Browsing Tag Bar Italia SC

As usual, the August bank holiday is upon us all too quickly after the short spell of sunshine and clear skies that constitutes a British summer. It has to be said that, despite the topsy turvy weather (always a struggle for the sartorially inclined) 2012 has been a largely successful one in terms of scooter events and rides for the Bar Italia Scooter Club.

From Greenwich in March to the Palace in May and even the Le Mans in June to display our scooters, we’ve been pretty busy. But the icing on the metaphorical cake, is the Brighton August Bank holiday weekend rideout.

So, with a hotel booked and our friends Catford Chris and Joeli kindly agreeing to take the suit carrier in their car (just enough room with all of Chris’s records), the French one and I planned the journey to the coast from our dwellings in sarf-east London. The scenic route via B-roads is an absolute must for anyone wanting to take in the idyllic Kent/Sussex countryside and a pleasure to deal with on a 50-year-old shopping trolley.

Sunday arrives all too soon after a cracking Saturday night. A worthwhile mention to the chap from Perth (Australia) who I chatted to at the bar. Dare I say it made me reminisce about my mis-spent youth?

A new scooter and some forward planning helped things along. This time everyone was facing in the right direction on Madeira Drive–what a sight! A few hundred scooters and riders greeted us as we turned onto the promenade. Every style, with numbers growing by the second (I think I said multiplying like single-celled amoebas).

A check in with Rob at the Volks meant pushing through heaving crowds. It was then time to start the judging for the scooter competition. For this, the keen eyes of Gary Milan and Paul Boddy were employed. Judging was tough this year. A lot of people had put effort into restoring or accessorising, but we were forced get a move on as we ran out of time and the rideout was due to start.

At 3pm exactly, 400 scooters were idling waiting for instructions. A kick of the starter and I made my way through the pack to lead the charge. Thanks to everyone who understood instructions. Then we were off!

Up the ramp on Madeira Drive, right onto the coastal road and sit tight against the fresh August wind buffeting me all over the road…or was that the DT’s? Through Saltdean and after five miles along it’s time to pull into the end point of the Smugglers Rest pub. Various groups of scooter riders didn’t hear about the end point and made it clear they were off to Beachy Head. Fair play–the rest of us plotted up on a bench and had a well earned hair-of-the-dog and rest. Then it was back on the bikes, rounding up the troops and back to the Volks to announce the competition winners:

Best Lambretta–green series 2 LI–reg X75 XUB belonging to Shaun

Best Vespa–blue and silver GS150 reg–HFO 815 belonging to Richard

Best Mod Scooter–orange and cream series 1–regXJJ 813 belonging to Andrew

Honorable mentions should also be given to Marco from Rimini Lambretta Centre and his blue/chrome series 1, as well as Daniele from Italy and his gold/green Series 3. If there were awards for furthest travelled…

Thanks as always to the NUTs team for a great weekend and everyone who took part. Keep ‘em peeled for more Bar Italia S.C. adventures in the usual places.

Photography by: © Ramees Farooqi 2012

This year, the New Untouchables team had decided to move the date of the Timebox weekender to the first bank holiday in May. This meant that the Buckingham Palace Rideout was now on the 5th as opposed to later in the month. This, in hindsight, was nothing but a good thing as any other date over the two bank holidays would have meant massive road closures throughout the route. Can you imagine 200 scooters attempting to cross Central London during the Jubilee weekend? Or during a London wide marathon? In a torrential downpour???

After 6 years of running the Bar Italia Scooter Club, it’s fair to say i’ve cut my teeth on organising these sort of things. Armed with a spring in my step after the amazingly successful Kickstart Ride in March and my little black book of contacts, it was easy peasy to notify ‘Babylon’ of our intentions this time around.

I was also fully prepared with my cagoule and waterproof shoes on the day. This was pretty handy as, en route from our cheeky coffee at the ‘clubhouse’ (Bar Italia to the un-initiated) to Carnaby Street, the Big Man upstairs decided he would let us have a sprinkling just to remind us of who’s boss.

So, after a rather soggy arrival it was time for the meet and greet with the usual faces (and some new ones) and the polite reminder enforced that it’s a 2pm SHARP departure. Of course 2pm arrives…and as usual, im gassbagging about the latest accessories/clobber/tunes. Oops! After a prompt from the missus, it’s on the other faithful to lead the charge of 200 odd scooters and we’re off on another jolly boys (and girls) outing through Central London. Along to Piccadilly for some tourist snaps, then down to Trafalgar square where we successfully navigated some rather large lorries unloading Olympic regalia, and on through to the Mall. Here it’s the pause and regroup for the obligatory photo opportunity (I am still waiting to see the one of me saluting the Palace), then off to Westminster Square and over to Embankment to cruise along the Thames river with stunning vistas of South London. A quick zig into Clerkenwell, and zag over Old Street into Curtain Road for the finish line at the Strongroom Bar to partake in some authentic tunes, BBQ munchies from the kitchen (always impressed with the food) and sample some brews from the ever expanding beer menu. Rather easy all told! I will, however, admit that somewhere near Clerkenwell, the LI decided it was too hot to handle and decided to pack in on me. Running rich was the diagnosis. Thanks to the gang who helped me at the side of the road as I grumbled incessantly at my ‘infernal contraption’.

