My late father on his Rudge Sports Special outfit

Here is my late father taken in 1938. The Rudge Sports Special was the touring version of the Ulster but with conventional valve layout rather than the radial valves of the Ulster. I love the upswept pipes, huge headlight and monster pipe to the front wheel - did it have a hydraulic front brake ?
Shortly after this was taken my father signed up for the army, REME, and was posted to Eygpt for 5 1/2 years. In his absence his father sold the outfit without telling him ! My father was naturally upset about this when he finally got home but was more upset that his violin, which was in the sidecar, had gone with it.
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