Rex and Brendon’s bike shops

I left Middle Road secondary modern school in Shoreham, Sussex in 1964, at the age of 15. In some disgrace I might add, as I had given up on schooling after being told I could not stay on for a GCE in art as I (in their opinion) would have no chance in taking Maths and English and passing, despite the fact that I was very capable in the Arts. This had led me to playing hooky (truant) in the winter of 1962/63. Very little point in going to school anymore as they had already signed away my future. If any body reading this was about that winter they will know we had snow for over two months.

The winter of 1963 was the coldest for more than 200 years. With temperatures so cold the sea froze in places. Bringing blizzards, snow drifts, blocks of ice, and temperatures lower than -20 °C, The Big Freeze of 1963 actually began in 1962. The beginning of December was very foggy with some snow midway through the month but the first heavy snowfall began on the evening of Boxing Day. The snow stayed around and ended gently in March 1963 without widespread flooding, owing to a gentle thaw in sunshine during the first few days of the month. Many places in lowland Britain didn’t lose their snow cover until early March for the first time since December 26th.

And I decided to play hooky in that. I was absent from school for over a month and didn’t really have any idea how to end it as I was not about to get a sick note. Eventually the school inspector visited my parents house and it all came to a very sudden end. I remember the inspector well, he was a strange little man with a weasel like face and he was wearing a brown gaberdine mac with a trilby hat. The sort of clothes you would expect from a member of the Stasi Police or gestapo. He enjoyed my cringing during his interrogation. I had been accompanied by a friend of mine in this truancy and this weasel was trying to get me to reveal his whereabouts, as he had run away from home when the cat got out of the bag. But I had read books on these blighters and I was not going to give anything away to this little creep.

My friend however was found a few days later, still wearing my overcoat that I had given to him. The Police returned this to me (another interrogation) as they thought he had stolen it whilst on the run.

My first job was as a builders labourer for Stones the Builders, a company based in Portslade. It was here that I bought my first motorbike, I was fifteen and a half. Not even old enough to get a licence, but I got straight on it and rode it around the block, brilliant I thought. I had to have it. The bike was a black 1949 Matchless G3 350cc with a rigid rear frame. Who could resist it for 10 pounds, my life savings, well almost.

Of course when I got home I was obviously in big trouble (again), not only was I too young but even when I reached 16 it was too big a bike as I would only be allowed up to 250cc on a provisional licence unless it had a sidecar.

Now it comes to Rex. Rex was the owner of Boundary Road Motorcycles in Portslade, a well known character at that time in the 1960’s. I remember he refused to have anything to do with Japanese bikes ” full of ball bearings” he used to say.

I think, at that time there was PDH in Portland Road and Beamish’s in Fishersgate who had Suzuki dealerships, but I never did like Jap bikes much myself. So It was Rex’s shop that I bought a side car frame for the worldly price of 5 pounds. If I remember right my dad helped in the purchase as I had run my piggy bank pretty much dry on buying the bike.

I Had to push that side car up to Mile Oak Road, Portslade with two friends and then couple it up with my Matchless G3. We built a side car unit onto the frame using Dexion, plywood and an old Triumph Herald car seat. I thought it was the Bees knees (at the time).

The coupling of the side car frame to the bike was remarkably easy and my neighbour from two doors down, (who was a member of the Brighton motorcycle Club) inspected our work and surprisingly we were spot on. Then it was a matter of installing an actual carriage to the frame. The dexion and plywood was cut and fixed by saddles to the round framework, then a visit to the local breakers to obtain a front seat removed from a Triumph Herald. It was to become known as the coffin as it obviously had some similarity. The sidecar was then finished in black to match the Matchless, I then adorned it with flames and sharks teeth.

All this was reluctantly accepted by my parents, until I purchased an ex BA Pilots hat. The hat was taken from me and a downright refusal was made that I was not under any circumstances to wear it or anything like it. At the time I thought it to be quite a good look, but in there eyes it was horrendous.

The Matchless was a great bike for 10 pounds, it’s now probably worth about 5000 pounds. Rex moved from Portslade in the late 1960’s and I understand he then retired and moved to the West Country. A shame as it was always the personal type of bike shop I enjoyed.

I now own a 500cc Royal Enfield Classic in Battle Green and still enjoy the open road as much as I did in the 1960’s.

There is one place, today that holds the same personal reception that Rex’s shop upheld. It is called Sussex Rolling Road, owned by Brendon Parker and it’s in Worthing. I always take my bike there, it’s a great place, quality stock and excellent engineering. Plus they always have coffee on the go.

I am sure you will like the hard wit of the owner Brendon Parker, I highly recommend it to you. A special place.

https://www.sussexrollingroad.co.uk/