It was February and it was freezing, so it must've been the Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show at Shepton Mallet. We found ourselves condemned to the outer darkness in a distant shed which was quite challenging to find. So apologies to all those who didn't manage to locate the RC Roadshow… although, of course, if you were coming to renew your sub then you probably won't be reading this. Eek.
Anyway, the show itself was a bit like old times but - in keeping with so many things post-pandemic - actually felt like something quite different. We met up with many old friends and enjoyed perusing the bikes on familiar club stands, but were a tiny bit befuddled by the new layout with an extra club hall located on the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy. I’m guessing that a few of you didn’t find that, either.
Also – hark! What’s that racket? Conversations were abruptly truncated twice a day by the ear-splitting sound of a rotary motor being revved to atmospheric altitudes, as Brian Crighton fired up his latest creation, the CR700W. He and racing hero Trevor Nation were interviewed on stage twice each day in another crowd-pleasing innovation for this event.
But just like in the beforetimes, the volume and variety of old
