driverchris

One Bullet seven men, what do you do?

2012-01-26T10:49:00.001Z

There's more!

I found out it's from the Republic Day (26th Jan) Parade in New Delhi, a big old show by the look of things... check it out on Google images.

It's an old fashioned expression of military strength; look at the size of our missiles and tanks type thing which isn't usually my kinda gig... but oh how Indian. Ranks of gorgeous bright turbans, insanely dressed men on camels, huge moustaches, flypasts, dignitaries and it seems every national department that gets issued an Enfield showing how many fellas they can get on it at once. Huzzah!

Makes the White Helmets look distinctly unambitious.

I think I like this chap on the front best (click for biggerosity)

Bullet

2012-01-16T11:21:00.002Z

Bobbed Cub... cubber?

2012-01-12T14:06:00.000Z

I've posted about custom cubs before but this is a new one on me, and it's got a great look.

found at bikerMetric

2011-12-29T11:18:00.001Z

Farrrrk!

It's just so... clean...

more here...

Wallpaper 17 -19

2011-12-23T14:30:00.000Z

So here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, Kwazy Kwanzaa, a tip-top Tet, and a solemn and dignified Ramadan. Have some wallpaper.

kickback

2011-12-15T12:24:00.001Z

found over at DSC's blog, so true...

Parigot

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000Z

Stunning. Fullscreen it.

Rollerbones

2011-12-08T09:30:00.001Z

Rollerbones, a photo by driverchris on Flickr.

gift idea

2011-12-08T08:14:00.001Z

Dear Santa...

I quite like these

Brighton

2011-12-03T20:17:00.004Z

Rollerburn

2011-11-20T13:24:00.002Z

And a good time was had by all.

Bubble

2011-11-16T12:16:00.000Z

the motorist

2011-11-08T11:58:00.001Z

found via 8negro

Wallpaper 16

2011-10-31T14:32:00.002Z

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Postcard from Vegas

2011-10-28T07:56:00.002+01:00

Clive James has always been a big fan of F1, even narrating the 1986 season review.

Here he is from his imperial phase as broadcaster, equal parts 'aw shucks' hick from the sticks Australian and sharp-eyed commentator able to skewer a ridiculous situation with acerbic wit. He's reporting from the ill-starred Ceasar's Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas. What a treat for F1 nerds he even manages to capture a disgruntled European F1 pack-member coining (or repeating at the very least) the damming, and it has to be admitted accurate assessment of the whole shamozzle "a go-cart race in a parking lot".

Wallpaper 15

2011-10-25T08:34:00.002+01:00

Kowalski

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Wallpaper 14

2011-10-10T14:17:00.004+01:00

Graziano

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One day like this a year will see me right

2011-10-03T07:30:00.002+01:00

Wallpaper 13

2011-09-28T12:26:00.002+01:00

from The greatest Cape...

...to The Great Escape

Pow!

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meanwhile back at the levy

2011-09-23T08:44:00.005+01:00

Script typefaces. You gotta be sooooo careful to not end up looking like shit - it's a very fine line designwise (no pun intended) but when it works...

Examples from Chevrolets 1956 to 1971

more here

supermarket

2011-09-20T16:49:00.002+01:00

Right up my street on a number of levels is this recreation of a period supermarket at the Goodwood Revival. One of the things I find most surprising is just how familiar it all looks. A lot to do with the very strong brand identities present I suppose, these are products we have grown up with. It also reflects just how ahead of their time these pioneers of consumerism were... contemporary films seem to be in a variety of shades of brown and grey, a landscape curiously bare of billboards, screens and information density. Entering this modest (to our eyes) supermarket shoppers must have felt transported to a vivid fantasy realm of colour and promise.

more pics at tasteologie

Krusty brand

2011-09-20T12:44:00.007+01:00

Usually I try and retain a little perspective... lawd knows life and the internet is full of people getting a little bit too worked up about inconsequential stuff. But there are limits.

I regularly buy motorbike magazines. It's not something I'm proud of but I'm old enough to do it and it's my money so there. I just slip it inside a copy of Shaven Ravers and pay for it as quickly as possible. Then when I've smuggled it home I typically shake it over the bin to allow all the leaflets for Dunlop tyres, Insurance offers and whatnot to descend otherwise they fall like the autumn leaves when I read the mag in the bath and cause all sorts of nonsense.

One of these unsolicited communications is often a catalogue of specially selected itemries aimed at the motorcycle enthusiast. Gloves, boots, jackets, little die-cast models of motorcycles, t-shirts with reproductions of olde tyme motoring logos in a worn distressed style, you know the kind of thing. This company has a particular fascination with Steve McQueen. Nothing odd about that I hear you say, Steve's the 'King of Cool'™ a bona fide dude who loved cars bikes and racing, a style icon. Men want to be him women want to be with him etc. And rather handily for this motorcycle apparel vendor Steve used to wear a lot of desirable brands when riding, Belstaff, Barbour, Bell (it never occurred to me before... was Steve only wearing stuff that started with B?) and being Steve he was regularly photographed in these products looking cool as fuck.Fair play all round I say - you get to buy the same jacket McQueen wore, swallow a modicum of disappointment when you look at yourself in the full length mirror and realise it doesn't look as good on you... *Of course it doesn't he's Steve McFuckingQueen, you're not!* everybody's happy.

A slight note of caution was sounded last time one arrived and I notice they are offering our own faithful copy of the sweatshirt that McQueen wore in nearly all but the very first scenes of The Great Escape. Is it me or is that just a bit too creepy? It's just a cut down sweatshirt... it looked cool 'cos it was Steve McFucki... really do we need to go through this again?

But holy fuck have they jumped right over the shark this time. Somebody somewhere decided this 'Le Mans helmet' was a good idea. Never mind the terrible inconsistencies that mean it bears absolutely no relation to the helmet Steve's character Michael Delaney wears in the film.

McQueen wore several different designs of open face lid when he was racing bikes, tasteful period pieces to a man, and reproductions of these are also offered for sale. But clearly these are too subtle, they don't telegraph quite the correct message about the wearer. If you can say quite what that message might be leave a comment, I'm absolutely at a loss.

Just fucking look at it... you can click on the pics if you want them larger

It's awful in almost every possible way. Yes that's right it DOES have a black & white photo of Mr McQueen on one side, Sir has a discerning eye. Jesus! The mind boggles.

WHO is going to buy or wear one of these? WILL they carry it about in the awful plastic bag? HOW did they make it look so... so plasticky and cheap? IS that the sound of somebody spinning in a grave?

Future imperfect

2011-09-12T12:07:00.002+01:00

click for en-larj-o-scope™

rita sue

2011-09-07T08:11:00.004+01:00

Via Rocket Garage - looking rather like that bobbed Enfield.

that petrol emotion

2011-09-02T07:18:00.005+01:00

Oh dear I feel like a terrible newb... the oldest story in the book, schoolboy error and all that. Och well.

Got the Enfield out of the shed and started her up. All good. Right go and get my lid and gloves just as the idle drops below a sustainable level and dies. No matter... a gentle manipulation of the kickstart and decompression levers and she pops back into life.

