Hubble Bubble toil and trouble.

It was in the summer of ‘69. A Messerschmitt KR 175 swapped for £3 and a BSA B31 single, in bits, from a chap called ‘Stocker’ in Measham, who had it abandoned in his garden. This is what started it all. I cleaned it up, painted it yellow and hit the road, with my Mum in the back giving me ‘lessons’. She must have been terrified! It was a 1953 Cabin Scooter and I still have the number plate here in the garage, LDR 509. The photo was taken by Dad on one of those new Polaroid cameras. It was, of course, only 16 years old then and parts were easy enough to get from an outfit called Pride and Clark, in that London. Big ad in the back page of Exchange & Mart. Cue Diplo & A F-A. I didn’t have the Messy shit long and was thrilled to get £15 when I sold it a few months later to replace it with an Isetta Bubble car. Now it would be worth several thousand. There are some very funny vids on Youtube of others.

But I only borrowed it Ratty....

A lively night out last night, trying out the new goggles. (Ex. French Airforce, unissued WW2, bought on ebay) I phoned my pal Duncan who needed reminding of what motoring is all about, having just bought a new Audi A6. We went out to the pub at Ashby Folville, which every second Tuesday of the summer months sort of hosts a Classic Car/Bike event. It is delightfully unorganised. Not a high viz jacket or Copper to be seen and a £1 coin allows you to park on the village green. A good turnout last night as it was a mild evening. It is so quintessentially English and allows those of us in the autumn of our lives to dress up in a way we only can in the company of others of the same persuasion. There were Mods on Scooters, Hells Angels on Harley's and old Buffers in Vintage Cars, mixing with some pretty cool Dudes in 40’s and 50’s Buick’s and Chevrolets. Everybody stayed for a couple of hours, lamented on how they used to have one of those, but scrapped it in 1975, then went home. Reality was in another World.