Scooter competition time quickly arrvived and it seemed that, as some clubs had decided to leave after a short tenure on site, it was a tad difficult to judge in good time and then collar the potential winner to convince them to hang around to claim their prize! A thanks here goes to Andrea from the Smart Drivers Scooter Club for assisting with the chin stroking and decision making. Between us and fellow Bar Italia SC members, we finally narrowed it down to:

Best Vespa- GS160- V00 600

Best Lambretta- LI150 S1- 738 HUA

Best Mod Scooter- Lambretta TV175 s2- Reg number lost! Sorry! Great two tone blue with hints of lilac

Massive thanks to co-organisers Rob Bailey and the New Untouchables, all clubs and individuals who attended and of course the marshals we had who managed to keep the ride together.

For some more great photos click HERE

It falls on my shoulders as ‘El Presidente’ of the Bar Italia Scooter Club to write about the 2012 Kickstart Rideout. To tell the truth it’s that this year I can’t help but feel a little smug about.

This ride marks the ‘start’ of the scootering season and is usually slightly earlier in the year. However, due to the previous two years’ miserable weather, I decided to push it back to the end of March. Also, the decision was made to move it from a Sunday to a Saturday thanks to various charity sporting events taking place in the capital (this means even more roadworks and diversions) as well as the Ace Cafe running their Scooter Day on Sunday. Controversial as a few people pointed out, but nonetheless, it had the desired effect.

As this is the tenth year that the Bar Italia Scooter Club has ‘officially’ been running (although Mods and like-minded types have used it as a hang out since the 50’s), I thought it might be an opportunity to celebrate this and up the ante a little. After the last couple of years riding to Epping Forest, perhaps a change of venue might help?  The issue with organising a rideout, in case you hadn’t guessed already, is logistics. Where can you have hundreds of scooters and riders park and catch up with mates comfortably after a safe run and acceptable length of time on the road? Particularly when you start from a Central London location?  Thanks to a fantastic stroke of luck, I happen to know someone at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. As they showed an interest, after some gentle ‘persuasion’ final terms were agreed to use this iconic London heritage site as the final destination. The first time classic scooters have ever used the space. You’re very welcome.

So, with a route and final destination in place, various councils and Police notified, trophies sorted and permission granted from the London Eye security, I thought perhaps a chance to spread the word further afield than the usual social networking sites and Scooter based publications might help. Queue articles appearing in the London/National press (in the Timeout ‘Top 5 Weekend events’) and a very unexpected radio interview with Robert Elms on BBC Radio London. Apparently it was even mentioned on the radio in Venice, Italy!

The end result? 400+ scooters met at the London Eye on a very warm and sunny 24th of March at 11am. Police kindly closed the roads for us to leave at high noon and off we went. Marshals at the front in their yellow vests (thanks to all of those in Bar Italia SC and Mark from the Wasps SC), me of course refusing such a fashion faux pas and opting instead for a canary yellow sailing smock.  Off we went in a haze of two stroke, and in no time, despite some heavy traffic, were entering the larger than life gates of the Old Royal Naval College to be greeted with an eager and excited crowd all taking photos and cheering as we parked in the designated area.  Thanks here to staff at the venue who were somewhat in awe of double the anticipated turnout, but still managed to find parking for everyone. After parking the trusty ol’ Lambretta, it was time to start judging the scooter competition. Needless to say, with a seemingly endless stream of scooters arriving, this was a long and drawn out task for myself and fellow judges. In the end, however, we found our bikes and announced the winners. A thanks here to Tim at the Raihna Santa Roast Hog company who not only provided some of the nicest pig in a bun I’ve ever had, but also sponsored the trophies. Winners this year were twice as lucky as we had photographer and all round top fella Darren Russell on hand as the official snapper for the day, who was providing each winner with a print of their winning pose.

So, a major coup for a location, great weather and quite an easy ride. I have to chalk that up as a success in my book.  No time to rest on my laurels though! The next rideout to organise- Buckingham Palace Ride on the 5th of May. See you at Carnaby Street (Marlborough Street end) for 1.30pm. We’re leaving at 2pm sharp! You have been warned!

Trophy Winners

Best Vespa - Vespa GS160- Graham- V00 600

Best Lambretta – Lambretta S1 LI- Clive-

Best Mod Scooter – Lambretta S3 TV175- Ray -

 

Nicky Bubbles - El Presidente – Bar Italia SC