I worked for Copes Motorcycles in the early 60s, as a salesman, but got bored with the paper work involved. I asked to be moved to the workshops as a mechanic. Sadly there were no vacancies at the time. However, I was asked to prepare Frank copes 250cc Manx Norton , ready for him to take it out to South Africa. eventualy I got a move to their sister shop as a Mechanic, in central B, ham, just down from the central fire station. Many of you will remember it as Motor Sales. Due to my membership of the Midland Motorcycl Racing Club, (we used to meet up at the Red Lion So Ho Rd Handsworth) I got to know the late Len Vale Onslow and his younger son Peter. To cut a long story short, I moved from Motor Sales to work at lens shop on the Stratford Rd, as a mechanic, Peter was my boss. I had a workshop within the corner shop shown in the previous picture, the window of which is out of site to the right of the main shop window. There was another workshop there run by a guy named Bill. I became friends with Peter, and I used to prepare his scrambles bike for him, and went with him and his girl friend, Judy to the scrmbles at the weekends, to mechanic for him. Often after work, I would stay on doing unpaid work on the competition bikes, many times not leaving till gone one o'clock in the morning, building or modifying frames along with his dad, Len senior. I got to meet a lot of the top scrambles riders of the day, some of them calling in at the workshop. John Harris, who was one of the BSA works riders some times shared my workshop to work on his bikes. John was married to the daghter of Len. Sadly, since Lens death, Vale Onslows has been allowed to get in a sorry state, judging by what I saw 3or4 yrs ago when I looked in there. I still own and ride motorcycles. Are there any pictures of Cope's motorcycles on the Hagley Rd, Nr Bearwood Rd ? also Wal Handley Motocycles of Holloway Head , where I bought my first motor bike, A 250cc Ariel Arrow with dolphin sports fairing. and C&D autos of Acocks Green, where I part exed the Arrow for a BSA C15. Or of Motor Sales, near the central fire station, B,ham.
Malc.