CHCHESTER CHATTING 06-09-2002
Well folks , the big day approaches. The splendors & glory of Goodwood are just 17 hours away & I already have a woody. In the mean time, I departed Bath on Monday morn with no real plan of attack.Wandered past Stonehenge & took some more pickies (Yes there was film in the camera). I know I did this last time but it was such a nice day & I was in
the area so.........
Ended up going straight to Chichester (which is where Goodwood is) as when I was here last time I didn't actually get to look arround town. There is all sorts of stuff here. Just down the road are the remains of a Roman palace with some amazing mozaics still in some sort of order. They have only uncovered about one third of the site so far so there may be shit loads more
to look at next time.
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Fairly good RAF museum just out the other side of town as well. The selection of aircraft is a bit dull however the other stuff they have on display is quite extensive.The obvious Battle of Britain stuff, you know uniforms, personal effects, letters etc but also the remains of a pranged Hurricane. Although perhaps the remains of the pranged pilot could have been left out. Bits of boot, belt buckle & goggle etc. Twas a tad unsubtle but I suppose that it gets the point across.Anand, the other stuff in there (including a 9TH SS Panzer Div uniform) would have you in an unseemingly arroused state. Sorry but they would not allow photography so you will just have to take my word for it. Not that many do...........
Popped down to Portsmouth & checked out the Naval museum (this is all getting a bit militaristic but there you are..)Strolled onto the HMS Victory & took a shot of the Gundeck before I noticed the sign saying no photography.Sometimes it pays to be an unobservant bastard. Depending on if the photo comes out OK of course.Found some amusing stuff in the shop there, not all I could bring back. The funniest was one of those ships in a bottle. The funny bit was that this was of the Titanic sinking in a bottle.And you all thought that I was a sick puppy...Well OK I am but it's nice to know that I am in good company.Unfortunately it was just to big to bring back so I will just have to rely on the memory.
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Annoyingly a lot of these places will not let you take photos so an awful lot is having to be consined to my ever decreasing memory.What was I saying? Who the HELL are you people? Oh, thats right I remember now. I think. Although you may just be the figment of a very deranged imagination.Perhaps this is not a keyboard after all but a maternally enraged pig of which I am tweaking the nipples. Perhaps not.
Has been utterly splendid weather, all sun & warmth with the rather predictable forcast that it will be pissing down for the next 3 days whilst I will be wading in the Goodwood mud.
The only light is that they (yes, that they) have been predicting this wet stuff to arrive every day for the last 4 days. Knowing my luck however they (Yes that they again) will get it correct this time arround. Good song that. Scott will understand. Speaking of weird English Pub names (I think I was, wasn't I?) the latest in this line is "The slug & Lettuce". How can you possibly not have a drink there? I've had several. Isn't that a suprise? No?? Ah well, I can, you see, because I'm not at work. "That never stopped you before!!" I hear you cry. Well if you are all going to be snotty like that you can all bugger off. It's getting later (than it was) & I think I require some topping up.
Where was I, ah yes, Portsmouth. The museum itself is quite good & you get to go through the Victory (Guided tours only I'm afraid), check out the remains of the Mary Rose & clamber all over the HMS Warrior, the first iron clad ship built. Sort of the ICBM of it's day. Changed the arms race of the late 19th century like you wouldn't believe. No photo restrictions on the Warrior & not crammed into some bloody group being herded through at record speed so the fat bastard guide could have a ciggy ASAP, so it was much more enjoyable than the rest of the stuff there. There are so many exhibits there that when you tack on a short harbour cruise (which is not quite as scenic as one in Sydney) it takes about 5-6 hours to go through it all. Not a bad day really.
