Michael. One of the boys was from Australia and was the ringleader of this gang and he had a girl friend at the school called Pat Petty. She was every boy’s dream of a girl. Well Michael had met her at the Leavesdon dance and chatted her up. This Australian boy was jealous and a soon as they realised that I was Michael’s brother they had it in for me.

My First Matchbox Radio

It was during this time (13 years) I obtained a circuit diagram for a Two transistor Reflex Receiver and with the components.

My Two Transistor Wireless Receiver

Here Is The Circuit Diagram

I obtained from Tottenham Court Road, London, I built this on a small paxolin board. This was before printed circuit boards were readily available. I was very pleased with this as it had good sensitivity and selectivity and was about the size of a matchbox.

6 Aylesbury: Our New Home

Our new house was situated on the Bedgrove Estate, in Aylesbury and was ready for us to move in April of 1963. However before we left Wilstone I

57 had enjoyed riding a moped in an old orchard, in the village. It belonged to a friend of Michael and I was allowed to ride this moped. It was a 50 cc NSU Quickly and was kept in his orchard.

Once we had moved into out new house in Aylesbury I was able to return to Wilstone and take the engine from the moped frame and put the engine in a home made go kart. I made this go- kart from builder’s wood that I took from the building site. I use the moped engine, a set of wheels from a child’s three wheeler tricycle, and various parts from a cement mixer. I then began to ride this machine around the new roads on the housing estate. However I was eventually stopped by the local police and warned that it was illegal to ride this Go Kart on the roads and soon after that the local newspaper came and gave me a write up in the Bucks Herald.

David’s Do It Your Self-kart

David’s Do It Your Self Kart 1963

An Aylesbury boy was able to return to school after the Easter holidays and proudly tell his friends, “ I’ve made a Go Cart in the holidays.” He is 14 years old,

On Sunday of last week a friend gave David (pictured above) and old moped. As he was unable to ride it he as he is too young he dismantled it. He