30 September, 2007
Brighton Breeze 2007
A few scenes from yesterday, an overcast, but still fairly muggy day spent whizzing down (part of the way) from London to Brighton with the VW crowd -
- I think we passed two other campers on the way (but we did set off super early, *and* Colin the Camper can break the speed limit if he needs to, although on this occasion we sat just on it all the way down) getting to Brighton in record time -
- to find a nice spot (without paying the £32 to park right on the very front) just behind the drive (up a load of stairs, but it's good for your health!) -
- the strip was pretty empty at this stage -
- but most of the stalls were getting set up, so a bit of shopping (got a new RF aerial, some clothes and a little "paint it yourself" beetle money box -
- then just walked the front, admiring all the wonderful bugs and buses -
- including some insanely original work -
- some beautifully original work -
- and some just rather, well, interesting(!) work ;) -
- and some (more) that just made me laugh out loud -
- then we took a little walk along the pier (rude not to) -
- and shared a portion of chips sat on the beach -
- what a lovely day... ;) Oh, the strip at the end of the day (packed!) we literally filled the drive from the pier all the way to the marina end of the (appropriately named) Volks railway - looking first to the right-
- and then to the left -
- amazing!
- I think we passed two other campers on the way (but we did set off super early, *and* Colin the Camper can break the speed limit if he needs to, although on this occasion we sat just on it all the way down) getting to Brighton in record time -
- to find a nice spot (without paying the £32 to park right on the very front) just behind the drive (up a load of stairs, but it's good for your health!) -
- the strip was pretty empty at this stage -
- but most of the stalls were getting set up, so a bit of shopping (got a new RF aerial, some clothes and a little "paint it yourself" beetle money box -
- then just walked the front, admiring all the wonderful bugs and buses -
- including some insanely original work -
- some beautifully original work -
- and some just rather, well, interesting(!) work ;) -
- and some (more) that just made me laugh out loud -
- then we took a little walk along the pier (rude not to) -
- and shared a portion of chips sat on the beach -
- what a lovely day... ;) Oh, the strip at the end of the day (packed!) we literally filled the drive from the pier all the way to the marina end of the (appropriately named) Volks railway - looking first to the right-
- and then to the left -
- amazing!
29 September, 2007
Views of Kings Cross...
...just a few more shots of the area (as I found it at the end of last week), won't be much chance to explore from now on! ;)
28 September, 2007
Just discovered...
...that today Uncle Al completes twenty six years service at his job...that's got to be some sort of record! ;0
Do you get a gold gazebo as a reward? ;)
Do you get a gold gazebo as a reward? ;)
25 September, 2007
A very quick note...
...I know I have been a little quiet of late, however, it's high time for a little announcement - I can now formally say that I have a *new job* working (you would never guess where!) a quite considerable distance up number One Canada Square (the big building at Canary Wharf, the one that is visible from almost everywhere in London!)...it's an incredible place, I was just blown completely away, really feels like being in (a slightly more civilised) New York...pictures and stories will follow to be sure but just so you know, I'm going to be working for a major player (the biggest, I think) in the British National Press (so lots and lots of fun to come and plenty of chances to really work with some of the biggest names in my field)!
Awesome!
Now - Story one (I suppose) would have to come from just before my second interview (which was actually quite a while ago now), I got there about half an hour early and decided I really needed a cup of tea (just to steady my nerves) and you know what? The only place I could find above-ground (anyway) on the path from the tube wasn't a Starbucks or a Costa, or even a McDonalds...it was a bespoke place run by Antonio Carluccio...Haha... ;)
This is just a completely different world...sorry Kings Cross, I'll remember you fondly, but things are definitely on the way up (metaphorically and physically - never worked that high up in the air before nor had tea from such a culinary parapet)...! ;)
Much, much more to come...! :) :)
Awesome!