Only to drop out as I pull on the gloves.

Oh well. Never mind. I'll just do what I'm busily reflecting I should have done in the first place, pull on lid, put on gloves and then start the bike. Except it won't start now. Dammit! Ten fruitless minutes of kicking. LikeI tell everybody - if it ain't in tune you'll run yourself ragged trying to start one. Especially inside a helmet and gloves on a sunny evening. God-dam. Sweat running down my temples into my eyes. I need to be elsewhere soon. The temptation to give into a Basil Fawlty like thrashing at the kickstart is strong but I'm still in control of my faculties enough to know that sort of behaviour won't work.

Another time I'd just go and make a brew, it'd almost certainly fire up after a wee break, but I've gotta go climbing... so back into the yard, chained up and jump in the van.

Probably a fouled plug. Or I've beasted the battery. *thinks* can you do that on a bike with hardly any electrickery on it? Anyway enjoy the climbing, I'll take it for a spin when I get home. It'll start. She'll be right.

Pull the bike out of the yard...

decompression lever

kill switch

key

fuel tap

Goddam-it! The fucking fuel tap! Are you kidding me? I spent twenty minutes sweating like a rapist trying to kick-start a bike with the fuel turned off? What a twat.

and bob too

2011-09-01T12:01:00.003+01:00

Hmmm don't really want this blog to turn into yet another collection of re-posted pics...

...but this is the shizzle. Love the details.

click for enlargoscope

via Pipeburn

saddle saw

2011-08-31T12:40:00.004+01:00

I found some more picture references for a two seater saddle. They're rarer than rocking horse shit in the customised bike world it would seem. Wassamatter? Too much of a loner, a grizzled knight of the road, a steel horse cowboy riding the lonely trail to take your old lady out for a ride once in a while?

click for largening

Deus's Bloodnok (above) has a really nice sleek saddle that owes more than a bit to the Bratstyle scene whereas their other W650 the Custom (below) would probably get more of a nod from my other half for reasons of comfort so perhaps there is a middle ground.

High calibre

2011-08-28T09:44:00.005+01:00

I've decided to make a tag just for mood board pics for the Enfield project so I can find them easily.

le container

Bullet Brat

2011-08-26T18:45:00.003+01:00

Done a little PotatoShopping to see how the Bullet might look with a bit more of a funky seat unit. It's just for the purposes of seeing how the seat looks... I've discovered that trying to do a 'Shop on a bike at an odd angle in front of the busiest background optically possible is a massive pain in the arse so I can't face the amount of work it would be to do all the other bits. Next time I'll take a nice profile pic against a plain background. You'd think I'd know these things. sigh.

click for Enlargeoscope

EDIT: found this shot on the always great Selvedge Yard of what I think is a Deus bike (judging by the tank logo - and it's a W650 which matches their M.O.), good reference for the kind of saddle I'm imagining - it definitely needs to be able to take a pillion for those summer day trips...

Bullet time

2011-08-24T19:22:00.003+01:00

Well indeed! Took a spin over to my folks two-up and it was a mainline hit of nostalgia and no mistake. From the distinctive lazy idle that clears it's throat to become an elegant throb, the gearbox that doesn't want to be rushed and the frankly dubious brakes every sense was flooded with memories. Proust can stick his madeleine.

First things first, off with the top box. There is almost inevitably a smattering of metric and imperial, glad to have the tools from working on my mini.

Much better already. Whilst I'm here I may as well whip the seat off to see how things look, maybe take a picture to have a pop at in Photoshop.

Dagnabbit! It's not until I put the saddle back on and pop the bike back in the shed that I discover the photo's a bit blurry. Arsecandles!

In with a Bullet

2011-08-19T13:58:00.003+01:00

Well after much head scratching and looking at different options I've bought another bike. Lord knows I don't have enough two wheeled contrivances. I blame the Aprilia being in the workshop. I done got me an Enfield.

After much lurking on the 'bay for several months bidding on examples only to be outbid at the last moment, (leaving me with that heady brew of relief and regret when you fail to secure a large item) I ended up in the hotseat when the music stopped. Very pleased with the price, so if it turns out to be not quite so pleasant as my daydreaming has it I reckon I could recoup the lot easy, maybe even turn a wee profit.

The plan is to ride it for a bit and see how it works out - if I like it I have plans for something a little Bratstyle'y...

click for biggerosity

Rollerburn

2011-08-16T10:55:00.001+01:00

See you there!

click for embiggeration

eyes on the road

2011-08-11T14:23:00.000+01:00

click for biggerosity

Pocket pistol

2011-08-05T12:05:00.005+01:00

liking these...

derringer cycles

Mountaineering

2011-07-24T11:25:00.003+01:00

Peter Wileman photography

Cadwell Park 18/7/11

2011-07-20T07:30:00.005+01:00

A grey and rainy start at Cadwell Park seemed an ideal opportunity to brighten things up with some bitchin' new leathers, and they must have worked as it dried up soon enough and conditions were great. Much to everybody's surprise.

Back to the black leathers for the afternoon sessions - pics by PB Mag forum member tonk who arrived on his stunning BMW HP2 and took some great pictures.

It took me some time to find a rhythm but when it came I had an absolute ball, although I suspect there is still plenty to learn about getting round Cadwell quickly.

Motor city

2011-07-15T09:23:00.003+01:00

I think Playschool might be to blame... could have been the arched, square or round window but likely as not there was a hypnotic film of something being made, often on a fantastically complex production line. I was hypnotised then and it still works now.

This was filmed in 1936 at the Chevrolet Plant in Flint, Michigan.

Je vous en prie!

2011-07-03T20:22:00.003+01:00

The Splish Splash Show

2011-06-23T09:39:00.003+01:00

Awake under canvas pitter pattering to the gentle beat of rain. The rain came and went throughout the day at Oulton leaving us with a paltry single session that had a drying line. Managed to scare myself and almost lose the front on a sighting lap - small consolation that when we viewed the incident footage from Mike's bike it did look quite scary and it wasn't just me getting the heebie jeebies.

This was confirmed when Mike manage to lose the front a couple of sessions later at the same spot and drop his bike. Luckily the damage was restricted to a slightly bent footpeg and bruised pride.

Oulton Park - fantastic, beautiful and challenging. Riding in the rain on road tyres, a pain in the arse. Next time. Still the folk who did have wet tyres seemed to enjoy themselves.

Audi crash number 2

2011-06-12T06:35:00.001+01:00

That's torn it

2011-06-12T06:16:00.000+01:00

Le Mans spotters guide

2011-06-10T12:14:00.002+01:00

The Spotter Guide has been updated following the final day of Scrutineering and now has all 56 liveries, driver, team car and tyre combinations for this year's race. Also available in pdf, iPad & iPhone friendly formats

http://www.spotterguides.com/le-mans-2011-guide

Track notes

2011-05-28T12:10:00.004+01:00

There are many stories with a gulf between the way they're reported and the actual truth but one that still continues to endure is the idea that console or computer gaming is a niche or for kids, the popular culture's geeky step-child. Jesus Christ! Gaming is so mainstream it really doesn't need saying does it? More popular, interesting and creative than Hollywood and the revenues are larger too.

