End of an era...

I have decided to sell my beloved Fazer 'Thou', after four years of ownership. Without question the best motorcycle that I have ever owned, it has proved adept at everything asked of it. Used as a commuting tool day in day out, all year round, it has also worked as a hugely exciting sports bike as well as an excellent tourer. I will be very sorry to see it go but the roads have just got too dangerous. When you cover high mileages on a bike I suppose that there is a certain statistical inevitability to the occasional spill but with so many car drivers distracted by their mobile phones, MP3 players and sat. navs (and a recent RAC survey just highlights this), it just feels more likely than ever a more serious accident will eventually happen. So, I have decided, after biking for most of my life, to move back to four wheels for the commute to work; however, my new vehicle will need to be something more than just a tin box, especially as I am now going to be spending more time sitting in traffic. Watch this space as I track down an appropriate car...

BTCC, Rockingham, 20th September 2009

Last Sunday I took my son and his best friend from school to see the penultimate round of the British Touring Cars Championship at Rockingham. This was our first visit to the circuit and I found it a novel experience. Laid out in a gently banked oval, the track was built to cater for the type of racing associated with the famous Indianapolis 500, often called 'Indy Car' racing. The infield contains the corners and chicanes, which means that the spectator can only view the racing from the grandstands that form a crescent around the outside edge of one side of the oval. It is possible to access a viewing area above the pits and this does offer an exciting perspective; however, this is standing room only and is limited in terms of numbers. There is no chance then, to move around the circuit positioning oneself at interesting sections of the circuit throughout the day. Despite this we did manage to find a position in the stands by the afternoon that gave a good overview of the racing but still allowed for some sense of the formidable speed of the cars as they exited the straight and entered a long left-hander, called simply 'Turn 1', before negotiating the hairpin at Deane into the infield. What makes BTCC so exciting for fans of the series is that the pit lane is opened between races, allowing access to the drivers and a close-up glimpse of the cars. For my son and his friend, autograph hunting and freebie collecting (caps, posters, etc.) is all part of the fun. The first touring cars race of the day (there are three per meeting) was won by Stephen Jelley in the Team RAC BMW320si. The second was won by the ever popular Jason Plato in a Chevrolet Lacetti, while the third saw Jelley on the top of the podium once more, achieving his first two wins in BTCC. Mat Jackson was third and second respectively and looked to be heading for victory in the final race when he was shunted off the track by Giovanardi in his Vauxhall Vectra VXR. The racing in BTCC is always close and exciting and makes for a great day's motor racing. Also competing in their respective championships were Porsche Carreras, Formula Renault and my favourites, the G50 Ginettas. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable day, very much helped by the late September sunshine…

Interviewing Jem Marsh

Yesterday I spent the day in the company of 'Mr Marcos', the indefatigable Jem Marsh. As part of a documentary on Marcos, Jem had agreed to be interviewed by John Sutton, an important figure in the early history of the marque who helped to put the car on the (racing) map. Of course there is only one way to travel to Jem's house in Bradford on Avon and that is in a Marcos, so my dad and I made the journey in his recently restored 1969 wooden chassis 3 litre V6 (pictured). We shouted at each other all the way down - this is what passes for conversation when you are trying to make yourself heard over the barely silenced and rather rorty V6. Restoring a Marcos can be fraught with difficulty - as owners are no doubt all too aware - and so Dad's first word on our arrival at Jem's was 'Marcos!', which he explained to Jem was a newly discovered English language expletive. Luckily, Jem and my father go back a long way and thankfully Jem's sense of humour is especially keen... After interviewing Jem on the history of Marcos - fresh in his mind after the production of his wonderful and lavishly illustrated book, Making my Marque - my father and I were treated to a truly excellent lunch, cooked by Lyn Marsh. Apparently Lyn runs the house as a B and B and on the basis of the food, the beauty of Bradford on Avon, the wonderful hospitality and the chance to meet the founder of Marcos, I would highly recommend a visit. Jem and Lyn are lovely company and my father and I enjoyed a great day with them. To talk all things Marcos with the marque's founder was a real privilege and pleasure. As for the documentary that I am making on Marcos, the plan is to sell DVDs with copies of Jem's book, so watch this space - and, of course, Jem's website!

Bo'ness Motor Museum

While on holiday, I visited this tiny but delightful classic car museum. Bo'ness is a short drive from the old fishing town of South Queensferry, which nestles between the huge expanses of the Forth road and rail bridges. The museum combines the twin passions of this blog, as the bulk of its exhibits are cars and memorabilia associated with film, specifically those featuring James Bond. Perhaps the most interesting of the cars in this respect is the road going white Lotus Esprit S1 that was used on set in The Spy who Loved Me (Lewis Gilbert 1977). Crammed full of film props and costumes, the museum houses, cheek by jowl, approximately twenty-five cars: various Aston Martin's - a DB6, a DBS and a V8 Vantage - as well as the series 3 Jaguar XJ6 used in the film The 51st State (Ronny Yu 2001) and a De Lorean, a Mini Cooper, a Sunbeam Alpine and 1940s Studebaker. Chatting with Colin Anderson, the museum's founder and owner, I discovered that he is also involved in the recent resurrection of the Bo'ness Hill Climb, last run in 1966 and revived in 2008. This hill climb has a wonderful history having hosted a number of celebrated racing drivers and cars, including Jim Clark in 1959 driving the famous Border Reivers D Type Jaguar and his Le Mans Lotus Elite. Details on the climb's history and dates for this year's event are available here.