We had a fine old time motoring in Majorca

ABoUt 30 years ago I went on holiday to Ca’n Picafort in Majorca with my wife Jean, my son Kevin, then 13, and our friends, tony and dot. halfway through our holiday, we men decided to hire two small motorbikes. Kevin would share my bike — the shop assistant assured us this was legal, plus we’d done the same thing a few days previously. so we said goodbye to the ladies, sunbathing by the pool, and off we went. the road was straight and downhill. approaching the first bend, two policemen on large motorbikes came around on the other side of the road. summoning us to stop, they informed us that Kevin shouldn’t be on my bike and it meant an onthespot fine of 1,000 pesetas. the younger officer opened his wallet expecting a speedy conclusion, to be disappointed when I said I hadn’t enough money nor had my friend, tony. obviously they weren’t going to let us off, so tony offered to go back to the hotel to get the cash. the young policeman stayed with me and Kevin, while the older man went back on patrol. off tony went, bent over the handlebars and doing 15mph, reminding me of the George Formby film where he rode a bike in the Isle of Man tt. tony had problems in finding the womenfolk. Both had fallen asleep, so friendly sunbathers had covered them — one with a towel, the other with a proppedup sunbed. so tony had to borrow the cash from a stranger. Meanwhile, Kevin was allowed to sit on the policeman’s bike and to ask about his firearm. the older cop returned and together they started to stop other bikers and fine them. they must have got fed up or their wallets were too full, so they came across to me. they asked how much I had. I repeated the amount. they said it would do as they couldn’t wait. I asked how Kevin and I could get the bike back to the shop. Without hesitation they said he could ride on the back of the bike! so off we went, doing exactly the same thing we had been fined for. keith Bapty, leeds.