RGM

[steve-e]

Dane comes on here now and then, not seen her for a while but natter on Skype occasionally.
Windsor Walk, it is kind of where I meant, down the bottom end of Farley Hill not far from 3 counties radio.
somewhere here give that link a few seconds to load.. google's street view takes a bit of time to find itself

[Bob B]

Recall that circa '67 RGM ran a passenger test day at Snetterton when seeking replacement(s). Quite an interesting day out but was one of the rejects

[alan_overton]

I bought a Trident Metisse frame from John Judge back in the early ninetys, I would like ask John a question about it
so if he reads this, can you get in touch John?
tel 01770302164
Lenny

PM me Lenny, and I'll give you John' landline number, mate. But as as I'm a right old nosy barsteward, wotz the question? LOL!

As we all know by now, John Judge was a solo rider. The first Rickman Metisse rolling chassis he bought, he meticulously stuck one of his RGM 725cc Triumph engines into, assisted with Hughes supplied Thruxton cams etc (like I did in the 71 season, with my RGM Thruxton Bonneville), and he went out at Snetterton and won the first race of his life on it!!!

Rickman Metisse G50 was always my dream machine- life long regret that I never actually went ahead and bought one, let alone raced it, or that it's still not sitting in my garage now...

On the transendental front for a moment. Do any of you guys have weird dreams like me still, where ALL of the bikes you've ever owned are still out there in your garage / shed, and that you're still regularly riding / racing them? I do... As I said, weird.

Cheers- AL

[alan_overton]

Dane comes on here now and then, not seen her for a while but natter on Skype occasionally.
Windsor Walk, it is kind of where I meant, down the bottom end of Farley Hill not far from 3 counties radio.
somewhere here give that link a few seconds to load.. google's street view takes a bit of time to find itself

Yep! That is indeed the place, Steve. Tomorrow, on my daily visit to Church (The Globe- corner of Latimer Rd and Union St) I'll take a short walk up the road and see wotz occuring these days on the old RGM premises, back and front. Did you know John personally? Coz when I phoned him the other day and gave him your web address, the name Steve English certainly seemed to ring a bell with him...

Cheers- AL

[steve-e]

I didn't but he might have known Dad, Ray English from St. Albans. Dad started racing around that era as a passenger then driving in around 1970 up until 2000

[alan_overton]

Recall that circa '67 RGM ran a passenger test day at Snetterton when seeking replacement(s). Quite an interesting day out but was one of the rejects

Please think again, Bob. Are you sure it was that early, in 1967 ??? This will help me remember a bit more of RGM history. I'm now beginning to think that my part time / full time /part time period there might have spanned from 1965 to 1973, jeez...

[mum e]

Yes l went there lots of times for dad. You turn left at the lights as you go down the hill,into LUton from The motorway junction near the cheap shell garage,

[Bob B]

99% certain Alan as I had quit passengering for '68 due to 'external pressures'.

[petercaughlin]

Help sort out the oncoming dementia from 63-68 I was racing solo`s,and 64/65 I was in the film industry working on a few occasions at MGM studio`s at Boreham Wood(commuting by regulation Thames van each day from South London)whilst at MGM I went up to Potton Beds to buy a 350 Manx from a bloke called Doug Aldridge, I got to know Ron Wittich quite well as his Mum was a canteen lady at MGM,also there was a lanky young bloke working there who built and raced bluddy quick Tritons, his name was John,so did John Judge work at all at MGM in between doing his own stuff.

If the above does`nt make sense I shall go and lay down in a darkened room.

[Bob B]

Bugger it Peter, go and have a lie down in a darkened room anyway and don't forget the medicinal brandy

[petercaughlin]

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa

[mum e]

And l lived in Borehamwood, world is getting smaller,

[alan_overton]

Different John at MGM, Peter. John Judge raced DBD34 Gold Star in the early 60's, and then a Triumph Daytona 500cc in the Production class, plus a nifty little 500cc Daytona racer in the normal 500 races. And finally his 725cc Metisse Bonny.

I did pop round to Windsor Walk the other day, but the original workshop at no. 54 was demolished (or fell down of it's own accord) and is now a more modern factory unit. The old shop in Hastings St appears to be some Letting Agency now... Also, I realized I'd given it the wrong location in a previous post. It doesn't run from Windsor St to Dumfries St, it's on the next block towards the town centre- from Dumfries St to Adelaide St.

Ron Wittich's (RIP) missus Jenny used to work at Shaw and Kilburn flogging Vauxhall cars.

Cheers- AL

[racer1008]

Dick and I are in the process of doing just that, allbeit it is at a very early stage. To have Dick in Team Gristwood is for me a full circle as we met in '61 and raced together between '65 & 72. A lasting friendship in excess of 50 years.Not bad eh!! Like you Buddha I am looking forward to him joining us. The Mentor

Dick I think you should write a book, look forward to being a team mate this year.

Buddha.

[petbur]

Hi and thanks for bringing this thread back to life Alan, the info i was given when i bought the bike was that it was bought by a guy from Jersey in 1970ish as a spare frame kit and only the swinging arm was ever used as the one on the bike he was racing had got twisted, i don't know when but the frame kit was sold to a guy from London called Len who started assembling it but didn't get very far, in 2002 it was bought by Tony Wheatley (on the site) who converted it from Norton to BAS A65 he also converted the front end to a 10" wheel and made a new swinging arm, the frame number is RGM N1332 i though the N was for Norton but now i am thinking that the N is for Rob North, i did get the twisted swinging arm and the lower part from the forks, but the main parts wer cut up to make whats on the bike now. I will try and add some photos but don't hold your breath