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In about 1960 my parents had split up and I was living with my Mum in a caravan at Addlestone, recalled Pete Patton, who would have been around 19 at the time. I had managed to save up and buy myself a 1953 BSA B31 - my pride and joy, my first motorcycle.
I started a new job at Laconite, Addlestone branch, on the Ham Manor trading estate, where they made laminated boards. After my first day at work I went home, had dinner and then went out to clean and polish the bike with Auto Solve - it shined like a good 'un.
My neighbour Paddy came over to look and asked to go for a ride. I refused but he kept on - he'd pay for the petrol - and anyway his Mother in Law was coming round. So I agreed. I filled the tank at the garage in front of our place - Marshall's Garage. Five shillings filled the tank to the brim!
We went all over Byfleet, Woking, the back of Maybury and back along the original A3 Portsmouth road; past the Hut (a restaurant) at Wisley, and left onto the Seven Hills Road to Weybridge. Paddy kept on to 'open it up' so I did.
We came up to a crossroads where one road goes to St. George's Hills and one to Hersham and suddenly the car in front, a large Austin, turned right with no indication. I ploughed straight into it.
Next thing I remember is a nurse saying 'keep still, I'm right by your eye' and being in a lot of pain. I eventually came round a few days later and was aware of a terrible pain in my leg - I had only grazed my knee but the pyjamas they had put on me had stuck!
A policeman came round every day and read to me from a form, but I didn't understand a word of it. The doctor told him I couldn't understand because I was concussed. At the end of the second week, the same copper came in with another one with braid all over his uniform. He read out the paper again but it still wasn't clear to me. The senior officer told him to 'just give it to him'.
When I came out of hospital it turned out to be a summons to Chertsey court for dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention and excessive speed - at least 5 offences. I went to court and was charged with driving without due care and consideration, which cost me £15 and an endorsement. I was not happy!
Despite the fact that someone parked at the junction had testified that he had not seen the car give a signal, I was convicted on the evidence of a motorcyclist IN FRONT of the car! How could he have seen anything?
Once I was up and about I found that my bike was stored in a garage at Byfleet. The front end was completely stoved and it looked like a total wreck, but it wasn't. I saw some of my friends and they told me that they had been sitting in a café in Byfleet and had seen the wrecker go past with the car and my bike - seeing the state of it they thought I'd 'bought it' (was dead). My face was in a terrible mess and I had to have two operations at Roehampton. I still reckon it wasn't my fault - they had a big downer on bikers in those days.
As a postscript, I returned from hospital to find a letter from Laconite, sending me some wages and my cards as I hadn't turned up for work. Luckily I got my job back when I explained what had happened.
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