It's a funny little place. My gran would take me in there to 'treat' me to new bits of school uniform. This was back in the days when you would visit other towns because they had different shops. And back then (the mid 70's - 80's) you could probably spend the best part of the day in Aldershot. Definitely not the case now. And there was always the chance of the excitement of either a bomb hoax or genuine 'called in' threat from The IRA.

I still remember her promising to buy me a new pair of jeans. I desperately wanted those 80's stretch skin tight ones. She wouldn't have it and we came out of Jerome's with a pair of flared Falmers that stayed folded in the bottom drawer for ever. Bless her.

I read somewhere that they were one of the first shops to stock Ben Sherman. Think they're account number was 001.

It's still set up as it always was. A counter with most of the goods stacked up on wooden shelves behind. Jackets etc are on rails downstairs in the basement. There's always been a fairly cruel local joke that if you went in for a jacket the guy would still try to measure your inside leg.

Up until very recently the only receipt you got was hand written on one of those pads with the blue copy paper. By a strange twist of fate, I still go in there regularly as they supply the boy's school uniform, even though his school isn't in Aldershot.

To be honest Woof, I wouldn't recommend you make a special trip. It's very small. There's no browsing to be done. You tell them what you want and they pass it to you. Yes, they stock Fred Perry, Ben Sherman and cheap Harringtons. But also uniforms, Hi Vis, acrylic cardies, cheap ties, hankies, socks etc. There's nothing more interesting than that. No hidden treasures.

And you'd have to make a special trip to Aldershot, and, nobody wants to do that!

I think I'm still a member of the A5. Certainly got a Vespa gently gathering dust at the back of the garage.

Last edited by Spendthrift (2022-03-10 03:32:44)

Spendthrift - thanks for that, perhaps I’ll swerve the visit to Jerome’s although I do love to see places like that still thriving even if there’s nothing in there I would want to buy. There seems to be quite a strong scooter scene around that area of Hampshire and it’s nice to see the old ones being maintained and ridden. My first motor vehicle on leaving school was a Vespa 150 Sportique which was one of the Vespas built in the UK under licence by Douglas Motorcycles in Bristol. This has subsequently made them more of interest to collectors and they fetch big money now - wish I still had it!

I get what you say about Aldershot. A few years ago I worked in the garrison for about 12 months and used to wander into the town at lunchtimes, it was pretty dire then. If I had a collar and tie on someone was always likely to come up and ask how I had got on in court!

The A5 have been going since around the mid seventies. Well before the mod revival. Most of the members now have been on that scene since the eighties.

I've known a lot of them from around '89. But I do tend to go off and do my own thing, reappearing every decade or so! They're a good crowd. Do an awful lot of charity stuff, Easter Egg runs for sick kids etc. There's around five or six scooter clubs round here that are within a twenty minute drive/ride. So yeah, it's a pretty healthy thing.

I've owned (and fallen off) a string of Vespas down the years. The one I still wish I had was an immaculate 150 Super (Also a Douglas). The most ironic name ever given a vehicle. If there's one thing you don't feel when wobbling on eight inch wheels down the edge of a dual carriage way on a frosty morning, it's Super.

I don't know if FP or BS have dubious associations these days? True, they're worn a lot on the scooter scene, (although not as much as T shirts and hoodies) and that scene isn't in any way approaching 'diverse'. But it doesn't mean they're (all) a bunch of racists either.

Mods don't really think much of Ben Sherman these days. Fred Perry is tolerated, but not particularly celebrated.

Skinheads wear BS and FP a lot. But I've met a hell of a lot more who were entirely indifferent to race or politics than held any extreme views one way or the other.

I've never looked on Ebay (really!) Surely they're just shoving in as many key words as possible to reach potential buyers? Mind you. I am mod/Ivy League. And skinhead by follicle default. So I'm not best placed to object!

Yes. Personally, I can only see the vaguest of similarities between the different camps. A lot of it (ivy) steers well away from mod's natural inclinations.

I do remember the style of JFMs posts - ''I like you, but think I'll move you over to Modculture''.

We used to put a shot of Castrol R into the 2 stroke oil that you mixed with your petrol in order to get that distinctive racing car smell. Another wheeze was to have metal tips on the bottom of your boots or shoes, then when you rode past girls, put your feet down on the road to create a shower of sparks … very, very cool. Or we thought so, not sure about the girls.

I probably should add that my love of scooters was always more rooted in Roman Holiday, and those early sixties Italian promo films for Vespa and Lambretta then Quadrophenia or lights, mirrors and whippy aerials

Robbie - Those Royal Alloys aren't thought of particularly highly. I don't know why as I'm sure they're fine.

They tend to stick with Vespas and Lambrettas still. But if you weren't interested in joining a club, or 'the scene' and just wanted one for your own enjoyment, it shouldn't matter should it?

Think of it as someone joining a mythical Ivy League 'scene', but only owning Next button down shirts. Nothing wrong with the shirt in itself. But they haven't understood the subtle but important differences between that and Brooks, Jakes, JS etc.

Of course the new ones will all be 4 stroke automatics. So you wouldn't get that distinctive 'pop pop' sound. If you cared. Also, if you don't already have a full motorcycle license you have to use L plates and do a test every couple of years to keep riding legally. All a bit of a pain in the arse really.

Thanks for that Spendthrift. It's the answer I was expecting. I'm not looking to join any scene and it shouldn't matter but if the difference is as you say I'll give the RA's a miss. I didn't know about the testing requirements which as you say is a pain in the arse.
I'll stick to walking ,cycling and using my free bus pass.