Classic British Biker Cafés

[vibrac]

My favorite was the Busy Bee the M1 had just opened and we would go down there me on My AJS 7R and my mate Steve on his Matchless G45 we had to get back at dusk as the push bike lights were not so good when we headed back into the Chiltern lanes. We dressed as Mods at weekends because we felt the 'birds' were classier, luckily by the time the music died strangled by the Liverpool sound and all the rubbish mods and rocker media stuff started we were into motorcycle racing a much better pursuit.

 

[Colin]

Tim
I would like to see a couple of "racers" like a 7R and a G45 on the road these days!
The Ace may not be exactly the same these days (what is?) but the music is right there. The ambience will never be the same again, but then, a good proportion of the clients were not even born "back in the day"
Old farts rule, yeah!

 

[Bill Thomas]

I thought Box Hill Surry was the place ?,
Never went there too young !.

 

[Peter Holmes]

It is still open today Bill, how young are you?

 

[Bill Thomas]

74. But feeling 90.

 

[Peter Holmes]

Actually it is Ryka's Cafe, at the foot of Boxhill, Dorking, not a bad little run from your neck of the woods.

 

[Colin]

Let us not forget
Rykers at Box Hill
The 1066 cafe just north of Hastings
The Yonderman Cafe in the Peak District
and one at Horam who's name I forget
Sadly the one at the bottom of Wrotham Hill in Kent, has been pulled down for "redevelopment"
Not that I frequent any of these places, and I was never a Mod, despite the classier "birds" (are we allowed to say that in these PC days) nor was I a rocker, couldn't afford to be either. In any event my 1950 , 197cc Ambassador Popular didn't qualify for either mob.
I am glad to say I did manage to find some of the classier birds, but that is a completely different story, which I have no intention of telling!
Anyone who is interested, there is a book called "Rocker Years" (ISBN 0-9542442-8-1) well worth a browse even if you were not "There"
"See ya at the caff, Sat'dy, OK"

 

[Colin]

You're just a youngster Bill, but I know what you mean . How are you going to feel when you actually reach 90?
Never mind, have a pootle round all the Biker caffs, 'ave a cuppa an' a bacon sarnie and you feel 25 again.
Anyway "Old farts rule, yeah"

 

[ray vinmad]

No mention so far of Johnsons Cafe along the A20 near Brands Hatch.
Very popular back in the 60's. I can still visualise the stainless steel counter awash with tea & the tea spoon on a chain! I think there were only 2 songs on the jukebox, The Israelites & House Of The Rising Sun.
Our mad blasts out to there on a Friday evening, along The Old Kent Road & through New Cross (known locally for The NCNR club, which had several connotations besides New Cross Night Riders!!!) & past The Dutch House. Those trips along the Swanley Bypass will always remain in my memory (hopefully!).
There was a guy there with a very nice, colourful Norvin in the late 60's. If I remember correctly his name was Dick West.
Then of course, there was the tea hut on Chelsea Bridge.
Ray

 

[Graham Smith]

Johnsons was the mecca for motorcyclists in the 1960's. As Mr @Ray vinman says, it was situated on the A20 not far from the Brands Hatch racing circuit near West Kingsdown.

This is what it looks like now…