Page 7 - Real Rochdale - Winter 2018

Vintage Lambretta

restoration

Labour of love

vintage Lambretta scooter has been owever, the day to fulfil his lifelong
brought back to life following a long ambition arrived in summer 2015..
A labour of love. HBilly decided he needed a new project to
‘take his mind from problems that local politics
The Lambretta Li150 was bought from a shop had conjured’.
on Oldham Road back in 1967 by current
Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, Billy and Lynn There was no stopping Billy as he set to work
Sheerin, during their first year of marriage. carefully restoring the Lambretta for two hours
almost every Saturday afternoon.
Manufactured in 1966, it cost £125, or the
equivalent to around six weeks’ pay for a A complete strip down of the scooter was done
skilled engineer, and was their main means of and, with Brian’s help, rubbing down and
transport for many years. respraying the Lambretta began.

Billy laughed: “When our first child was 14 days Replacement parts were purchased from
overdue, I took Lynn to Birch Hill on the back Seeley Scooters on Water Street, plus valuable
of the scooter and hid the scooter behind the advice from owner Peter Merchant when
bushes before going in.” reassembly problems arose.

His pride and joy was forced into early The restoration was financially heavy, but after
retirement in 1971 after scooter insurance a long labour of love, the Lambretta was ready
premiums doubled overnight. after passing its MOT before Christmas 2017.

Billy promised himself that he would someday The Lambretta made her debut at this year’s
restore the Lambretta, but time passed, the Classic Car show, having received a new lick of
scooter becoming a sad sight, gathering dust paint in her original red and white
and rotting away in the corner of the garage. colours – you might even have spotted her
photo in the last issue of Real Rochdale.
The years passed, and after Billy’s family home
was sold, the Lambretta was given a new home Billy added: “Jaws dropped when they found
in 1999 with family friends, Brian Roberts and out I’d had the Lambretta from new, and I’ve
Cindy, under the condition that Billy would been invited to join a local club. All our children
restore the Lambretta when he retired. are fighting over who gets it now, and they
bought me a crash helmet for Christmas.”
Billy agreed, but with retirement came a host
of other jobs, further preventing the Lambretta The real question is, would Billy do it all again?
from returning to her glory days: odd jobs
around the house and garden, building sets for “Absolutely! Riding the scooter along the road
plays at the Curtain Theatre, and being elected on a summer’s day brings back so many happy
as a councillor for Castleton. It seemed there memories and makes me feel young again. It’s Councillor Billy Sheerin on his Lambretta
was no time for working on the scooter. like going back in time,” Billy beamed.

REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2018 6 7 REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2018