I Ride A 350 cc Triumph

Keeping Busy

Electric Shock Machine

I later had a visit from the local policeman as I had stolen a 12-bore shotgun from an old barn and brought it home. When I showed it to my next-door neighbour he recognised the gun and realised who it belonged too and so he informed the local policeman to get it returned to its owner.

Stolen Shot Gun

Stolen Shot Gun From the Farm

Whilst at Tring School a friend of mine Duncan Miller found a baby fox cub in a wood, and I wanted to keep it so I took it home. Unfortunately my Grandma, who had come to stay, freaked out when she saw it as she was frightened and to my dismay my brother killed it and to this day I felt he was callous.

I Ride A 350 cc Triumph

My brother mixed with all the lads who had bad reputations and no

54 one would dare up set them and he was in the final year at Tring Secondary Modern school. He was friends with all the lads who were in trouble.

One friend was Bod Shearer, who lived on a farm in Tring and I recall Michael having an old 350 cc, Triumph motor bike, with girder front forks. I took courage and rod this bike in the field and was quite pease with myself for having the courage to riding such a big bike. I had, until that time, only ridden a moped.

The Motorbike

Michael’s 350 CC Triumph Motor bike

It was during this time at Wilstone my brother got sent to his first spell in Detention Centre. He had made a knuckle-duster at school, in the metal work classes, and tried it out by hitting some boy in the village. What happened was some lads had found our moped in the field and had a go at riding it without our permission. Not that they would know whom to ask, but my brother felt he would sort them out for riding it. I think it was an excuse to use the knuckle-duster he had made.

When the police were called in he made out the knuckle duster was made as a part for the moped and my mum was certain this was true and she defended my brother to the hilt. I knew it wasn’t true and my brother did a spell in Detention Centre for 3 months, for grievous bodily harm. I did not go along with my brothers’ violence and could not understand it. His reputation spread and at school the teachers began to identify me with my brother and I think they began to be wary of me too.

My brother mixed with all the lads who had bad reputations and no one would dare up set them.

Village life proved too much for my mum and she became depressed, due to they way things were, and the trouble Michael had gotten into so it was decided to sell up and move to a new house in Aylesbury.