Who will buy my sweet red roses two blooms for a penny?

Cut Cut Nancy that was 1968 when you did Lionel Bart's adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, this is 2018 and your now 85 and actually Shani Wallis.

I thought that as Padgetts was founded in 1958, the same year Mark Lester who starred next to you as Oliver was born it would be drawing a fair old twang of the string to get you to help them out.

The new lyrics should be "who will buy my sweet red Yamaha TZ750". Then go on" ït wont be a penny it will be a fair penny".

We were on a mission to cross Endland was Liverpool in the West to Hull in the East. Length of time allocated-less then one day as we had a ferry to connect us with Belgium leaving at 6pm for the 15hr crossing.

Madness you may well ask but no England is only a small country and I had done the trip in reverse in 2015 arriving at 2.30pm in Liverpool. so around lunchtime we were more then half way across around the Leeds area sitting in a road service centre when Greg after consulting Mr Google said ïts not far to Batley!"

No need for any second readding gear was grabbed, Tom Tom reprogrammed and off to Batley where less than half an hour later we were pulled up in a parking lot of an old friend. Padgetts Motorcycles of batley the UK longest established Yamaha and Suzuki dealers.

Incase you are wondering yes they are Kawasaki dealers also just a brance of the family trading under a different name.

I had had the priveledge of visiting with Grg 7 Kerrie in 2011 when I took my Suzuki RG500 on a visit to them.

Very briefly Padgetts was founded by two brothers Peter & Don and Clive who is the son of Peter are acknowledged as the most successful privateer motorcycle team in the world!

They have assisted the likes of Mike Hailwood,Bill Ivy,Phil Read, Ron Haslam,Carl Fogarty,John McGuinnes,Ian Hutchinson and Bruce Anstey to win at World, British Superbikes and on the Isle of Man TT levels always guided by Clive who was the youngest ever British Champion and as team leader the motto is " To be succcessful at racing , you must set your sights on the top. Second place is never enough."

The shop(s) do not portray that motto as they are a 1970's dealership in most respects to thos day. Only recently did the Honda shop get a parial (inside) makeover. The only change outside of that that I noted since my visit 7 years ago was the free cuppa is now dispense from a self service machine not the hand of Peter.

The shop still has loads of NOS (New Old Stock) of motorcycles from the late 1980 upwrds infact new Kawasaki Z1300 n red is available next to Suzuki GSXR750, Kawasaki GPZ900R and of course the title to this blog a BRAND NEW never uncrated Yamaha TZ750 from the 1976? era. I saw it throught a cornor of the cardboard crate and te ever present and helpful Cath Padgett assured me they still owned it.

The photo's show not just one or two but over a dozen maybe more lke two dozen brand new Yamaha & Honda racebikes still unstarted for sale along with probably 40 ex race bikes. That is what you see in the showroom who knows what their large warehouses hold along with thousands of items of clothing all brand new NOS awaiting buyers.

Even with multiple eg whole racks on EBay still the stock never seems to diminish.

If you are ver in the UK or just using the web check out Padgetts at

226A Braford Road (Honda) & 234 Bradford Road (Yamah & Suzuki) Batley WF17 6JD

Say Hi to Cath upstairs or just google: Padgetts motorcycles.

Having spend a few pounds on a genuine Padgetts Race Team shirt it was time to head East as we still had aferry to catch which we did in ample time and enjoyed a 15.5hr trip to Zeeburgee just near the lovely town of Buges and the setting for the movie based on fact Bridge too far away.