THE FLATLEY DRYER

[Stanley]

Our Flatley Dryer moment this morning is rather a long way away. In the United States mid-West.



A derelict grape stall on the side of Route 66 near St Louis. If you've ever read "Grapes of Wrath" you'll remember the travellers used to stop at these stands during the great depression. One of the reasons for the migration to the West was the dust bowl conditions in much of the mid-West. The prairie grass had been ploughed and cash arable crops like maize grown and in the 1930s this coincided with the hottest and driest years ever seen in the region then or since.
However, lessons have been forgotten, the grass that healed the surface of the land has been ploughed once more to grow Maize and now climate scientists are looking at the trends and forecasting another dust bowl and possible desertification. What was a Flatley Dryer candidate, a dust bowl, looks like it might reappear 100 years later.

[Stanley]

It's looking as though the next Flatley Dryer moment could be Xmas and everything it entails. This is bad news for the High Street, the period between Halloween and Xmas is the main selling opportunity of the year. It looks as though the second wave of Covid and measures to combat it's spread are going to spoil this. That leaves aside the fact that families in lockdown with no work are short of money. So I think we can say goodbye to a 'normal' Xmas. Will the Xmas light still go up? One wonders what the point of them will be.

[Whyperion]

Will the Xmas light still go up? One wonders what the point of them will be.

Hope ? In Homes at least. An attempt at normality by local authorities, the winter lights cover the islamic, jewish and hindu festivals too ( plus roman , norse and solstice celebrations)

[Whyperion]

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That reminds me, has anyone seen a Holland's Pie in Barlick recently? I never seem to see their vans now.

They seem to sell to some Chip Shops more to Burnley and Westwards. And to the Supermarkets in Frozen or Chilled products. Tesco in Burnley and Rawtenstall Have them. as does Morrisons down here in Suburban Surrey.

[Whyperion]

Does anyone remember the days before automatic ticket machines on public transport when the conductor had a wooden bar with spring clips on that held bunches of this cardboard tickets of different denominations. Slung round there neck was a simple punch that clipped the ticket on the side in a way that showed where you had got on. I seem to remember a white one which was a 'Tuppeny Transfer'. There were workman's tickets also.
Shortly after the war, these old tickets were superseded by the automatic machine that had a roll of paper in it. The conductor dialled in the type of ticket with what looked just like the circular dial on a telephone and then would the handle which printed the ticket which was then torn off and handed to you.
Roaming round the network were 'bus inspectors' who travelled on different vehicles and checked tickets to make sure nobody was evading paying the proper fare.
All Flatley Dryer country now.

In Wales (and elsewhere) one company did better than that. A two person company they had one bus doing an estate about 20min outside Ebbw Vale. Everyone seemed to get on in the central town area, and didnt pay, the clippie then collected fares , no ticket issued, as they got off. Quite clever and avoided over-riding and non payment. ( they used a front entrance 57 seat single decker ). I had a collection of ticket issuing machines (TIM) - the original TIM had a dial like a telephone for selecting a fare which then printed it out, Setrights were another which speeded up compared to Bell Punch (still going - mainly making car park tickets), they would auto punch the ticket, it was the Speed Setright that printed off on a roll of paper, with Insert Variations for cancelling day and weekly tickets. The Ultimate ticket machine had 5 or 6 rolls for pre-printed fare values, higher fares issued as combinations, this printed the fare stage boarded. I think London Transport only had the lightweight Gibson ticket printer, Almex in various forms issued a cut square ticket. Willibrew were one of the oddest with the fare written through a window on the machine which was then ejected out from it. The BCN society probably has local information on its website, and the St Helens Transport Museum has a selection of NW Area Ticket Machines in a display cabinet. When I was in a Travel Agency I would write out National Express Tickets on an A5 triplicate pad , one for customer , one for the charting department and one the internal control ticket- the oddest journey was two changes at Bristol and Salisbury for a Cardiff to Bournmouth Journey - I checked, the coach took the same length of time as the rail journey would (pre internet and all done from paper timetable books), it didnt take much longer using local buses either !

[Stanley]

Can you remember the Readybrek adverts? Strictly speaking it isn't Flatley Dryer country because it is still made. But gone are the days of 'Fruit and Nut' Readybrek and many other flavours.

[Stanley]

So many things wrong with this spoof on a genuine 1950 advertisement. All of them hopefully Flatley Dryer country now...

