One family’s sacrifices chronicled in Piaggio’s finest tinwork.
Originally published in the November 2024 issue of Scootering Magazine.
Words: Stu Smith Images: Gary Chapman
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As a teenager, Alan Todd had seen scooters being ridden round his hometown of Grimsby, and at the weekends he’d visit the local scooter dealer with his pals to admire the machines on sale. He also liked the music which came with the scene and went to Tiffany’s disco where he’d listen to Ska, 2-Tone and Northern Soul music. After Alan had been working for a year as an apprentice, he’d saved enough cash for his first scooter, a Lambretta Li125 Special. “I bought it from a mate for £100. I had it for about nine months and then acquired an Li150 from Alan at Beedspeed in Grimsby, which I started modifying. I cut the side panels down, upgraded the engine and for a finish followed the 80s styling by adding a lot of chrome and painting it blue with rattle-cans. It was then handed over to a pal, who worked in a paint shop, and he applied artwork featuring Daffy Duck, Goofy, Donald Duck and Road Runner. Unsurprisingly it became known as ‘The Cartoon’.
Gateway
With the gateway to the world of custom scooters having been opened, Alan went on to create numerous custom Lambrettas and Vespas. In 2021, Alan decided it was time to join a scooter club and chose the Lincolnshire Crusaders where he met Kev Williams. “Kev is deeply into custom machines and has built several show-winning scooters. I explained to Kev that I wanted to develop a custom scooter, which would be based on my family’s history working in the fishing industry in Grimsby. Kev came on board with the project and was able to support me with his knowledge and contacts in the custom scene.”
The scooter Alan chose to use for the project was a black Vespa PX125. So with the theme of the scooter firmly set in his mind, he stripped the bike down and had it powder-coated by the same friend who’d completed the ‘Cartoon’ paint job way back in the 1980s. In the meantime, and with Kev’s help, Alan started searching for images he could use for the artwork. “I already had a good knowledge of my family’s history and their involvement in the Grimsby fishing industry, which helped me find accurate and authentic images to use for the project,” he explained.
Getting the right blend of themed custom features around the scooter was critical and organising the artwork was complex. Alan knew that whichever specialist he was going to trust with the artwork they had to be at the top of their game. With that in mind Kev recommended Colin and Rosemary McKay of Turtle Creations who hail from Southampton and work in the mediums of both hand and airbrush. “Kev told me about the quality of their work and I was impressed so got in touch with them. When a space in their diary became available Kev and I made the nine hour road-trip to take bodywork down to them. When we arrived at their studio we had a final meeting about the layout of the artwork, the intention of the theme, and discussed what would and wouldn’t work.”
Having returned to Grimsby, Colin and Rosemary kept Alan up to date with progress reports, and with each update he began to get more and more excited. Whilst the art and paintwork were being completed, Alan handed the engine over to a scooter pal, Lloyd Walker who gave it a full service, upgraded it with an electric-start and offered to rebuild the scooter when everything was returned. After that, it wasn’t long before Alan got the call from Colin and Rosemary to tell him that everything was ready to collect and in a blend of anticipation and excitement he set off to collect it.
A family at war and peace
The results of Colin and Rosemary’s endeavours are simply breathtaking, and in terms of detail it’s only possible to scratch the surface of the artwork, this really is a scooter that needs to be savoured in person.
We’ll begin with the legshields and horncast, where a mural depicts the bronze statue in Grimsby’s St. James’ Square, this being a memorial dedicated to the local fishermen who lost their lives at sea.
Moving along the front mudguard, to the toolbox and then on to the forward sections of the frame it’s easy to become immersed in the blend of monotone and coloured artwork which draws the viewer further into the story.
For me, the most emotive part of the scheme is found on the spare-wheel side panel, which shows a mural of the steam trawler, ‘Buckingham’, which in the Second World War was covertly re-named, ‘The Warren’.
The mural shows the vessel patrolling the Humber Estuary and depicts an incident where it was attacked by two Stuka dive-bombers. During the attack the trawler’s deck was shot up by the aircraft and the deck gunner returned fire. Unfortunately, he was seriously injured and Alan’s grandfather Charles Alfred Sleeth, left the wheelhouse to help the injured man. Whilst other members of the crew gave first aid, Charles took control of the deck gun and succeeded in damaging one of the Stukas whilst shooting down another.
A brass plaque on the side panel summarises the detail of the event and the main mural depicts Alan’s grandfather in his Merchant Navy uniform.
Over on the other side of the scooter, the engine side panel is dedicated to Alan’s father. Above the indicator is a portrait of him as a young man early in his career as a fisherman with one of his boats, The Elo.
In the centre of the side panel is a mural of Alan’s mum, Lesley who’s presenting a fillet of fish to the prime minister on the doorstep of No: 10 Downing Street, but as Alan explained this was not the friendly gesture it might seem. “To make the journey to Number 10 my mum and dad, and the crew of his boat, sailed with numerous other boats from Grimsby up the River Thames to Tower Bridge. The delivery of the fillet waspart of the Grimsby fishermen’s protest against the move by the government to allow cheap imports of fish. This ultimately led to the decline of the fishing industry in Grimsby, and cost the jobs and livelihoods of over 15,000 people.”
We will remember
In November we understandably focus on members of the Armed Forces who often made the supreme sacrifice. However, ‘Death of an industry’ serves as a reminder that civilians also put themselves in harm’s way, both in peace and at war.
If you’re fortunate enough to see this scooter in any forthcoming custom shows, please introduce yourself to Alan and have a chat with him about the stories behind the artwork; believe me when I say that you won’t be disappointed.
Owner details
Name: Alan Todd
Scooter club & town: Lincolnshire Crusaders SC Grimsby.
What was your first scooter, when did you get it and how did you first become interested in them: My first scooter was a Lambretta Li 150 which I bought off a pal for £100 when I was 17.
What was your first (or most memorable) rally/ event: Great Yarmouth in the 80s.
Any interesting or funny scooter stories: Riding my Lambretta in Whitby just after I’d had the engine tuned. I was going up a steep hill with my wife riding pillion. I opened it up and we did a wheelie. It was pretty scary at the time!
What is your favourite scooter model: Lambretta TV175.
What is your favourite style of custom scooter: Ones with good quality paintwork and detail.
Scooter specifications
Name of scooter: A Fisherman’s Tale / Death of an Industry. It’s dedicated to my father and grandfather, and the fishermen who lost their livelihoods with the death of Grimsby’s fishing industry.
Scooter model: Vespa PX125
When purchased: 2021.
Time to build & by who: Two years from start to finish by Lloyd Walker.
Engine specifications
Kit: 186 BGM.
Crank: Long-stroke.
Carb: Polini 28mm.
Exhaust: Polini
Brakes (Front & Rear): Front: SIP disc / Rear: Standard drum.
What’s it like to ride? Nice and smooth.
Frame specifications:
Paintwork & murals by: Colin and Rosemary McKay (Turtle Creations, Southampton).
Powder coating by: C.J Powdercoatings, Wilton Road, Grimsby.
Seat by: Caer Urfa Leather, South Shields.
Are there any specialised parts: Custom rear brake pedal, choke and petrol taps by K2 Customs.
What was the hardest part of the project: Completing the prep work for the artwork.
Do you have any advice or tips for anyone starting a project: Make sure you get all of your information correct and don’t think that it can be rushed.
Is there anyone you wish to thank: Kevin Williams for his help and guidance with the custom elements of the build, Lloyd Walker for the build and Pete Wright for his support throughout.
