MORE motorcycle follow-ups have reached us this week, the first coming from Patricia Davies of Tettenhall, who writes: "With reference to articles in the Black Country Bugle over the past few issues, I wonder if any of your readers might be able to help me. I am searching for a photograph of George Lathe's motorcycle shop in Salop Street, Wolverhampton. The reason is, my brother Alan Davies worked there in the late '50s, early '60s.
"Alan designed and 'built' his own motorcycle for racing at Mallory Park, and I believe at Silverstone in the mid '60s. He was a clever and articulate man who loved speed.
"Also, I'd be very interested in any information relating to the exploits of Pip Harris, with whom my brother raced on the TT circuits of the Isle of Man, acting as his side car passenger. I would love to be able to put a bit more history of this period of my brother's life into the family history. I think Pip Harris had a garage in Wombourne.
"I enclose two copies of photographs, located in my brother's effects when he died."
If you can offer Patricia any more information, you can contact her on 01902 744681, We've also received an email from Charlie Haynes of Penn, Wolverhampton, on the subject of another motorcyclist, who ran a shop in Wednesbury and has been mentioned a couple of times in recent editions. Charlie writes: "With reference to your article of 21st February, which mentioned George Buck. My brother, Cecil Haynes, known as Joe, was George’s sidecar man in the early thirties when we lived in Moxley.
"I remember well the motorbike club descending on our house on a Sunday night. My mother would provide them all with tea and sandwiches.
"My brother bought an Ariel Red Hunter bike with matching sidecar. He would take me out down the Great Bridge Road to practice with me as the sidecar man.
“I was eight or nine at the time and only weighed about 6 stone, which wasn’t heavy enough to keep the sidecar down. I ended up hanging on and flapping in the wind like a flag.
"My brother went on to be a rear gunner in a Wellington bomber, swapping one hairy ride for another. He sadly died in July 1987."
We were also contacted by Mr Parkes of Wolverhampton, who told us that the man on the bike numbered 210 in one of our February 7th pictures from Red Marley, was Len Crane, a rider perhaps better known today for his expertise in steam engine preservation.
