From: RaeTurnbull
To: Top Hatters Motorcycle Club
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 1999 9:20 PM
Subject: History


I was a plank holder in the original Top Hatters Motorcycle club in 1947. We wore the red and yellow shirts and rode together for the fun of riding. It was great! I am interested in finding out what happened to all those guys. I can't remember the names of all of them. A few names stick in my mind like Danny Miranda, Al Rolita, Frank Gehres, Yehudi Supelveda, the Bravo brothers... We spun hookers and raced out at the Airport, hillclimbed at Jackass Pass and seemed to make a lot of trips over the back roads over to Colinga. We hung out at the old Bishop's Cafe (the building in the background in the attachment). It was a good time! It was a kick to find your site, keep it up. I'll talk to you later. George Turnbull, Hollister, 1947 - 1952 Top Hatter.

From: RaeTurnbull
To: Top Hatters Motorcycle Club
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 1999 7:40 PM
Subject: Old stuff

Big Jeff,

I got your message and will try to answer as many of your questions as I can, but remember, we're talking about a long time ago. Hey, 50 years ain't hay. I looked at most of your historical photos on the web site, but many of them must have been taken after I went into the service. There were a few that I recognized, like the one with all of the guys stacked on one bike and one of the group shots. As a matter of fact, the guy in the back row on the left with the white turtle neck shirt is yours truly. I rode a 1947 Harley, 74 OHV which I sold to a member named Bob ?, (I can't remember his last name), for 350 bucks. (I can remember that). We didn't all ride Harleys. Lauren Hatten rode an Ariel, Square Four, and the Asian guy in the picture rode a Triumph. I don't think anyone had an Indian, they were pretty well gone by then, but the British bikes were getting very popular. If I remember correctly, Indian sold out to BSA about that time and Honda didn't exsist. Most of us rode chopped down Harleys. They weren't the chopped 1960, Easy Rider versions, all we did was take all of the extra stuff off them so they were lighter and more maneuverable. We eliminated front fenders, crash bars, extra lights, speedometer housing and cut the back fender in half. Put a 19 inch wheel in front and kept the 16 inch back wheel. I think most of us used the suicide clutch instead of the rocker pedal. I had a clutch lever on my handlebars. It was a new idea taken from British bikes, but the third party attachment for the Harley was a jury rig affair. It worked, but took a lot of continuous adjustment. Of course, we all had big brass blooey exhaust pipes, that is until the CHP started ticketing them on the highway. We used them at meets and just to make noise. Jesse Bravo will probably remember me. He painted a 1949, MG TC for me when he worked at Bishop's Garage. I live on a small farm in Northern California near Chico and I have transferred from riding a bike to a Jeep. That's an old man's Harley. Of course, I am retired from hard work and we raise horses so I can pretend that I'm not working. Unfortunately, I don't have my Club sweater. When I think back, I can't recall what happened to it. I suspect it went to a nephew along with my other leathers. I tried to show it in one of the attached photos. Thanks for including me in the Top Hatters as an honorary member. I truly appreciate it. The Top Hatters and the guys I knew then were a bright spot in my life. My long time better-half and I sometimes travel through the Hollister area (one of my favorite places) on our way south. Maybe we can look you up and shoot the breeze over a cuppa joe. I'm attaching some photos, some of which you may already have. By the way, I'm George Turnbull, Rae is my wife-- she has the money. G E O R G E T.