Pershore Plum Festival (motoring nostalgia bit, Pt II), Monday 29th August, 2011.

Vic's Uncle Stan had a Jag like this. It's most memorable feature was the little tables that folded down - a la aircraft seats - in the back. Something that obviously impressed a very young Vicky back then. We would have taken a photo of them to prove it but a small child was wrapped up warm and fast asleep on the back seat.

Everyone has fond memories of the Mini, don't they? I know I do. Richard had one. Like his, these ones come complete with a plastic cord-thingy on the inside of the doors to open them with. But this car's are a bit posher in that the cord has a thicker 'handle' section in the middle. Not sure I remember that. We think the owner must have customised the cord on account of their poncy hands.

Pershore Plum Festival (motoring nostalgia bit), Monday 29th August, 2011.

Ford Consul just like the one Vicky's dad drove the whole family in the length and breadth of the UK and quite a bit of Western Europe when she was a mere babe in arms.

The ubiquitous Austin 7. David's Uncle Jack was the proud owner of one of these back in the 1950's when it was already very very olde indeed. He used to drive over from Potton End and collect Mum, Dad, three elder sisters, and David, cram everyone in, and then take us back to his home for the day. He cheerily held all the traffic up on every single incline of which there were many in the Chiltern foothills. Happy days.

Howard makes some new friends.

Another Ford of the sort owned by the Wallins back in the day. Did they have shares in the company?

Saving the best 'til last. Vicky is transported (if not quite literally) back to the days when she was a Junior Schoolgirl and her brother would pick her up in his first car. Vic would stand on the passenger seat with her head out of the open sunroof all the way home. If that doesn't tell us that the world before health and safety was a much better place, we don't know what does.

Pershore Plum Festival (foodie bit), Monday 29th August, 2011.

Top: some plums (yesterday).

Above: some more plums reconstituted as something else.

This nice lady sold us some damson jam for a whole two English pounds. We told her it had better be good or we'd be back! I think she knew we were joking.

What no plum chutney to go with our chicken burgers? It's an outrage! At least there's some salad to keep the Food Police quiet.

WSR, Silverstone, Saturday 20th August, 2011 (Pt II).

2010 F1 Renault (in 2011 colours) driven by Jan Charouz kept 120,000 people entertained. Where else can you see a F1 car driven in anger for free?

Carlos Sainz Jr (sorry I've chopped his nose off - I blame the safety fence posts) competed in the Euro Renault 2.0 series races. Dave immediately announces to Vic: I saw his Dad rallying in the RAC back in the early '90's. Vicky did her best to stay awake but failed.

Josh Hill, son of Damon, and grandson of Graham, raced in the British Renault 2.0 Championship races. Vicky's much more interested in this. Dave saw his grandad race in the F1 Embassy Shadow back in the day. We both saw Damon race but that was on the telly so doesn't really count. Otherwise we could put everyone to sleep by saying we've seen three generations of Hills race.
Ah well.

Very nice 1909 Renault struggles up a gentle incline much to everyone's amusement. Yes, it made it (just). We never doubted it for one second. All in all, the WSR is a great free day out. Roll on next year.

WSR, Silverstone, Saturday 20th August, 2011.

Vicky makes a bee-line for the truck display to check out the cabs but there are hordes of kids monopolising things. Boo!


The Renault 3.5's leave the dummy grid and a brave marshall warns everyone that reigning F3 British Champion Jean-Eric Vergne's race is already over. God only knows what the technician-bloke thinks he can do with his arse in the line of approaching traffic. Pillock!

Canadian Robert Wickens won both 3.5 races and now leads the Championship thanks to Vergne's disasters.

Vicky looks smug as she avoids the Food Police spotlight by sticking to a healthy fruity yoghurt. Dave's fish pie, mash and peas, sadly, just out of shot (and already wolfed-down).

Worcester Beer, Cider and Perry Festival, Friday 12th August (PM), 2011.

