Issue 137 : October - November 2004
Buell City X
Yamaha T-Max
Yorkshire Pudding Rally
Ducati's "Centopassi" Event
Bristol Show
South of England HOG Rally
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Buell City X
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Bristol Show
The After Show Party was a huge success though my recollections are somewhat hazy............. Big thanks to Bristol MAG for their excellent marshalling, Bristol City Council for their help and everyone that was there, you are, The Bristol Bike Show. Next year's Show will be The Tenth Bristol Bike Show and we're going to make it Fancy Dress, so get your glad rags on and come for a visit on the third Saturday in August 2005. Richard Stiling
I got up about 7am, rode from London to Bristol and took a hundred pictures, after which I found I was able to relax a bit. I was then able to sit down to a vegetable khorma at a pavement table outside the 'Spice of life,' Indian food stall in the old market, wonderful nosebag. Eddie Garnier joined me at this time and told me an amusing story about the rather lovely Clare who is pictured somewhere. It seems that her and her friend were collectively known as 'The Popes'.
The Vulcan Riders, there's a club to conjure with, apparently they've been going since 1976! There have been Japanese cruisers that long, it's almost 30 years. I had a bit of trouble coming to terms with that but I suppose they know what they're talking about - '76!
I'm just old enough to remember the days when scooters and motorcycles would never have been seen together at an event like this, (not that there were events like this in those days), and it still seems novel to me. Nita Derrick is big into scooters and runs the Lambretta Bar in Bath which conjures up an image at striking odds with the classic Georgian terraces of light brown stone. Quadrephenia and George Elliot, strange eh? Go on somebody tell me they're not Georgian then. Over at the external parking area by the law court, I spotted 'the Judge' appropriately enough, aka Jeff fogothissirname, a long-standing MAG member who has also been a magistrate for 15 years. No only that but he's a member of the Intruder club. Oriental cruisers again hmmm I must say I liked the Triton with the modern running gear and the way the picture turned out it made a good lead image - yes ? Who are you that man and if you're a MAG member, how's about a 'my bikes' for Streetbiker. Anyone who knows him please advise and join him up if he's not a member. This not quite being a fully paid up individual member nonsense has got to stop by the way.
I take a picture of the judge pointing and a rider waiting to pull out onto the street by the dock where Brunel's steamship used to rest. Where's it gone? Bristol - a historic city and a great trading port at one time. Well worth a visit. Lots here to interest amaze and you never know who might run into; I was very surprised. Back on the bike - back along the M4 into the Western approaches and the aircraft coming in like tracer bullets, before we know it we're at Hammersmith flyover, I couldn't have done that on my old Bonnie. Back into another world. I'd rather have spent a little longer in the West Country. Never mind. If you don't see your picture here then check out the website. People frequently ask me where pictures will be appearing when I snap them and often assume that every image I take will appear in print somewhere. Sadly it cannot be. On a day like this one I will typically take about 300 pictures so only a selection are going to appear on paper but you can see them on the web and they are available. www.bikerlifestylepics.co.uk |
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The Bristol Bike Show 2004 was a true wonder of all things two and three wheeled. This year we were miraculously blessed with perfect weather, clear blue skies and lovely sunshine. I dunno about 'the righteous' but it shined on us!!! Anyway, this year we had another street closed for us and we made good use of it. Over 2000 bikes attended The Show and it was a sight to please the eyes. You just can't beat having so many bikes congregating in the centre of a major city to make an impact. The bands played, old friends met, new friends were made and the public were amazed. Absolutely marvellous.
Editor's comments
A number of clubs populate the main drag of the show where I found the 'Petrol Heads' and our Chairman's own charity group 'The Bloodrunners.' Then there were the scooters.
One of the good things about the Bristol Show is the unusual dynamics. The blend of custom and classic, historic and contemporary, The vintage bikes complemented by the stone walls of the old town buildings. The surreal contribution of the extreme customs. The traders in the covered market , the variety of food, and exotica, a wild bike with sky high apes parked by a green grocers stall, cabbages reflected in the gleaming candy tank. Beautiful girls with ice creams and milkmaid accents. A girl on a BMW trike - that's a new one on me.