I said recently that my stool was the best tool in the workshop.............
Well, sitting on said stool today for a coffee and a think next to the WD/RE Flying Flea on the workbench I was looking over the centre stand, footrest and rear brake pedal assembly, now exposed after recently removing the engine unit ...........when suddenly I noticed something wrapped and attached around the top of the centre stand..........
Lo-and-behold it was the bike's contract plate !!!!
What a strange place to fit it........most first contract 1943 Flea's having this wrapped around the left-upper-rear frame section just above the chainguard and secured with a screw and nut, subsequent contracts having it attached to the tail of the rear mudguard..........
Removing the item, it seemed to have been on there a very long time and beneath it was the original SCC No.2 brown paint...........(also in many other places on the bike beneath the green post-war civvy finish)............
I cleaned the plate up and it is pressed steel......Contract S.1945, Catalogue Ref 25 which ties in with my frame number of 8083.............well pleased !
The only issue now is do I refit the plate where it was found or put it back on the frame tube similar to all other 1st contract Flea's I've seen.....
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