Talking of lunch, the food situation here continues to wane from one extreme to the other. I have found that the English can not even cook their own food well. How the hell can you cook a duck & make it dry? Impossible?? Evidently not.......Next night I found (finally) a good chinese restaurant in England. Not great, you understand, but good enough. Better than the French ones or those in Gosford. Like Bath I think I might work my way through it's menu over the next few days. Anyhow, the dark & gloomy clouds are begining to gather above so I think I may stroll of for that drinkie.
Toodles
The FUSB
REFLECTIONS IN (THE) BATH 02-09-2002
Evenin all...... A rather pleasant afternoon here & I have just finished a highly restorative pint of bitter in the "Rat & Parrot" in an attempt to get the creative juices flowing. Where on earth do they come up with the names for these pubs?Not a bad pub with tables outside (which is fine in the sun) so you can watch the oddities walk past. There was a 600 pound Mauri there today with a T-shirt that you could have used as a mainsail on the Cutty Sark which read.."New ZealandRugby...Ruck, Maul, Tackle...and that's just to get a beer"
Who was I to argue? I let him get his before me......
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Was one chap today wearing a University of Plymouth shirt who was looking very confused when the glass collector guy took his menu from his before he had ordered any food. I though he was about to cry but maybe that was just his normal expression.Hey dad..remember that broad you used to know (Visha I think her name was) with the alarming chest & teeth? I saw her double in this pub the other day. I'm not sure which protruded most but I think the teeth may have been winning.English dentistry is obviously an art form. Like Picasso or Dali.
Very attractive little town but yet again the "Roman" description of the Roman Baths is a bit of a stretch. The foundations & some assorted rubble are Roman however the rest was rebuilt a couple of hundred years ago & one of the statues is only 15 years old. Apparently some drunks went for a dive & crash tackled the old (100 years)one from the balcony & into the pool. Still, they tried to make it look Roman so it still looks OK.Very pretty in fact. The water is quite warm & on a cool evening or morning has steam billowing off the surface of the main pool.They light it up at night until about 10PM so it really is quite spectacullar.
I hope to christ that these photos come out. On a roll in that department.Thought I may have fixed the problem with the Canon so I used it on Beeston Castle (described in the last issue) but that was a failure as well. Returned the following day with the Pentax, climbed that bloody hill all over again & ran of another set of shots.Left the next day to get down here to Bath & on Friday wandered about town all morning happily snapping away until I figured out that I hadn't put any film in the damn thing.
Yet again , it was a good thing that I bought another little book at Beeston Castle. Next time I think of buying a book I really will need to check the camera. After Versailles, this is getting spooky.So I got to do the lap of Bath all over again too. Ah well, good excersize.
Purchased a new wide angle lense for the Pentax so all should be sorted now. It would have been just as cheap to get a new Canon body to go with the existing lense but what the hell.The parks & gardens are a more attractive sight than most of the town with all of the flowers in bloom so most of the photos from here will be of them & the baths.
Sat & consumed a very English Cream Tea in one of these gardens yesterday. A pot of tea, scones with strawberry jam & clotted cream.Spiffing eh wot? Most relaxing.Strange assortment of history here. Appart from Blackadders Baby eating Bishop (or Bull Buggering Bishop, whichever you prefer) of Bath & Wells folks such as Gosvenor Phillip, Admiral Nelson, Pitt (Elder/Junior?? It doesn't mention which one, I assume that you are supposed to know) Jane Austin & Charles Dickins all lived here at some point & there are plaques attached to the fronts of the buildings where they stayed. Mind you, I have never heard of half the people that are apparently famous.Queen Victoria stayed here once prior to becoming queen but was apparently treated in an anything but curteous mannor by a local journalist (who described her as dowdy) & vowed never to return.And didn't. They seem to be quite proud of this.
