Mods and Rockers

Len Paterson, founder of the Rocker's Reunion Movement and Cylinder Head Shop, recollects about the 60s for BBC TV. 1964 and 1965

[henrysonnemann]

Old Rockers never die, they only smell that way. Rock 'n' roll forever.👍🍺😎

[Team-fabulous]

As a rocker I can remember fighting with the mods in Bangor near Belfast on most Bank Holidays back in the day. Now when I'm on my bike and I see some of the aging mod group I smile and give them the big thumbs up.
Kids nowadays don't know how to enjoy

[honestchris]

The guy talking at about four minutes was right, it was all blown out of all proportion, I too was at Brighton during those bank holidays, I was a Mod on my Vespa GS 160 and although there were a few little bust ups, on the whole it was quite a good time to be there. I always thought that the guys on motorbikes would sort of look down on our scooters because we could not go as fast as them but then we used to look down on them because they could only wear scruffy clothes, we could dress up to look good when we went into the clubs to pick up girls but when we rode our bikes, we had our Parkers on to protect our clothing. Some girls preferred the Mods, some preferred the Rockers, it was like belonging to two separate clubs but overall, it was just young people having a good time and I loved that period of my life, it got boring once I got a car.

[robertbartlett]

I remember it well, I was there, im still in the 59 club and ride my motor bikes at 73, 118 till I die.

[viennapalace]

So, being a Mod was a fashion trend but wearing a leather jacket & riding a motorcycle has never gone out of style.
No surprises there...

[xyz]

I'm an original mod from the 1960's. I bought my 1967 Lambretta SX 150 in red and white brand new then decked it out with flyscreen, backrest and extra lamps. I subcribed to "Scooter World" magazine. Took my Lambretta to Brighton once but my favourite places to go were Wales and Derbyshire. My favourite mod music was The Who, The Small Faces and The Move. Sold my scooter in the 1970's. I like a lot of the mod-revival music from the 1980's though.

[wildfloweratheart]

My grandad was a Mod in his time, he still has his isetta scooter and a few more to this day. Love that style

[forevermotoring]

Thanks so much for posting this! We link to it in the shownotes for the Ace Cafe podcast with Mark Wilsmore.

[charliewillis]

still love me parka and getting out on my lambretta we do see the rockers down the pub sometimes it's all friendly now though

[kevin]

I remember our family driving down to brighton in our old Austin a 50 I was about maybe 7yrs old, when a load of rockers thundered past us the noise of the bikes was awesome, all in black leather girls on the back, I was hooked that's what I wanted to be when I grew up,   of course by the time I did grow up it was all over no more mods or rockers, I think I missed out on

[tokertrail]

I was a mod until my first ride on a Motorcycle then I bought one, still riding bikes now 50 years latter.

[aubitron]

You have to remember every Mod would've been a Rocker one/two years earlier. I can remember looking forward to reaching that magic age of 16 and getting a Triumph Bonneville or Norton Dominator but just like the Teddy Boys to Rockers the Mods were the next 'fashion 'move. Rockers weren't called Rockers until there were Mods, that was the distinction. The Rockers stayed behind, the Mods were the new phase, a new phase with 'STYLE' metaphorically printed on their Suits, their Parkas, their Scooters their Image. I loved my copper plated I look at a Triumph Bonneville wonder... could I have been a Mod on a Triumph? What a machine!

[spitfire]

my dad was a rocker he only wore a crash helmet in the winter to keep his ears warm

[xsabear]

In 1964 in upstate NY it was the Hoods vs the Squeaks. The Hoods being the bikers and the Squeaks being clean cut. I was a Hood, still am today at age 75. Still ride motorcycles too.

[Roadghost]

This is a classically British phenomenon that never materialized here in North America.  There were always roving motorcycle clubs across this continent, which later became notorious via negative (mostly fictitious) news media coverage of a drunken riot at a rally in Hollister,  California.  It was never really mainstream.  Most kids in the 60s fell in love with the hippie subculture, drugs and psychedelic rock&roll.

[anneshields]

My aunt was a Mod and she fell in love with a rocker they met on that weekend in Brighton but ended up staying away from the fights and later on they dated and eventually got married in 1970 and are still together today and they still go to Brighton where they met infact their just back from there

[anneshields]

Great to see that the Mods and rockers are still around today but thankfully not having punch ups on a bank holiday weekend on a beach

[shithappensagain]

I remember Len from the 80's when he had high gear motor cycles shop, went on a couple of the reunions too :)

[Sophie.S..]

Brilliant decade - whether Mod or Rocker!!

[mikeparkinson]

I loved the music of the era, Beatles, Stones, The Who etc. and liked to dress smart. I also road a Norton 750 so tis era always confused me. I was a Mocker.