Monthly Archives: February 2016

SLUK Launch Date Set

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So, the latest missive from Sticky and the gang gives a little more information about Project SLUK… recently revealed to stand for ScooterLab UK…

Just to clarify, this isn’t something I’m involved in, I just think it’s good to see the Scooter media in such a healthy state. The Lambrettista blog will continue, as I see it as a very different beast from SLUK, although there is obviously some ‘cross-over’.

So over to the latest news from SLUK;

Launch date
We’ve tentatively set the website launch date for Monday March 7th.
SLUK email subscribers are the first to know about our launch date, so spread the word.

ScooterLab.UK is an online magazine, run by scooterists, for scooterists. With a website we have enormous flexibility about how SLUK will grow and evolve. We want your input on what you’d like to see, particularly if you have a good feature idea or want to get involved. We need road going scooter riders to support us and help wherever possible.

What’s the SLUKing format?
 SLUK is going to be a split format website covering the whole scooter market. At the entrance you can choose one door for retro scooters or another for modern. There will be a cross-over of some features across both sides of the site.

The great thing about what we are doing is that we can make the rules up as we go, so SLUK will have a weekly format. Sunday will be the big day for us, with scheduled release of our major articles. We can’t wait to show you.
Do I have to pay to view?
 No.
ScooterLab’s content is free to view and supported by relevant advertising. You don’t even have to sign-up to view but there are a raft of benefits if you join the party.

 

So, there you go, March 7th is the big launch… You can sign-up for further updates over at  http://www.scooterlab.uk

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Lambretta Lights Pale Ale

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Writing this blog is a just for fun thing for me, I do it because I enjoy it. Some days I enjoy it more than others…particularly when nice people send me things*. Especially beer. Beer is good. If you want to send me beer, that’s great!

CcJmYVoXEAA1tUaThe guys from the Kel Paul Brewing Co.(a pop-up brewery based in  The Hereford Brewery, Hereford). It’s not just beer, it’s Lambretta beer. With a Lambretta logo and a Lambretta on the front. Life doesn’t get better than this. And it’s very quaffable. To quote the blurb on the bottle it’s  ‘A smooth, well hopped Pale Ale. Initial sweet bitterness gives way to a smooth finish’.

Now I’m no Michael Jackson (the beer writer, not the kiddyfiddling** ‘King of Pop’ – though I’m no him either) but I do like a pint. And this is a good one. I fancy I tasted a bit of a citrus twang to it. But that might just me being poncey. It does go very well with a Tesco’s Finest Salami Napoli  pizza. The perfect accompaniment in fact.

You order a case of 12 for a very reasonable £25 + packaging. An ideal gift for the Lambretta loving mate. Or get a couple of cases in for your next social gathering – it’s bound to be a conversation piece.  Every Lambretta lover should have a couple of bottles on standby.

Email kelpaulbrewery@gmail.com and they’ll sort you out.

*If the nice people at Scomadi want to send me one of those, I’ll write a nice, honest review about that too…

**allegedly.

 

 

Spanish D

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SpanishD10.00.51Iain Hannay sent me some fantastic pics of a Model D, that he’s just got running…  built in the Eibar factory, in the Spanish Basque country.

SpanishD10.01.01SpanishD10.01.10SpanishD10.01.16SpanishD10.02.24SpanishD10.02.48Now, I see a fair few Spanish Series 2 Lambrettas these days (much more than I used to, for some reason), and Jet 200’s are getting recognised as very desirable scooters… but I haven’t seen many early open frame models. If any, truth be told.

Iain’s D has some nice period accessories, the legshield extenders, and the spare wheel carrier / rack… and I love that oxblood paint. A cracking little scooter, that looks great in the Spanish sunshine!

I’d love to see any other old Spanish Lambrettas… any Spanish LD’s or Series 1’s out there? And what differentiates them from their Italian cousins?

 

Scooter & Style Magazine, #6

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Its always a pleasant moment when an A4 (ok, C4, envelope pedants) envelope drops through my letterbox with a french postmark… It’ll be the next issue of Scooter & Style magazine, hot off the press…couv6
Issue No 6 is a quality product as ever, with another wonderful scooter collection (it seems every other Frenchman has a garage full of rare and beautiful scooters!) a pristine GP 200 Electronic… various Vespa related articles, and a Maico Mobile feature. But perhaps this issues standout feature is a comparison between two Peugeot scooters… the classic s57, and it’s modern counterpart the Django, both of which have featured in my blog recently. (0k, the Django was a custom build by Deus Ex Machina) .

