December 2024

 

December 2024

 

From the last posting it has been an up and month wet and stormy weather that has made life unpredictable. In the middle of November I had an episode of joint pain that made doing anything difficult. I could not get an appointment with my GP so went to A&E spending over 5 hours there to get told it was just a strain and to go home. It gives you no faith in the medical profession when they disregard the information you give them. Just because you look alright doesn’t mean you are. This level of discomfort prevented me from driving or riding and I had to postpone my visit to see Coops in Whitchurch to make a new cover for the El Cid.

I replaced the alternator on the El Cid because the old one was becoming noisey. The old one seemed to be OK but I stripped it down to check because I had felt some play in the front bearing which I replaced. Reassembled it was placed with my store of alternators in the loft of the garage .The next weekend was December Observed Sunday. A wet day with a predictable low turnout.  It was a day to hand out vehicle passes and get more recruits for the show next Saturday. I had been around to see Zero in Addlstone to choose the bikes for display and hand out entry passes on the day before. It was an enjoyable trip on the Kawasaki and mostly dry.

We have a trip planned to see relatives in India and needed to use all the suitcases we had one of which had a damaged wheel. The whole wheel mount had been knocked off. A regular occurrence on modern spinner wheel suitcases. The case structure around the wheel mount had fractured and needed reinforcing which I did with an aluminium plate and epoxy resin. Where it needed to be flexible I used double sided tape. Giving it time to cure it was reassembled the next day. With the bike show a few days away the trailer was got out of storage and assembled, tyre pressures checked, including the spare.

Weather warnings abounded Storm Darragh would reach us over Friday night. I got an Email from Morton’s about the Show has been cancelled. It was about four on the Thursday and it was getting dark. I phoned a few people to advise them the pending doom. My efforts

had come to nought. I was disappointed but relieved. I think it would not have been a good show for the club. Bad weather and having a stand on the first floor prevented two of our stalwarts with three wheelers from attending so the club turnout would not have been good.

Friday I put the trailer back into storage. It was lovely weather. Saturday started damp and did not improve. Gusts of wind increased in velocity so did the amount of rain by dark it was blowing and El Cids’ cover was being torn apart. I wondered what damage I would see on Sunday morning hearing noises of things breaking over night. Fortunately not much. The cover on the van had some damage. The El Cid cover fared worse with large tears in the roof and sides. It had seen its last storm. Luckily Coops had made time for me on the Wednesday afternoon. I arrived at two in the El Cid with material and fittings. At eleven pm binding was being sewn into the hem. The straps and elastics could not be fitted. That would have to be another day. After a torch light fitting the almost completed cover was bundled into the car and I prepared for the trip home. 

The business of the day had been concluded by 12:30. A tired but uneventful journey was ahead of me. I was home by 2AM. A long day! Needless to say I didn’t do much on Thursday but on Friday Snobs phoned to say the Buell was ready to collect. I did that in the afternoon. All was still not right but that will have to wait for another time.

 

November 2024

 

November 2024

 

I feel November is really the start of winter with endless grey days and chill winds that sear to the bone. Bonfire night has now been surpassed by Dewali where in Hayes it is an un-ending display of noise and light and upsetting the cat. I always thought fireworks were only allowed on November 5^th. It being illegal to set them off at any other time but now it seems you can do it when you like. Keeps the firework manufacturers going though. Observed Sunday on the 3^rd was dry and the absence of Louise left me in a bit of a dilemma. This was the Sunday to get things underway for the London Off Road Bike Show on Saturday 7^th December. I feel I missed an opportunity to get things moving. I would have to do more on line to chivvy things along as I thought Louise would be away for the event but fortunately has returned from a sad, needed, family visit home to South Africa.

I had a busy week. Washed the C3, cleaned a window box and wall pots of dead plants, Snobbs collected the Buell for repairs, moved the bikes around the garage and did some tidying up.  Went to see what I thought was going to be a Queen instrumental by candlelight but turned out to be a quintet that performed the best of Zimmer ( lots of film music). Enjoyable but a little disappointing. Sunday was a film of Mary Motorcycle billed as the first lady to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle. It was Mary Sievier on a BSA Bantam in the sixties. 

An intrepid lady with an invincible “can do” attitude. I had met her before at a presentation for the club but sadly she has now passed away. The Sunday afternoon was co-hosted by  Tiff Jeavons another round the world lady who put her personal insight into understanding what Mary had achieved. The film was an audience with Mary talking about her exploits. What a remarkable memory describing events of more than fifty years ago in vivid detail. I hope my brain lasts that long and is as sharp.  Enjoyed this much more than the music.

