deck chairs at dawn
By Dickie Bird
deck chairs at dawn
By Dickie Bird
05:15 Sun 12th Sep 2004 an apt time
to get up for a Mod gathering at Brighton. Off I sat all bleary eyed from
Saturday nights session on the Crème de Menthe to meet up with a couple of the
Oxford Roadrunners SC (my local crowd). The weather forecast was horrendous, but
sod it you don't go to Brighton often theses days, however much to our surprise
the sun started to burst through the moment we set of for the meeting place of
Epsom in Surrey. We picked up a couple of stay Lammies at High Wycombe and after
a quick fag we got back onto the M40 London bound. After a brief stop in west
London for some fuel it was time to hit Europe's biggest car park the M25, was
gob smacked to see even Londoners have a lie in as no traffic and a clear run.
As we went through Epsom town I caught sight of 2 familiar looking Vespa's and
low and behold it was the Aussie couple that I was pitched next to at the IOW,
still on their UK tour after leaving my place in Oxford 4 days earlier, now we
were seven.
All the scooters started arriving all types and models and loads of Mods and we
slowly started to out number the greasy rockers who were also Brighton bound. An
old Mod from the "odd mod squad" gave out some written directions for those
unlucky enough to break down that will be the Lambretta's then) and it was start
your engines. The ride down was in glorious sunshine and all the junctions and
round abouts were controlled by an outrider on some monster bike but it made for
a speedy journey well done the Ace Cafe crew). A few miles out of Brighton we
were escorted into a layby by the Police for an escort into the town, a gesture
not shown to our rocker buddies. We waited till all that had set off from Epsom
to arrive which was around 3-400 scooters and off we set blocking both lanes of
the A23(wat a buzz).
On arrival in Brighton and just short of the sea front the "odd mod squad" guys held all the scooters at the traffic lights for us to ride in mob handed. Once all together the revs began and horns were blown and in we went. Never in my life have I felt the goose bumps as I did then, and all 3-400 scooters hits the promenade as a mass convoy. This alone was worth the ride down there and will stay with me till then end. It was then time to park up and go and have a look round.
Mod sounds were blaring from the Volks bar and off down the prom I set to feast
my eyes in wonder. Only now was it clear Scooters were very much the minority
and the bikes vastly out numbered us, if it kicked off this year; 20 years on,
we were in for a hell of a kicking. At around 2pm a lot of people started to
thin out, and with me off to Winchester I set off solo for a nightmare ride in
what must have been hurricane matilda along the coast road. I arrived safe I can
hear the groans) if not wetter than I was waiting for the bus to Ryde and went
straight to the boozer for a warming pint of Crème de Menthe and cherryade.
Looking forward to the Woolacombe rally with Dave " Day release " Plenty.
Keep the faith
Dickie "2 Coats" Bird