They can probably be more proud of this than their food however I have found yet another excellant Thai restaurant (again called Mai Thai, how many of them are there on the planet) which I am about to head off to for the third night running.Al, you would love the sartay chicken, the sauce is every bit as good as Ashfield used to be. In fact all of them are. Remember the mixed seafood thing we used to get there? The one you never had any of but Toni & I would demolish? This one is possibly better.It seems that Thai is the only cuisine that is good no matter where you have it. Perhaps it is just that they (the thai's) haven't been anywhere else long enough to forget how to cook their food correctly.They even jabbered away between themselves in Thai as apposed to some appalling pommie accent. I thought that that was a promising start & from there it just improved.Hmm, starting to salivate already.
Perhaps I should have come here next time ( perhaps I still will) as they are renovating two of the old public baths & will be re-opening them (for bathing, not just viewing) later this year.The idea of having a dip in a nice warm natural spring followed by a massage & a good Thai feed sounds like a fine way to complete one's day.
I have absolutely no idea where I shall be heading tomorrow but will be staying there for 3 nights prior to heading on to Goodwood for the BLISS. I guess I have to leave you with some suspense.
There was a good line I heard once...Take the tourist & the traveller,The essential difference is,That the traveller don't know where he's going,& the tourist don't know where he is.
Speaking of which, I think that about 90 percent of the population of this place does not live here. Forget asking directions because the person you ask has more than likely been here less time than you. I have been asked 5 times now. The last one I could actually help. Made me feel like a local however he accent gives me away.The lack of any discernable street signs doesn't help matters either.But like all these small places you start to figure it out after a while.
Anyhow I shall drop you all another missive later in the weeks when I know where I am & if it is worth writing about.
So Cheerio and enjoy work.
The FUSB
OBSERVATIONS FROM OULTON PARK....PART 2 30-08-2002
Terribly sorry for the abrupt ending the other day folks however there was no internet cafe in Nantwich so I was using the only one in the library. I had already almost finished the email when the bloody thing locked up & I had to start again.Poor girl who was waiting had been patiently sitting behind me for about 45 minutes.
So
The Gold Cup meeting was only one and a half days long starting at 12 on Sunday.Arrived at the circuit at about 10.30 and just walked arround the track to decide on where the best photo spot would be. It is, as I said a beautiful little track winding it's way arround a little valley. There wouldn't be a 100 metre stretch in which it doesn't change either direction or elevation. No wonder they enjoy driving it.
Strolled into the paddock at about 11.30 & spent a very drool prevoking hour or so wasting film, gauking & chatting to folk sitting beside these magnificent beasts. Very friendly folk these. Mechanics working on cars would even down tools & step away from the cars if they saw you lining up a photo.Can't imagine Ferrari mechanics doing that, can you?Purchased an Ice-cream & continued the saunter arround the track when, as I was exactly on the oposite side of the circuit I spotted my car & noticed that I had left the lights on.
BUGGER!
Long walk back to car.....Start again.Have a chat to the bloke selling programmes who advises that the best spot for photos is about 10 yards away from where I have parked the car.The only long straight on the circuit leading into a nasty little chicane at Knickerbock before swinging right & up a steet climb towards Druids bend. This conversation occoured about half way through the practice srssion for the second race of the meet. The first ( & I'm not entirely sure how this fitted into a Pre 72 historic meeting) was what is described as Roadsports Championship.It was basically street cars of the 70's which was won by some bloke in a TVR Tuscan by about one & a half minutes from a Lotus 7. The feller in the Ferrari 308 should probably have won it (or at least may have been closer) but he threw it into the shrubbery on lap one so all in all this was a bit dull.
The second was a Formula junior race which was more like it however even this was won by over half a minute. It had an impressive entry however. 24 cars ranging from Lotus 18s, 22s & 27s (11 in all) 3 Cooper T56s, 1 Brabham BT6 & a range of odd makes such as Alexis, Elwa, PLW & Caravelle.Again, unfortunately a fairly dull race after a first corner bingle the leader was 15 seconds in front halfway arround the first lap & just pulled away from there.