I'm part of that loose first generation that can be described as growing up with gaming, through Spectrums and Acorns, Commodores to Playstation and beyond and I'm middle aged now. Judges, politicians, policemen, chefs they're all gamers. It's over. We won. One can only presume that it will take the current crop of newspaper editors and TV execs to die off before this ridiculous false image of gaming finally disappears, about two decades late.

Which is why I think the BBC F1 coverage is really missing a trick. There's several generations of Grand Prix fans now who enjoy driving the circuits in a virtual environment. An environment so accurate that the teams themselves use similar systems for testing. Why aren't the broadcasters using the unique opportunity every fortnight to talk in detail about driving these specific tracks and the settings that will make the difference to shaving tenths of a second here and there. In-game cars are almost as adjustable as the real thing but the average gamer hasn't risen through the motorsport ranks learning about the delicate interplay of suspension settings, tyre pressure and aero tweakage so it would be a really compelling portion of the coverage to get expert tips from the drivers on how to go fast. The time has long gone past when a serious piece to camera about console gaming should be something to be ashamed of.

The alternative is to keep hearing from Eddie Irvine as he makes another assault on the English language and the viewer's sanity, and that is something the BBC should be embarrassed about.

Newport Pagnell May 21st

2011-05-22T10:26:00.002+01:00

Mashed Swede

2011-05-17T11:55:00.005+01:00

Anyone who's spent any time round these parts will know of my enthusiasm for the Swedes... that 50 - 50 blend of hip urban chic, and, well redneckery. This isn't gonna change any opinions soon. Will a Viper mill fit in a SAAB? Hell yeah!

UPDATE:

off the wall

2011-05-16T12:33:00.003+01:00

Vans 'Waffle Sole' coasters. This I like.

click for embiggerence

Hot wheels

2011-05-03T14:24:00.003+01:00

Riding through Buckingham yesterday on a lovely sunny Bank Holiday I spotted a Morgan parked up sporting a black paintjob and black wire wheels. And it was indeed a good look, murdered out from a more classy era. I'm thinking it'll go well on a street tracker...

This of course is not a Morgan, but I think it makes the point about the combination. Lordy that's purdy... what is it?

Gallic bred

2011-04-08T11:48:00.003+01:00

Spotted parked at work the other day. Like most petrolheads I like an older Citroën, particularly a CX cos we had one when I was a nipper; but just generally, they were distinctive, classy, most of all different. No other marque said vive la différence so consistently as Citroën. Weird-ass hydraulic suspension and brakes... cars that floated up when you started them up, umbrella handle gearshifts, single spoke steering wheels, steering lights, sharp styling the list just goes on and on.

That said whilst my first reaction to seeing this was WANT! it only took a seconds consideration to realise that a Citroën from the glory days in this condition should provoke only one reaction no matter how Bruce it looks: Run. Run like the fucking wind. A 2CV may very well be repairable by a farmer with a screwdriver, a CX on the other hand needs an owner with a Masters in plumbing and electronics. Still want though...

It's a shame that homogenisation in the car industry has seen most of Citroën's design flair submerged to such an extent that their products could be interchangeable with Peugeot, Renault, or god forbid Ford or Vauxhall these days.

French designer Ora-Ito has just designed a UFO inspired by the classic Citroën design language of the DS. I like it. It shows that there are certain distinct styling cues that are Citroën without having to fall back on a 'retro' car design, they should totally apply this to their cars.

lovely work

2011-04-01T14:02:00.000+01:00

http://www.adamscarvalho.blogspot.com/

Wallpaper 12

2011-03-23T15:27:00.000Z

Yer man Rossi

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Street Tracker design competition

2011-03-18T12:25:00.002Z

Steve at Red Max Speed Shop has got an interesting project on the go. Take a new AJS 125/325cc four-stroke and create a cost effective street tracker. From this...

...into this

He just wants some suggestions for paintjobs now.

This is really an appeal to all you budding photoshop designers out there to have a go at some paint jobs/ designs / graphics and send em in to me at REDMAX HQ , we'll show the designs as we get 'em . You could even name the bike too !
USE THE TOP TWO WHITE IMAGES FOR YOUR DESIGNS PLEASE .
I'm thinking there should be a prize here too , so how about a years SIDEBURN Mag subscription for the best two ?
Catagories would be -
A . coolest paint job (as far out as you like , man!)
B . Most useable in the real world paint job (captain sensible , AJS logos etc )
You can design around the basic bike or add paint to the white bodywork , and consider we are looking at a cafe racers next !
You can do - pencil / pen / cad-cam / photoshop / bodypaint / charcoal / cave painting - anything !!!!!!

Competition details here.

Here's my first bash.

The Classic is a modern take on an old-school AJS with a slug of JPS bling in the gold pinstriping. 'The Axe' is inspired by a telecaster... candy-apple red and a matt maple with a black pinstripe echoed on the scratchplate, I mean number board

click for embiggerosity

Akira clown gang style

2011-03-11T12:49:00.001Z

click for embiggeration

Lise Sarfati

2011-03-10T12:10:00.001Z

www.lisesarfati.com

Lightning XM135 Inadvertent Flight

2011-02-25T10:58:00.003Z

The English Electric Lightning was a ballistic missile with a pilot up front. It could achieve an altitude of 36,000 ft less than 3 minutes after brake release.

It'd break the sound barrier in a vertical climb and was the first aircraft to be able to supercruise (cruise above mach 1 without afterburner) the current generation of fighters all make a big thing about this. The Lightning could do it nearly 60 years ago.

Lightning XM135 Inadvertent Flight

Some Background Considerations

In attempting to write a more detailed personal account of my unfortunate flight in Lightning XM135 back in July 1966, I think I should add some of the reasoning and reason why I attempted the test in the first place. This might remove some of the erroneous facts, misapprehensions and misconceptions which I have seen in some accounts of the event.

First I should explain that I was a qualified pilot, even although I was an R.A.F. Engineer Branch officer. I joined the R.A.F. as an apprentice in 1943, from where I gained a cadetship to university. At the university I read mechanical engineering and learnt to fly on Tiger Moths, with the University Air Squadron. On graduation, I was given the option to continue with an engineering career or to follow a General Duties (Flying) career. I chose the former path and the Air Ministry at that time, considered that there was merit in allowing me to qualify to 'wings' standard as a pilot, in the belief that an engineering officer with a pilot qualification, could more easily see the pilots point of view in aircraft maintenance matters. I too, thought this was a very good idea.

