The funny thing is...when i thought back to my childhood...most kids get a bike at some point - don't they?

I didn't get one - I got rollerskates instead...although TODDY taught me how to ride a bike - somebody else's...

I can then remember a bike at 14 St Bernards Road - but it didn't appear to be mine...I can only remember riding it once with HELEN BROWNE somewhere...but never using it again...

So I was 'rationed' as far as bikes were concerned, during my teenage years...in fact the bike that I can remember buying from the SOLIHULL TIMES for about a £5 was a horrible 'lady's shopper' bike with tiny wheels - for a midget really...and boy did I look stupid on it...far too large for it...but it had a basket and it was RIMINGTON who had 'okayed' the decision to let me have a bike so that I could cycle to POWERGEN upon it, in 1980...because my father didn't want to have to afford the daily 182 bus fares to POWERGEN and it was a bit too far away to walk...the distance of SOLIHULL to OLTON and more...RIMINGTON figured that I might dawdle or not turn up...faced with that walk everyday...

...and then my sister was also to use that bike...years later...pedalling to POWERGEN upon it...

...and I can remember GILL on the tannoy...asking me about that second-hand lady's shopper bike...and getting a time to be there...yes, i used to have to cycle past his parents' house every day...the easiest route to POWERGEN...and he nearly died laughing as I struggled by on it...he was in the front room - looking out for me on that bike, I remember it well...