Croome Park, Worcestershire (with Roger): Thursday, 31st August, 2017.

10:30-ish:

The view across the park towards The Malvern Hills.

Beautiful weather today. Warm and fresh. Perfect.

Berries of some sort.

11:30-ish:

Bit cloudier now but still lovely.

11:45-ish:

Apples.

British MotoGP, Silverstone: Saturday, 26th August, 2017.

We have arrived.

Alarm at 6:30. Out at 9, and here at 10:20.

Not bad, given the Bank Holiday traffic.

Sign of the times.

Everyone's had their bags checked an' all.

Vicky's support team is safely inside and ready for the
first cup of tea of the day.

11:00-ish and and the Moto 2's are now on track.

Tom Luthi at Brooklands.

We know he's good and he's off to MotoGP next year an' all that,
but he's taking the p*ss here, isn't he?

11:30-ish:

They say that marshalls always get the best view.

View of The Wellington Straight as we head for Copse via the infield.

From a distance it seemed as though Silverstone had acquired a new permanent building.

But, upon closer inspection, it transpires it's the KTM Hospitality Unit.
Very utilitarian.

12:35-ish:

We've spent the short dinner break in one of the Copse Grandstands, in order to escape the heat of the midday sun (all Australians should note that this is said without irony), and now the Moto 3's are swarming out of the pit lane for their qualifying like angry bumble bees.

13:15-ish:

John McPhee celebrates the end of the session in the traditional way.

13:45-ish:

MotoGP's are on track now for both practice and then qualifying.

This is Marc Marquez flying down The Wellington Straight on his Honda.

14:15-ish:

We need some shots of MotoGP's going right to left but preferably with the riders on the 'bikes.

Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati) displays how not to take Farm……..

….then slides over acres of tarmac run-off to a graceful halt……

……before being given a lift back to The Pits so he can get on a spare 'bike
and have another go.

Bradley Smith (KTM) and Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) demonstrate how
to successfully negotiate Farm.

Why are you taking a photo of me?

Vicky 'enjoying' a summer's day at Farm.

14:50-ish:

Cal Crutchlow (Honda) does a huge proverbial to celebrate
his 3rd place on tomorrow's grid.

Nicky Hayden.

Gone but never forgotten.

MotoGP continues to get more tribal year-upon-year.

Not sure we approve really. It's not football.

This is the Marquez tribe (altho' the banner is a tribute to the late and great Angel Nieto)
with a Rossi interloper having snuck in amongst 'em.

15:30-ish:

Moto2 Qualifying at Village.

We've sought the welcome relief of a grandstand again.

Good decision.

16:00-ish:

Just a small section of the ladies and their 'bikes who will be doing a record-setting
ride around the circuit at 18:00.

16:40-ish:

We're at the Main Stage now and Karel Abraham and
Alvaro Bautista are meeting and greeting.

16:50-ish:

Jack Miller.

Tito Rabat involved in yet another selfie moment.

17:00-ish:

Suzuki riders Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone.

More riders are due but we are too tired and worn out to stay any longer.

We're not as young as we were!

We got to walk back to the car park yet.

Fit Bit stats today:

David: 12, 669 steps; 5.5 miles; and 14 stairs.

Vicky: 14k steps; 5.7 miles; and 99 active minutes.

Attacking The Malverns with Roger (again): Wednesday, 16th August, 2017.

Let's sit down and admire the view to the west Rog.

No Dave, you've gotta keep going to get fitter.

You can go off folk y'know.

Roger and the view across Malvern.

Roger and I are appalled.

There are far too many people swarming all over The Worcestershire Beacon.

How dare they come out at the same time as us.

The view to the north east over Malvern to Worcester.

The view to the south.

Going back down to the car park is great.

You can walk and talk at the same time and everything.

MSA British Hill Climb Championship, Shelsley Walsh: Saturday, 12th August, 2017.

11:45-ish:

There's much to celebrate today.

The British Hill Climb Championship is 70 years old, David is 64 years old, 

and Shelsley Walsh is the oldest of all.

David Hepworth won the 1971 British Hill Climb Championship in this 

5.0 Hepworth Oldsmobile GM 4WD.

It's being demonstrated today by his son.

There's a good crowd at Shelsley today and the Overflow Cow Park is filling up nicely.

About to blow his trumpets:

Oliver Tomlin in a conflab before attacking the hill in his 4700cc Chapman Mercury 3.

Reigning British Champion (he's won it 6 times) Scott Moran 

pushes his 3500cc Gould GR61X out of the garage.

1:00pm-ish:

Somebody cowin' quick in a cowin' quick car about to go cowin' quick up the hill.

Our favourite class - the 500 Owners Association Championship.

This is Charles Reynolds in his Cooper Mk VII leaving the start line.

2:15pm-ish:

The first 3rd of the climb up the hill has been successfully negotiated.

Time for a well-earned rest.

Ed Hollier, in his 1585cc Empire EVO, has clouted the inside bank at Crossing, shot across the 'track' and clobbered the outside bank, taken off and landed and is now about to………..

….slide past our vantage point…….

……before grinding to a halt to be greeted by a Marshall who instructs him to remain in the car.

Mr Hollier is then checked over by a Doctor and given the all-clear.

Unlikely that his car has come out of things that well.

Alex Summers is driving a 2500cc DJ Firestorm this year.

Scott Moran is fast, as always.

He hasn't done all the rounds this year so his title is up for grabs.

The trouble (puff) with walking up a hill such as this (pant) is that it is all uphill (puff).

3:15pm-ish:

We've trekked to The Bottom Ess where Howard takes a moment to 

relax in some welcome cool shade.

It's the Top 12 Run Off now and folk are trying really-really-really hard.

The rear of Kelvin Broad's 1340cc Pilbeam MP 101 is starting to lose traction through The Top Ess.

He exits the corner, wallops the outside bank……

……..and finishes up on the inside bank parked at a jaunty angle.

Note prescient message on the rear wing.

Thankfully, Mr Broad gets the all-clear from the medics.

This vehicle is reversing, beep!

Alex Summers is sent back down the hill by marshalls who have to clear up a front wing that fell off the previous car which had lost it having brushed the outside wall at The Top Ess.

Alex Summers out of his car and awaiting the thumbs-up to 

free-wheel back down to the start for a re-run.

On the way back down the hill now and Charles Wardle's 4941cc Pilbeam M43 BMW

 throws up one or two sparks as it heads for The Esses.

5:30pm-ish:

Back at the car and a chance to take one more view over the paddock before heading for home.

It's been a great day and we're not sure how the drivers feel after all that drama but we are knackered.