The people you meet

[Maha]

Smoko loomed around this morning, a cup of tea was made for me by Mrs Williamson at about 9:30. Got to talking about stuff in general, I mentioned that we had been to Ohura at the weekend, 25 bikes for an overnight stay.
Mrs Williamson asked ''what bike do you have''? I told her and she added that her husband Gary (sitting next to her) used to race motorbikes. In 1962 he first rode at the IOM. He went on to be a Mechanic for Ginger Molloy. Taking bike parts to Mr Sheene senior where Barry was running around as an 11-12 year old. He talked about local races back in the day like Muriwai beach/Puke/Mangere and Whangarei etc.

Back there tomorrow to finish what I started today, looking forward to more stories over a quiet cuppa.

[Drew]

Ol' boy prolly has some funny stories to tell of the antics and mischief.

[caseye]

Humph! get better work stories they say! Well Maha, it seems you've got em beat,history form the source, you can't get better.

[Maha]

Ol' boy prolly has some funny stories to tell of the antics and mischief.

Not with his wife around ;)
For about two hours, every time I walked past him, he would start off again...and I would listen. Showed me an old news paper clipping about him, a photo of him at Puke on a 250 Honda in borrowed leathers hanging on the wall.
Spoke of Huge Anderson and Mike Hailwood, Bultaco bikes etc.

[unstuck]

Cool, hard to get any work done when you have someone like that around.:yes:

[BigAl]

Go on, let him take your bike for a spin, lol.

Those guys were pretty keen racing in the gear they had at the time!

[Maha]

He gave me some books to read, Megaphone mags in which he has an article in one of the issues.
Showed me a photo album dated 1954-1964. Black and White pics of the NZ racing scene at the time. The Mangere TT and Whangarie GP etc.
Burt Munroe would race at Muriwai the same time as Gary..he said the Burt was a scrounger, would always turn up looking for spare chains/tyres
He knew Phil reead, I spotted his helmet in the garage, one of those bowl looking things he bought for 3 pounds at Branshatch. It is sliver with a Kiwi painted on the front..

So much snap shots of his life racing and as a mechanic for Molloy. He said Ginger told to take the bike on the track (Assen I think?) and test it..which he did, he noticed another bike catching him and did a second lap even though he was waved in. The bloke on the other bike came up to Ginger Molloy and said ''you'll be hard to catch today, that bike is fast'' Molloy told that he was even riding it.

[Tigadee]

Be like sitting round the campfire listening to a good story, I reckon...

BTW Maha, isn't it time update your avatar? Your Bandito might start getting jealous! :laugh:

[Maha]

Be like sitting round the campfire listening to a good story, I reckon...

BTW Maha, isn't it time update your avatar? Your Bandito might start getting jealous! :laugh:

I like my avatar, I do have another one similar saved though.
Yeah his stories were quite something, he should be interviewed and I do know of someone who may do that.