David Cameron visits Henry Cole's
Gladstone bobber factory
According to Prime Minister David Cameron, TV presenter Henry Cole is building a "world class product" at his Cotswold base—or so reports the Witney Conservative Association following the PM's recent visit.
Cameron, who describes himself as a "modern compassionate conservative" (hence all the stray ordnance being dropped on innocent Afghan and Iraqi villagers) has been the MP for Witney, Oxfordshire since June 2001. He came in with a majority of 22,740, and will be going out in a body bag (metaphorically speaking) if he doesn't sort out the economy (as if he can).
In some respects, Cameron's not been that bad a prime minister and is clearly keen and willing to promote British products both at home and abroad as witnessed by his globetrotting adventures of late. But evidently he's out of his depth when it comes to bikes and didn't appear to have anything significant to say beyond the usual perfunctory comments and platitudes ("delighted to visit the Gladstone factory and meet such a committed team, etc").
But he made the effort, and Henry "Gladstone" Cole is no doubt chuffed that the nation's top politician has doffed his cap at Prime Minister William Gladstone's two-wheeled obsessed namesake.
Meanwhile, we haven't had confirmation of the price of Cole's classic Triumph-powered bobber/chopper, but the number "23,000" and the word "pound" is being bandied around. Not a lot of money for a "bespoke" motorcycle. But we think it needs something that it just doesn't have, which is coolness.
Still, the bike has been blessed by Cameron, and that's got to be worth at least one firm order and a few grand in the bank. And now that Pope Francis is selling his Harley-Davidson to raise funds for charity, it could be that another blessing is on the way if Cole plays his cards right.
Might happen. See Sump's earlier piece on the Gladstone project.
— Sam 7
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