Steve Cradock, a very special interview about a very special scooter
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- Опубліковано 16 кві 2023
- In May’s edition of Scootering we feature a limited edition Royal Alloy, endorsed by and based on Steve Cradock’s own machine. Whilst chatting to him about music and scooters we took the opportunity to capture some of his answers on video. Grab a brew, sit back and enjoy.
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Can we not see the scooter then??
The outrigger and the barrel organ was the place to be in Birmingham late 70s early 80s for the mod scene
Polyannas and The Top Rank......
The Modfathers prodigy. 😀 Steve seems a great guy. 👍I have an RA GT150, it’s obviously not vintage, but it’s about the vibe and if it makes you feel good.
I loved the look of Royal Alloy. I bought one, it rode well but the build quality was rubbish. The exhaust started to drop off in months and corrode away, the front handlebars constantly rattled, even after I took them to two garages. And part of the right panel began to flake in a year. I sold it to get rid of it.
My classic Jet200 and my p200e both rumbled and rattled and smelled and leaked and had shit brakes horrible lights and left me stranded more than once. Isn’t that part of the fun? My GP300s has been effortless so far. Am I going to miss cleaning carburetors? No.
good interview and for the record I have owned lammys and vespas since I was 15 (now nearly 60) but I love my RA GT125I it looks amazing and always works... happy days
LOL......I was the DJ at Sinatra's - can remember Steve Craddock [BIG Mod fan!] always asking/pestering me for records.
Top bloke.
The Royal Alloy scooters look great, I had a GT for two years and was glad to get rid of it. Everything you could think of went wrong with it, I eventually sold it ( it wasn't working at the time) and bought a Vespa GTS , more expensive but had no problems at all.
Exactly the same as you John! I bought an RA TG300 in May 2021 and took it back 30 days later! Absolute pile of Dog Shite! Rust, Rubber Seals falling off, Rear Indicators didn't work, Very Squeaky Suspension and the final straw was the Speedo packed up! Bought a Vespa GTS300 a month later and have not looked back since!
Terrific 🙂👍
Great fella Steve , music and mod what's not to like✊🛵
I hope the mirrors are better on the Craddock version
hi to all the mods who went to Sinatra's bar.. 1987.
@shaunxthexmods777 - I was the DJ......not sure you remember me. Used to DJ at 'Antony's' [at Fiveways] after Sinatras.
@@thesoultwins72 after Sinatra's , remember every one started going to the red lion. top floor. and then you had pid at the Turks head. in Aston. then i left Birmingham in 1989. did you DJ at the sun flower, owed by tom,
@@shaunxthexmod777 ......to be honest, I never really enjoyed DJ'ing at Sinatra's - not because of the crowd. They were brilliant. But the owner [Tom] was a real tightarse and the place was such a dump.
The decks/sound system were pretty shite [the turntable needles were like bloody nails!] and he only paid me peanuts. He wouldn't spend any money on promoting the place. I actually got some posters printed up myself [a picture of Frank Sinatra walking away - and called the night 'Frankie's Back'].
No, I never worked at the 'Sunflower' - after Sinatra's I DJ'd at the 'King's Head' on the Hagley Road for Mark and Warren, who were really great to work with. Pulled in a really nice [and much larger] crowd and even opened up the basement room on weeknights.
After the King's Head finished on Saturday nights - I would go to 'Antony's' at Fiveways which was brilliant. Played a nice mix of Jazz, Latin, Rare Groove, 60's Soul/Northern Soul. I love a lot of the Mod sounds [eg: Brian Auger, Darrow Fletcher, the Monzas, Mel Torme etc] but I wanted to play a more diverse set.
The stuff I was playing at Antony's was pretty groundbreaking - Jimmy Smith, Ray Barretto, Bobby Valentin, Hector Rivera, Mongo Santamaria, Carmen McRea, Johnny Nash, Ray Charles, Arthur Adams, John Handy, Gil Scott-Heron. George Kirby and LOTS of Darrow Fletcher!
Must admit, it was probably the best venue I ever DJ'd at - the owners left me completely alone to do what I wanted. [when I worked at the Rum Runner - Paul Berrows was always interfering with my playlist! Right pain in the neck!!] Antony's had a really nice atmosphere, good crowd who were really into and appreciated the music.
I left the UK myself in 1991 - never went back! Cheers
What is the name of the folksy duo he recently produced? I can’t quite understand what he said. Thanks in advance.
They are called Burr Island, from the West Country.
was this guy in Dawn of the Dead?
🙂
Can we see the scooter
So he never had a Scoot as a teen, bit of a Johnny come late!
Royal alloys are about as much to do with the scooter scene as a Sinclair C5 is to the classic car scene
Scooter snobery s#te, ive had a 65 li , vepsa px, lml 2 and 4t, the royal alloy a reliable daily rider ,
@@75ocstotally agree 👍🏻 snobbery. ‘I’m more authentic than you’ stops new people joining scootering.
Royal Alloys are everywhere in the scooter scene because people want “the look” with modern reliability! And why not, it’s all about fun and friendship built around cool and classic look machines and the “originals” which made people fall in love with them in the first place.. 😎
Chinese shite get what ya pay for
Does it count if you own a classic Vespa and ride a modern Vespa? Love my old 2 stroke, but love more the reliability of my modern GTS300! The wife (GTS125) and I enjoy a long summers day in the saddle, often doing 120+ miles without problems! The last time I took my Vespa Douglas out, the seals had rotten through and a pool of Petrol was left on the floor! I had spent good money to have the engine fully rebuilt, only a few years and 3000 miles earlier! But this modern Fuel has killed it - again! So it is a monument now!
The conversation in the background is really off-putting.
Gong therapy and Royal Alloys. . . Craddock obviously has no real history around classic scooters.
You obviously have never met Steve and know nothing about him.He has been there,done that and got the T shirt.
@@jonhilton4070bs he said his first scoot he bought off Weller so he was a real johnny come late and didnt buy his first scoot till the 90s when he was already well known!
@@jonhilton4070also he said he owned an et4 no self respecting mod/scooterist would go near one of those monstrosities!
@@jonhilton4070back down John you’re wrong on this one…
A mod is a modernist. I am certain if a vespa gts 300 or royal alloy gp 300 had been produced in the 60s the mods would have bought them. If you read history not all mods had vespa or lambretta simply because there may not have been a dealer where you lived. ISO springs to mind. Later on Indian GPS, lmls,. I've seen people ride heinkels. I don't care what anyone rides as long as they enjoy it. I have all sorts but I commute on Gts, and will in the summer commute on a royal alloy. I got fed up repairing my old ones every weekend just to get to work