Tiffs around the world BMW

I drove Gita to Watford for her cataract op but sadly it did not happen as she was still on antibiotics. Tuesday I had my hospital appointment with the Speech and Language therapy. That day I had a painful ride on the Kawasaki. My left hip had cramp and I could not operate the front brake aggressively so I was riding like a granny. This was peak pain day. It had been building from Friday the previous week. I was not able to ride or drive for a week. I had been trying to get a GP appointment but could only get one with an Emergency doctor and because he could not examine me set me to the Emergency unit at Hillingdon. Gita drove me and picked me up five hours later only to be told there was nothing wrong; it was just a strain and needed rest. How can something that prevents me moving or Griping the steering wheel be just a strain? I have broken bones that have been less painful. So I have had to sit at home doing very little doing a few exercises to keep atrophy at bay and wait for recovery. I am taking the opportunity to catch up on relentless motorcycle races that  have taken place since my holiday in August. MotoGP, WSB, BSB, British Speedway and World Speedway. When I run out of these there is Motocross, USA Super Bikes and Australian Super Bikes and all the Rookies Cup races. I might just finish before the Dakar in the new year.

October on the Broads

 

October on the Broads

 

This is the article I promised from the October 2024 posting. This month has been busy doing bits and pieces and it was a welcome break to get away to somewhere quiet. Adrian, one of my brothers, organised it. I call it a hunting, shooting, fishing holiday a back to the wilds and engage with nature sort of thing. There is no hunting and no shooting but there is fishing and sailing and cruising with the outboard. Barry, my eldest brother at 82 declined getting aboard the dinghy. Recent problems with hip and knee joints was cited as the reason. Daily walks by the river and trips to the pub featured heavily in this holiday. The weather was kind for October with sunshine and light winds made sailing a challenge.

I had my annual visit to the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum at North Walsham. It is easy to find as it is right next to the Railway Station. I did a pit stop at Stalham Tesco on the way for fuel and a tin of chocolates for a present. At the Museum I talked for some time with one of the sons, the father, who I met some years ago, had started the Museum passed away in 2022 and the sons were continuing his legacy changing displays regularly. I did not have my phone or camera with me to take any pictures so this is from last year. He did ask me which car I was in this year I replied with ‘the El Cid with a new soft top’. Last year I visited in the Burton which he liked enormously.

We managed to do something in the boat each day taking it to Martham with the outboard or raising the sail and going across Hickling Broad. Favourite pub was the Nelson Head near Horsey with good food and a very good choice of real ales. It keeps drawing us back. Towards the end of the week there was the ‘Super Moon’ at its peak there was too much cloud  at night but it shone through eerily at day break through morning mist and was easier to see the next night. There were some memorable sunsets. Ducks and swans paddled by and there was even a kingfisher fishing. While sailing we chased a flock of coots along the river and even saw a big pike being caught. It was an idyllic week of enjoying the peace of the Broads staying in the aptly named “Quiet Hours” chalet on the river bank.

October 2024

 

October 2024

 

I am writing this at the end of the month thinking I should have written something sooner. Wey Valley Observed Sunday was the first on the calendar. It was quieter than usual with less bikes in the car park more because junction 11 on the M25 was closed than the prospect of rain during the day. It was just me and Louise on the shop. Louise had the card reader for sales and the appropriate software on her phone. I just moved the gear as required. Sales were reasonable and I was still able to take some photos of the day on my phone.

A bit of necessary DIY making a new bracket to hang the stick vacuum cleaner in the understairs cupboard. A little aluminium job to replace the moulded plastic fitting that I knew it was never going to be man enough to last.

I paid a visit to Whitewebbs Museum in the El Cid To give the car a test run in preparation for taking it to Norfolk.  It was also as test for me as I had been having trouble with my right knee and wanted to see how it stood up to being in the car for hours. I was able to test the seating position and found the recliner seat not as upright as I needed for painless driving. It made the journey to Norfolk bearable. The Museum was undergoing refurbishment on the top two floors but the motorcycle display was still open and expanding. I saw some new bikes on display and one I had not seen before  A Motom a purpose built moped  with a nice little four stroke engine reminiscent of the Ducati Cucciola. It was built in Milan and the engine was designed by the Lancia engineer Sola. The collection under the guidance of Chris (LE Club London branch leader) has developed an interesting display with more bikes being on show. I looked forward to my next visit to see the new arrivals.

