THat he has acquired the life of Riley is
perhaps no more than what farmer Jim Dick deserves. He would regularly put in a 100-hour week on Ironhirst, his 213-acre beef and sheep farm near Dumfries. And with three daughters proving reluctant heirs to his lifestyle, Jim decided to sell up while there was at least a trace of gasoline in his veins.
From country to town he went with his wife Beatrice, a medical secretary at the local hospital, settling in a bungalow on an estate with less land around his house than there was in one of the ''wee sheds'' on the farm. A recipe for disaster, boredom, and monotony might easily have been predicted, however, Jim had other things on his mind.
While he chugged up and down the fields on his tractor he harboured a secret notion, to own a superbike, a tourer. After getting the house and garden in order he put full focus on acquiring his bike. In the end he bought a six-cylinder, 1520cc Honda Goldwing trike, a compromise but one that Jim is quite happy about.
The trike has been personalised with a golden eagle on the front fender, it illuminates, and a top box with chrome luggage rack.
On a typical day, Jim will take off on his ''wing'' to the Lake District or into Galloway. For several hours he will purr along, living his dream, breathing in the scenery and enjoying the freedom.
At the weekend he and his wife join in Alba Wings' activities, a club that has been created for Goldwing owners. Recently they went from Dumfries to Dunoon, triking to Inveraray, Tyndrum, Callander and Stirling before heading South and home.
The Goldwing trike is believed to be the only one in Scotland. It has a five-gallon tank and by ''taking things sensibly'' 45mpg can be achieved. A car driver's licence is required because the trike has a handbrake and a reverse gear. Road tax is #60 and insurance is likely to be around #600.
Jim will be first to admit that triking is best enjoyed in the summer months.
But there is little chance of his body seizing up. ''Just after I retired I bought two season tickets at Ibrox and two debenture bonds at Hampden. In a short time I have become a football hooligan and a Hell's Angel,'' he says. A twinkle in his eye certainly does not
mirror a tractor seat.
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