February 2025

 

I am a bit behind with sorting things out post trip to India and the fun I had there riding a Husqvarna. When I got back the first venue was Wey Valley Observed Sunday. The weather forecast was frosty and knowing how treacherous the roads can be I set off in the C3 for warmth and safety.  It took ages to defrost the car and I arrived at Cobham village hall about a quarter to nine. I was told then that Observed Sunday was cancelled due to weather conditions. The committee has a mandate to ensure the safety of riders. Temperatures below five centigrade pose a risk and rides should be cancelled. This didn’t help me, the notification wet out by email at 08:13. I had left long before that and so did quite allot people as well. For a cancelled meeting it was quite busy and so was the shop. I did my usual round of photos to mark the occasion with long shadows and receding frost from the grass.

Although the weather was cold, damp and gray I checked the cars and bikes for battery charge and tyre pressures and put the Burton and El Cid on top up charges. To my surprise both batteries were in good condition and they fired up once the fuel had got to the carbs. Such  is the joy of not having fuel injection. I caught up with hospital appointments that were delayed until after our India visit and the damage caused by the first Covid vaccination in March 2021 causing stroke like symptoms. The damage is in the area of the pons and has caused all my symptoms. There is a long list causing referral to most of the specialists at the hospital. One of my old work colleagues did not fare so well and I went to his wake.

On a happier note Valentine’s day  came along with the London Motorcycle show. I had a mission to check out suitable luggage for the Kawasaki and sit on a few bikes that took my fancy and to see what surprises Sammy Miller had on his stand. At the end of the afternoon Henry Cole was hosting the interview with Sammy Miller along with Skid and Allan Millyard who happened to have brought Nemesis along and fired it up. Now that is a howling V8.

Shopping went quite well with Gita buying a leather waistcoat and a new helmet. The old one was ten years old and was no longer as comfortable as it used to be. I had a success with Shad luggage for the Kawasaki we found something that I could adapt. From an enquiry to buying soft luggage and the carrier on the day and even more of a surprise getting it delivered the next day. I installed the Cardo Spirit  system to Gita’s new helmet and got her phone paired as well.

The luggage arrived and my brain went into overdrive. In the next few days I bought extra long high tensile socket bolts, 20mm spacers and 25mm by 4mm mild steel strip. I needed the long bolts and spacers to move the mounting plates away from the grab rails. I drilled 10mm holes for the 8mm bolts to give me some wiggle room and 8mm stainless button head bolts to attach the plates to the carrier frame. 4mm steel is tough to bend so I used 15mm bar for a curve to make it easier. Two of the brackets had right angles and the other two were at an angle to match the frame. I had to do a couple of adjustments to the positioning of the frame to make the saddle bags clear the pillion feet and footrest. I need to do a test ride to make sure.

I had an email from the Citroen Car Club  to say there was a French Car Meeting at Blackbushe Airport early Saturday morning congregating at the cafe there. It was damp and miserable when I left home in the El Cid. I brightened as the morning went on. It was not good for pristine classic cars but enough people turned out to make it all worthwhile, including a super dark green Citroen cabriolet. There was a collection of Renaults  but it was best supported by local twoCVers even one from Bristol who came for breakfast. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday.

January 2025 Part 3

 

January 2025 Part 3

 

The reason for staying at the Taj was to be close to the venue for the event being put on by Dipjyoti and Depankur. The 6^th Manikanchan Nritya Mahotsav, 2025 Manikanchan Kala Manjari, Guwahati. It was amazing. On the Monday many artists from their academy performed some outstanding work and with the children’s’ dance class, some exceptional performances.

 It was an all inclusive group that included some disabled girls. All tribute to them for being part of the team and performing with credit. It brought tears to my eyes. The final performance of the evening was by Depankur the moves and lighting would have done any pop group proud.  

The next night was a full blown performance by Dipjyoti and Depankur a traditional play from the life of Rama. 

Again the choreography would have done the West End proud. At the end of the show Gita and I were invited on stage to receive honoured guest awards. What a night!

 

Sad to leave the luxury of the Vivanta Taj but it was not so good location for us. We moved to one of Gita’s brothers’ flat for a couple of days to spend some time with them and support their trade faire efforts. We went to a recording studio for Gita to have an interview with Pallabi Hazarika in Assamese which was published on Youtube  by the Kotha Studio about two weeks later and has received tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments. I’m very proud of her, she did a really professional performance.

The next day we left the flat and headed to the India Club as a guest of our old friend Joonjyoti. We were there for the Magh Bihu for the celebration of food and is the reason also for so many Trade Faires.  There were celebrations at the club and we met some old friends from the UK along with some new ones. One was Rajib also a biker who had a number of customised  Royal Enfields. He had been touring the UK on his own on a Triumph. He is a man of adventure and we spent most of the evening sharing our experiences. Eating didn’t come into it somehow the evening disappeared with lots of Kingfisher.

Soon we were on our way back to Delhi for another wedding and more Bihu festivities. Back with Bhonti and a lunch time Bihu celebration at the Oil India complex. Most of the people we had met before. Today it was sunny but there was a chill in the air and we spent the afternoon around a log fire enjoying the singing and dancing. Next day Bhonti and Gita go to the(Hindi) ladies group. Bhonti is the guest of honour as she is translating her “just published” Assamese poetry book. The reason for going to the book faire in Guwahati was to get a copy for her. The publishers had not yet sent her some copies.

More celebrations at Bhonti’s Oil India club across the road from her. Next day the Wedding celebrations take place at the Gymkhana Club miles away. I was quite cold that evening and we managed to get a table next to the gas heaters. Just about kept me warm.

 There I met a lady doctor who was having the same symptoms as me. Lethargy, joint pain,+ no resistance to infection and no drive to do anything. I suggested she write a paper about it. We left about midnight and I was please to get home and warm. The last event for us was another Bihu event with the Assam Association of Delhi of which Bhonti is a member. Another afternoon of enjoying peoples’ company thank fully not being a celebrity and be involved in selfies with people I didn’t know I was sitting next to a guy called Omar who does allot of writing.

 I suggested he might want to write about me for the Association newsletter. I spent the next hour telling him about my motorcycling adventures, the cars I have built and a bit about my career. I was also bemoaning the fact that Assam was swamped with plastic waste with no way of disposing of it and put to him a solution for the problem. We exchanged Whatsapp details and shortly after we were called for food and after I lost contact. Later when we had got home there were a number of Whatsapp messages confirmed I had not lost contact.In a few days we were back in the UK to the cold and damp. Almost six weeks of intellectual discourse and time to reflect on our visit to India for Christmas and New Year. The last two postings and this one are only a snapshot of all the things that have happened and I will be writing it all up to keep my memory straight.