 

I pack and set off for Norfolk and a rendezvous with my Brothers a few days later. I head for Martham Boat Yard with a three hour drive with most of the time spent navigating the M25 traffic clogged by a stranded lorry. Once beyond that the M11 then the A11 and the A14 for Norwich the driving improved, but not the weather. I did finish in the dry. I’ll write this as a separate posting along with my visit to the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum.

The return journey was drier but with just as much traffic making just as slow a journey. I was pleased to get home early afternoon in the sunshine. Over the next few days I did some work on El Cid. Checking oil levels, lubricating clutch and throttle cables and fettling the heater controls. They have wire cables and needed a bit of de-kinking. The drive shafts got some grease too.

Back from Norfolk it was time to get the Buell sorted. I arranged to drop it at Snobbs on the Friday. Friday came and the Buell failed to start. I jump started it and had to fill it with fuel. I would not risk taking it to the Petrol station and it not starting again. It did not run very well and would be a pig to ride in traffic as  it is so bad on the A40 to hangar lane in the road works. Repair day aborted. Snobbs is now having to collect it next week.

In the build up to Halloween we have the grandkids. Their mum, Ivy, tackled the first two pumpkins and I was in charge of the last one to entertain the kids while they were with us for a few days. The kids soon got bored with the tedium of scraping out the middle of the pumpkin a soup spoon at a time. Neither of them were strong enough to scrape out the core. After I had done the relief carving, which seemed to take all day, there was a demonstration after it got dark. Can you guess which one I did?

 September 2024.

 

I missed the September Observed Sunday this month because I was still on holiday in Corfu. I am sure I was not missed but my turn to run the shop will be the next Observed Sunday. I was still having fun winding up the grandkids and splashing about in the sea. On one expedition to the beach which was down a steep narrow road only wide enough for one car, two if they are Panda sized there was an unfortunate impasse with another car that meant Gita hit a protruding rock doing damage to part of the right sill. Sounded horrible but we had been insured against such events when taking charge of the car it was covered.

 

There are some really nice sandy beaches in the north of the island. We vacated the holiday home at 10:00 AM for the drive to Corfu Town with a few hours to get to the airport for a 4 PM check-in. The last chance for the shop-a-hollicks to use up the remaining Euros and get some lunch before our flight home. Gita took the car back to the hire place on her own as it was a bit of a distance away for my injured knee to cope with. Isaac, Ivy’s partner took the other Panda back at the same time. The damage was a problem. We were not covered???? 200 Euros in cash was demanded. There was nothing in the paperwork that showed we had any insurance. Just an agreement we were hiring the car. Gita phoned me in desperation. I said pay it. The damage was more than 200 Euros worth. Put it down as part of the holiday. Between Gita and Isaac they found the cash and holiday calm was restored. Buying more stuff in Duty Free was a good salve before getting on the plane. Budget flights don’t serve food anymore even for three hour flights. We munched what we had brought with us from the house to keep us going. Got two taxi’s from Heathrow to get us home. The journey was painless with no major delays to complete a memorable holiday with the grandkids.

There was just enough time to repack and head for Bristol to assist my brother Adrian in getting his 2CV to the workshop for its MOT. This was a trip out to a village near Michinhampton in Gloucestershire. I drove his 2CV and Gita with Adrian lead in the C3 as I could not remember the route. Post Covid memory loss. I had been to the workshop many times in 2019 for work on the van at Country Classics. On the return journey Gita hit a curb going through roadworks. We were going to park up in Nailsworth for a coffee but when we stopped I noticed the front left was deflating. I had seen a tyre place at the beginning of the town and went directly there. I left the car there and then we all went for a coffee at a restaurant with a Fiat 500 on the roof. Returning to the tyre place there was no repair to be had. A split in the side wall made it a new tyre job. All well and good we carried on to Adrian’s’ home in Chipping Sodbury. We were staying a few days partly for the MOT but also supporting Adrian post op while he could not drive. During that time we walked into Sodbury and the local Jazz Club meeting in the Beaufort Arms pub. It was a very enjoyable evening with a particular song about retail therapy in Aldi and Lidl. I also keep buying tools and other sorts of stuff.

