The essential souvenir Last Sunday (13th July) was all about petrol; the motion it enables and the emotion it creates. Motorbikes and Vauxhalls (Opels/Bedfords) were the themes for a pleasurable morning of wandering around, chatting and taking photographs.
I went to two separate events, one en-route to the other. The first a motorcycle meet at Jacks Hill Café on the A5 near Towcester. The hard standing all around the café was packed with motorcycles of numerous denominations; the classic British brands (Triumphs, Nortons, Tritons, BSAs etc.) were well represented in front of the building and everything else from everywhere else could be seen around the back.
All the time I was there, more bikes thundered in and the sense of drama and occasion was as palpable as the smell of oil, petrol and leather.
One oddity on show was a wonderful bright orange 1973 Bond Bug, which you’ll appreciate isn’t a motorcycle at all. But when you see the picture below, you’ll appreciate that it might as well be for its practicality – no doors and no protection from the elements. To be frank, the Bug is probably a whole lot less safe than a bike because it’s got three wheels, making it unstable; the body is plastic, making it weak in an accident; and it’s small/low making it hard to see (aside from the garish colour) for other drivers. Aside from looking cool, it’s a ridiculous mode of transport.
I stayed at Jacks Hill for a while and then made my way up the A43 towards Northampton and more precisely Billing Aquadrome. The location was the site for the annual Vauxhall Bedford Owners Association (VBOA) rally. Regular readers will know that the all Vauxhall car club rally is something of an annual pilgrimage for me (previous reviews available 1, 2) – in fact Sunday marked my 19th year of event attendance.
The rally occupied a number of the fields on the site and various car club displays were supported by a Vauxhall sponsored presence, a display ring for cars to drive in and out of and a well-stocked autojumble.
I walked for what felt like miles around the site taking pictures and dreaming about owning another classic motor. The Zafira just didn’t cut it in the company of her elders and betters. She was parked elsewhere, out of sight and out of mind.
Pictures from both events are attached for your pleasure (click on an image to enlarge it).
This post ends with this observation - many of the vehicles on show at both events were lovingly cared for by their owners and whilst all will understand the pleasure they take from them – for me what was interesting was how much pleasure other people’s efforts can give me. Much as I would like to, I don’t need to own one in order to feel some genuine joy in looking at them. One might think of paintings, sculptures and art galleries in this kind of regard – my view cars and motorbikes can be just as inspiring. And from that thought, the title for this post!
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I went to two separate events, one en-route to the other. The first a motorcycle meet at Jacks Hill Café on the A5 near Towcester. The hard standing all around the café was packed with motorcycles of numerous denominations; the classic British brands (Triumphs, Nortons, Tritons, BSAs etc.) were well represented in front of the building and everything else from everywhere else could be seen around the back.
All the time I was there, more bikes thundered in and the sense of drama and occasion was as palpable as the smell of oil, petrol and leather.
One oddity on show was a wonderful bright orange 1973 Bond Bug, which you’ll appreciate isn’t a motorcycle at all. But when you see the picture below, you’ll appreciate that it might as well be for its practicality – no doors and no protection from the elements. To be frank, the Bug is probably a whole lot less safe than a bike because it’s got three wheels, making it unstable; the body is plastic, making it weak in an accident; and it’s small/low making it hard to see (aside from the garish colour) for other drivers. Aside from looking cool, it’s a ridiculous mode of transport.
I stayed at Jacks Hill for a while and then made my way up the A43 towards Northampton and more precisely Billing Aquadrome. The location was the site for the annual Vauxhall Bedford Owners Association (VBOA) rally. Regular readers will know that the all Vauxhall car club rally is something of an annual pilgrimage for me (previous reviews available 1, 2) – in fact Sunday marked my 19th year of event attendance.
The rally occupied a number of the fields on the site and various car club displays were supported by a Vauxhall sponsored presence, a display ring for cars to drive in and out of and a well-stocked autojumble.
I walked for what felt like miles around the site taking pictures and dreaming about owning another classic motor. The Zafira just didn’t cut it in the company of her elders and betters. She was parked elsewhere, out of sight and out of mind.
Pictures from both events are attached for your pleasure (click on an image to enlarge it).
This post ends with this observation - many of the vehicles on show at both events were lovingly cared for by their owners and whilst all will understand the pleasure they take from them – for me what was interesting was how much pleasure other people’s efforts can give me. Much as I would like to, I don’t need to own one in order to feel some genuine joy in looking at them. One might think of paintings, sculptures and art galleries in this kind of regard – my view cars and motorbikes can be just as inspiring. And from that thought, the title for this post!
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