The Third was yet another rosdsports race but this time with older cars.A huge brace of Lotus Elans mixed in with an odd assortment of Lancias, Triumphs & a nice little Alfa Giulia Spider. Sorry John, not one decent shot of it, even the ones in the paddock were rooted by the camera problem.This one was at least reasonably close to start with but eventually the grunt of the 67 Chevy Comaro was too much for the Elan brigade.
Race 4 The drool begins The pre 66 GP field was a cracker. Again as many of these are likely to be at Goodwood in 2 weeks I am a bit supprised that so many showed up.There were;
5 Cooper T45s
1 Cooper T51 Maserati
3 Cooper T53s
1 Cooper T661 Cooper T71
1 Lotus 18
2 Lotus 18/21s
2 Lotus 21s
1 Lotus 24
1 LDS MK3
1 Emeryson
1 Lola Mk3
1 Lola Mk5
1 ATS (The Derrington Francis modle)
3 Brabham BT4s
1 Brabham BT6
1 Brabham BT14
& the unraced Walker F1 Not bad eh? This was dominated by the three BT4s with an entertaining dice between Frank Sytner & Richard Attwood until Sytners engine broke.Attwood won the race by about 45 seconds from the third BT4.Good start for Jack's toys. Pity about later.
Sundays delights began with a pre 59 sports car race for those with drum brakes.This was dominated by a couple of Cooper T39s but it was a Maserati 300S & (again) Frank Sytner's Astom Martin DB3S which held everyones interest. The programme guy was right. Especially with these, Knickerbock corner was a fine place for photos as I'm sure you will see.
Next up was a Formula junior/F3 race with an enormous field of over 40 cars.Again plenty of Brabhams, Coopers, Lolas & Merlyns but too many to go through.The closest fight so far with a 4 second win to a Techno from a Barbham, a March, a Merlyn & a Palliser. Can't get much more variety than that.
The strangest race of the weekend had to be the Derek Bell Trophy.It combined FFord 2000, Super V, Clubmans, F3, F Atlantic, F2, F5000 & F1 cars all in the one race. Although the only F1 was the Cooper T86C Alfa Romeo V8 which despite sounding glorious was bloody slow.Supprise will not be registered then when I advise that a March 73A F5000 ran off with this one by almost 2 minutes.
Next was another sports car race with another enormous field including no less than 8 Marcos 1800GTs & 5 E type Jags.One of the E types won from the sole TVR Griffith & a brace of Lotus's.
Drool number 2 was next up with the pre 61 GP cars.Plenty of Maseratis (4 250Fs & 2 A6GCMs) 3 Cooper Bristols 3 Connaughts & all sorts of old beasties from Bugattis & Amilcars to a six storey house on wheels called a Bentley Mother Gun which was flung arround with much more verve than should have been allowed. It's handling was as much a danger to the next county as the other competitors.Predictably however this was won by two cars that probably shouldn't have been allowed in this field. The only two rear engined ones. The Lotus 16 disappeared from the Cooper T43 which in turn disappeared from everyone else.The Bentley was fun though.
A more likely sportscar race followed & was again dominated by Frank Sytner in a Cooper Monaco. That a lumbering Lister could keep within 5 seconds tells you that Frank was just strolling about. I did get a highly entertaining shot of a Maserati Birdcage blowing it's engine (smoke billowing out via the cockpit) during this race so all in all I enjoyed it.
The main event was next with the Pre 72 GP cars.As previously stated this had a disappointingly thin entry list of F1sThe March 711 lunched it's only engine in practice.Neither the BRM P153 or P160 showed up nor did another March 711 or the Brabham BT37.And then when Sir Jack killed the BT26A on a demo run we were down to just the victorious (& glorious sounding) BRM P180 V12, 2 Surtees TS9Bs, 1 Surtees TS9 & the ever slow Cooper T86C Alfa.A brace of F5000 McLarens & a dozen or so F2s made up the field but it was a rather dull affair with Flavian Marcais ( the guy that dominated Monaco & won at Pau this year) vanishing from the Surtees's.
