Kevin Minchew sadly does not ring any bells I'm afraid (unless he had a nickname which might be the only way I'd know him).

I was at Ashchurch on & off from 1976 till 1990. R.A.O.C Vehicle Specialist. The bikes were kept in one of the more "modern" sheds (not brick built) and were a mix of B40's, Can-Am's, Armstrongs, Triumph 500 Speed Twins and a few other "specialist" machines.
There were two very old sorry looking bikes in the corner of the shed that never moved and no one wanted anything to do with, one even had paint dumped into the petrol tank!! I believe these two were M20's, but they had loads of bits missing, were covered in dust, bird crap, bits or junk and generally looked awful.
All hell broke out one day when we got an "issue order" for them... We reported back that they were mere skeletons of their former selves & the powers that be went ballistic because they were supposed to be "Free Fit Stock"!! Ooops!! (In my defence, they were in a state long before I got there!)
Eventually these old bikes dissappeared, probably in the back of a truck to the disposals park and were never seen again.

The Triumph 500's also soon went, leaving us with Can-Am's and Armstrongs to play with.

email (option): fozzie001@hotmail.com

Kevin Minchew I think used to live in the Cottage on the road to Bredon from Ashchurch cross roads. I used to ride my M.20 and later M.21 passed his place on the way to College. He flagged me down one day - I think he was running a Triumph twin at the time. He subsequently introduced me to a guy in Tewkesbury who had a WD 16H for sale which was not complete as it had some cycle parts missing. I bought it for £10 and still have it. I found the timing was out which is why it would not run and that was easily sorted. I put a trials Norton box in it, fitted a folding Triumph kick start by altering the gearbox end cover to 500T spec and turning down a kick start shaft where the splines had long since gone, changed the engine and gearbox sprockets, added a pre-war 2 gallon Norton tank, handlebars from a Gold Star Scrambler - rear mudguard stays from a W/NG, alloy guards, 21" front rim and that was it. Still have the bike painted in RAF blue grey and it still runs well. Took it to IOM on the mid 1980s ran it in the Arbuthnot Trial and various other events. Love it to bits and all thanks to Kevin Minchew giving me the lead.

When' Min' was at the cottage I used to go round to see him as he was a friend of my sister and brother in law...We'd go into the old pig sheds to sample the cider he made as a hobby...He was a keen bike man and quite a character...

He had a Manx Triton and, I believe, was a founder member of the Triton Owners Club...He now lives in Malvern and ultimately developed the cider making into a business...He even supplied the Houses of Parliament with his top quality traditional ciders and Perry....He is spending less time with the business now, his brother is at the helm I think...Minchews Cider is still available though!...

I spoke to him on the phone about a year ago...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Small world isn't it - he is bound to remember my M21combo - Swinging arm B.31 frame - leading link forks - lucas racing mag, Gold Star central oil tank - A. 65 fuel tank - alloy Watsonian Single seat sidecar - 2 spare wheels on the back - Burgess silencer - TRI T Gold Star trials gearbox - M.20 single saddle and sometimes an old tractor seat all painted in army green / khaki. I still have that bike as well.Built by a good friend of mine - he took it to the North Cape and back in 1973.

I also ran an ex wd M.20 with Steib sidecar - the sidecar was painted orange with black stripes LTV 58F which I sold to raise the money to buy the Royal Enfield EXKX experimental V twin to a guy who lived near Dorking. He only wanted the sidecar for his BMW.

Please remember me to Kevin if you speak to him again and thank him for the 16H lead - where we all met in the Ivy Leaf Café in Tewkesbury and the 16H came home with me - partly dismantled in the sidecar.

Happy Days indeed.

Did you ever go to the Elmley Castle pub in Pershore?...Back then they made some of the best cider I've ever tasted..At the time people came from far and wide to sample it...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Do you mean the pub (I think there was / is only one in Elmley Castle being a village a few miles from Pershore?

Having been born in Birmingham I never drank cider but instead Ansells Nut Brown but that has not been available since the late 70s early 80s I think although I still have an unopened pint bottle as a reminder in the house.

The last time I saw Kevin I think was on the roadside when the Norton Big 4 being run as a solo at the time had sheared the gearbox adjuster at the top and the gearbox was flapping about all over the place. I had pulled up and found a piece of broken timber fencing to a field which I was wedging between the engine and gearbox. Kevin pulled up to see if I was OK. The road side repair got me home with no further trouble.

Yep, that was the one...As I was only ever visiting from Devon my recollection may not be exactly correct!...

Your bikes sound interesting...It's a shame that the majority of bikes have now gone from 'daily workhorse' to 'sacred cow' where the main worry is 'Have I fitted the right part for the year??'....

The tales from those days make me ponder that the view then was probably a more healthy one, with riding bikes being the main imperative...Happy days...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

My bikes are not sacred cows - some are just one offs that I have put together from parts I have - others I have made an effort to get the right bits but it is not the end of the world if I cannot get them.

A lot of people have tried to get me to sell my 16H trials bike over the years and my M.20 racer both built from an assortment of bits. Neither are particular good at what they are supposed to do ( which may be due to the limitations of the rider more than anything) but they are great fun and look the part.

For me it is about having a bike I enjoy riding rather than having something that is perfect and never ridden. Horses for courses I guess which is fair enough.

The pub at Elmley Castle I believe is now owned by the Community - I have had a couple of meals there- pretty good.