3 Rocket Gold Stars

[a101960]

Something that might be of interest to some of you. I came across this picture on the internet. Three proud RGS owners out side a bike shop Grimsby in the sixties. The bike on the right hand side of the picture ( VEE 595) appears to be no longer in existence because DVLA has no record of it. The other two UJV 982 (centre) and UJV 595 are listed by DVLA as still being around although not on the road. UJV 982 is shown as being first registered on 26th March 1963 and listed as untaxed since 1st September 1980. UJV 595 is shown as being first registered on 1st July 1980, and has been untaxed since February 1993. It is stated as being made in 1963. So interestingly although not currently on the road two of the three bikes have survived. Can anyone suggest who the Grimsby bike dealer might be? Looking in the back of my A10 Instruction Manual there is a dealer listed in Grimsby H J Cresswell and Sons Limited 13-15 Osborne Street. The bikes in the shop window are Triumphs, and the window stickers look to be Francis Barnett stickers. Although in those days many dealers were multi franchised. It makes me wonder just how many BSA's there are still stashed away in garages.
John

[RichardL]

John,

You mght be leaping to a conclusion in saying that the dudes on the bikes are the owners. To me it looks like they could just be posing on the display in fromt of the store.

Richad L.

[Topdad]

You may be right Richard ,the first 2 look reasonably happy so  poss the owners while the 3 rd guy looks to have swallowed a wasp , maybe at the thought of leaving that bike behind !

[a101960]

You might be leaping to a conclusion in saying that the dudes on the bikes are the owners. To me it looks like they could just be posing on the display in front of the store.

It is a possibilty Richard. One thing is for sure there is no doubt in my mind that there is a publicity angle. The question is did the dealer commision that picture to demonstrate how well he had done by selling three relatively rare bikes? We shall never know. All three bikes bare Grimsby issued registration plates, but one ( VEE 595) is different. The normal practice in the UK was, and still might be for all I know, is that dealers were allotted blocks of consecutive registration numbers. On that assumption the numbers should all be EE or JV. That said both EE anf JV are period correct for Grimsby (1963 - 1971).
John