Ah well, maybe next time. Odd though that the only GP or Sportscar class that will not be at Goodwood was so poorly attended. The meet wound down with a F.Ford race which was very competitive (as usual) a saloon car race in which a BMW 2000 & a Jag Mk11 beat a bunch of Lotus Cortinas. Wouldn't have happened in Jimmy's day.Last was a Jaguar XK only battle which although a bit dull in the variety stakes gave plenty of sideways & lurching action.
Lovely sunny afternoon. Got burnt to the buggery as when I had set out to the track it was cloudy so didn't take a hat or anything like that.Can't pick pommy whether. Just when you expect it to be crap the sun pops out.
Hope you are really jealous by now.
HA HA
FUSB
OBSERVATIONS FROM OULTON PARK 28/08/2002
Well, departed Paris on a marvelous sunny summer morning & arrived at East Midlands airport in England on a marvelous drizzly English summer morning.Picked up my car (a Ford Mondeo, whis is supprisingly a dream to drive)& headed to Donnington.Wasted several million rolls of film on Mr Wheatcrofts Grand Prix Collection. (Sorry Dad, but I want to find out I'm this guy's bastard son) Decided to have these developed to make sure that they were OK.T'was a good thing too, as the Canon camera seems to have shat itself somewhere in Paris so most of the Pics I took in the Lourve & at Versaillesare rooted.BUGGER!!!!!!!Good thing I bought a book at Versailles, I must have had a feeling of some sort because I don't usually buy that sort of thing.Ah well, I did say I would be going back some day so 3rd time lucky????
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From Donnington I departed feeling somewhat pregnant from an imense (even by English standards) breakfast & headed west to Nantwich to set up base for the first of the historic motor racing events at OultonPark.A bit booked out so I ended up in a B&B on a dairy farm about 10 miles out of town.Ah the smell of fresh steaming cow shit in the morning brings back a few old memories.
Nice old town this, with old wooden buildings leaning out at an ominous angle over the cobbled streets. More pubs than all other businesses combined. Listening to the locals speak is a bit like reading a James Heriot book (All creatures great & small etc). I don't think they are speaking English at all. More like Zwahili with a German accent.
Checked out Beeston castle (or whats left of it). It sits on top of a very high & very steep hill. One of only 2 for about 50 miles in all directions so you get an absolutely spectacular view from the top.Bloody good exercise getting up there too. In various directions you can see Chester, Liverpool, the WelshMountains & the Pennines(different mountains).
For those of you that do not care about the racing you can bugger off now 'cause the rest is for those what do.
Utterly wonderfull circuit is OultonPark, all up hill & down dale running through little forests & past a rather large lake.The lake has a rather amusing story attached to it as told by Jack Brabham himself.He usually prepared the cars himself & had gathered a reputation at the Cooper factory of leaning on the car that he wanted to use for the meeting. Roy Salvadori (his team-mate) had twigged this & demanded from John Cooper that he be given the car that Jack was leaning on.Roy Salvadori was known for always being dressed imaculately which makes the end of this tale even funnier.The car that Roy chose was crap (& Jack knew this) & had a mechanical failure & flicked Roy off into the lake. The sight of Roy climbing out of the lake with his imaculate clothes covered in mud & crap sent everyone in the Cooper pits into fits of laughter (including Jack) which did not improve Roy's mood at all.
Anyhow I digress.... Oddly enough there was a better turnout of the older GP cars (up till 1965)than the more modern ones. I would have thought that most of these were being prepared for Goodwood in two weeks & that no-one would want to bend them here. The supposedely main event was actually a little thin on the ground. Only 1 BRM, 3 Surtees', 1 Cooper Alfa Romeo, some F5000s & some F2's. There was a March 711 in practice but it detonated an engine & was not seens again & old Sir Jack didn't help matters when he broke his Brabham BT26A half way arround a demo lap before the race was due to start.
