Go to
the Archive indexIn August 1998, having seen by chance a Norman Nippy advertised for sale by a classic car garage in the Autotrader, I travelled over to Howden near Hull to see a moped similar to the first motorised vehicle I owned on leaving school in 1961. It was in good original condition but missing a magneto and flywheel. I bought it and took it home. Then there followed many months of let-downs and disappointments, advertising in Buzzing, 'free' papers and elsewhere to try to obtain the missing items. I was however offered them eventually by member Arthur Kelleway and they were picked up by member Stuart Risien who had seen my adverts in Buzzing and offered help and advice. Stuart was to prove the hero in the quest to get Norman Nippy (Mark 3) back on the road.
More time passed whilst I tried with local help to get a spark from Norman Nippy with no success. I had kept Stuart in the picture about progress and he kindly agreed to have a go at getting Norman started. We rendezvoused one Sunday evening at Goole railway station and Stuart took Norman back south with him. Within twenty-four hours Stuart rang to say he had got a spark and then sorted out some other jobs on Norman.
Eventually Stuart brought Norman up to North Yorkshire and I had the wonderful experience of riding a moped again of the same year and model as my first one, nearly forty years later. Insurance, MoT and taxing were sorted out and now Norman has been buzzing around the local lanes and has appeared at a local show. Member Mark Daniels has been very helpful in supplying historical information on the history of the Norman Cycle Co Ltd and the development of the Norman Nippy. Early on I had taken the moped over to David Casper, NACC Machine Registrar, who lives about thirty miles away, to obtain a dating certificate.
The moral of the story is that none of this would have happened without the NACC and I am very grateful to all those concerned. I am still interested in any other history of the Nippy and parts to keep the moped going in future.
If only there were a marque enthusiast for Norman Nippys!
First published - October 2000