Hitchcocks Forum

Hi Guys----perhaps not quite Enfield stuff but can anyone in or from the Reading, Berks area remember a motorcycle place called Blackhall, Sexton & Wootton, in the Theale area ?? I believe they were agents for the Ariel Square-4 ?? I remember seeing lots of those parts in their "stores". I believe the M4 runs accross the old place now ??

Alan, I remember them very well....They were in Station Road Theale on the left just where the Theale bypass goes over the top..... I remember going in there and thinking it was like going back to the thirties but they were always very helpful as most in that game were in fifties and sixties...They specialised in sidecar outfits, Bond and Reliant 3 wheelers and they were also known to be very good engineers......Here’s another few for you-----Stocker and Shepherd who were in the Oxford Road Reading on the left going out of town, they were Triumph main agents, Wally Searle on the same side further up, John Steadman was the salesman and I think he also worked for Stocker and Shepherd before that – he also started the Motorcycle Parts Centre when Wally Seale retired which is still going in the Oxford Road now run by Mark Turner and Jon Ball who runs the business just as John did, sadly John passed away 2 years ago, he was a smashing bloke.......Further up on the right near Battle Hospital was Brill Brothers which then became Pegasus Kawasaki which is now at Silchester.....Philips and Bloomfield in London Street who were BSA main agents, had two BSA’s from them in the sixties, Colin Nash was the salesman.......234 Motors were in Harris’s Arcade in the town and were Honda main agents, had my first Honda from them a CD175 in 1967 JRD 77E......Bill Turner over in Caversham, helped me a lot when my 650 BSA Lightning blew up, Bill long gone but his son is still running the business......Well I hope that has given you something to think about being an old Tilehurst/Reading boy!....Happy days....Phil(PJ)

Hi PHIL(PJ)BERKS--- and sorry for the delayed reply---too much time riding bikes at the moment. Kind of guessed it might be you to answer--- Yes, I was a customer many times with all those names---especially Wally Searle ( for bits 'n bobs ) and Bill Turner who helped on many occasion with my Grass-Tracking needs. My very first "motorbike" --a Norman Nippy, bought with money paid me for a Saturday cleaning job at Littlewoods-- came from Brill Bros. My first Honda--a CB160 came from ALEXANDER'S in Edinburgh in 1967. I then rode it from Edinburgh to Reading on two occasions of leave from the Royal Navy at Rosyth Marine Engineering. This year I bought a 1997 Classic 500 from one of the guys on this forum down in Farnborough and rode it home to TELFORD via a stop at my Sister & Bruv-in-Law's place at BRADFIELD. Have just done the same again with a Suzuki Marauder 800. Are you still in Reading---must meet up next time I'm down there ??

Hi Alan, Thanks for your reply and the best of all reasons to a slow reply, unfortunately I couldn't use that excuse as I have been trying to sort out the Sixty 5 on and off for a month or two now and have finally resolved the running problems touch wood!.......It sounds that in your retirement you are acquiring a stable of bikes on which to enjoy the Shropshire country side, I on the other hand, seem to be spending all my pension trying to sort out a single machine. I think the problem is that it had 6K miles put on it in the first year of life commuting and no evidence proper servicing. It was little used after the second year until I acquired it recently and there is never so true a saying “if you don’t use it you will lose it” and I find that is true of all things mechanical.......I live to the east of Reading but know the Bradfield area very well so next time you are up visiting your sister, stick a post on here and we could meet up for a pint and a chat....All the best Phil

It's appropriate that Stocker and Shepherd were also Royal Enfield main agents, the Stocker being Jack Stocker, RE's Competition Manager.
REgards, Mark

Hello PHILL---yes,let's do that. It probably won't be until the New year now, that's when it's mynext turn to help look after Mum (In her 90's and has a Toy-Boy in tow !!). My Fathers parents lived for many years in WOODLEY. Hello MARK M---well, I never knew that !! Thanks for that juicy tit-bit.

Hi Alan & Mark, I found this contribution on the reading forum site which is a little more informative.....(Stocker & Shepherd were one of the biggest motorcycle shops in Reading....Owned by Leo Shepherd and Jack Stocker....In the late 60' early 70's, John Steadman worked in the stores along with Jacks son John.
Bill Turner worked in the workshop and the entrance to the workshop was in Waylen Street......When you took your motorcycle there for an MOT it did not pass until Bill had ridden it down the road.....I believe the old door way is still there on the RH side just past the building on the corner Oxford Road/Waylen Street corner.....When S & S closed down, Bill Turner took over a small garage in Queens Road, Caversham where his son John still works today......Sadly Leo, Jack, John Steadman and Bill Turner are no longer with us but Jacks son John who also used to work in S & S stores as a youngster is still around and riding in Pre 65 motorcycle scrambling.....I used to go to S & S in the late 60's and early 70's when I worked for Eddie Chandler, another motorcycle dealer in Caversham Road.).......If only we coild turn the clock back even for an hour or two!!.....Link to the forum http://www.reading-forum.co.uk/forum/do ... ......Phil