NEW HUDSON

Alec Alexander in Newbridge, Isle of Wight tells me that his last publicised find, a 1934 Rudge 250 Radial Sport, is on the VMCC’s calendar for October. When he was 16 (nearly 60 years ago) he was still at grammar school but desperate for a motorcycle. His uncle Reg took pity on him and gave him his New Hudson Autocycle. It wasn’t the Gold Star or Venom Thruxton to which he aspired, but he enjoyed pottering around the Isle of Sheppey on it.

His mum forged his dad’s signature on an HP form enabling him to upgrade to an Ariel Colt. Much later and now married, he and his wife moved to Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight and became friends with a slightly older gentleman in the next road who had several bikes in several sheds. On one visit he spotted a New Hudson Autocycle and asked if it was for sale. It wasn’t. It had been purchased new on April 27, 1950, from Borough

Hall Motors of Newport, Isle of Wight. Its first owner lived in Cowes, its second in Yarmouth and its third in Freshwater.

Twelve years later, and by now banned from riding motorcycles by his wife, the owner of the New Hudson asked Alec if he was still interested. A deal was done and Alec just managed to get the bike in the back of his old Citroen C5. After replacing the perished HT lead, and despite having been off the road since 1963, the bike amazingly started up after a few pedals! Okay, the tyres will need replacing

(£20 each from Germany) and the seized brake cables will need replacement.

Then, coronavirus permitting, he’ll be off for a potter.