Classics on the Common

After the beautiful weather last year and the heat of the Walled Garden earlier this year, it was perhaps hoping too much that the weather would remain clement and so, as forecast, this year's Classics on the Common was a very wet affair. The rain didn't dampen spirits entirely but there were fewer cars than last year, although numbers still appeared to be high, and most of the picnics and picnickers were looking somewhat bedraggled as the afternoon wore on. As ever there was a fascinating and eclectic array of cars to look at, ranging from modern Ferraris (various types), Lamborghinis and back from the future De Lorean's (sorry but given the twin interests of my blog, I couldn't resist) to all sorts of Austin Sevens, Morgans, MGs, Rileys and other classic and vintage marques. As ever it was good to chat with old friends and interested onlookers but this year by 7.00pm cars were already beginning to make their exit... Thankfully, given the rain, the organisation was excellent, as was the police traffic control and the marshalling on the common itself. It was a shame that the weather wasn't what might have been hoped for but the thousands of spectators seemed to be enjoying themselves nonetheless. Here's to a warmer and drier Classics on the Common in 2010...

Outpost (Steve Barker 2008 UK)

I watched this low-budget British horror film last night on DVD and rather enjoyed it, despite the occasional plot lapses and inexplicable logic. Set in the depths of an Eastern European war zone the film pits a group of mercenaries, led by DC (Ray Stevenson) and questing 'company' scientist Hunt (Julian Wadham), against a platoon of re-animated (or rather dimension-shifting) Nazi soldiers. The object of Hunt's quest is a device, hidden deep in an SS bunker, that supposedly allows for the merging of the four dimensions of matter (Einstein is checklisted in Hunt's exposition); once the antiquated machine is discovered he duly reports back to his financial masters who prepare to send in a team to recover it. As the mercenaries become aware of the presence of the Nazi soldiers they are slowly picked off until only DC, Hunt, Jordan (Paul Blair) and Prior (Richard Brake) remain. In a sequence reminiscent of David Fincher's Alien 3 (1992), Jordan, Prior and DC lure the Nazi 'zombies' into the range of the machine just as Hunt manages to re-start it. Firing a pulse that works to 'contain' the Nazis within their original dimension they appear to have an opportunity to escape; however, power to the machine fails and with it, apparently, their chance of survival... The strength of this film lies in the atmosphere created in the subterranean space of the bunker, which benefits from the sparing use of digital special effects. The Nazi soldiers are particularly effective given their visual simplicity, the filmmakers relying on showing less rather than more. The performances are all pretty decent although the accents have a tendency to wander somewhat with DC covering a broad range of nationalities. The actors convey the sense of threat and fear effectively with the 'Breather' (Johnny Meres) suitably eerie and chilling. This isn't the most original claustrophobic horror and the debt to movies like Alien (Ridley Scott 1979), The Fog (John Carpenter 1980) and The Keep (Michael Mann 1983) is clear, as is the potential comparison with a film like Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers (2002) or his more recent The Descent (2005); nonetheless it works. If it is true that horror films have a tendency to reflect the concerns and anxieties of the period in which they are produced, what do these 'threat' films say about the contemporary moment? Certainly, the 'other' appears, as ever in horror, as the more or less invisible and un-knowable, the omnipresent source of danger and terror but are these films, as has been suggested, reflections of a post 9/11 world (as viewed from a Western perspective)? The fear of the dark, the hidden, the unknown, remains, whatever the political context; ultimately, these primordial fears long precede the current 'war on terrror'...

Marcos 50th Anniversary Rally

Only a couple of weeks to go now until what looks like being one of the largest and most exciting gatherings of Marcos cars for some time. Taking place over three days in mid August (14th - 16th), the event will culminate with the sight of various types of Marcos - from the early wooden chassis models to the beefy LM500 - speeding up the celebrated Prescott hill climb. A number of famous names are expected to be in attendance including Jem Marsh (the 'Mar' of Marcos), the Formula 1 driver and Arrows founder Jackie Oliver, the 1961 Autosport Championship winner John Sutton and possibly Jackie Stewart, whose early motor racing career saw him borrowing one of the first seven Gullwing cars, famously nicknamed the 'Ugly Duckling'. For a full account of this early period in the Marcos story see 'The Wooden Wonder' here. To ensure that this memorable event is properly recorded for posterity I will be on hand with a Sony Z7 to capture the cars in action and to record interviews with those happy to reminisce about their association with Marcos over the years. Watch this space...