I qualified on Harvards, but my early engineering duties only allowed me to keep in flying practice on Chipmunks. Whilst I was at Kinloss, I managed to get checked out on Oxfords and on occasions assisted a qualified test pilot, to air test twin engine Neptunes. My only jet aircraft experience was as a passenger in the second seat of a Javelin T3 and again in the 'rumble' seat of a Canberra. In my service, one of my postings took me to 33MU Lyneham where as the C.O of a civilian manned aircraft storage unit, I had Canberra, Meteor and Lightning types, which were gradually being prepared for despatch to various flying unit tasks. When the Meteor and Canberra types had been cleared, the powers that be, decided that the MU should close after the last Lightning's had been despatched. Up until the last Canberra, I had a qualified and current test pilot on my staff for those aircraft, but he was not a current Lightning pilot. When a Lightning needed test flying, I had to call for any available pilot with a current test pilot rating. Most times I would find one who could be spared within a 24 or 36 hour period. So much for my personal and R.A.F unit background.

Lightning Mk 1A XM135

XM 135 was being prepared for despatch to a Target Facilities Flight, but over a period of weeks, it had been giving no end of trouble. Each time it was being flight tested, the pilot found that on the initial few yards of a take off run, the inverter, supplying power to the primary flight instruments, would cut out and the stand by inverter would have to cut in, clearly an unsatisfactory state of affairs. Electricians were using every trick in their trade to establish the cause, each time thinking that they had removed, replaced and tightened every likely component. With nothing out of order, they would seek another test flight. It was a Boscombe Down pilot who next attempted to fly the aircraft, found the same problem persisting and refused to fly until a more positive explanation could be determined.

Back to the drawing board, electricians decided to devise some tests which might isolate the fault and indicate roughly where and which component was at fault. They intended to ask the next test pilot to switch in and out parts of circuits, using trailing wires from the likely circuits to temporary switches in the cockpit and to do these electrical switchings before and after each few yards of a simulated take off run, when the fault was manifest. The temporary wires from internal circuitry required the cockpit canopy to be removed and in this state the aircraft was made ready for another air test. Being a pilot, it was easiest for me, as CO, to request the services of a qualified test pilot, from wherever I could find one, but for the next test on XM135, no pilot was available for at least another week. With my unit closing down, many civilians being made redundant, a timetable of clearance being upset with this 'rogue' aircraft, there was much tetchiness and irritation amongst my staff. The intended Boscombe Down pilot, knowing I was a pilot, suggested I might try the test myself. He suggested using an out of use runway (Runway36) as I would only be using 30 or 40 yards at a time. He suggested using a Land Rover to communicate with Air Traffic Control and to get their clearance for each movement of the aircraft. However, there was one remaining minor problem. I had only sat in a Lightning cockpit once before and I had no idea how to start its two Rolls Royce Avon engines! The Foreman of engine trades gave me a 5 minute briefing on how to do this and XM135 was towed out to Runway 05 on 22July 1966 for my electrical tests.

It was by way of extraordinary good fortune that my engine Foreman explained that, although I would not be needing reheat, that reheat needed the throttles to be pushed past a reheat 'gate' and one had to feel for the gate keys, behind the throttle, to unlock. My only other knowledge of the Lightning was what I could remember from pilot's notes. At each test flight by the qualified pilot, I would be in ATC with a copy pilot's notes, should he need any aircraft figures to be relayed to him. One or two figures stuck in my mind, namely that the undercarriage had a maximum speed before it should be retracted and I had an even vaguer figure of about 150 knots for a landing speed. Some extra knots would be required for each 1000 lbs. of unused fuel, but I did not need to bother with any such figures for the test, which I was to undertake.

The Ground Test

I was correctly strapped into the cockpit (seated on the in situ parachute and ejector seat) and after starting the engines and holding the aircraft static, on the brakes, I did the necessary preliminaries for the electrical checks in the cockpit, checking the notes I had scribbled on a notepad which lay on the coaming in front of me. All seemed ready for the first test and I indicated to the Land Rover to obtain ATC clearance for use of the short 30 or 40 yards of runway. Holding the brakes I gradually opened the throttles to about 90%. My feeling at the time was the unexpected heavy vibration of Avon power held against the brakes. I did a quick check of the temporary electrical switches and circuitry lights, then released the brakes. That initial punch from the thrust was quite remarkable and I moved the expected 30 to 40 yards before I throttled back and applied the brakes. So far so good. I made some notes, altered some more switch positions, noted the on/off lights and prepared for the next test. This was done in a similar fashion and I was leaving the 'fault' diagnosis to my electrical staff who would have to interpret my notes. I needed to do one more test and ATC had noted that I had only used about 100 yards total, so they were quite happy to clear me for a similar short distance. ATC had also been holding up a fuel bowser and trailer with 3600 gallon of AVTAG for awaiting C130 aircraft refuelling, they decided to allow the bowser to cross the runway. On opening the throttles for that final test, I obviously pushed them too far, misinterpreting the thrust, because of the unexpected heavy vibration and they got locked into reheat. Yes, I did use some expletives but I had no time to think of getting out of reheat, because in front of me, the bowser and trailer had just crossed the runway, from right to left, so my thoughts were to make sure I was missing them by sufficient margin. No, I couldn't steer to clear them; reheat takes you in a straight path like a bullet out of a gun. The time between finding myself in reheat and just missing the bowser was less than half the time I have taken to write this sentence.

Before my thoughts could again return to getting myself out of reheat, I was gathering speed and about to cross the main duty runway, where a Comet had just passed on its take off run. I then had no time to look for reheat gate keys, my eyes were on what next lay ahead. Two things, the end of the short runway 07 and just beyond was the small village of Bradenstoke which I just had to miss. There was no chance of stopping, non whatsoever. I had gained flying speed (that is what reheat is for, short sharp take offs) and I had no runway left. I did not need to heave it off the runway, the previous test pilot had trimmed it exactly for take off and only a slight backward touch on the stick and I was gathering height and speed. Then my thought was to get my speed back in case I should damage the undercarriage. Incidentally, I could not have raised the undercarriage; the ground servicing locks were in place for safety reasons. With only clear blue sky in front of me, I could then search and feel for those gate keys. Yes, I found them and thanked my lucky stars that my engine foreman had quite incidentally told me of their location and I was soon able to get the speed back to (I am guessing now) about 250knots. My next thoughts were to keep Lyneham airfield in sight and where had the Comet got to, the one I had missed a few seconds ago? Then I asked myself, should I eject and where and when? No, I could not; the safety pins were in the ejection seat and safe for servicing, not for flying. My only alternative then was to attempt a landing, but how does one interpolate or extrapolate Tiger Moth, Chipmunk, Harvard flying to a two engined, 11 ton, beast like the Lightning?

After regaining my bearings, a little composure and simply by observation, making sure that the Comet had been warned away, I decided I should attempt a landing on the duty runway and direction. I was trying to combine all my limited flying experience into a few minutes of DIY flight 'training' on a Lightning. It wasn't easy, but I must admit that some of the elementary rudiments of my proper flying training and flight theory were coming in useful. I needed to get the feel of the aircraft, if I was to get it back on the ground. My first approach was ridiculous, I could tell that my speed, height, rate of descent, even alignment wasn't correct and my best plot was to go round again. This time making sure that my throttles would be well below reheat position. A second approach was no better, I had some aspects better, but as the duty runway 25 is on the lip of an escarpment, with a valley floor beyond, my rate of descent took me below runway height and I found myself adding power to get back to the right level. More power also meant more speed and I was trying to get to something like 150 knots for landing, but the uncoordinated attempt was becoming a mess so I abandoned it, took myself away on a very wide circuit of Lyneham and decided to land in the opposite direction. This I thought would give me more time to get the 'feel' right and if I made a mess of the landing, I would overrun the runway and just drop (crash) into the valley beyond. In that direction, with a messed up landing, I would have no fear of crashing into Lyneham village.