Amalfi Restaurtent, Nailsworth

Back home on the Friday to get the Kawasaki ready for its MOT on the Monday. Another visit to Jack Lilleys now West London Triumph. I had an enjoyable MOT wait talking to Peter about motorcycles, life and joining Wey Valley. Another successful MOT. Much of that week was spent cleaning up the garden, A hospital appointment and on the Friday I picked up the much improved Buell from Snobbs. I was pleased to have it back. I used it the next week to go to the new scheduled LE club meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. It was not running right. I thought it was water in the fuel. It got me there and back but I would have to investigate. I did a test ride a few days later and ran out of fuel about a mile from home. It only did 16 miles on reserve and normally it is good for at least 30. My mobile was dying. I could receive calls but not make any. I accosted a passing person and begged to use his phone. Fortunately for me he agreed. Gita came to the rescue. It will be another visit to Snobbs to sort this problem.

I went to Mount Vernon hospital for a swallow test but that had been rescheduled because the machine was being serviced so I have to go again. There is roadworks on the way to Greenford and that is a major traffic problem that affects the A312. I have to go across it up or down it to go anywhere. On the appointment day every road going north to the A40 was filled with traffic that was moving in fits and starts. I did allot of filtering.

We had not seen our son Amit since his trip to India and Gita chose the Thursday of rain and storms to go to Erith near Bexley. A trip around the M25 usually takes about 90 minutes in light traffic. This one took five hours. The weather had caused a number of fatal accidents on the M25 and M26 and a broken down lorry. The motorway closures gave the biggest headache in that the M26/25 was still closed for our return journey that meant an A and B road route to Caterham to get back on the M25 that was open. Things are getting difficult, travel wise, around London. It has not been a good month with cars and bikes for us.

August 2024

                                                           August 2024

 

I write this on holiday in Corfu. The sun is beating down and too hot to be outside at ten thirty in the morning. Corfu is 5 degrees hotter than expected. I am staying with the family in an AirBnB on the north of the island near Astrakeri. A splendid family home with swimming pool included and enough dappled shade from ancient trees creating a very pleasant place to sit and while away the heat of the day. I have been tracking the weather in Hayes quietly smug for the cool days and needed rain that will keep the pots and hanging baskets alive until we return home. We spent a couple days in Corfu town before heading off to Paxos and stayed at the delightful Bathas hotel then headed off to Antipaxos for a day trip by water taxi where I slipped on a concrete causeway between jetty and beach and quite badly hurt my right knee. 

<Paxos                                                                        Antipaxos>                                                   

When   back in Corfu we rented cars to get to Astrakeri. Two little Fiat Pandas just right for these narrow country roads. I dream of whizzing along them on two wheels, a 125 would be adequate, cruising, enjoying the sun, scenery and wind in my hair. I wonder if we could do a club excursion to explore the island? The holiday season starts at the beginning of May and ends in October. May or October would be the better months not being too hot. This brings me round to Observed Sunday at the beginning of the month. There was a reasonable turn out for holiday time. I was on the Kawasaki again as the Buell is still being sorted.

It is nice to have the El Cid back home then drove it to Bristol to see my brother Adrian to show off the all the new hood and fittings and on the car theme news of progress with the van. Developments and manufactured drive shaft from Louis Barbour sent to Ric Pembro who then posted them to me. Ric had to post the parts as timings with holiday and his commitments meant he was unable to deliver them so posting was the only option and I received them in a couple of days. I get so many parcels from that delivery service I am getting to know the delivery lady from Evri quite well.

 I have an 18 kg propane cylinder given to me in an exchange for a 5kg cylinder when the supplier had nothing else. It was so big and heavy it was fine for a static barbeque but too awkward for a mobile gas blow torch. It lasted for years. So long the supplier no longer supplied and FloGas had become computerised and had no record of me. From that experience I have now become a registered customer of FloGas and have an 18kg cylinder on my account. I have now returned an empty cylinder and was provided with some valuable information. The lightweight composite cylinder that I have with a clipfit regulator also contains propane and is available from Home Base has changed my way of thinking about gas cylinders. No longer will I require different fittings for each appliance just change them all to clipfit. This is the modified one for 6mm pipe.

It was the cost of filling the 18kg cylinder about £50 or buying a new 5kg and filling that about £80 or converting everything about £25. It was an easy decision to make.Having fun with the Pandas unfortunately I was unable to drive as I was unable to apply enough pressure to the brake pedal to stop. Gita did all the driving around the north part of the island. I must admit I found  balancing on pebble and shingle beaches challenging but necessary to get in the warm sea which was good therapy for my damaged knee. Such luxury to go to a sandy beach at Agios Stephanos. 

At the Eclipse restaurant overlooking the beach we had an excellent meal but our journey there on our own was exiting.

