I joined GK in October 1971 as a parts assistant in the Norton parts department. In 1973 I was asked to mind the BMW shop after Vincent Davey Jnr had been involved in a racing accident at Snetterton. I became BMW parts manager and stayed until the company was sold to Wheels International in May 1989.

GK's had the largest stock of BMW parts in the UK and we had many customers from around the world. Being fairly near central London we met many interesting and famous people over the years and a few odd balls as well. I have many fond memories of my time at GK.

Photo courtesy of Mike Edwards

I stayed for the first two years of Wheels International after GK was sold and then became a partner of Tim Harman as an independent BMW specialist for five years at Charlwood in Surrey.

After that I was parts manager at Prestige Motorcycles, a BMW dealer at Bexleyheath, and from there on to Piaggio Ltd in 1999. At Piaggio I get paid to talk about bikes all day with fellow enthusiasts on the staff.

I am the Piaggio Group Technical Dept as Warranty Administrator for Vespa, Piaggio, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia & Moto Guzzi.

I have owned the same BMW R75/7 since 1977 which has been much modified over the years and is now 900cc and has covered 187,000 miles. It is now in retirement waiting a bit of restoration. I have done the National Rally many times on it, ridden round Brands Hatch at the 1,000 bikes meeting several times and done countless miles touring.

I rode in trials on a Bultaco (I still have that as well) and I still ride a bike every day though I only own four at the moment. I still have a passion for classic bikes and classic racing. I don't spend quite as much time on two wheels now as many weekends are spent competing in archery matches.