At the b + b in Guichon Verlaingt, called Les Ballastieres, met a friendly group of fellow classic bike enthusiasts. We trooped off to L Hotel Lion D'or in St Pol.
Pete, who sat opposite me, turns out to have a brother who is married to a sister of my brothers wife!
Then Ray turns out to have lived the past 42 years in the house opposite Ron Gardener, he of flat slide carburetor inventing fame. We'll, in my youth I delivered groceries to said Ron. At the other end of Rons house lived a Dave West. My brother bought his BSA Rocket Goldie from him. However my interest in Ron and Dave was twofold. Firstly Ron was running Dave on a converted 125 Honda road bike. I saw Dave race at Brands and he looked uncomfortable and slow. I begged them both for a chance to race the bike but it never happened. Also in a shed at Rons were 2 ex works Bultacos of New Zealander Kevin Cass who had gone home. I even asked to race one of those but probably for my own sake was wisely refused. Anyway I knew that Ron was up to something interesting in his shed but he would never say what it was. Years later when his flat slide carburetor came out I that was what it was. It was only tonight after all these years and quite by chance that I found out what he was really up to. It turned out that he was putting a desmodromic head onto a 125 Honda. Whether this was West's bike I do not know.
Also Bob, also at dinner, turns out to do the engine work on my favourite triple at the Manx GP, the BSA 860cc of Chris McGahan.
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