Another Burn-Up In Margate

Given that the only things to have melted down in Margate over past year or so have been half a million quid's worth of fruit machines and the bolts on the listed Scenic Railway, it's good to see those hairy bikers at London's famous Ace Cafe putting their faith in a burn-up to the Arsonists' Playground this coming bank holiday Monday.

This'll be the second time they've made the run. Last year the Meltdown was a washout due to the traditional bank holiday blow, accompanied by horizontal rain, so let's hope Kaddy Tea-Pot and her cohorts can conjure up something a bit better this time.

The event was previewed in yesterday's Sadscene. Clearly the paper had its top motoring correspondent on the case, as we were treated to lines such as: 'Mark plans to ride a modern streetfighter-style Triumph Speed Triple with, unusually, three cylinders on the day.' Er, well, it's not that unusual for a triple to have three cylinders Eileen. The clue is in the word 'triple'. Unless Mark has converted it into a twin, but, very unusually, will be popping another pot on it for the day. Oh, and the photo, captioned: 'In 1964 bikers parked up in The Parade in Margate' features a Triumph Trident predominantly in the foreground. And as we all know, they didn't start making those until 1968.

Oh well, that's the motorcycle pedantry over with. I'll be there to welcome the visitors with a cheery smile and a can of chain lube. I'd advise our local biker-baiter blogger, Nervous of Margate, to make other arrangements for his bank holiday though. Perhaps a day out in Ramsgate would be the thing, eh Nervous?

Margate Meltdown on Ace Cafe website

Super Scooters

During my sojourn on the IoW, I happened across these superb scooters! Reminiscent of the ones that rallied in Margate a couple of years ago.

Funny how they never bothered to return. Could it have been something to do with the sniffy residents of Westgate booting them out of their original campsite and relocating them somewhere north of Skegness? I think we should be told!

Margate scootermania 2007 stylee

Meltdown A Washout?

What a shame for everyone concerned that we've been cursed with the traditional bank holiday blow, accompanied by horizontal rain, for today's first ever Ace Cafe Margate Meltdown bike run. Beach football, arm wrestling and dry cracker eating seem so much more fun in the sun, I always think.

Still, like yesterday, perhaps the weather will clear up and we'll be able to admire those magnificent men and their motorcycling machines after all. It's just the kind of event Margate needs to put it back on the map. Let's just hope the map hasn't turned into papier-mâché by the time they get here!

Click here for Margate Meltdown on Ace Cafe website

Going For A Burn-Up

Given that the only things to have melted down in Margate recently have been half a million quid's worth of fruit machines and the bolts on the listed Scenic Railway, it's good to see those hairy bikers at London's famous Ace Cafe putting their faith in a burn-up to the Arsonists' Playground this coming bank holiday Monday.

Let's hope the Rockers are given a, er, warmer welcome than the Mods last year. If you recall, the scooterists had their camp site relocated at the last minute to somewhere north of Great Yarmouth after Worried of Westgate developed a nervous twitch and febrile visions of running battles up and down the comatose streets of God's Waiting Room. In the end, far from resembling mad skinheads hellbent on trashing the joint, the 'Mods', most of whom were themselves in their granddad years, were happy to sit with a quiet pint and a plate of cockles. But all were agreed that the snotty attitude displayed by some Thanetians had put not a few mockers on the occasion.

As a Mod-turned-Rocker myself, I'll be there to welcome the visitors with a cheery smile and a can of chain lube. I'd advise our local biker-baiter blogger, Nervous of Margate, to make other arrangements for his bank holiday, though. Perhaps a day out in Ramsgate would be the thing, eh Nervous?

Click here for Margate Meltdown on Ace Cafe website

Scootermania

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!

Yak! Yak! Yak!

Phew! Now that Beelzebub's off my tail, I can get back to the seriously half-hearted business of keeping everyone here on Kent's Ramsgate Peninsula informed.

And the latest news is... er... well, the privet on Victoria Parade has been trimmed. Er... that's about it really.

However, I do appear to have become the local news hub for all things scootery. Derek from Sheppey wants me to tell you that the delightfully named Sid James Scooter Club is holding an end of May bank holiday rally at Sheerness. Now that a splendid new bridge has been built to the island, there should be no trouble getting there. And I'm reliably informed that, with travel to and from the island much enhanced, the new bridge has brought the added benefit of widening the gene pool, so it should be OK to go out after dark.

Other scooter news, and Nervous of Clacton has emailed me to say he is definitely NOT Tony Flaig, and his address is NOT... oh, I've just noticed he didn't want that published. And finally, Simon of Westgate would like it made clear that he has not spoilt everyone's fun at the National Scooter Rally in Margate this coming bank holiday by getting the camp site relocated to somewhere north of Great Yarmouth. Happy to make that clear, Simes.

Mods (And Rockers)

I see Margate is due to be invaded by gangs of bikers this coming Mayday Bank Holiday. Well, rather smartly dressed scooterists in actual fact, so that should be a welcome change from the normal riff-raff you see along the Golden Mile.

My only worry is they're coming for four whole days. What on earth are the poor sods going to find to occupy themselves?

Even Boredstares is getting in on the two wheel act in its own sedate way, with a Mods and Rockers Reunion being held at the Crampton Tower Museum on the 19th and 20th of May. I expect that'll just be a couple of hairy bikers in Victorian bathing costumes.