Roadholder 364 - April 2018

10 $30.00 Daniell's was of Harold, Dave and myself leaning on the shop counter listening to the 1966 World Cup final on the radio. The world outside the shop had come to a standstill, the streets were deserted and buses had stopped. On a cold January morning in 1967, Dave and I turned up for work to find the shop closed. Harold had died during the night from a major stroke. He was only in his late fifties and left a wife (his second, his first having also died at a young age) and two children. The motorcycling world came en masse to his funeral and the motorcycle press and clubs paid tribute to one of the great men of our age. The BMCRC devoted their whole magazine in tribute to Harold, with contributions from many of the motorcycling 'royalty'. Dave Stanley, who knew the shop and its trade from top to bottom, agreed to carry on and run the business for Mrs Daniell and, in order to be on hand, moved into the flat above the shop. All went well, but, of course, it wasn't the same without Harold. We continued to work hard, but also to have fun and provide the same sort of service that Harold had strived to give. Both Dave and I got to know the folks at the Woolwich factory on regular trips to collect our spares order or new bikes for the showroom. I think it was quite late in '67 when the 'new model', a silver and orange Commando, with lots of plastic bits on it, turned up at the shop. It was a bit of an embarrassment really, so we put it in the side window. A little later in the year, Dave and I went to the launch of the Commando, held at the Connaught Rooms in London. I think we took the silver and orange Commando with us, but I'm not sure. The shop business carried on for about another two years, after which, Mrs Daniell decided she wanted to close, so very sadly we shut the door for the last time and the stock was sold off to other dealers. Dave and I were to go our separate ways, but still remain good friends to this day, some 50 years later. We kept in touch with Harold's son, John, but he also died, again at a young age, last year, not long after he had joined me while marshalling at the bottom of Bayr Garroo during the MGP. Although John was not a racer, he did still ride a Norton. A letter from HLD to a young American serving in Africa. The American became a very good friend of the author for the rest of his life.