Rick,
Thank you for the reply.
I managed to get a signed copy from Brad for £16 including postage (using PayPal)
I just finished reading the book and it really was a great read!
It's one of those books that keeps your interest and you just don't really want it to end.
Lots has been written about the 60s Mod era, becoming hard Mod, Skinhead, Suedehead etc.
This all seems to go up to the early 70s and then resumes again in '79 with the revivals.
The great thing for me was to learn about the vibrant scooter boy scene up North in the mid 70s before '79.
This was was an evolution / continuation of the Mod, Skinhead, Suedehead scene in fashion running parallel with the Northern soul scene, which was just moving above ground.
There are some great photos in the book. These include early shots of the club initially in authentic US M51 fishtail parkas, which then become donkey jackets by the end of the book.
It is great to hear about each of Brad's Lambretta projects and the changing tastes in scooter customizations. You really get a sense of the thrill, camaraderie and pride to be riding one of the scooters in convoy to the next rally.
There are several passing references to Northern Soul including one interesting anecdote outside Wigan Casino.
I was born too late. I started my lifelong interest in all things scootering and Northern in the early 80s at the age of 13. This is when the story is starting to come to an end in the book, so we do cross over for a while.
It is also interesting to see how the club acknowledges that although it all originated with the Mods, the club has adopted the scooter boy identity and the distance widens from '79 on. Something I remember vividly, when the Mods started their own separate scooter rallies.
There is also a very happy ending to the book which many of us will relate to on the forum.
I hope that the book is reprinted so others can enjoy it, but don't wait - get a copy now while you can.
Wish I had been there with the Roadrats S.C.
Cheers,
Rhys