I’ve got to say, the Django – which I initially wrote off as just another, bandwagon jumping retro styling exercise – is growing on me. After all, Peugeot has a proud history of producing scooters. If Vespa can continue to trade off their heritage, why can’t other marques?

Anway, back to Scooter & Style… another strong issue… if you want to widen your reading materials from the obvious, I’d highly recommend it. You can get it online, here.

 

Fishtail parka

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If you’re into the whole ‘mod’ thing, this iconic item of clothing is a must have, especially if you ride a scoot. After posting about the “Being” movie, I received a few queries asking ‘where can I get those coats?” Well as many of you know (just skip this post if you do!), it was the coat of choice for the original scooter-riding mods, mainly worn as a functional garment to keep their smart clothes clean. It’s been years since I’ve worn one myself, but they were a pretty decent overgarment, tough, reasonably waterproof while you were wearing them, your body heat somehow keeping you fairly dry in all but torrential downpours. Once you took it off though, it the whole coat became sodden!

If you’re going to wear a parka, how you ‘dress’ it is up to you, but IMHO, less is more. Just because you can get a bunch of target and union jacks patches on t’interet, doesn’t mean you should. Beware the whole ‘comedy mod’ tag! This, by the way, isn’t a modern phenomenon. We took a very high handed attitude to kids (the same age as us) in the early eighties wearing patches that said “Remember ’64” (you don’t!) and “We’ll fight them on the beaches”  (you won’t!).

The one pictured above, US hooded shell M51, is available on Amazon here

SLUK… All is revealed!

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So, there’s been a bit of a buzz around ‘something’ called SLUK – all was revealed today at Scooterist Meltdown by Martin ‘Sticky’ Round… well-known scooter expert,  journalist and adventurer…

SLUK PRESS RELEASE

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Do you love scooters but are fed up with dead-tree scooter media?

Would you like something that was more up to date, faster with the news, more interactive maybe?

Would you prefer it if you could obtain quality scooter content in a format that you could access anywhere, at any time, with the phone in your pocket or the computer in front of you?

What about going beyond a static format and adding video content designed both to inform and entertain?

How about your scooter media not being a one-way street, but by you being able to actively take part in real time?

How would you feel about all of this being brought to you by forward-thinking scooter riders like yourself?

Would you like to still get the quality of writing that only comes from knowledgeable and experienced writers?

Would you like to see big, powerful images displayed beautifully on a revolutionary website that blows the competition into the weeds?

How about if there was one place on the net that acted as a hub for scooterists worldwide? Somewhere you can find out about forthcoming events and post reports of those you’ve attended in video or photographic format.

How about a site that allowed you to get a better deal on insurance, clothing or simply to find your nearest dealer?

What would you pay for such a service? What if we said that you do not need to visit a newsagent to pay £4 every month or take out a subscription for this?

How about if we told you that the price for all this is FREE?

If that sounds like a good deal then you need SLUK.

SLUK is short for ScooterLab.uk and it’s coming to you soon.

Sign-up online to be the first to know when it kickstarts…

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Sounds pretty good to me! Of course, you can still keep reading and interacting with your favourite Lambretta blog… 😉

I’d just like to give a personal nod to Sticky, I’ve been thoroughly entertained by his writing for Scootering over the years, and he’s even made me smile when reading his “Complete Spanners Guide” how many workshop manuals do that? He’s been a friend to the blog, and I wish him and the team every success in their new venture!

Serious ladies

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By the expressions on their faces, whatever race was about to start wasn’t ‘just for fun’… these girls were taking things pretty seriously!
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I don’t know a lot about this shot, but it’s great… I just had to reach into my ’emergency stash’ as I couldn’t leave a Vespa, no matter how beautiful, sitting as the first post on a Lambretta blog. Nothing against our Wasp riding brethren, but it’s just not right.

There’s some lovely scooters including an S-Type (Ridden by a Bev?) but I think the old D still looks ‘competitive’ …although the rider seems less professionally attired! There’s legshield banners for The Innocents Lambretta Club Kent, and TheLambretta Club London. If you can add any more info, or identify any of the participants, please do!

I love old pics like this, and if you’ve got any you would like to share on the blog, get in touch and we’ll get ’em up.

Vespa “Sei Giorni” Race Replica

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I don’t normally post Vespa’s. This is a Lambretta blog!  But this I spotted a pic of this gorgeous machine on Twitter, and found a few more online. And it’s a superb looking machine, completley up my strasse. It’s for sale on eBay at the moment, in Germany.