The long final leg of this approach gave me the thinking time that I needed and I gradually got the feel that speed, alignment, rate of descent, height and approach angle were better. I plonked it down at about the right position off the runway threshold, but just forgot that I was in a nose wheel aircraft and emulated my best three wheelers in a Chipmunk or Harvard. The result was that I crunched the rubber block which encases the brake parachute cables. However, I had got down, but I then had to stop. I obviously knew the Lightning had a brake parachute, but where was the 'chute lever, button or knob? There, I found it marked Brake Chute and I pulled it and I could then look ahead and concentrate on keeping straight and somewhere near the centre line. I hung on to the brake lever, I wasn't slowing as much as I would like, so I just kept up my hand pressure on the brakes. I had about 100 yards of runway left when I stopped and even then, I didn't know that the brake parachute had dropped off as soon as it was deployed, because the cable had been severed as a result of my super tail wheel three pointer.

Events Immediately after the Flight

XM 135 was towed back to the hangar and I was taken to see the medical officer who gave me some pills to calm my nerves. I felt reasonably calm because I had almost killed myself on five occasions in that 12 minute flight, yet I had miraculously survived. What is more, I would see my wife and young family again. Two or three times in that same 12 minutes, I thought I would never ever see them again. My only priority was to save my own skin, I was not thinking about the non insured loss of a Lightning Mk 1A aircraft. The minor damage to the aircraft was repaired with a new set of brake shoes and a new rubber chute block. As a memento, I have kept that rubber block, one day it might be returned to XM135 at Duxford.

The Fault

Although the tests I did and the ensuing flight did not immediately provide a reason for the initial electrical fault, my electrical staff, with additional assistance from English Electric, Salmesbury eventually did. Apparently, in early versions of the Lightning, there was to be a ground test button fitted into the standby inverter circuit. It was never fitted to the Mk1A but the wires were left in the looms. It was one of these redundant wires which shorted on to the UHF radio as it moved on its trunnions when the aircraft nudged forward on take off. Who would have thought I should risk my life to find it, in the way I did?

Events Subsequent to the Flight

There was a subsequent Inquiry to find out what had happened and why and to make recommendations for it never to happen again. As I was the Commanding Officer of the Unit, I was responsible for my own as well as the service actions of all my staff. I was not acting against any orders in the Flight Order Book which I religiously kept up to date. But those orders did not cater for engineering officers doing investigative type checks on Lightning's. They were later amended. After the Unit Inquiry I had to go up in front of the Commander-in-Chief. That was when I thought my career would be placed in jeopardy. I even thought that my coveted 'wings' would be taken from me; I had no idea how the incident was being regarded by Command or indeed Air Ministry. But, as I stood in front of Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Porter, he read the proceedings, asked me if I agreed with his view that "With the limited flying experience that I had, the test would have been better left to an experienced and current Lightning test pilot." I agreed of course. He then told me to remove my hat, sit down and proceeded to tell me some of his unfortunate flying incidents in Mesopotamia in the Middle East. I was thankful that nothing more was to become of the incident and that I still had a job to do back at 33 Maintenance Unit, Lyneham.

I coped with all the official communications regarding the incident, but what I was unprepared for was the release of the story to the public. I had had very little experience of working with the press, certainly none with radio, TV, national and world press. I had no training in how to deal with their quest for news. My Command Headquarters suggested I went away on leave before press releases were made by Air Ministry. This I did and took my family off camping to Jesola, in Italy. Imagine my complete surprise when, on the first day of camp, on my way to find some ice, someone shouted "Hello Taffy, I've just been reading about your Lightning flight!!" The world seemed a very small place. On returning to the U.K. I was overwhelmed to find that the incident was still front line news. People wanted to write articles in newspapers, books, magazines, interviews on TV and radio and underhand attempts to hear my account of what had happened. Having admitted that I had made an unwise decision to do the ground tests, I decided that the unwanted publicity that I had attracted was in no way going to be for financial gain. I steadfastly refused offers although for a two page article in the Sunday Express, I requested the editors to make a contribution to the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund. Despite prompts, no moneys were ever handed over and I became very disillusioned with all publicity media. Some friends thought I had gained reward for an article in 'Mayfair'; it was written without my knowledge and authority, but, because it was factually correct, I had no redress from the Press Complaints Board. Nonetheless, I was extremely annoyed.

Some years after the incident, my hidden fears of high speed flight came to the surface and I had to spend two periods in hospital. I had not come to terms with the emotional side of the event. To return to my wife and family after five close encounters with death, was indeed a miraculous experience, but I had not been honest with myself, to accept it as such, so I needed psychiatric help. I could recall the technicalities of the flight without any hang-ups, but was unwilling to talk about that emotional side of the ordeal until I was placed under medical drugs and to bring those emotions to the surface. That was a rewarding experience and it gave me a much better understanding of people who might need that same kind of help, after similar unfortunate occurrences.

Forty Years On

I am now retired and living with my wife in Cheshire. Apart from being an active DIY plumber, carpenter, electrician handyman, my main pastime is involvement with family history. My inadvertent flight is still very vivid and in writing this personal account, I needed little prompting. Over the intervening years, I have received many letters and reminders from people whom I did not know, all praising my efforts to return myself and aircraft back to the ground safely. Yes, I have basked in some glory, when accounts of what happened, have been retold in social gatherings. I have never sought publicity, but whenever it became impossible to suppress, I have had to live with it. I enjoyed my career in the Royal Air Force, but not because of XM135!

Best regards

Taffy Holden

XM135 at Duxford click for biggerness

Adam Hashemi - RFSF "Party"

2011-02-23T11:50:00.000Z

Headcase

2011-02-23T11:33:00.001Z

ride the lightening

2011-02-15T12:17:00.003Z

2.7kg

wowsers!

found via cycleexif

the friendly skies

2011-02-11T12:55:00.002Z

Photo archive of Pacific Southwest Airlines.

Charnock Richard

2011-02-06T16:45:00.001Z

Photo: DAVID LAWRENCE

Whither Googie?

2011-02-06T14:41:00.001Z

Reading an interesting book at the moment that has made me reconsider my architectural tastes... I've long been a fan of Googie, architecture redolent of 40s - 60s americana, motels, coffee houses and bowling alleys. Upswept roofs, curvaceous, geometric shapes, and bold use of glass, steel and neon. Googie's distinctive style was a reaction to the automobile's speed and the culture it brought with it - forms that had to attract attention from drivers speeding past on the freeway.

