15/10/2026
We all have stories to tell about our days as a young biker .
This is me when I was young I have to laugh nothing to do with the picture, but that’s when the shaggy perms came in fashion and I remember saving up my money to go and have a shaggy perm at the hairdressers in Debenhams .
They told me my Hair would drop down after a few weeks.
After a few weeks, my backside, I was so upset. The perm was such a tight perm it took months to grow out and when it did it looked like a nice shaggy perm but bye then the trendy hair of shaggy perms went out the window.
So yes, when I look at my hair, I just laugh that day was a very bad day at the hairdressers and one memory I will never forget.
On September 9, 1980 pilling passenger on this Bike and the boyfriend was riding it.
A car pulled out of a junction which was a drunk driver and we ended up having a RTA .
 I spent a year in a wheelchair and then another nine months learning how to walk again.
I didn’t break one bone in my body. I dislocated my jaw, dislocated my hip and dislocated both my kneecaps.
My father, after that never wanted me to be anywhere near Bikes but over the years I totally ignored him and I carried on having an interesting Bikes.
And decades later I still ride for 30 years I’ve been a Motorcycle instructor.
People say did the accident not put you off no not really, it all happened too quickly. And the last thing I remember is looking over the shoulder when the brakes went on because at the time the boyfriend put the front brake on and the whole back hand lifted so I saw everything well over his shoulder and when he released the break, Bike came back down and he flew over the handlebars and that’s why it’s so important nowadays that you understand the breaking system on a Motorcycle you cannot just rely on one break. You have to rely on both brakes so when I ride around seeing Old School bikers touching the front break I just think. One day they’re gonna find out that the front break is not the best idea just to use an emergency you need both.
Over the period of years of analyse that accident and pig was so do you think it could’ve been avoided? Yeah I suppose it could’ve done because when when you were young you’re learning things all the time and you could’ve spotted the vehicle coming to the junction because it really is a blind junction because it was by the fisherman‘s club and at the time there was a butterfly Centre and it’s always bad even to this day. Carl cannot be seen coming up to that junction. It’s a blind junction so as I approach that junction to this day when I’m teaching I’m looking right through the tennis courts and I’m looking right over where the car park is for the fishmongers are and I’m always looking to see if any car is coming up to that junction that goes straight away, I reduce my speed.
Motorcycling is the best way to travel we don’t cause congestion with filter through quite safely and we are more sharp and minded with with planning ahead. We see more things than someone who’s never had any experience on any Motorcycle or moped or even a pushbike.
Riding a motor Motorcycle makes your mind more sharper. You plan a lot earlier your eyes are like radar. They’re scanning all the time and they’re scanning 360°. When people said you can’t do that you can just turn around and have a look mirror help but always remember a mirror doesn’t give your whole story look where you can’t see in the mirrors.
Now today I’m doing a different job. I’m doing a plumbing job today because for 20 odd years there’s always a day that I don’t do Motorcycle training I do my plumbing job and yes I’m a female. It doesn’t make any difference nowadays and it was quite interesting to see that I got called into the office to look at the CCT cameras and they’re in front of the CCT cameras with an incident with a Van and the Motorcycle.
I know both of Van driver and Motorcycle Rider and basically what happened is the van driver obviously stopped didn’t indicate to stop though but just stopped and the bike stopped leaving probably a gap no more more than a metre between them with a Van driver then decided to reverse back and of course hit the motorcycle. The motorcycle started getting pushed backwards but the Motorcycle please decide to hold the front break went by holding the front brake. The van started reverse up onto his front wheel. That’s when the Van driver realises something behind him so he move forward got out his van to investigate to find out he had reversed into the Motorcycle .
Rule number one
When you’re writing a Motorcycle, leave a big enough distance between you and the vehicle in front so you can see your head of the vehicle in front.
Rule number two
if you have to stop behind another vehicle make sure there is plenty in between you and the Motorcycle putting in the state in between you the length of an estate car.
Not hard for me to not a meter because when you’re that close to a vehicle and it’s especially a Van they can’t see you in the side mirrors.
Rule number three
Pay attention what’s going on in front of you and don’t assume the person in front of you thinks the same way as yourself
Boss, my plumbing job basically asked me who do you think is at fault .
I’m sorry to say, but both of our driver and the Motorcycles was at fault.
The Van driver saw a parking space and just stopped giving no indication of indicators going to say they’re going to take the parking space is because they saw it at the last minute not paying attention what could’ve been coming up from behind them.
The Motorcycle is also at fault.
I’m not reading the road ahead
And riding too close to the Van in the first place.
Which the Motorcycle Rider did not give himself enough room when they stopped to get out of a hazardous situation.
The next mistake that the cyclist made when the vehicle reversed into it the vehicle first twice bumped the Motorcycle back twice but on the third bump the Motorcycles decided to hold their front brake which meant the Bike wasn’t going anywhere and the only way the car can go backwards was on top of the wheel of the motorbike.
So when you’re learning to write a Motorcycle listen to your instructors, I have more experience and knowledge and anybody who is learning to ride even though they are teaching you also giving you all the experience that they have from knowledge. At least the Motorcycle Rider and a Van driver they’re both okay.
I couldn’t go out to assist because I was out the back collecting plumbing parts and I missed the whole event..
but going back to 1980 what did I learn by that rta ?
It taught me to not trust anybody approaching junctions for a minor road to a major road and as I approached a junction, I watched the front wheels of the cars if sight movement in that front wheel that tells me that they are bouncing the clutch in a throttle ready to go. So the car is at a junction I see a slight manoeuvre to the front wheel. I react immediately.
