Old Harry

The highlight for me in OBA 48 was the story of Harry Hinton. I was privileged to be befriended by the three Hintons (Harry Snr, Harry Jnr, and Eric) in 1958 at the East German International Schleiz Road race. I shared a transporter with fellow Kiwi Frank Higgins, who met his death in an unnecessarily bizarre accident*. Harry Senior, observing my mental state after the Higgins fatality, took me to one side and counselled me that motorcycle racing was dangerous! Accept that death would occur all too frequently, or get on the boat back to NZ and never come back. So sad that he would soon have to counsel himself with the death of his own son Harry Junior, whose skill on his ageing KTT Velocette was brilliant. After the event the Hintons and I visited the grave of Roger Barker, who was killed at the same Schleiz race in 1957.