Britbike forum Forums General discussion The Rod and Tappet Albert Escapes Death

When the rain was warm me and Baza were at a War show, and the lad we were with invited us to the old Racing circuit of Brooklands, seems they have a Military show there. So now it's nice and freezing cold, I dragged Albert out of the fettling shed fired him up and off we set....

Met up with Baza riding Monty's Rat, and hit the road of Death, the M25 motorway. It's the ONLY way there that's not all stop start traffic as Brooklands is on the wrong side of this massive ring road around the London hell. And for some strange unknown reason, for once in it's life, the road was free flowing. Monty's Rat was running a tad rough, shooting out a couple of broadside blasts as the dirt in the Carb blocked the fuel for a second. But once Baza placed his hand over the hole where the air filter usually goes, all was well, and we didn't need to stop or anything....

Then we got to the museum, and the search for the special entrance started, we ended up doing a couple of laps of the circuit, now mostly industrial estate and shopping places, and a massive big Mercedes dealer that has its own test track where you can drive one of their fancy cars. So we did the 'Ask someone' thing, and eventually found where we needed to be....


Parked up...





Then went for a mooch...

Brooklands is not only famous for racing, which includes cars motorcycles AND bicycles, it had an airstrip there as well. And during the War they built a few planes there like the Hurricane, so as we walked from one hanger to the next I spied these....




But first the planes....









Then a walk onto the actual circuit and the famous and extremely steep banking, tried to walk to the top of that banking, but it was simply too steep and the moss growing at the top made it far too slippery....






As we walked down we came across them Jeeps, the most Willy's Jeeps we've ever seen....











Back in the day they used to drive up 'Test Hill' checking out the vehicles, and at 14.00 we could've done the same, but with all the people and the SUn getting low, and that ride home. Well that'll happen another time, so this is that very Hill....







As all y'all know, all this Mooching is thirsty work, so we hunted down the Bar. A bit posh in there too thought I, the beer taps were plenty, but the lady was working hard serving people with them bloody coffees they have these days. Can't just go in there for a cup of Joe, OH NO Matey me ladio, it's got to be a Mokkajokkalokka with Latte on the top and a sprinkle of chocolate, hot milk and a twist. So we waited and waited till FINALLY it was our turn, two pints of that please, says our hero pointing to the Ale of choice, sorry it's not 12.00 yet you'll have to come back....

SO off outside to wait the 9 minutes, bloody licensing laws...

THEN back in we go, queuing up again, this time two ladies are serving so didn't have to wait too long, two pints of that please, says our hero once more. Are you members asked the new lady...? Errr NO but we are exhibitors, sorry can't serve you this is the member's bar. But we only want two pints, sorry can't serve you if you've not got a member's card....

So we turned around, got on the bikes and buggered off to Kent, and enjoyed a couple of pints in the Cock Inn at Luddesdowne, and to think Albert and Monty's Rat fought a War for that.....

Found out the reason for all them Jeeps, seems they were all there in one spot, to have a commemorative photo taken, as it was the 80th year of the Jeep. And they were looking for 80 Jeeps but they actually got 102....

Thanks for showing me something exciting I would have never seen otherwise.

(cross offed list, Unicorn and Bigfoot left to go.)

NICE... well except for the bit where you couldn't get any ale. TWICE foiled!
Albert escaped and so did the ales.

So, you're out with the boys again, having a nice ride ...

You know, you've taken us around the M25 more than once on old, creaky motorcycles that could maybe make 45-50 MPH, and the M25 having the reputation of one of the worst Roads of Death on the planet, and I don't remember it being bad at all. We'd get behind a truck in the slow lane that was straining along at our speed, just hung the throttles open for a bit, and there we were, around The Smoke and into the lovely legendary countryside. Sort of like my roads with no hedges, ever ....

Rode the Guzzi to a friend's house last summer, one of the other lads that was staying there had an absolutely stock 1944 Willys army Jeep, just the way they drove them in 1944, paint, entrenching tools, jerrycans, military tires, everything. I was thinking to myself "Wouldn't it be neat to have one of those to drive around?" and I started asking him about it. First off, a stock, solid, driveable one is about $30,000 .... he had bought his as a rusty shell for $4000 and put $25,000 into it plus years of elbow grease.

Second, he took me for a ride down the road, and it was like driving an old Ford 9N tractor. Loud, rough, and tapped completely out at 50 MPH, handled like a pig on roller skates. Really meant for dirt and off-road in shell-torn France, not bimbling around here ...

And I feel MUCH better that an experienced native and ale-bibber like yourself, who has been navigating English pubs for 40 years, got bit by "We don't serve food except from 3:00 to 3:10, and 6:00 to 6:08 but only on alternate Tuesdays after a bank holiday, and besides, this bar is only for the squire and his gamekeepers; aroint thee, peasant, back to your plow! ...." that I always got .... !!

Lannis