Boot 'N Bonnet - Kingston

What a nice day for a car show! The air was warm, but not too much. The cars were there, but not too many. The people were friendly way too friendly!

The Boot "n Bonnet's annual Kingston car show is a nice break. Close enough to go to and from in a day but far enough to make it a fun trip. This show is a chance to go walkabout and see what there is to be seen. A real gem of a "car" was in attendance. A beautifully restored 1934 Raleigh 3-wheeler. Having never before seen this car in the "flesh", a lot of time was spent walking around it and taking a few snaps. Amazing to see what ingenious innovations were brought about in those days!

The man of the hour was our own Len Pearcey. Len is busy working on a Riley Brooklands Replica. Len also has a Singer 4AD in his possession and we hope that he gets the Riley out of his system so that the 4AD will get some attention. Barry Stephens also arrived in his beautiful E Type Jag. Barry's convoy partner Lorne Plunkett brought a very nice Alvis.


What is a British car show without some Minis! Here is a nice comparison between the original and the "new" Mini in name only, the car on the right is substantially wider than its namesake.


Several Minors were in attendance, a Magnette and a nice Lotus too!

While the Raleigh was nice, it was not the only 3-wheeler there!


A Sinclair C5. This little plastic trike was meant to revolutionalize the streets of London. It didn't.

A really nice day and there to share in the event were Phillip Avis, Len Pearcey, Barry Stephens and Paul Bouchard.

Well break's over, Stowe preparation is next on the agenda. See you there!

Gymkana!

With the forecast expected to be clear and sunny, how could one pass up on an opportunity to get out for some car fun? This weekend’s fun was in the form of a picnic and Gymkana which, for the local car club, is a series of events with a similar theme in mind: cars.

We started off with a version of the egg-in-the-spoon race where a ball in a hat is placed on your bonnet and you drive around a course. Time is the measure here, and while the newer cars with their flat bonnets had an advantage, we all had a laugh since the real goal here was to have some fun.

Then there was the “Chinese Laundry” where coat hangars were suspended on stales around the field. A passenger in your car would use a stick to collect all the hangars. While a lot of fun, it is good to keep the number of a good marriage counselor handy when couples team up together!

The next competition was the “Backwards Bikini” which is essentially a reverse figure race against the clock. The advantage went to the open cars. Cars with a less than favourable gear ratio were at a disadvantage and a certain pre-war blue car’s time was better kept with a calendar for this reason.

With our time running short, there was a chance for a demonstration of the “Backseat Driver” event. Only one volunteer for this event, a brave soul trusting in their navigator to guide them. Unfortunately there is not much to report on this one since it is hard to see with a hood over one’s head! My co-pilot & navigator was none other than my son who successfully guided his wary father around the course.

Times and rankings were not even kept. No matter since we all had a great time. Until next year!

Video of the Chinese Laundry

Video of the Backwards Bikini