Googie is not acknowledged much, architecture critics pass by quickly, perhaps noting the vibrant shapes and colours. How appropriate. Googie was too crass, too materialistic and too blue-collar, I mean really? A bowling alley? It is said to have been quickly replaced with Modernism and thence Postmodernism.

In A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain the author Owen Hatherly argues that Googie didn't go away and in fact became the prevailing style in Blairite Britain. The style can be seen in the out-of-town retail parks across the country with their totem pole signs clamouring for attention. But it transcended being the poor relation and was the go-to style for every PFI hospital, school and housing project and especially every gallery and museum that wanted a slice of that sweet 'Bilbao effect'.

Cantilevered structures, glass, swooping roofs. The building as a logo. It is all pure Googie. Which suddenly makes me question why I tend to think these new buildings are awful, when I thought I loved Googie. Perhaps it's the usual story, those things that were brash and challenging 50 years ago are now familiar and reassuring. Or maybe I have a knee-jerk negative reaction because I associate the building with the inevitable story of greed, incompetence and misinformation followed up with an enormous bill that seems to accompany every PFI project. Hmmm

Egypt

2011-02-01T13:10:00.002Z

click for largening

Chris Sisarich

feature bloat

2011-01-31T13:29:00.003Z

Top Gear script editors. Just because Clarkson is pally with various army and air force types you may still want to check the accuracy of things he says about military jets - he has a habit of using the same cliches in his columns and Top Gear reviews and for a fellow so keen on hyperbole they seem to be running away with him - getting bigger in the re-telling.

For when that video gets taken down here's a transcript:

“Modern Jet fighters are kept in the air not by the pilot but by several million Gigabytes of hardcore software, and this [Ferrari GTO] is just the same”

Several Petabytes of software Jezza?

Damn those lazy ass geeks need to clean up their code.

It's what hairpins were made for

2011-01-26T11:45:00.001Z

click for embiggerring

Rhys Millen on Brazil's Serra do Rio do Rastro. (Photo: Bruce Terena, Red Bull)

Gabriel Orozco

2011-01-23T13:22:00.001Z

Currently at Tate Modern.

slow drift

2011-01-14T07:56:00.001Z

I know... two YouTube links in a row. This is pretty gnarly though

Nice VW ad

2011-01-07T12:55:00.001Z

OIL

2011-01-05T23:00:00.004Z

Back from Canada where I saw Edward Burtynsky's excellent OIL show at the equally impressive Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton. Large in scale, ghostly, brooding, the pictures demand attention. Presented without comment often from an aerial viewpoint they can't help but recall Koyaanisqatsi. The location of the show a few hundred miles south of one of the latest hot button issues facing oil politics looms in the mind too.

Dogs in Cars

2010-12-16T14:50:00.005Z

I recommend you check out Martin Usborne's photos MUTE: the Silence of Dogs in Cars. They are lovely.

...The images in this series explore that feeling, both in relation to myself and to animals in general. The camera is the perfect tool for capturing a sense of silence and longing: the shutter freezes the subject for ever and two layers of glass are placed between the viewer and the viewed: the glass of the lens, the glass of the picture frame and, in this instance, the glass of the car window further isolates the animal. The dog is truly trapped.

When I started this project I knew the photos would be dark. What I didn’t expect was to see so many subtle reactions by the dogs: some sad, some expectant, some angry, some dejected. It was as if upon opening up a box of grey-coloured pencils I was surprised to see so many shades inside.

Ascent

2010-12-13T13:54:00.003Z

Photographic documentation of a Space Shuttle launch plays a critical role in the engineering analysis and evaluation of each mission. Motion and Still images enable Shuttle engineers to visually identify unusual events and conditions requiring corrective action to ensure mission safety and success.

This compilation of film and video was shot mostly on 16mm film at extremely high-speed to give a super slow motion effect when replayed at 24 frames per second. It is also hypnotically beautiful. Strap in.

The video was produced by Matt Melis at the Glenn Research Centre.

Wallpaper 11

2010-12-07T15:04:00.002Z

I've been trying out the new perspective grid tools in Illustrator CS5, have some death defying wallpaper...

normal

widescreen

Guzzi

2010-12-04T16:40:00.003Z

My local Italian bike specialist have taken delivery this week of a V7 Cafe Racer. To say it polarised opinions when pictures were released would not be an understatement, plenty of enthusiasts but for others a 'factory custom' is a contradiction in terms that lacks authenticity.

The finish is generally high quality - according to Andy the mechanic it's certainly better than the bike that did the rounds at shows which was let down by some rough details. Another difference is this production model doesn't wear the exhaust wrap that the show bike had. To my mind an improvement, the bandage smacks a little of 'this year's hip look' if you know what I mean and inspired some of the haters... without it the styling is calmer and more refined.

I'm disappointed by the tailpiece, just like a Triumph Thruxton it is a cafe racer style plastic moulding sat atop the large frumpy regular mudguard except on the Guzzi the moulding incorporates number boards (hope you like the number seven). It's a shame that Moto Guzzi couldn't design an all new back end for this single seater with a trim elegant look, but my guess is that the extra expense involved in going down that route would mean a sticker price too salty to make sense - so perhaps better this compromise than nothing at all.

Speaking of plastic, the fuel tank isn't actually metal, it's a plastic tank with a chrome finish. Very nicely done for sure whatever you think of the leather strap adorning the tank, but I wonder how this tank will age... what kind of patina does a plastichrome tank attain after a decade or two of belt buckles and low speed drops? Or should that be dropped MacBooks and spilt Mochafrappucinos...? A genuine alloy item would of course age beautifully but again Moto Guzzi need to build this to a cost.

Doubtless for some this is an excercise in style over substance, replies along the lines of 'buy a £2-3k bike off ebay, sort it out, make it your own' abound whenever a manufacturer makes a modern retro but plenty of people lack the time, ability or fortitude for such a task. They do have the green though... and an open faced lid and fashionable jacket to go lane-swinging... and who am I to judge them. The Cafe Racer is a handsome bike and looks like a slice of fun.

The dealer was unwilling to let even a long time customer, and I'd like to think trusted friend go for a spin through the snow and slush to find out how it rides, that pleasure can wait awhile. Besides do you know what road salt does to plastichrome?

Monaco

2010-11-24T12:41:00.001Z

click for biggerification

Wallpaper 10

2010-11-12T10:28:00.000Z

Yukio Kagayama in action at the Suzuka 8hr

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widescreen

Punch it Chewie

2010-11-11T11:01:00.000Z

This rear window sticker is just the job for a Star Wars fan.

aperture priori-Tea groan

2010-11-03T08:32:00.003Z

Loving this mug... and of course it has a cap too

you can buy one here

All Right You Sons 'a Bitches, Let's Have a Race

2010-10-29T13:22:00.006+01:00

The world of motorsport is a devious and duplicitous place, and that's the way I like it. Unlike any other sport the rule book is not so much a sacred text to be obeyed (in the world of cricket they don't even have rules... they have laws) it's more a text to be studied minutely looking for the tiny pure crack of daylight so the true geniuses can insert the stiletto of a finely honed engineering mind and exert some pressure.

