The Old Days

[RATTY]

A little story for the weekend

A long time ago in a small ghetto called Walthamstow I went to school with a guy called Andy Ruffell, we was in the same class at McEntee SH, I worked on saturdays in a bike shop called Bellchambers who was one of the first to start stocking Mongoose BMX. My job was to build the new bikes up for sale. It was love at first sight and it became my goal to own a goose, my trakky just never really held up to the abuse I threw at it. Well it took me about 5 months to earn the money needed to buy a mongose 2 with blue tuffs and with help from my nan and grandad I went down to the famous motorcycle shop Hagons in Leyton and bought the goose

Me and Andy were never the best of mates but rode together with the Walthamstow posse on many a night, He was a truly gifted rider and back in 1981 we all thought he was invincible.
He had 3 brothers from memory, one a quiet guy called Neil was a great laugh and very friendly.

Well now a big 25 year jump. I was working in the shop and an old school friend popped in, he told me Neil had passed away, a big shock and very upsetting.

I went on the internet to try and find out more, I ended up on bmxtalk first and met up with an old rider from the walthamstow days. Keith wilson was a good mate back then, and was quick on the track.

He said to pop over and have a chat, he had a business in the same road I had lived in with my ex wife. Well it took a year for me to get over to see him, but finally I managed to meet up with him on Friday.

We spent an hour chatting about the old days, the old faces came flooding back, Andy, Neil, Sid, Danny, Tony, Craig and loads of others. We got round to talking about Neil, how rad he had become, what a truly world class rider he was and sadly the circumstances involving his death.
I have to say I was well and truly gutted and shed a tear that night. 

Meeting up with Keith, well it was just like 25 years ago, sitting on the start gate over the walthamstow track, not a worry in the world.

Keith gave up BMX the same time as me, but 10 years ago he went into downhill MTB, he was world champ in 2000 and came 7th in the world 40+ cruisers a couple of years ago.
I am now more determined to give up the ciggies and lose some weight and start competing properly.

Because of that tragic news about Neil, I have met up with some great people especially on here, but also old friends and foes like Danny Purcell, Keith Wilson, bmx-796, Andy Young etc.
It has also given me a new direction in life, one that will take me away from the vices that come all to easy.

Thanks Keith

R.I.P. Neil 

Stay rad on that half pipe in heaven

[Rombloke]

excellent post ratty.....

we all only live once so lets make the best of it.

ive met some of the best people ever in the last three yrs thru bmx, and more so thru rad.

ride on, and rip neil

Dave

[Trev]

ive met some of the best people ever in the last three yrs thru bmx

Thank you very much. 


I always feel really gutted whenever I hear about Neil.  Such a waste of a great talent.
That southsea dvd was great. footage of neil i had never seen before.  he was truly brilliant.

[RATTY]

Trev, I never did get to see that footage, could you burn me a copy when you get time. Thanks mate

[Trev]

Trev, I never did get to see that footage, could you burn me a copy when you get time. Thanks mate

quimrider might string me up....   

[DR VINOAH]

tone

thats a great story and a moving tribute to neil rip

[RATTY]

Cool post. Give the fags up Ratty they will kill you mate.

Andy, Ive given up a lot of things in the last 12 months, fags are next!

[Bob_Acid]

We used to see a lot of posts like this, not seen many lately though.

good stuff Ton', get stuck in mate

[harris]

yes great post mr ratty.these threads bring me back down to earth.   
and neil will never be far away.rad as fook.

[superbikedan]

tony for once what a lovely story,  new keith well,  i'll tell you a funny story about keith, a girl and another bloke

next time i see you

very touched to be mentioned in the same story

over the last couple of years had the same thing happen to me,

meeting up with bill stupps,   now his son and mine are good riding mates,

back to old times with pat   (arma)    twobobrob and many more

the maddest thing latley was meeting up with you, 

and last,  rombloke and all the old skool boys

many know i promote the younguns but theres a big place in my heart for old skool

[priv]

you wanna keep in touch with keith, a  friend is someone you don't see all that often but when you do meet up you just carry on the conversation/crack like you've never been away.


i've met up with a few riders on here and it's allways the same,a bit quiet at first, then the banter starts and it's just lads talking bmx.


priv 

[MartyC]

Nice story Tony, Neil was a rad dude that's for sure and such a shame that his life ended before it really began  .

I've met some real cool peeps on this site, chatted and met up again with many people I rode with bitd and am getting back out on a bmx bike as a result, all good stuff as far as I am concerned 

A BMX bike isn't just for Xmas, it's for life - ask anyone on the site 

[Dingobmxer]

cool post 

you wanna keep in touch with keith, a  friend is someone you don't see all that often but when you do meet up you just carry on the conversation/crack like you've never been away.


i've met up with a few riders on here and it's allways the same,a bit quiet at first, then the banter starts and it's just lads talking bmx.


priv 

Adey you were a gobsh1te from the off when I met you 

  DINGO

[priv]

have you ben drinking dingo??


'cos that's fighting talk



priv

[Stace]

Tony,

Great story, good to hear something like that, puts lots of perspective on alot of things !!




That might not make loads of sense......but it does personally to me !

Thaks Bruv 

[Dingobmxer]

have you ben drinking dingo??


'cos that's fighting talk



priv

no its not!!! because I added the magic "  " in there 
  DINGO

[priv]

have you ben drinking dingo??


'cos that's fighting talk



priv

oops forgot to add mine