Working at Schwieso Brothers

I was employed at Schwieso Brothers from 1962 to 1966 as a mechanic in the very busy workshop at Lowfield Street. There was quite a large workforce; some names I remember and some I have forgotten. So here goes for a few... Les Browning, Lambretta and Vespa expert; Jimmy Oliver, foreman, a hard man but so versatile; Sid

Mizen, racer who was killed in

1967, a lovely man; Roy Kemp, who raced Itoms; Graham Gower, New Zealand scramble champion, who married and went back home in 1966; Raymond Smith, who went on to own the bike shop just down the road from Schwieso’s; and Roy Beaty, who competed in scrambles.

And, of course, there was Les Schwieso, who was in charge of the workshop. Les was such a nice, gentle man who, in his time, was a man to beat on the race track.

There was also Don Overall, later the foreman after Jimmy Oliver left. He was a clever and talented man who in the Second World War had worked on Lancaster bombers, and he did so much in his lifetime. Sadly, some have now passed away.

I am now in my 80th year and I am still riding my bikes: 54 Squarefour, 59 Venom, 63 Dominator, and a 125 Yamaha. It was a great shop to work for, but the pay was not that good, so I left in 1966 for a much higher paid job in the local papermill. I have many fond memories and stories of those workmates at Schwieso so long ago.

David Haysom (Ginger),

Dartford, Kent It’s wonderful to hear from someone who not only knew the Schwieso shop, but who worked there.