[Big Kev]

Van Heusen do make nice shirts though
I have a couple in the wardrobe.

[Marilyn]

Do Van Heusen still make shirts?
I used to buy Van Heusen business shirts for my first husband ( 30 years + ago). They made nice shirts. Came in a box, all pinned in and presented beautifully. Had to wash them about 6 times to get the fold/press marks out. No one wants to wear a shirt that still has the folds from the box.

[Tizer]

After seeing the image we know why Kev wears them!

[Big Kev]

After seeing the image we know why Kev wears them!

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS and have a good cringe if you are a man.
Yes, it really was like this. Thank God it is now Flatley Dryer country!

[plaques]

Bring back Benny Hill. Flue injection Most of his shows were overtly sexist but often turned the focus back on him as being the central point of the sketch.

[Stanley]

Looking back Ken I think everything was sexist! I've always admitted to being Andy Capp for many years.....

[Stanley]

I post this image of a 1931 Norton Motor Cycle as a representative of an entire industry. I think it was in the 1960s that the British industry got a shock as Japanese motor cycles became serious competitors on the track and in the sale rooms. Derided as cheap copies they soon moved beyond that and started innovating and in a very short space of time our home industry was in trouble. We all know where that ended and the same thing happened to other industries. That 1931 Norton is a good example of Flatley Dryer country.

[plaques]

Norton International 500cc overhead cam. Worth a fortune. Remember the days of ' Don't trudge it, Rudge it'.

[PanBiker]

Good examples of my first bike, Royal Enfield Crusader 250 single sell for about £3,000 - £5,000 now. I paid £40.00 for mine, wish I still had it.

[Stanley]

The only bike I ever had was an ex army BSA Bantam with girder forks and no kick starter. It lived outside the barn leaning against the wall. It was never taxed or insured, in fact I doubt if I could have proved I owned it! I can't remember it ever failing to start when bumped down the slope away from the barn. I wonder what that would be worth now, it wasn't worth anything then!

[PanBiker]

If it had girder forks it was not in its original frame. All Bantams from the 125cc D1 in 1948 had telescopic forks. All models also had a kick start fitted as standard so that must have been removed. Sounds like it was a bit of a Frankenstein machine built from various spare bits.. 125cc in 1948, 150cc in 1954 and finally a 175cc from 1958 until last production models in 1971.
It was actually based on a German design the DKW RT125, the design was received as part of war reparations and passed to BSA in Birmingham, they mirrored it and moved the gear change and kickstart to the right as was the convention on other British models.

[plaques]

One of my long standing hobbies until my pal died 3 years ago can't get the enthusiasm back again.
The New Imperial (1930) is mine the AJS was Eric's sold to another pal at basic cost which he still rides up to our place.

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[PanBiker]

Very nice Ken, DVLA says that yours was first registered in 1932. Mutt Motorcycles produced a couple of modern 125cc models using the Imperial marque in 2018 ad 2019.

[plaques]

That's true Ian, but according to the rules on vintage bikes its the date of manufacture that counts. It's said to be one of seven left in the UK but not to get too excited they were such a load of rubbish people threw them away as soon as newer models came out. This one must have been hanging around for two years until it was discounted down to under £25. Came as a box of bits, as they all seem to do, with lots of parts missing and had to make a new petrol tank from scratch. Labour of love.

[PanBiker]

Box of bits or not it's a damn good restoration.

Were spares available when you did the rebuild?

The 350 AJS is twenty five years or so younger than the Imperial so I assume the bits for that would have been somewhat easier.

I know to get the best bits for my 1958 Enfield Crusader I had to go to Westerby's in Bradford. Points, lamps switches etc were all bog standard Lucas but I could only get the right copper head gaskets with a trip to Bradford. EEO 118 was the reg, never forget the registrations of your bikes.

[Stanley]

Nice, that triggered you off nicely. Good advert for the Flatley Dryer!

[plaques]

Were spares available when you did the rebuild?

Basically NO. The Vintage Motorcycle club were very good at digging out old pictures and manuals which went with the comment " Nay lad, anybody who knows owt about them's dead". but there was a man in Wales who knew what alternatives to use. Some of the things I made from scratch were. Petrol tank, Exhaust pipes and silencer. chain case and chain covers. handlebar levers and handlebars.
The petrol tank was the most difficult since it incorporated the oil tank as well.

The old tank was like a lace curtain you could shine a light through 70% of it.

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