Have you taken into account when your apprenticeship started compared to mine, which was 1961?
That probably will make a difference. 
oeer no I don’t believe I knew about the forks then or now - a fork was a fork was a fork!
Yeah, about fifteen years then? Bloody hell you were definitely worse off then BAZ !!
Donkeyman! 
You mean to say you started your apprenticeship in 1945! 
and did they have 4 calendars??
Without getting a pen and pencil outBaz, l would say about 1948 or 9 ISH ll
I was born in 1936, and started work at 14yrs of age!
so what does that make it ?? ( l wish you could do sums on these computer things? ) !!
Looks like l was a bit out?
I just made it 1950 ??
And l can remember those days better than today’s breakfast 
Donkeyman! 
. @Baz46
@BAZ46. Hey Baz, l see we are way off topic here! Better get back on our bikes before Barry reports
us?? LOL!
Donkeyman!
Back in 76, my first moped was a Honda SS50, with a 5 speed gear box & 50 mph a real possibility. At 17 I had a CZ, 250. I lived close to Kings Lynn where the Jawa, CZ & Skoda’s were imported to.
My current ride is a 1959 ex Gloucestershire Police Velocette LE, 200 cc. I also have an original Pye radio, which I have pulled onto a legal radio amateur radio frequency. Even if it is for AM, not FM.
Yes, that’s true so apologies for that Barry. 
Had better get back to bikes again, will PM you DM, I think I might be able to find out how to do that as I have done that just once before!
Wow Gee, a Velo LE huh, what a tank that machine is! A friend of mine had one in the sixties, hand change as I recall, and was it water cooled? Certainly not one to be seen down the coffee bar on… 
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No problem Donks, conversations are like that and it was me that started the apprentice wages thing anyway…
@Barry only joking Barry! I know you’re ok!!
But there’s been a lot of talk on the forum about staying on topic lately? I think it’s inevitable really ?
But some posters are so pernickety l find !!
Donkeyman!
You can try BAZ, But l am slow on seeing the notifications and have also only done it a couple of times !!
But l believe the notification system has changed, how much l don’t know??
Maybe we will find out eh ?
Donkeyman!
Yeah, it was hand change, and water cooled and two stroke !!
It was very quiet also, and was used by the cops for street patrols for that reason !!
As you say, not exactly a cool bike to seen on ??
Donkeyman!
My brother had a Velocette Venom, it was a dog to start but was a real nice ride once it was going though, and a beautiful exhaust note through that fishtail…
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Some were foot change gears, mine is. But the gear shift is on the right, the foot break on the left & the engine gets in the way of my feet. Plus, in original equipment it had a brass bell on the right & very close to the gear lever.
No horn fitted as standard & I belive they are all 4 stroke.
Known as the Noddy Bike, partly due to their police use & being water cooled, they ran so quietly, there were many accounts of the police riding up to crimes unheard.
A brass bell??
Bloody hell l never knew that! I suppose that was to copy the cop cars of that era eh ?
You are probably right about being four stroke Gee, as it’s tickover was very steady l recall ??
Donkeyman!
All British bikes had the gear change on the right and the brake on the left, until the Jap bikes started the trend of gear change on the left… much preferred the right hand change personally…
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It was an ex police bike & each force equipped it bikes differently. Mine has metal rear panniers & it did have a single bell fitted to make that rattling bell ring that the police used at that time. But mine was not repainted in Police colours. Some forces did, but Gloucestershire did not for mine & it is thus Velocette /Massey Ferguson grey.