Now - Story one (I suppose) would have to come from just before my second interview (which was actually quite a while ago now), I got there about half an hour early and decided I really needed a cup of tea (just to steady my nerves) and you know what? The only place I could find above-ground (anyway) on the path from the tube wasn't a Starbucks or a Costa, or even a McDonalds...it was a bespoke place run by Antonio Carluccio...Haha... ;)
This is just a completely different world...sorry Kings Cross, I'll remember you fondly, but things are definitely on the way up (metaphorically and physically - never worked that high up in the air before nor had tea from such a culinary parapet)...! ;)
Much, much more to come...! :) :)
23 September, 2007
Kingsfold Vintage Vehicle Show 2007
...and so, to just a few of the sights and sounds of the Kingsfold show which took place over the weekend, we went along yesterday...
...oh and no, I don't think this was one of the exhibits (or if it was, it's needing a little in the way of restoration ;)
As a show, from what I read, it's only just celebrating it's 9th year in existence, so you can't hope to expect the same scale as Laughton or Ardingly, but it's still fairly well populated (even if not in huge numbers) by a group of displays of collections (mostly the usual suspects) -
- a superb collection of extremely unusual motorbikes/trikes -
- including one (that certainly appears to have been) made from an old VW Beetle chassis (*sharp intake of breath*) -
- a group who celebrate the past and present of banger racing -
- not that I suppose there is ever much left over of previously used vehicles (in that particular trade) to bring along to the shows... ;)
...lots of classics cars, in various states of restoration -
- or occupation -
- the big boys with their toys (Hello Al!) -
- a handful of stalls and rides (very little autojumble, mostly commercial or charity ) -
- but a bit in the way of home-made or local food (not the burger vans!) -
- a few bits of steam (both big, and small) -
- (if slightly disproportionately endowed in the chimney department in some cases, well, you know what they say about owning a flashy vehicle ;) -
- probably one of the biggest collections of static engines you can hope to find (although there is always a very good showing at most of the summer events from these guys) -
- loads of tractors (despite the fact there aren't any fields to plough at this show) and then some downright "interesting" other things too -
- late year sheep shearing (although they only managed one of them as the rest ran off) -
- the Sussex VW club managed to sneak in to camp (along with a few Land Rover owners, a fire engine and a handful of military vehicles) -
- a "del boy" van conversion into a single berth camper complete with bed, stove and cupboards(!) -
- and a very interesting tractor-trike...oh, and lots and lots of this kind of thing -
- but more on that later perhaps... :)
...oh and no, I don't think this was one of the exhibits (or if it was, it's needing a little in the way of restoration ;)
As a show, from what I read, it's only just celebrating it's 9th year in existence, so you can't hope to expect the same scale as Laughton or Ardingly, but it's still fairly well populated (even if not in huge numbers) by a group of displays of collections (mostly the usual suspects) -
- a superb collection of extremely unusual motorbikes/trikes -
- including one (that certainly appears to have been) made from an old VW Beetle chassis (*sharp intake of breath*) -
- a group who celebrate the past and present of banger racing -
- not that I suppose there is ever much left over of previously used vehicles (in that particular trade) to bring along to the shows... ;)
...lots of classics cars, in various states of restoration -
- or occupation -
- the big boys with their toys (Hello Al!) -
- a handful of stalls and rides (very little autojumble, mostly commercial or charity ) -
- but a bit in the way of home-made or local food (not the burger vans!) -
- a few bits of steam (both big, and small) -
- (if slightly disproportionately endowed in the chimney department in some cases, well, you know what they say about owning a flashy vehicle ;) -
- probably one of the biggest collections of static engines you can hope to find (although there is always a very good showing at most of the summer events from these guys) -
- loads of tractors (despite the fact there aren't any fields to plough at this show) and then some downright "interesting" other things too -
- late year sheep shearing (although they only managed one of them as the rest ran off) -
- the Sussex VW club managed to sneak in to camp (along with a few Land Rover owners, a fire engine and a handful of military vehicles) -
- a "del boy" van conversion into a single berth camper complete with bed, stove and cupboards(!) -
- and a very interesting tractor-trike...oh, and lots and lots of this kind of thing -
- but more on that later perhaps... :)