 Missing a turning at an early stage of phone navigation the resultant route correction turned out to be quite an adventure. A left turn sent us down a deteriorating road where the potholed tarmac disappeared leaving a stoney track. Narrowing to a degree that we were scraping bushes on each side twisting and turning up through olive groves. The track became rutted with rain water gullies. Stones were hitting the underside of the car. Only just enough ground clearance We were climbing still until faced with a wall of lose stones to finally climb off this track onto some tar. Loads of throttle. Front wheels spinning. Stones thrown everywhere as the Panda slowly climbed the wall. This shortcut took about twenty minutes, also sent the pulse racing. We later declined course corrections and preferred to turn back. It was a shame I did not take a video of this, it would have been good. Only a few days left of the holiday but more adventures still to be had but that is for September.

A New Hood for my Chariot

 

A New Hood for my Chariot

 

I remember the film which featured Charlton Heston as El Cid and his untimely death at the end of the movie driving his chariot towards the Moors in an epic scene. Fortunately my El Cid has not died yet and has been given a face lift with a new soft top. It has undergone a transformation with different fittings and means of attachments to make it more usable, quieter and faster than before. It was a job that had to be done. I could no longer see clearly out of any of the vinyl windows making driving difficult at night and when raining. I searched for quotes and visited a number of manufacturers. I needed a personal approach, just replacing like for like was not the solution I was looking for. I wanted things differently. There was a year of searching and at  the 2CV National in 2022 I was introduced to “Coops” who was working on a tonneau cover and would be able to do it after he had finished another job. Success a major step forward and the beginning of a good friendship. About a year passed before it finally got going with delays in having work to be done on the industrial sewing machine, ill heath that plagued us both through 2023, but in 2024 things got moving. I had already ordered the acrylic canvas and clear vinyl plus turn buttons, thread, velcro and press studs and were delivered with the car. Autumn and winter were very wet in 2023 and I was pleased the El Cid was warm and dry in Coops garage.

During 2024 there planned visits to progress the project. Coops had made a start with the cab section with a general shape fitting the luff tape and velcro to attach the rear section. The main central section needed most work and zips and windows had to be somehow sewn in. With the help on “Point North” supplier of nearly all materials I was introduced to Sailrite a You tube site specialising in marine covers and sails showing every technique needed. We poured over videos until finding the most suitable. The most used one Installing a zipper 102  hhtps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVpsV8RlY3Y closely followed by installing a fully dressed curved zipper  https //www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVdMQer1vaUhttps and how to install a window. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF7i-iAgzZc.  Following the instructions of using 6 mm double sided tape proved the most valuable being able to hold the composite parts together for sewing with no pining. In the process we decided upon using binding tape provide the basic support for every installation. Care at every stage with measuring, marking out and checking before cutting. Coops had a nifty tool that would attach “U” shaped staples over the material to make a hem for stitching. Cutting the acrylic canvas was easy to do with scissors or knife and for an outside edge a hot knife was best sealing the cut and stopped fraying.

On the rear part the first stage was locating the fabric by attaching the 50mm wide velcro at the join with the cab section and marking everything out from that point followed by windows and zips. When each side had been done turn buttons were fitted as another location point. Once the sides had all the sewing completed it was time to work on the back. As it turned out it had to be fabricated in sections. To get it right a template was needed to stretch the canvas and clear vinyl to remove all the wrinkles. Coops had a supply of 10mm plywood, ideal for this purpose. To make a taught hood securing tubes were stitched in on the roof and tops of the sides making a very unflappable structure completed with press studs and eyelets for the bungee straps and clear straps to tie up the windows along the sides and at the rear.

The cab section needed securing tubes and weather flaps and press studs to complete the hood in time for Registers Day in May but not the sidescreens for the door. The weather over that weekend tested the weatherproof capabilities and there were no leaks. A bonus for the construction method. I was well pleased with that. Coops had done a meticulous job in ensuring all threads were tied off and flame sealed but the next stage would be just as challenging.

 I had made the sidescreen frames copying the original construction, fitting them closely as I could to the opening. It is a three dimensional frame a shape that conflicts with sewing on a machine. Construction on the inside was again sectional sewing in panels to hold a portion of the frame before moving on to the next one until the whole frame was covered both sides with a window and zip. New hinges were fitted and securing straps on the back edge to hold the screen in place. All of which held together very well with no flapping even at speed, testament to the workmanship of Coops to achieve exactly what I wanted.