Brian Beames (1945-50) writes:
“On one occasion Freddie Lay, having borrowed his wife’s Francis Barnett (I think it was his wife’s, but am not certain why I think that) sat astride it, successfully started same and put it into gear, whereupon the manual gear lever came adrift !
I don’t know what happened after that because I made myself scarce, being a bit concerned that, being the only boy in sight it must have been my fault — and it wasn’t. I was guilty however of laughing my head off. Happy days of long ago.”