August 2025

 

August 2025

 

A few things I forgot from last month but need to be recorded in my things done one was repairing a bangle. The string had become detached at one end so the securing crimp needed opening up, the string repositioned and crimped up again. It is not much, but it is fiddly.

I have a need to fit cameras to the Kawasaki. They are to record my journeys to give a snapshot of where I am. I have a cheapo Kitvision which is almost disposable and used on the bike in India and a more expensive Sport DV that I have had for years and works very well on Windows Ten which it never did on Windows Seven. The problem is where to fit them on the Kawasaki. I have decided to use the mirror stalks which seem to work for both types of camera. A special one had to be made to match the shape of the stalk for the Kitvision. I fashioned a suitable shape from glass fibre filler to make it more stable and less bouncy.

Observed Sunday was a little different this month having the meeting at Normandy Village Hall. This is near Guildford and further to go for me but it unleashes more country roads to practice on. It also meant we had to bring the Club shop with us. John managed it perfectly whereas my input was minimal having had Tom-tom fail through poor connections I needed to use my phone. With road closures and no idea where to go it was a fraught journey and I arrived an hour late. I did my photo shoot to capture the day and returned home to replace the in-line fuse and holder for the power socket on the Kawasaki.

The following weekend we took a trip to Chipping Sodbury for Folk Night at the Beaufort and staying with my brother for a few days. Another enjoyable event although traffic slowed the journeys to and from.

A few days later it was time for the British Motor Show at Farnborough Airport. A massive event and with incredible hot weather except the Saturday where no sun was seen or even blue sky. I had committed to showing the El Cid for the three days and delivered the car to the show on the Thursday with Gita picking me up and delivering me back there on the Sunday to collect it. I was there Friday and Saturday going on the Kawasaki and Sunday and met some remarkable people among them was Celia Watson a spritely octogenarian who is editor of the Triple the official journal of The Motor Cycling Club. She is also member of 2CVGB as am I. Celia gave me a copy of the Triple and I sent her my “To the top of the world” article. I have now read the Triple and found the exploits of members with standard and modified to be inspiring. Perhaps I will do a trial myself. At the show there are always people who want to know about your car and your escapades with it. I walked around the show many times and took lots of photos of things that interested me like the AA stand with its historical vehicles, the Army Motorcycle stand, Disabled Bikers, and the 2CV racing stand.

Service of the Kawasaki at Traxden Motorcycles. Done in a few hours and picked it up that evening. Hopefully all will be well for the MOT at the beginning of September. Adrian bought a Brompton bicycle on eBay and I agreed to pick it up as it was Hounslow. Then there was the C3 service in Aylesbury then a Chieveley swop to deliver the bike to him coinciding with an evening meal at Ye Olde Red Lion. Good meal too. I took the EL Cid to Blackbushe airport on Saturday morning for the French Car meeting.Many of the people had been at the Motor Show exhibiting their cars and an opportunity
to have a post mortem on the event.

The cat went in the Cattery on Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesday Gita and I were on a plane to Barcelona to be with the grandchildren who were on holiday there.