Classic Van & Pick-up Magazine Bedford Chevanne Back Issue

It has long since been a mystery to me why editors talk about the current issue in their opening comment column. What’s the point? For a start, there is a contents page and also, it must be assumed that if people have paid for a mag then they’re going to read it. I guess it’s because they’ve run out of ideas and have nothing much else to say. Anyway, this month’s edition of CVP has a seventies theme. It was a fairly interesting decade and I’ve tried to reflect the times with the choice of features and, for example, have included a seventies trivia section, which recalls some of the stuff that went on – music, vehicles and the odd memory. My recollections of the seventies – at least, the latter part of the decade – are of working on loads of cars for beer money and thrashing away at a typewriter (yep, they were still around then) for newspapers. So, basically, I wrote by day and at night, gave off various aromas based on grease, cellulose and ale. A heady cocktail that wasn’t guaranteed to impress people and make friends. Talking of friends, I had a pleasant surprise following the publication of the October issue of Elastic Band and Stickup. That one had a sixties
theme (man) and I had the admitted cheek to stick in a photo of me on my motorcycle, taken circa-1967. Well, me old mate Geoff Everley spotted it and got in touch. Significant, because I went to school with him, bought the bike (a Norman B3) off him and learnt a great deal about vehicles
from him. Many years ago, he served his time at Martin Walter, Folkestone, famed for the Dormobile. So, all in all, that photo brought a quite incredible result. And I’m flattered that you read the stuff I churn out (for a man in my position, I think grateful would be a better word). Anyhow, enough about me and I’ll sign off as editors almost invariably do. Enjoy (as opposed to what –
please don’t enjoy the contents that I have pointlessly talked about throughout this column?). I remain un-cynically yours.