Home is a 1951 NH 350 Ariel

At Laidley I had noticed a plunger model Ariel parked nearby which seemed to be well loaded with various items and a sleeping swag attached. The owner Kevin Wheatley I had met at a previous swap that way. On the way back from the canteen on the Saturday evening I couldn’t help but notice a smell of cooking. I looked and Kevin was busy cooking lamb chops on a small gas stove attached to the rear of this machine. Lighting was provided by a battery-operated lamp fitted to a pole extending upwards from just behind the seat. The motorcycle fraternity, whatever category, has some unique and interesting characters who live their respective lives differently. With this bloke I was grinning from ear to ear. He continued cooking his lamb chops and proceeded to tell me about his machine. He inherited it in 1975 from an uncle. The gearbox has never required dismantling and still runs the half grease/oil mixture. He has ridden this machine down to the Bairnsdale, Victoria area. Anyway he sat down to eat and low and behold out from the panniers came his ‘home brew’ beer. He insisted I have a drink, or two, until it was all gone. Then out came the Merlot. This bloke is a laugh a minute, friendly as all hell. I could not help but take a couple of snap shots as he was leaving late Sunday. Since then he has come down to the Walcha Challenge conducted by the Taree Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Club, again all loaded up and finished fourth for the weekend.