Watching 'Watchmen'

I have fond memories of reading Alan Moore's Watchmen while working in a popular London bookshop in the late 1980s. In the quiet periods I would surreptitiously pull this graphic novel from beneath the till and speed read a few pages before being required to serve yet another tourist looking for a London guide or an appropriately British literary classic to take home - this in the days before the Internet... So finally, the film adaptation has emerged after 22 years and a number of false starts. I didn't catch the film at the cinema but I have now seen it, tonight, on DVD. I was lucky enough to watch it at a friend's on a 60 inch screen so it was rather more of a 'cinematic' experience than much of my viewing, which tends to happen these days on my 24 inch iMac. So, 20 odd years after the graphic novel and it was clear that my memory had failed me - much of the early action was unfamiliar; perhaps I should have re-read Moore's novel first... The film certainly begins slowly and it has to work hard to set up the characters, the situation, etc. Once it settles and a pattern is established, in particular the relationships between the various protagonists, then the film begins to get going and it becomes the action film that Zack Snyder, it's director, has clearly wanted it to be all along. There are shades of 300 (Snyder 2006) in many of the fight sequences with liberal use of slow-motion footage to allow the audience to linger over the sonic spectacle that is a punch or a kick... Sound effects are significant in the film and are used to both punctuate sequences but also to provide a rhythm to the action itself. The music used in the film is also particularly evident, foregrounded because of its frequent incongruity - sometimes conscious, for comic effect but at other times I'm not sure whether Snyder and his team simply got it wrong. Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelulah' intrudes - for ironic effect, no doubt - and Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower', the Hendrix version, just had to be in there somewhere..! As the pace picks up so the film becomes familiar as a graphic novel adaptation, pitting heroes against villains in a race to save the world and humanity with it. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it but the film does contain some quite striking and unexpected images as it moves towards its denouement, shots that are more reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick 1968) than other graphic novel films. That said other Moore adaptations such as V for Vendetta (James McTeigue 2005) are also visually exciting. Anyway, I enjoyed this film although at a mammoth 160 minutes it requires a significant investment of time. It has made me want to go back to Moore's graphic novel and I will no doubt watch it again afterwards...

Veteran Film Director Roy Ward Baker visits Roehampton University

After a drinks reception to mark his appointment as an Honorary Visiting Professor at Roehampton University, Roy Ward Baker entertained students and staff with his memories of over sixty years spent working with many of cinema’s most famous actors, actresses, producers and directors. After a screening of his 1952 film Don’t Bother to Knock, professor Baker responded to questions from a fascinated and appreciative audience, describing his recollections of working with screen legends Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark and Anne Bancroft, as well as recounting his early career apprenticeship to directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed. Professor Baker clearly enjoyed meeting students on Roehampton’s BA (Hons) Film programme, describing the experience as ‘absolutely wonderful’. For his next seminar, prompted by his conversations with Roehampton’s film students, Professor Baker plans to tackle the subject of directing…

Classics on the Common

Starting out as a small gathering of classic and vintage car enthusiasts on Harpenden Common, this event has grown year on year to become an important fixture in the classic car calendar. Last year there were over 1,000 cars and approximately ten times as many spectators. This year the event kicks off at 4.00pm on the 29th July 2009.