Still the other races were a mix of fine old gear. Lots of Maseratis, ERAs,Lotus' & Brabhams to drool over.The sports car stuff was nice as well with more Maseratis, Listers, Lolas, Lotus', Coopers etc & to see them coming sideways through Knickerbock all crossed up was an absolute delight.Entry to the padock was free so lots of close up's for you to drool over.
Any how , someone sitting behind me patiently waiting to use the only PC in town so I shall depart at this point & annoy you again later in the week.
The REALLY Fat ugly smug Bastard.
Ponderings from Paris 23-08-2002
Well folks When you spend 4 days in Paris you find out that it is not enough time to see everything.The problem is that when you spend another 6 days in Paris you find all sorts of stuff that you want to see more of, so I guess that I will be back.
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Sam's world tour of munches....
Sunday... Chinese... Not as good as most Sydney joints but a damn sigh better than any in Gosford (Not that that is difficult)
Monday...Italian (Spaghetti with crayfish in white wine & cream) sound alright, yeah...crap!
Tuesday...Indian... Bloody marvelous (Finally) Little place up an alley in Montmarte. Tandori Partridge (a little overdone but still very tasty), Marsala chicken (sauce was superb..delicate & perfectly balanced) & an indian mango icecream (frozen fresh mango & coconut cream)
Wednesday...French... Well...decent amounts but not overly impressive. I cook it better.
Thursday...Chinese again..different joint but close to hotel & I couldn't be bothered walking any further...Steamed dim sims as good as they get. Beef & oyster OK, desert was a ripper....Mango & vanilla icecream, breadcrumbed (not deep fried as you are thinking but..) flambe'd in cointreau aaahhhhhhhhhh Guess what I will be serving as a desart at my next dinner party.
The only thing that has kept me going through the rain here (Oh the rain, it raineth all day, well every bloody morning anyway & was stinkingly humid every afternoon) was seeing the forcast for Sydney on BBC world. HA!! Suckers.
Whoever said that this was the Jewish area of Gay Paree obviously hasn't opened their eyes lately. The gay bit was right, however. There is, however, every other nationality under the sun here so it's a bit like walking down George St.
Speaking of gay, witnessed a realy amusing cat fight between a lesbian couple last night while feeding. It seems that it is not just guys that do not understand women. (This all unfolded in English about 2 feet away so I know what I saw) There was cutlerey flying in all directions.
Spent another day in the Lourve & still haven't got through it all (FUCK it is BIG) although I was capable of remembering to use the camera this time. A day at Versailles is NOT enough. One of those things that I will be getting back to.
If you think the Cross has lots of naughty shops you should see the street up from the Moulin Rouge. About 9 out of every 10 shops for 3-4 blocks is a sex shop of some sort. The rest are Bars, Cafes or Chemists.1 Chemist for every 30 nookie shops, talk about location. They must make a killing. This is the only place in the world that would have the "Musee de L'Erotisme" ( Museum of Erotic Arts for them of youse wot don't speak the lingo).It was actually quite decent in a weird sort of way. Not in the slightest bit sleezy. I was hoping to pick up some odd gifts there, but despite the extraordinary variety (everything from Greek & Aztec to turn of the century photos) of exhibits the shop was just plain boring. So...Bad luck!!!
No matter how much it costs I strongly advise all of you to come to Paris at least once. Don't bother with tours just get here and wonder about.Despite the French & the over-rated (& overpriced) food (It's good at Maxim's but horrendously overpriced) this place is utterly delightful. History is seeping out of every brick & paving stone. The buildings, parks & general scenery is just outstanding. Can't wait to come back.
Shaun, pass these on to Donna (Buggered if I know if she has an email address) Everyone else, enjoy work (ha, ha, ha, ha) Sorry, couldn't resist that.
Blather to you from Blighty
cheerio
The FUSB