Liphook Community Magazine Spring 2016

P A R I S H P E O P L E
Jan and Tony Roles
Love Me, Love
My Lambretta
This is the story of Jan
and Tony Roles and the
fun they had riding their
Lambretta scooter to
Brussels for a rally of riders
and their steeds. They met in
1955 when working in the John
Lewis Store in Oxford Street in London. Tony wanted to travel,
as he had heard exciting tales about his father, who had died
when Tony was two years old. He had travelled to Canada on The
Empress of Britain in 1926 and went Gold Prospecting in the
Yukon some time after being gassed and taken prisoner while
serving in the first World War. Tony saved money to emigrate to
Canada and asked Jan to accompany him. She decided that she
would rather not leave her Mum and Dad and her brother so the
nest egg was used instead to buy a shiny, brand-new Lambretta
scooter,which they named 'Canadian Fare' (registration number
TGO 757). It cost the magnificent sum of £150. They travelled
the British Isles on it staying in Youth Hostels, carrying their
belongings in a box on the back.
As members of the Mitcham Goons Lambretta Club they went on
rallies around the country. One of the rallies was at Buxton in
Derbyshire and they recall camping on the side of the A5
overnight with other members of the club. The Mitcham Goons,
had connections to Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe and
during the fifties the 'Goons' radio show was extremely popular
as many of you will know. The wedding of Janet Lanegan and
Tony Roles is recorded in The Scooter News of 25th September
1959 (price 6d.)
In 1960 they read publicity about a Lambretta weekend rally to
be held in Brussels and when they found out that riders who
could get themselves there would be provided with free
accommodation decided to go. They flew from Lydd to Le Touquet
in a Silver City Airways plane which carried a few small vehicles.
Collecting their scooter and making sure the box on the back was
secure and that the Union Jack and banner saying ‘GOONS’ was
safely in place on the
windscreen they set off and
rode to Brussels. Their first
view of The Atomium, a
structure with escalators
between the ‘spheres’, was
exciting. The Expo World
Fair had taken place in
1958 after an eighteen year
long gap because of the
Second World War.
Three thousand Lambrettas carrying six thousand people had
arrived and various activities took place, including a Concours
d'Elegance where the scooters were ridden round a course,
manoeuvring round obstacles and being judged for their pristine
condition. With the 'Goons banner in place they were a bit
concerned that Germans might take offence, as 'goons' was the
name given to the German Prison Guards during the War. On
the Sunday the Police tried to divide the vast numbers into three
sight-seeing groups but overwhelmed by the vast numbers
decided to leave them to their own devices.
Jan and Tony had
taken two weeks’
holiday from work so
set off towards
Bavaria, through the
Rhine Valley. In
Bavaria they visited
the Weiskirche, a
beautiful Pilgrimage
Church built in 1745,
which has a white
painted interior covered
in rich gold Rococo
Atomium,
World Trade Fair,
Brussels, Expo 58
decoration. Still in
Bavaria, stopping for
petrol, they met a coach party from England who told them they
were near the village of Oberammergau where the famous Passion
Play was first presented in 1634 and now held every year ending in
a nought. Many of the villagers take part, re-enacting the Passion
of Christ and certain scenes from the Bible. The play is put on
during a period of five months and in 1960 the theatre was
crammed with people, benches being put in between the rows of
seats. Tony says ‘health and safety had not been invented then’.
They started to queue early in the morning and the performance
took place between 8.30.a.m. and 5.30.p.m. Finding the play was
being performed was a lucky chance. Seats were one German
Mark, equivalent to 7/6! At that time Oberammergau was in the
American Zone and there were many American Military Police
driving round in their Cadillacs, with local police in Volkswagons.
They explored the Black Forest, going to Heidelberg, situated in
South-west Germany and enjoyed sight-seeing, particularly
Neuchwanstein Castle and the Old Bridge across the River Neckar
and continued to the Nebelhorn. The Nebelhorn is an impressive
mountain in the Allgau Alps in Germany, near the village of Oberstdorf.
Jan and Tony were carried to the top by ski lift and Jan was wearing
the popular footwear of the time, flip-flops. Terrified of the heights
she was being taken to she was also worried that her shoes might
fall off. She enjoyed the view from the summit but her feet were
frozen by walking about in the layer of snow at the top.
In Munich the intrepid couple encountered their first beer festival,
amazed to see the huge beer steins lined up on the bar, enjoying the
music and dancing. They saw how Germans enjoyed themselves.
They started their long trip back to Le Touquet and could not
resist calling in to have a look at the Eiffel Tour, in Paris.
This adventure took place fifty six years ago and the little scooter
remained mechanically sound throughout the whole holiday.
Jan and Tony moved to Liphook in 1965 and brought up their
family here, soon getting involved in village life, firstly joining
the Carnival Committee in the 70’s
Some will remember Jan as a Tupperware Lady and Tony as the
Carpet man when he worked for Greathurst Carpets in the
Square. They have weeded and planted as part of the Liphook
In Bloom team and been members of B & L Voluntary Care for
many years. Jan is an accomplished photographer & Video Maker
who chronicles Liphook in Bloom's activities and displays during
the year, showing her videos at the yearly Presentation Evening.
Long may they continue to lead a happy life in our village.
June Wright
Front cover picture - Hilliers Gardens, Romsey by Frank Williams, U3A Photography Group