A funny thing happened to me on the way back from the Coliseum

The flights to and back from Verona last week comprised a who's-who of the British custom bike world, with Mark Wilsmore from Ace Cafe rubbing shoulders with Blue from Back Street Heroes, the Battistini lads queuing next to the Sideburn magazine tweedies. Fiddy and Sharon from Davida helmets were also on the flight.

At the show, Fiddy bought some magazines from me and as we chatted I happened to mention being photographed by Davida (modelling their new helmets and goggles) at the very first Ace Cafe reunion in 1994, when the caff was still a tyre depot. I'd never seen the shots used, and wasn't surprised... I was never into the rocker look and didn't really suit Davida's nouveau-59 Club style of the time too well.

But I was amazed when Fiddy recalled the shoot from 18 years before in minute detail: "You were on an orange and black Harley with your girlfriend and we photographed you against a white wall...". Amazing, eh? Anyway, he said he still had the negs in his archive and would dig them out.

True to their word, Sharon sent me the photos this week. Weird to be confronted with yourself 18 years younger (and almost as many stone lighter). I still have that jacket... and that girl is my wife. The bike? It got nicked in London shortly after the Ace bash.

Thanks guys... so nice when someone remembers a promise made then actually follows up on it. Doesn't happen often.