Over to Margate yesterday for a butchers at the old scooters and even older scooterists that had braved the bank holiday weather to attend the National Scooter Rally.Scores of them had parked up in the 'piazza', and were tucking into plates of cockles and whelks from Mannings seafood stall, washed down with beers and frothy coffees from various establishments in the Old Town. A splendid sight, and many a nostalgic tear was shed by wizened old men reliving their youth as they stared dewy-eyed at Lambrettas and Vespas like the one above.
Indeed, far from resembling the kind of mad skinheads hellbent on trashing the joint that many Westgate residents, and our own Nervous of Clacton, were in trepidation of, most of the 'mods' looked well into their granddad years.
So as a celebration of all things scootery, I've ferreted out this marvellous piece of Italian kitsch from YouTube. It's a promotional film for Lambretta, extolling the virtues of a dance called the 'Lambretwist', and incontrovertible proof that mind altering drugs were pretty much mandatory back in the 60s. Enjoy!
6 comments:
Pity the Dutch boffins, that I mentioned earlier on my blog, didn't make a promotional video of their own. I'd imagine it would've gone pretty much like that!
I want one!
So i read that it was complaints from residents that had the camp site moved at the eleventh hour, word on the street was it was just one resident, a coucil big wig... so lets make 2000 visitors welcome shall we? all spending around £240 each in Margate. Most people in attendance were in there late 30's early 40's with familys who might come back... mmm still never mind, who need visitors anyway, not traders, businesses, hotels etc thats for sure!
I think Thanet should welcome anyone who has money to part with.
Anonymous 6:01 the finger of suspicion re the camp site relocation has been pointing in the rough direction of Dr Simon Moores. The reasoning is thus:
1. Last month Dr Moores posted on his blog that there were rumours of an imminent biker invasion of Westgate, where he was at the time standing for the Tories in the upcoming local elections.
2. I then posted full details of the scooter rally here on my blog, putting the record straight and pointing out that we should be welcoming these people with open arms.
3. Dr Moores then posted on his blog saying: I have been asked to pass on that this weekends two wheel rally in Westgate, is a motor scooter celebration with around 200 people expected and to allay any concerns from Westbrook residents, these are being accomodated at King Ethelberts school in Westgate.
Draw your own conclusions, but the suggestion is that once he was in full possession of the facts, he rang the council as an irate councillor-to-be and got them to change the camp site venue. Why else would he say: I have been asked to pass on...?
There's no proof, of course, and he denies it.
I spoke to some of the visiters, they were not impressed with camp site miles from the town (good for taxi drivers and the Buses, see the numbers of scooterists using the bus?) ... however Margate needs trade and return visiters, as was pointed out these were not teenagers but visiters of a family age, has anyone from the council followed up with feedback from the organizers? I dont know who it was how kicked up a fuss, i have heard it was someone who lives on the front at westbrook... whoever it was that one person cost Margate traders, they say 500 down each avridge spend £230 500 x 230 = £115000 in potensal lost revenue for Margate. If it was a council big wig it does rather beg some interesting questions. Or as has been suggested they dont want to attract working class visitors any more, its the arts dont cha no...
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