Sunday, October 21, 2012

Amphicat

I received an email from John Crawford concerning a photo of John Lennon that I am sure most of you are very familar with.   John Crawford was kind enough to send along some background information as well as the link to his webpage on the matter.  Thanks!!

This photo was provided to my father by Ron Beehoo of Streetsville. Mr. Beehoo was the inventor of the "Amphicat" ( a six wheel Amphibious ATV) and loaned it to Ronnie Hawkins.
 
 
My father operated a Shell Station at the north end of Streetsville. Ronnie Hawkins would
sometimes buy gas and a few times I had mounted new tires on rims for his vintage cars he
owned. Ronnie also owned an old Rolls Royce,
 
In the winter of 1969, my friends and I had learned from a family friend that John Lennon was
living at the Ronnie Hawkins house. One night about 10 p.m., in downtown Streetsville (it was
pretty quite in those days, and not nearly as pretty), we saw the old Rolls Royce parked at the
side of the street. John Lennon sitting in the back seat. My friends and I wanted to talk to him but
we never did.
 
I did a webpage on the matter for my friend from Streetsville.
 
 

4 comments:

  1. I lived in Streetsville in 1969, just a kid at 11.
    Our neighbors had an Aquacat on loan maybe from Ron Beehoo. My Dad tried it out. Maybe the same one John Lennon drove. Ha!

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  2. funny thinking about the Beehoo's and streetsville. Do you hsve a brother named Danny? I grew up with the beehoo,s Doug and Raymond and my father worked for years down at the machine shop. I lived on pearl street just up from the amphicat factory . When Ron went away Doug Raymond and I would sneek in the factory roll out some machines and have a riot with them down at mullet creek. Streetsville was a fun town. I used to chase Ronnie Hawkins and his rolls Royce through town whenever I saw him and tap on the window and ask if any body famous was in there. BoB Crane also had John Lennon on a snowmobile at Hawkins house the same time Ron Beehoo had his Amphicat down there. Bob use to have a picture on the wall of his shop with John,Russ

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  3. Is this Russell Gordon? Geez, remember your Mother babysitting a bunch of kids and you could hear her calling them all over Streetsville. Worked at Beehoo's at this time in the office and recall the day Ronnie called to ask about getting a couple of Amphicats to play with while John Lennon and Yoko Ono were there. Should have tagged along with Ron Beehoo and Al Garden but didn't. Yeah, Streetsville was a good place to grow up and your brother Ralph was a good friend. Your sister married my future brother-in-law.

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  4. well anonymous who are you I ve been scratching my head.russ

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