Examples are numerous. In 1995 Toyota's rally cars ran an illegal turbocharger which when removed from the car passed scrutineering but as they were fitted to the car a delicate and beautiful mechanical linkage opened up the inlet tract by 5mm. At the time Max Mosely said "It is the most sophisticated and ingenious device either I or the FIA's technical experts have seen for a long-time. It was so well made that there was no gap apparent to suggest there was any means of opening it." Other examples are more brutish - the TT rider punching in his petrol tank on the final lap to disguise the extra capacity... but a win's a win right?

Even at the most heinous, and the Toyota example is about as stone cold as it gets I find it hard to utterly condemn them, hell I admire the bastards, and in the world of sideways thinking there was a man who stood head and shoulders above the rest, NASCAR mechanic Smokey Yunick.

Yunick said he wouldn't do something illegal but if it wasn't in the rulebook then it wasn't illegal right? When rules banned porting and polishing the cylinder heads, Smokey figured it wasn't illegal to paint them until they were smooth. When bellypans designed to smooth airflow under the car were banned Smokey had the stock floorpans on his '66 Chevelle flattened and smoothed out to act as bellypans; that was until the rules were changed to stipulate not doing precisely that. Ahead of his time with his understanding of aerodynamics the Chevelle had minute attention paid to flushing the glass and removing anything that could upset airflow. Conspiracy theories abound about just how much 'smart' thinking went into the car, some say that Yunick parked a 'street' version of the car in the parking lot, NASCAR scrutineers not having a silhouette template for the new Chevelle looked for the nearest one they could find... that one in the lot'll do... Others reckon that the car was an accurate '66 Chevelle, just 7/8 scale!

Probably the most famous story was of the fuel cell being taken off for thorough testing - Yunick had already circumvented the gas capacity ruling previously by having an inflated basketball inside the gas tank when it was tested, he simply deflated the ball afterwards for a little extra room. So the scrutineers were paying close attention to the capacity. On finishing the inspection although the fuel cell was fine the officials told him 10 other infractions. Smokey, figuring they weren't going to let him race the car reportedly threw the disconnected fuel cell into the back seat and climbed into the car. He then said, "Make it 11" fired the Chevy up and drove back to his shop with the fuel cell disconnected. There may have been strict rules about the fuel cell, but none about the fuel pipe coming from it. Smokey's was 2 inch diameter and 11 feet long - it held an extra 5 gallons.

What a wonderful feeling

2010-10-18T11:58:00.005+01:00

It's no secret that I love the Photorealists, not least because of their tendency towards cars and car culture as a subject matter. So it's no surprise that I fell for these paintings by Gregory Thielker. A strong Proustian rush took me back to many hours as a child in the back of a car staring out through a rain drenched triplex window.

click for embiggering

Moonrunners

2010-10-12T12:30:00.001+01:00

Can't believe I've not heard of this one before...

In the 1975 movie Moonrunners Waylon Jennings narrates the tale of two cousins who run moonshine for their uncle Jesse. They're often chased by a policeman named Rosco Coltrane and fight against an evil county boss named Jake Rainey who Uncle Jesse calls “hog”. Does any of this sound familiar?

If you needed any more clues in the movie the boys race a stock car named Traveler, which was what General Robert E Lee named his horse during the Civil War.

Apparently it's not so great a movie (who knew?) but I have the strangest inkling from this clip that I'd rather like it... B-body Dodges rolling through the corners like Blenheim Palace cornering hard to a Mopar thrum. I also love two things in the clip that link it inextricably with 80's TV; squealing tyres on gravel roads and the most ridiculously obvious 'day for night' shots ever.

Fury

2010-10-04T12:24:00.002+01:00

click for big-o-rama

Rockingham trackday 6/7/10

2010-10-04T07:16:00.000+01:00

Better late than never

total recall

2010-10-01T13:14:00.000+01:00

The Norton Project

2010-10-01T08:39:00.001+01:00

I seem to have some dust in my eye...

Charge!

2010-09-24T09:19:00.002+01:00

click for embiggification

O House

2010-09-20T12:05:00.003+01:00

Architects: Philippe Stuebi Architekten & Eberhard Tröger
Location: Vierwaldstättersee, Switzerland
Client: Too cool for school

click for biggerification

from archdaily.com

RAD BMX

2010-09-07T12:42:00.003+01:00

This year's RAD BMX annual rideout in London happened to coincide with the London Skyride so we decided to take in some of the bigger event's route between pubs.

We took in some of the Skyride route to St Pauls, where we managed to annoy Jesus apparently by setting up the bikes on his front steps, he sent out people to ask us to move.

The Skyride is a laudable event, getting people onto bikes and all that but the amount of marshalls, hi-viz, stewards and just generally being told what to do didn't suit us very much so we broke out and rode for Great Ormond Street.

There is something undeniably awesome about riding through the centre of London in a mob of old-school BMXs, forcing traffic to conform to your group will just through force of numbers... wheelies down Regent Street and crap bunnyhops past Downing Street. Take THAT The Man!

lovely

2010-09-07T12:41:00.000+01:00

Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation.

2010-08-31T13:51:00.001+01:00

NASA have uploaded some great pics to flickr, I suggest you check them out.

Splumph!

2010-08-27T14:48:00.001+01:00

Oh my good gravy... it doesn't get much better than this. The noise!

1969 Boss 302 Mustang vs. 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A vs. 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 at Laguna Seca

Booster loose

2010-08-23T10:33:00.003+01:00

Stunning footage from one of the pair of Shuttle booster rockets as it disengages and falls to earth. The sound was captured using a contact mic - remember in space nobody can hear you scream, right kids? And the sometimes ethereal, sometimes violent sounds captured as the booster hits the atmosphere are great.

The whole sequence has an air of Kubrick at his best... stick around for the water impact, sheer poetry.

the pros from dover

2010-08-20T18:29:00.002+01:00

...however the lone rider that does the runner is the risktaker and the one that thinks he has the skill and the luck to outrun anyone....when the fact is they are not in control and basically ride/drive with their eyes closed (or may as well with the amount of 'skill' they display)

I once arrested what i classed as a proper 'getaway driver' after a very lengthy pursuit through Berkshire, we had a good chat whilst sat at the rear of a custody block waiting to get booked in.

we were discussing the pros & cons of his 'job' and it was interesting how much he despised what he classed as idiots on bikes and cars that initiated pursuits because they were speeding or lacked insurance etc.....he hated programmes such as police camera action as it just showed 'carnage'.

