Pete doing the ‘Frank’ (Frank Bough/off) on his 150 Super - trapezoid headset, still on its original 8” wheels and sporting a great period colour..
I get my scooter fix these days from commuting to work on my Vespa - April through to September/October. Following two, hour long rides and nearly 50 miles in the saddle, 5 days a week, come the weekends I’m relieved to be off the Vespa. Not that I’m complaining, I love riding my Vespa, it’s just that when I’m asked out for a local scooter evening or weekend ride, it’s the last thing I feel like doing and am happy just to chill out.
I contacted a builder friend a few months back to ask if he could recommend a roofer to fix our leaky roof, which he duly did. Pete the roofer, as it happened, is also into classic scooters and has been for many years - currently the owner of a rather lovely second series Vespa Super 150, restored in a Piaggio correct yellow ochre, Vespa 90 and a Vespa T5 Classic. Pete had been trying to get me out on a couple of occasions. I folded tonight though and met up with him on my return home from work in NW London, for a social with his fellow scooter mates from Wendover and Aylesbury, at the Plough pub in the hamlet of Cadsden, not far from Princes Risborough and just up the road from the Prime Minister’s country home, Chequers. I was glad I did; was nice to view the 15 or so Vespas and Lambrettas that ventured out, meeting at the pub nestled in woodland; although strange getting used to the post Covid-19 serving arrangements - my first pub visit in months.
An enjoyable evening sojourn and I was able to give out a few spare VVC JOURNAL copies and even bumped into VVC member Del Jessop, who had spent the week off work walking the Ridgeway, beginning in Avebury, Wiltshire and due to finish at Ivinghoe Beacon tomorrow night. By coincidence the Plough at Cadsden sits on the Ridgeway path and was hosting Del for the night.
The assembled riders departed leaving me to have another drink and a chat with Del, before an exhilarating dusk ride home to Tring, along winding country lanes, skirting the PM’s country pile, past Coombe Hill, through Butler's Cross, Wendover, Halton, Dancer’s End and into Tring - I might even do it again sometime…
