"Andy Capp" in Spain remembers Exeter's Scooter gang of the late 50s/early 60s

The recent story about Exeter’s old Exeter Yokels Scooter Club has prompted happy memories from sunny Spain. 

They come from Pete Webber, who has lived in Spain for the past ten years - and has the Echo sent over and always buys one on his trips back to his old home. 

Pete said: “I am an ardent reader of your Nostalgia page – and how excited I was to see the piece from Janet Lucas about the old Exeter Yokels Scooter Club. 

“Within the Club I was known as Andy Capp due to the characters Andy & Flo Capp that I’d painted on my wind-screen and always wearing a "flat cap" (helmets were not an essential in those days). 

“The photograph used in the story was really interesting. On the left in the photograph is John Foster Hall, the founder of the Club in (I think) 1957. 

"His pillion passenger his Diane “Dinky” Mansell who he eventually married in the early '60s. 

To their left is me (without flat cap) and if you look carefully you can see the Andy & Flo on my wind-screen. Next, and partially hidden, is Herbie Lloyd who was a co-founder. 

“Janet was slightly incorrect as it was me, not Herbie, who was involved in the crash in Torquay on October 16th 1960, which laid me up in hospital for seven weeks with a smashed knee-cap and fractured thigh. 

“Janet was correct about Herbie though, he rode a Vespa and was quite a mad-cap on it, invariably having crashes at rallies and gymkhanas we attended. 

“Others I recognise in the photograph are Mike Smith, Derrick & Hazel, Mike “Little Jim” James, Trevor Stevens and (possibly) George Parsons. 

“I too remember Helen but cannot recognise her in the photograph. Prior to joining the Club I had been a Teddy Boy for a few years but became a Mod when I discovered the El Zamba and it’s diverse selection of music on the juke-box.

“I worked there part-time for a while along with John, “Dinky” and the owner Arthur, who was a gentle-giant with a large ginger beard. We supplied customers with great expresso coffees and fabulous Danish open sandwiches.”