Operation DayRelease - The spirit of RetroRides.

The spirit of Retro Rides shone on a gloomy Saturday morning. When the call for “help wanted” went out a motley crew of chaps came together to move the heaviest piece of workshop machinery I’ve ever tried to shift…..a two ton car lift!

Pulling into the secret yard in the removal van my retro spotting radar went pop



As is always the way with these things, what started off as a simple collection job got more complicated with a trailer collection to deliver a chassis and an engine pickup too, the rest of the hired help turned up and the chassis and engine shifting were soon carried out.


Following a bit of mucking around we got down to the serious business of discussing the heavy work

With careful use of trestles, car dollies, engine lifts, blocks of wood and rope the various sections were man handled around the yard and the jigsaw puzzle was put together.




With the trailer dropped off we hit the M4 for the blast to Area52, the secret headquarters of the South West Division of retroRides, the all white convoy made good progress



Picking up an extra set of wheels at Bath

Before we arrived at the drop zone.

Much tea and pasties were consumed to build up strength for the unloading session



And after a look round the area we began the plan to take the jigsaw puzzle apart.



With the van in position we dragged the various parts out, the erecting will take place another time




With everything neatly stacked away the day was over, the team drifted away before the shutter was locked for the night. Leaving a very happy but tired Bruce to ponder the next stage of the project that is Area52


You can see more pictures from the days adventure here.
Steve

First time at the races

The first session with the scanner is over and the result is an eye opener for me….my photos were terrible, the combination of a cheap camera, no zoom lens and a lack of imagination has left me with a bundle of tiny race cars all taken from the same corner!

I should probably left them in the album, but it was the first race meet I’d ever been to, British Touring Car Championship hosted at Thruxton in 1995 so they had to go in as the beginning of it all, the place that popped my live motorsport cherry. We won tickets on local radio (thank you 210FM) and got a lift down the A303 and walked in

Getting close to the stars with Derek Warwick

Getting close to the cars with Fords bewinged Mondeo

The racing was amazing, real cars I’d seen on the road hurtling round at over 100mph and a massive crash at the end, I was hooked


Steve.

Sunny classics in Thatcham

T-shirts in October, well the sky was very blue and it was warm! Once again Classic & Sportscar magazine came up trumps with the weather for another of its successful classic car shows on Dunstan Green in Thatcham, almost 200 classics of all marques came out for the day filling the field up nicely, from the latest Corvette to a freshly restored 1957 Alfa Romeo panel van.

After a short drive down and finding a space on the front row I used the campers facilities well

Fed and watered I set off snapping away in the sunshine, nattering to some very friendly owners and admiring the quality metal on display. Heres a few highlights.





Readings only car manufacturer



The rest of the photos are here. Thanks for reading

Steve.

The big scan!

I’ve started something now, and I’ve got no idea when it might get finished! I got my first camera over 20 Christmas’s ago, a little Kodak Star 110, before the days of digital I’d snap happily away 24 pictures, pop to Boots with my mum and get it developed, a week later it’d be back and I’d load them into my albums. The same process carried on for years until I went digital, then I pretty much stopped developing to save money as I was taking hundreds of pictures at the shows I went to instead of the 36 I was allowed by film. So I have lots of old photos that have never seen the light of day, over 6000 of shows we’ve been too at a guess. So I’ve decided to start scanning some in. I’ve started with the first few Volkswagen shows we went to.

Our introduction to the world of Volkswagens at Sandown Park in 2004



A few weeks later we ended up at the first Dubs at the Park, organised by the London & Thames Valley VW Club, from small acorns as they say. Five years later its grown to over 700 Dubs and more than 1500 people.



Next on the list is the race meet archive that begins in 1995, it may take some time!

Steve.

Lazy Sunday in Bracknell

Each month LTV arranges a meet at South Hill Park arts centre, with the October meet coming the day after Brighton Breeze a huge turn out wasn't expected, luckily the local classic Ford and Mini clubs joined us so there was plenty to see. First up a bit of spannering courtesy of Rob, the Golf is alternator belt squeak free

Double camper owner Roy opted for a more open ride

The blue oval end of the carpark

The Mini section


Open engine covers always draw a crowd

Its not that bad Fay


The rest of the photos are here, thanks for looking

Steve.