47th National Austin Seven Rally

Sunday 28th June 2009, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

After spending Saturday preparing my father’s Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ for the two hundred and sixty mile round trip to Beaulieu, I set off early Sunday morning with fellow car enthusiast and friend, Martin Williams. After a number of inadvertent diversions from the carefully mapped out route provided by the North Herts Centre of the 750 Motor Club, it was decided that I should cede my position at the head of our two vehicle convoy and that Martin should take over the role of navigator in his ‘modern’ (this clearly in the interests of maintaing our friendship!). This worked well, primarily because Martin has a far more developed sense of direction but also because it allowed me to concentrate on driving the ‘Ulster’ rather than worrying about where we were going. This upped our pace considerably and I really enjoyed the drive down to Beaulieu, much of which took us along the B4009. The weather was warm, the sun was shining and the scenery was stunning; the villages and towns that we passed through were gloriously picturesque and the road itself suited the little Austin perfectly, allowing me to get the best from it. It really is perfectly suited to country 'B' roads where outright speed is not the issue. Somewhat embarrassingly, despite the apparently rapid progress, it still took Martin and I the best part of five hours to arrive at the National Motor Museum and take our place among the array of Austins on display. We were delayed for some time just outside Lyndhurst where traffic jams are notorious and regular but even so...

Once at Beaulieu I had a chance to inspect the one hundred and eighty Austins that had driven from all over the United Kingdom to attend the national rally in this the 70th anniversary year of the famous Seven Fifty Motor Club. There were some stunning cars, including a number of special guest vehicles. Notable among these were a stunning 1957 Works Lotus Eleven Coventry Climax and a beautiful 1923 Duzmo Motorcycle built by Harold Biggs. Colin Chapman’s Lotus Elevens were raced with great success, winning all of the three classes they entered at Le Mans in 1957. The late Frank Costin, one half of Marcos, designed the car’s bodywork; the other half of the famous partnership, Jem Marsh, was spotted amongst the Austins, clearly enjoying the sunshine and the fabulous cars on display.

For many Austin Seven owners the pleasures of ownership are in the driving and this was certainly abundantly in evidence as a number of drivers put their cars through their paces in the driving tests. Once or twice it even looked as if exuberance and enthusiasm might end in cars rolling but thankfully everyone remained upright… As usual there was a decent autojumble for those looking for parts, bargains or just the chance to discuss Austin restoration. During the latter half of the morning and the early afternoon the various categories of car were inspected and judged with Lord Montagu himself awarding the prizes that marked the end of the meeting.

Martin and I, having taken the scenic route on the way down to Beaulieu were forced to return to Hertfordshire via the rather less interesting A34 and A41 if we were to stand any chance of arriving back before nightfall. After a tiring and loud four-hour drive, peppered with rain showers, I arrived home, tired, stiff and aching but happy to have supported the annual rally of this wonderful marque and the anniversary of a truly historic car club…

Classics in the Walled Garden, Luton Hoo

Wednesday 1st July 2009

On what has been possibly the hottest day of the year so far, approximately 400 classic, vintage and veteran cars assembled at Luton Hoo for the first ever ‘Classics in the Walled Garden’. Organised by Peter Madden, who stood down recently from the hugely successful ‘Classics on the Common’ in Harpenden (Hertfordshire), the event was a great success. Cars began to arrive at 4.00pm, some inevitably struggling in the heat as the queue to enter the walled garden began to grow; however, the excellent marshalling meant that there were no actual problems. Attending in John Sutton’s 1930 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ I had to really rev the car to negotiate the rather long grass of the ‘garden’ but eventually parked up perfectly courtesy of the marshals. What makes an event of this type so pleasurable is the array of cars on display, from over one hundred years of motoring; even more pleasing is the fact that they had all arrived under their own steam. Alongside a 1900 Daimler one could see an Enzo Ferrari, an immaculate Morris Minor Traveller, a C Type Jaguar, various Vauxhalls including a 30-98 and a 20-63 as well as a very interesting T Type Hurlingham with a beautiful upturned boat tail, MGs from the 1930s to the 1970s and any number of more modern ‘classics’. The event organisers had provided a good-sized beer tent with a good selection of well-priced local beers – an absolute godsend given the heat. Food was also available, although many, like me, brought their own picnics. A band played suitably vintage music, which added to what was an already perfectly period atmosphere. Hats off to Peter and his team for such an excellent event; I’m already looking forward to next year…