I don’t know anything about it, other than it is called a “Sei Giorni” Race Replica… Now, my limited Italian translates “Sei Giorni” as Six Days, and that automatically get me thinking of the Scottish 6 Day Trials, but I may be completely off beam here. There were probably a ton of 6 Day Competitions back in the day. Any Vespa enthusiasts / knowledgable scooter sport historians on here can shed any more light? Please let me know in the comments.

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There’s a german website address on the eBay page, but it doesn’t seem to work for me.
I’ll include it in case you have more luck http://www.scooterequipment.de

Here’s the eBay link

Normal Lambretta Service will be resumed shortly.

Quadrophenia Immersive Cinematic Experience

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I’m a bit behind the curve on this one (it’s been a busy week!), and as it’s tomorrow night, you’ll have to get your skates on if you’re interested. There appears to be a few tickets left (surprisingly) and it’s always worth checking at the box office for returns.

There seems to be a real buzz around Quadrophenia again, which can’t be a bad thing. What with a short film about a boy obsessed with it (see my post here) in the offing, and this fully immersive Cinematic Experience tomorrow night (February 11th) the focus is back on this classic film that influenced so many of our young lives. Changed them even!

The copy below is from the Hammersmith Appollo (as it will always be for me) website. British movie classic Quadrophenia is to become a fully immersive cinematic and theatrical experience, plunging fans into the sights and sounds of 1964 and capturing the spirit of the era.

British movie classic Quadrophenia is to become a fully immersive cinematic and theatrical experience, plunging fans into the sights and sounds of 1964 and capturing the spirit of the era.

Many of the film’s key stars will be taking part in the event, to be staged at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on 11 February 2016, including Phil Daniels who took the central role as disaffected Mod teenager Jimmy Cooper. Joining Daniels will be other major names from the cast including Phil Davis, Mark Wingett, John Altman, Toyah Wilcox, Trevor Laird, Garry Cooper and Daniel Peacock, plus director Franc Roddam, who together will share their memories in a Q&A to add an extra dimension.

In addition to a screening of the 1979 film, based on The Who’s double-album rock-opera released six years earlier, and the Q&A session, there will be staged re-enactments throughout the night of scenes from the film to conjure up the feel of the mid-60s era in which it is set. The all-important sounds of the day will be performed live by leading Who tribute act Who’s Who, and there will be an exclusive VIP after party with appearances from all the Q&A special guests, plus memorabilia including original Vespas and their real life Mod owners. As any self-respecting Mod knows, it is important to look your best at all times and there will be awards with great prizes for the guests in the “best threads”.

Director Franc Roddam’s film is seen as a classic tale of alienation, disillusionment and escapism, as well as an important document capturing an important part of British youth history and rebellion. Watching the movie has been a rite of passage for millions since its release and the Mod era has been a source of fascination for generations – its fashions and music continuing to resonate.

In the film Daniels stars as bored teenager Jimmy who finds excitement and escape from his undemanding job by seeking thrills with his Mod pals, popping drugs, chasing girls, riding his Lambretta and fighting. After the thrill of a weekend in Brighton, which ends in a riot and a court appearance, he decides to leave his old life behind and head to the coast but finds the reality a harsh let down.

Quadrophenia reflected the real-life situation of the day as partisan teenagers in fish-tails and leathers sought excitement through large scale scuffles when Mods and Rockers clashed at seaside resorts. Lines from the film’s famous courtroom scene were even lifted wholesale from genuine hearings.

Also featuring Sting as Jimmy’s idol Ace Face (who turns out to be considerably less cool than he has made out), Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone and Phil Davis, the two-hour film ranked in the top ten rock and roll movies of all time chosen by discerning readers of Rolling Stone magazine. The soundtrack featured many of The Who’s songs from the original album, including tracks such as ‘5.15’.

Immersive performances have become a hugely successful and popular way to enjoy much-loved films, adding an extra thrill and an unforgettable live experience.

Significantly for this event, the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith actually featured in the original artwork for the 1973 Quadrophenia album release, with a photograph of The Who standing in front of the building, then known as the Hammersmith Odeon. It is also mentioned in the sleeve notes, in which Jimmy recalls seeing Who posters being pasted outside the building after he sleeps rough in Hammersmith.

Tickets and more here.

If you go, and take some pictures, get in touch at mrlambrettista@google.com and I’ll be glad to post them on the blog.