What they wore ( part 1 )

Flicking through my copy of the ' Motor Cycle ' 1948 its hard to imagine why somebody would want to wear such strange outfits, but the answer was purely of necessity. With an economy trying to recover from the ravages of war people were thank full for any thing that kept them warm and dry, and that meant utilising the tons of ex MOD clothing , After all if it kept out the cold North Atlantic on a Submarine then it should keep out the worst of the British weather . Only Belstaff were making something that resembled Motor Cycle clothing modeled by the chap above ...possibly on his way to do " essential work " for the Post war Production drive.

Dive ! Dive ! Dive !

The perfect Motor Cycle Suit .

The Founder of Jaguar Cars.

Saturday morning found me riding the Norton through the leafy the lanes of Warwickshire making the best of the late Autumn sunshine, on my way home i came through the Village of Wappenbury just outside my home town. And because i had a camera in the pocket of my Belstaff i thought it appropriate to show the final resting place of the founder of Jaguar Cars. William Lyons started his Automotive career building Swallow sidecars at a Blackpool factory in 1922. However it wasn't long before Lyons had his sights set on Motor Car production and started manufacturing the Austin Swallow . By 1928 the company had moved to Holbrook Lane in Coventry after outgrowing there original premises in Blackpool . Soon the ever expanding company moved into the famous Browns Lane site an ex " shadow factory " used for important war work.

The memorial to Sir William Lyons.

Sir William Lyons with an E Type Jaguar outside Wappenbury Hall

New and Prototype Jaguars  where often viewed by Sir William in the private  grounds of Wappenbury Hall in Warwickshire. 

The Norton outside Wappenbury church

Another few weeks and another few gales and all those loverly Autumn colours will be no more !