The Hell's Angel

Chronicle and Echo/September 23, 1982

A Hells Angel leader once stalked a man with a double barrel shotgun, quite prepared to shoot him down in cold blood.

He freely admits that had the lifestyle of drugs, drink and violence continued he would now be dead or in prison.

But instead, at 38, he is happily married and has a good steady job - and above all a firm belief in God.

It is still down to a chance meeting in 1974 with a member of the Jesus Fellowship. At the time he was in the middle of a heavy drinking session in the town centre.

His first thoughts were that he might get a free meal from the friendly man. Yet from this unlikely beginning he now has a total devotion to God and his fellow members of the fellowship. It has been a long and painful process for him.

Born and bred in Northampton, by the time he was 29 he had risen to warehouse manager and was enjoying a comfortable existence with his first wife.

It was then that the bubble burst. His wife left him for his best friend and he was suddenly alone, his trust in friends tore apart.

'I started mixing with the wrong crowd and I had my life threatened,' he remembered. 'I was told by a bunch of very heavy people in the criminal end of society to get out of town or be killed.'

'I was completely friendless at the time so I went after one of the men with a double barrel shotgun with every intent of murdering him if I found him.'

Fortunately 'he' didn't find the man, but his willingness to take the law into his own hands won the respect of the Hell's Angels.

'It seemed to me that for all their rough exterior and filthy practices their sense of brotherhood and devotion to each other was strong,' he explained.

'To join the Hells Angels I had to be prepared to reject society completely and turn my back on everything. I had to adopt their rough style of dress and get into motorbikes. You don't give a damn about society or what it stands for.'

'He' rose to be vice president of the Northampton 'chapter' of Hell's Angels.

Just before Christmas in 1974 'he' met the member of the Jesus Fellowship while drinking heavily on Wood Hill.

'I didn't think much about our conversation until a couple of weeks later when I decided to visit their hall at Bugbrooke, mainly to see if I could get a cup of tea and a meal.' 'he' remembered.

'I was a very hard-looking Hell's Angel but their hearts went out to me - they loved me.'

'At that stage I didn't believe in God but the love they showed made a deep impression and I ended up staying for nine months, enjoying true togetherness for the first time in my life.'

'He' began to read the Bible but retained confusion about his life. 'I knew the right way ahead was with the Jesus People, but I didn't have the strength to do it.' 'he' said.

After nine months he left Bugbrooke and reverted partially to his former life, joining the United Bikers of Great Britain, which he describes as being similar to the Hell's Angels without the violence.

While away from Bugbrooke he et his present wife and they were married at a register office wearing their leather 'uniforms' with 500 leather-clad guests.

'I explained to 'my wife' about Bugbrooke and told her that one day I wanted to go back, and we did at Christmas 1979.'

'When I prepared to go back to the Fellowship God did so many things to help me. He helped me find accommodation away from the bikers, and also sell my bike very quickly. If I wanted or needed something I only has to pray and it was there.'

'His' complete return to the Fellowship was marked this month when he became a full member of the church. He is now a charge hand at a paper wholesalers, and lives with his wife in St James, near to the Fellowship in Argyll Street.

'I now have a complete trust in God and because of that my wife and I have decided to have a baby. At some time my family will move into the Fellowship community.'

'If I had not had that meeting with the evangelists on Wood Hill I am certain I would be either dead or in jail. Jesus saved me and he is now in charge of me.'