The Dirty Cheatin' Baggies, in the form of Baggy Ray, are surrounded and outnumbered again. They might as well give up now. From left to right are: Wolfie Laurence, Wolfie Steve, Wolfie John, Baggy Ray (for it is he), Wolfie Bob, Wolfie Dave, and Wolfie Ray.

Morgan Car Factory, Malvern PtII, Friday, August 12th, 2011.

Young Mr Morgan hard at work plotting the downfall of the mass-produced sports car manufacturers. 'Eureka! We'll build a five cyclinder rotary mid-engined lightweight six wheeled eco-friendly-jobbie and Bob's yer Aunt!' Genius.

The very olde wooden forming-thingies dating from before the Ark are still used to form the wooden running-board-cum-mudguard-thingies. Folk look on, rapt.

David's excited, we've arrived at The Final Assembly Shop. But what's this? There's no pit? He was hoping to get a job here, given his vast experience of working in one at Vauxhall Motors back in the day. But here, there's no demand for his one and only unique engineering skill: his height. He's gutted.

Don't want a Morgan with four wheels? You can have a three-wheeler for £40k (if we remember correctly). It's powered by a 2 litre V-twin manufactured in America. But don't worry, it isn't a Harley Davidson. Young Mr Morgan's not that daft.

An Aero 8-thingy in black! With the added bonus of young Mr Morgan strolling past. Er, no idea who the lady with the pushchair is.

Morgan Car Factory, Malvern, Friday, August 12th, 2011.

Hmm, thinks Vicky. £150.000? We'll order two!

David must concentrate at all times. There'll be questions at the end (oh yes).

Howard shows how to make The Morgan Statue Foundation an even more appealing (geddit?) prospect.

OK, so you can't afford the real thing. Nevermind, you can always buy one of these neat peddle cars made from the same materials and by the same craftsmen. But what will you spend your 50p change from £400 on?

Evesham Cats Protection, Sunday 7th August, 2011.

I don't care how nice you say the food is, I'm stopping in here.

Elsie's indifferent to us but she's always pleased to see our coats.

Pandora is doing much better nowadays. She's 20, she'll have you know. That's at least 137 in human years (oh yes).
My name is 'Boots' and I'm very handsome as you can see. The cat in the bed behind me is my sister. She's not so handsome. That's the way it goes, I guess.

WSBK (Action), Silverstone, Saturday 30th July, 2011.

Leon Camier (Aprilia) at Luffield. Joan Lascorz follows on his Kawasaki.
John Hopkins (Suzuki) leads Ayrton Badovani (BMW) at Luffield. Hopkins won Superpole but couldn't make the tyres last in the races. Good stuff tho'.
Max Biaggi at Vale on his spare 'bike after coming off at Abbey. You wouldn't want to catch yer knee on those curbs, would you.

Howard's Pit Lane Walk II, WSBK, Silverstone, Saturday 30th July, 2011.

1) I'm sat at this table next to Leon Haslam in case somebody requires my autograph. It's only a matter of time.

2) Ah, yes. A nice shot of Leon only spoilt by that bloke of a certain age in a certain type of baseball cap taking a shot of the back of Leon's head. I had a chat with the bloke afterwards and he told me he's been taking shots of the back of Leon's head since the 1980's. I'm too young to be interested, obviously.

3) New Pit Lane features actual manicured grass. Nice for a Bright Green Christmas Reindeer to graze on. Thanks Mr Silverstone.

4) Howard's been told by a jobsworth to keep off the grass or else.

Howard's Pit Lane Walk, WSBK, Silverstone, Saturday 30th July, 2011.

1) All this Pit Lane walking can get a chap a tad weary. I'll sit down here for a bit.

2) Here I'm trying to prevent Vicky from spotting those Alfa Romeo official safety cars which come in a rather nice shade of cherry red. But it's too late, she wants one. She'll be looking 'em up on t'internet when she gets home, you'll see.

3) Recession, wot recession? Honda hostility marquee swanky lighting arrangement.