Hells angels wedding

Just seen the picture of Kay and Pete's wedding in 1973.i can't believe it was 50 years ago.i wasn't a hells angel,but I was there.great day!

Hi Magic Tree,
Yes, I too can’t believe it was 50 years ago. I knew Pete (by accident!). He was a Hells Angel and I was a hippy. I’d seen him a few times with his Hells Angel mate but always kept a wide berth as hippies and Angels didn’t really get on that well in those days.
Anyway, I was at the FAG (alternative music venue) upstairs in the Swan and Railway. I was going down to the bar and Pete and his mate were sat on the steps. I slipped and kicked Pete in the back…. And thought “oh no, bloody hell!, but he turned round and apologised for being in my way… Phew!
He was a really nice guy who I always enjoyed chatting to... and I remember the headlines in the local press highlighting his wedding day… “Wedding Bells bring Angels”!
These days people endeavour to make their weddings alternative/controversial/whacky – Pete was an early pioneer!
Great seeing that photo again and 73 a good year for me as I met a great girl who became my wife!

So which Hells Angels Chapter was Pete a member of ?

Was there a Wigan Chapter of the Hells Angels in the early 1970s ?

What sort of 'Hog' did Pete have, was it a Harley Davidson ?

I remember seeing a Hells Angel riding down Pottrey Road in 1976, I wonder if that was Pete ?

TTS
Not sure what chapter or bike, but probably belonged to either Liverpool or Manc. There were a few Hells Angels in Wigan and they had their meetings at the Fishergate Inn at the bottom end of Orrell.

Hells Angels only came to the UK about 1970. To Cadishead, Salford, and Liverpool only in recent years.
It follows that any 'Hells Angels' in Wigan in the 70's would simply be bikers with "Hells Angels" wrote on the back of their black leather jacket.
Plastics, if you will.

Where is the photo of this wedding?

Tonker,
Thank you for the well received info and a nice anecdote. Noted! And again - happy birthday.
Peter P,
If you go onto Wigan Today and look at the retro section - 1973 you will find it.

Tonker

"would simply be bikers with "Hells Angels" wrote on the back of their black leather jacket"

I thought that at the time, and I didn't see what sort of bike he had, but he had these enormous 'Ape Hangers' on it, and I don't know how he managed to steer it, but he looked bloody stupid, and if he had come across a real pack of Hells Angels, he would have known about it

Does it matter if Pete and Kay's mates were 'real' hells angels? Everybody had a cracking day and the couple were very happy.
JR,you are right about the friendliness between various different groups
at the time.It would be good if we still had that vibe now.

They were great days!

I was a member of a motorcycle gang in the 1970s, we did not call ourselves 'Hells Angels' though, or any other name for that matter, and this was circa 1976 during, before and after that smashing summer, and yes I agree 'they were great days'

Here's a Hells Angels story ...... (I'm sure I've told it before?) ........

A few years ago, me and my lad were on our way to Spain. We were sat on the plane at Liverpool, seats 'd' and 'f'', waiting for the plane to fill up, when this quite big bloke came and sat between us, bald head, suit and tie, leather case, looked like a businessman.
He immediately cracked off with a conversation, introducing himself and shaking hands with us both.
A really nice friendly chap. The chat went from Spain, Ryanair, through building, sport, rugby, St.Helens, Wigan, then business, licenced trade, manufacturing and, inevitably, motorcycles.
Then he told us he was a high ranking member of the HAMC Manchester and was on his way to a marina, near Barcelona, to organise a team of men to get their "yacht" ready for an upcoming charter.
He showed photographs of their Christmas Dinner at the HAMC HQ. All collar and tie, could've been the Freemasons or a meeting of the Inner Temple.
Not a Hells Angel in sight, but they were all Hells angels and their wives.
Turned out we had two 'acquaintences in common', one the founder of 'Bargain Booze' and the other, my coucin, who owns a law firm and has done work for them via. St.Helens RLFC chairman, who happened to be their president.
Final words were, "You must call in one of our open nights and join one of our rides-out".
I didn't take up his offer.

But, the point is, most people get the wrong impression of the Hells Angels. They are a business and also raise substantial funds for charities and imdividuals who are in need of help.

Altamont comes to mind - December 1969.

They murdered a guy in cold blood.

Hell's Angels my arse.

Jarvo, I should imagine that wasn't the first and certainly wasn't the last. However, there's been police officers done for murder. Doctors and nurses too, taxi drivers, lorry drivers, shopkeepers, and others from all walks of life have been 'done' for murder.
The difference is - that Hells Angel wasn't 'done', because the bloke he 'murdered' had a gun in his hand and was threatening to shoot people with it. It was ruled that he defended himself and others from serious injury or death.

Hells Anglers!

Brilliant!