vale bill bradford.

[pancho]

 nothing to do with motorcycles but everything to do with old motor mechanics and or old residents of fairfield [nsw]. bill was a gentleman who i remember at fairfield when i was a kid ,he was the local black smith in business across the road from the long gone crescent pictures at fairfield until a shell servo was built on the site. bill ran that site and built up a reputation as a gentleman and a reliable source of spare parts for ford and holden bits.  i could go and ask for a part for my old '36 ford or some other thing i was working on and he was famous for his polite manner and his phrase 'just off memory i have one in stock.' no need for computers those days! bill rose through the ranks of rotary and eventually became district governor. i sometimes thought i'd like to look him up and see if he remembered me as a pesky apprentice looking for a good discount.unfortunately its to late now. bill passed away a few days ago aged 94. my condolences to his family.  wally.

[yzhilly]

 Wow thats a good knock i hope that all the wreckers ,bikes,cars and earthmovers remember me kindly too. I hope / wish you still have that 36 ford wally.

[mx250]

I'm sorry I didn't know Bill personally  but I frequented his establishment. It was as you described. Old fashion, friendly, 'nothing is a trouble' service.

Bradford's one side of the Crescent, Bagley's the other, and 'Jimmy the Jew' around the corner . What more did a boy need .

[Wombat]

That's a very nice piece you've written there Wally.
Very respectful indeed.
It's a shame most communities only have one such person, if any.

[pancho]

 cheers graeme. you just reminded me about the bike shop i used to frequent before  i discovered they were even more fun with an engine.the shop was called Bagley&Weston back then, what years were you hanging around fairfield? 

[maicoman18]

Almost a neighbour wally. 30 years at Lansvale for me

Ed

[mx250]

cheers graeme. you just reminded me about the bike shop i used to frequent before  i discovered they were even more fun with an engine.the shop was called Bagley&Weston back then, what years were you hanging around fairfield? 

Early 60's. I was in the scouts with the Bagley boys or was it the Westons.

[mx250]

Almost a neighbour wally. 30 years at Lansvale for me

Ed

Ed, I was in Cook Ave., Canley Vale , towards Carramar, through the 60's. Rode my horse around Lansvale Caravan Park etc and the old Jamboree site (and most of the western Suburbs ).

[magoo]

MX, you'd know the Corks then I'd reckon. Ian and his young bloke Mick.

[mx250]

MX, you'd know the Corks then I'd reckon. Ian and his young bloke Mick.

Not by name .

[maicoman18]

mx250
Walked or road my push bike past your street every day coming home from Canley Vale High School. Used to be some terrible floods in your area.
At the end of Hollywood Drive, that went past the caravan park, was a place called Hollywood Picnic Grounds. That is where I learnt to ride in the dirt on an old Bridgestone 100cc.

Ed

[matcho mick]

geezas,i think i  went to that jamboree, was roden cutler chief of scouts then,sorta remember a "landy" driveby,sorry off topic but??,cheers mick

[mx250]

Walked or road my push bike past your street every day coming home from Canley Vale High School.

If you were going that way during the mid '60's you probably saw my horse tethered out at various spots at the end of Frasers Road .

Used to be some terrible floods in your area.

Yeah, Mum and Dad had they land/home forcibly resumed by council for a pittance because of the flooding (caused by the same council approving land developments that straightened watercourses and installed cement lined creeks further to the west which caused the flooding ).

At the end of Hollywood Drive, that went past the caravan park, was a place called Hollywood Picnic Grounds. That is where I learnt to ride in the dirt on an old Bridgestone 100cc.

Yeah that's where I use to ride my horse. Did you visit the monkey that use to be at the office at the picnic ground?