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During Lola’s downtime, I wanted to research her background a bit more. Having finally reached the three-prior owner in Florida, who was kind enough to complete the transfer documents so that I could title Lola in Texas as an Antique Motorcycle, I was on to the UK. I possess the original title document from the UK, which shows most owners. I don’t see a record of the fellow in North Carolina, who apparently purchased it from the owner in the UK. But, I believe I have a rather full history of her ownership now.

I began by using my favorite tool, Google, to do a bit of research. I searched the name of the original owner in a little town on the outskirts of London, Chelmsford in Essex. Chelmsford is about 35 miles NE of the London center city. It is here, on Epping Glose and Canuden Road and 7th Avenue where I found some possible links. I found an obituary from just 2010 of the original owner! There was a memorial written by a funeral home and it contained some contact information. So, I started sleuthing. First, to the lead undertaker, then to a records keeper. I also reached out to the actual street address of the original owner to see if they HAPPENED to remember Mr. Bannister. But nobody knew what became of him. So, I was on to the second owner, Mr Jiggens. I had posted a letter and received a posted letter in return with some thoughts on where Mr. Jiggens and/or his relatives might now reside. Ultimately, it led me to an address of his son! Another letter and wait……

Around the middle of August, 2011, a letter arrived from the UK! I had high hopes, but was prepared for a “Sorry, I don’t know anything” response. Was I WRONG! JACKPOT!!! He wrote, “Although he didn’t have many photographs, I do have one!” How cool is THAT? It was of his father, standing on Seventh Avenue by Lola! Or, whatever she may have been called at the time! Her leg shield was off and I noted a few other things. One, her color is correct. Red trim with white base. True to a 1957 Lambretta color scheme. A few other things were noted. One, she had her side fender license plates! And I could READ them! 494 KVW. Sweet! Another piece of her history. Now, I’ll do a bit of research in the UK on that plate to get a verification match, just because that’s how I roll. From the title, it appears that Mr. Jiggens purchased Lola in 1968.

But how absolutely cool is it to not only find the son of the second owner, but to get a photograph of him, standing by Lola! You’ll note the spiffy Tartan plaid seat covers and something on top of that Bond Bug 3-wheeler in the same pattern. Some sort of pannier bag, I wonder? Now, based on the year of that Bond Bug, the photo is from at least 1970. So, she was nearly 13 years old when this was taken. But just a couple years after he acquired her. Things make sense and line up. I like it!

So, here’s the pic:

How rocking cool is that? So, of COURSE I had to go out and find a purveyor of vintage UK plates, who could make me up a custom set. I now have two curved plates exactly like this with 494 KVW in my garage, awaiting Lola’s return so that I can properly mount them on her front fender. Now, I need to find that nifty front fender embellishment on the very front. Nice touch. Several things match up here. One, her luggage rack in back. I’ve got the very same one. Two, the underlying red color, a match to her current Amarento Rosso that she is painted now. So, beyond the obvious, things are absolutely lining up as a full history of her ownership. Love it!

I’ll post some pics of her when I get her back with the new plates on the front fender. My next inquiry – what’s that little kick-plate at the base of the seat fender that goes across her from side to side.