He said, "if i get seen by Cops then i've blighted that job, get away then the job is a partial success, getting away without detection is the main aim"

Considering i pursued him for 30 mins and he was stopped by 'Stop stick' i asked how long he would have kept it going , he replied "until one of us ran out of petrol"

i must admit, there was not much recklessness in his driving, it was just a case of him not stopping, he did driver up to three figures and drove, if i'm honest, reasonably well...he didn't do anything dangerous and the overtakes he got in were 'on' and safe.

when his tyres were deflated he didn't carry on he indicated, pulled over and put his arms out of the window as did the three other men he was carrying.

considering they were all looking at a lengthy custodial sentence for a high value burglary ther were all well mannered and behaved.

unfortunately the majority of people i pursue are idiots and risk takers and a very clear and obvious danger to the public.

from pbmagforum

Go fast, turn left

2010-08-19T17:08:00.002+01:00

Sideburn 6 has landed along with a limited edition Rollerball inspired tee. Cool. Loving the Spot UV title guys, even if it doesn't come out on a phone pic - you'll just have to buy one and see for yourself. The brake fluid reservoir was ebay booty that arrived at the sorting office at the same time. Double cool.

luggage 2

2010-08-16T12:53:00.004+01:00

After posting about this luggage, seemingly custom designed to get you given a hard time at the airport come these cheeky luggage stickers...

it would take a massive sense of humour failure for check-in staff to give you grief over these, but do you really want to chance it at the front of the queue?

click for biggety

from thecheeky.com

stick em up

2010-08-15T14:12:00.000+01:00

Hell on wheels

2010-08-11T16:47:00.003+01:00

I think I've mentioned Adam Curtis before. He's a television documentary maker whose work express a clear sometimes controversial opinion about their subject often at odds with the current received wisdom.

As a profile in the Observer noted:

The fun and surprise of his films is the footage that he uncovers to support his mesmerising essays... ...Curtis has a remarkable feel for the serendipity of such moments, and an obsessive skill in locating them. 'That kind of footage shows just how dull I can be,' he admits, a little glumly. 'The BBC has an archive of all these tapes where they have just dumped all the news items they have ever shown. One tape for every three months. So what you get is this odd collage, an accidental treasure trove. You sit in a darkened room, watch all these little news moments, and look for connections.'

His blog has many inspiring ideas and the footage he finds to illustrate them. Of particular interest at the moment is the glorious footage he's unearthed from 1973 of Britain's first official Hells Angels Chapter.

The film is another pharmaceutical strength shot of reality for anybody in danger of fondly remembering the Seventies as any kind of beacon of style. It's bleak, grubby and unsophisticated, just like the Angels themselves. It chimes very nicely with Hunter Thompson's experience with the Angels. An initial fascination with their lifestyle quickly led him to conclude that they were at best damaged goods, and these guys don't even have sun-drenched Californian backdrop to lend them an air of roguish glamour. Well worth a look.

Less is definitely more

2010-07-29T11:15:00.003+01:00

I'm still trawling ebay trying to find that bargain of a lifetime Barcelona chair in chocolate leather. You know, the one that doesn't bloody exist anywhere.

Imagine my excitement then whilst idly browsing through some chair porn to find this, the Barceloneta. Serralunga collaborating with designer Raffaella Mangiarotti have created a modern interpretation of the classic chair.

it retains the distinctive capitonnè

it's even stackable

So I tracked it down to see how much...

Why? Why oh lord do I have the unnerving ability to always be attracted to items that cost an arm and a leg. Grrr. Back to ebay.

the edge is still out there

2010-07-21T12:05:00.001+01:00

punch it Chewie

2010-07-20T11:39:00.001+01:00

found at jalopnik

Rockingham 6/7/10

2010-07-08T08:06:00.002+01:00

Some footage of me taken from Mike's blade. I expect he doesn't want get too close in case my leathers screw with the camera.

The way you look tonight

2010-07-07T11:51:00.004+01:00

And a good time was had at Rockingham. Somewhat nervous about my first time back on track after breaking my collarbone at Anglesey eight weeks ago gently does it was the idea. It took the whole morning to get some semblance of mojo back especially braking into the two hairpins. Curiously looking at the Video VBOX playback between sessions revealed that although I felt I was really wussing out braking early and gingerly and then pootling through the corners in fact I was carrying pretty good speed... there's a lesson in there somewhere.

One unforeseen advantage of the new leathers is that it allowed swift identification... strangers walking up and saying 'you must be driverchris from the Performance Bikes forum' ha take that you trackday sheep in your cookie cutter Alpinestars and Dainese!

Sid from Lucky Shot reckons I'm showing off a Chris De Burgh tee-shirt. Get a grip man, I don't want to look like a twat do I?

Video footage coming soon.

Range Over

2010-07-02T10:05:00.003+01:00

Charles Spencer King (1925 – June 26, 2010)

Just discovered this morning that Charles “Spen” King has died. Not a name very familiar even to the average petrolhead but one of the greats if you're a fan of a particularly functional, honest and very British kind of design.

Joining Rover in 1945 he became chief engineer of new vehicle projects in 1959 and is best known for leading the teams that developed the advanced Rover P6 series and the hugely successful Range Rover. It's hard to overstate the ongoing impact of the Range Rover or just how honest and capable the original was. The authenticity and robustness was reflected in a functional, pure design.

Latterly the Range Rover has come to signify something quite different but we shouldn't blame King. In 2004, he criticised SUV owners who drive their vehicles in urban areas, saying that vehicles like the Range Rover he created were "never intended as a status symbol but later incarnations of my design seem to be intended for that purpose."

It seems a cruel twist of timing that he dies in the month that Land Rover's current design chief Gerry McGovern revealed a new member of the design team - Victoria Beckham - although he did not outline any specific role for the former singer. Beckham said, "I'm incredibly excited to be collaborating with Range Rover. I like to take on a challenge and I'm ready for it."

It was announced on June 28, 2010 that King had died after suffering complications following a cycling accident.

driverchris

One Bullet seven men, what do you do?

Bullet

Bobbed Cub... cubber?

Wallpaper 17 -19

kickback

Parigot

Rollerbones

gift idea

Brighton

Rollerburn

Bubble

the motorist

Wallpaper 16

Postcard from Vegas

Wallpaper 15

Wallpaper 14

One day like this a year will see me right

Wallpaper 13

meanwhile back at the levy

supermarket

Krusty brand

Future imperfect

rita sue

that petrol emotion

and bob too

saddle saw

High calibre

Bullet Brat

Bullet time

In with a Bullet

Rollerburn

eyes on the road

Pocket pistol

Mountaineering

Cadwell Park 18/7/11

Motor city

Je vous en prie!

The Splish Splash Show

Audi crash number 2

That's torn it

Le Mans spotters guide

Track notes

Newport Pagnell May 21st

Mashed Swede

off the wall

Hot wheels

Gallic bred

lovely work

Wallpaper 12

Street Tracker design competition

Akira clown gang style

Lise Sarfati

Lightning XM135 Inadvertent Flight

Adam Hashemi - RFSF "Party"

Headcase

ride the lightening

the friendly skies

Charnock Richard

Whither Googie?

Egypt

feature bloat

It's what hairpins were made for

Gabriel Orozco

slow drift

Nice VW ad

OIL

Dogs in Cars

Ascent

Wallpaper 11

Guzzi

Monaco

Wallpaper 10

Punch it Chewie

aperture priori-Tea *groan*

All Right You Sons 'a Bitches, Let's Have a Race

What a wonderful feeling

Moonrunners

Fury

Rockingham trackday 6/7/10

aperture priori-Tea groan