Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

To quote our old friend John Wayne.. "Lookin' back can be a bad habit" (True Grit 1969)

Not for us though aay?.......

Phill, if you want to live long enough to be a grumpy old git, never, ever tell an Old Fart, "Looking back can be a bad habit" ----------it's what we do ! ------restore things back to better than original, bring back the "blast from the past".
Take anything in life you want-------boats and trains, planes, cars, paintings, sculptures, clocks and watches. None of the new is worth a fraction of what the old fetches at auction------and in most cases are they as beautiful or well made !
Although I love "Looking Back"-------it won't ever stop me from moving ahead------looking at pastures new, wondering what's over the hill, seeing if I can still "Do It".
I still look forward to the excitement of a new day, wondering what's going to happen next, where I'm going ? Will I get there, will I come back, will I like it ? Can I make it, will my peers like what I've done? Are the hands and mind and body still in working order?
All this and more can be answered if you just "LOOK BACK" occasionally !
Here endeth the first lesson-----my old headmaster used to say that every day after assembly prayers.

This very posh hotel dates back just a few hundred years, but the surrounding towns and villages go back thousands of years-----long before the doomsday book-------forecast is for HEAVY RAIN, up here in deepest Yorkshire -------that means take a brolly and a raincoat.

[jackiewilson]

Just one one of the "child eating predator COY CARP "
they close the gardens here around midnight, warnings are given, fish eat herons !
All dissapearences are put down to the coys-----no stray cats or dogs or lost children, vagrants or mothers in law.
Stay away Serra------you got no chance !

[jackiewilson]

You do not want to make the King of England pissed off at you !
Abbotts at Bolton Abbey did just that------then the roof was left smouldering------mind you that was a few hundred years ago!
The Abbey itself has been used daily for over 850 years continuously --------must be one of the newcomers------some old chapels have done over a thousand years!
Went into the boon docks where I used to go at 17/18 years old on either a Speed Twin, Tiger 100, or a 750 Thunderbird, with a motley crew of fellow teenagers.
Settle, Malham and Skipton-------wild country-----God made it and forgot it !

[jackiewilson]

Craig won the first race in Sarasota------only made second in the next heat-------needs to do better than that to get the title. C'mon boy-------you can do it-----you got grandad rooting for ya!

[jackiewilson]

Craig won the last race------one race tomorrow-----9points behind------upshot is-----he has to win, the guy leading the championship has to do better than fifth, makes for exciting biting .

[jackiewilson]

How the hell Bridgett the midget keeps popping up I have no idea-------here he is again organising the golf tourney.!

[jackiewilson]

Well, the boy did OK------needed to win all five races to make sure of the title.
Three firsts and a second ain't TOO shabby I don't suppose.
Craig drove the nuts off 'n the boat-------beat the living day lights out of it-------smashed things up pretty good -------a lot of man hours needed to make it fit for racing today.
My grandson just needs to come first today------fate will deal the last card---as it usually does, but come hell or high water one thing remains abundantly clear------the kid drove his heart out, well done my boy----IM PROUD OF YOU.

[jackiewilson]

Went to the Ruskin Museum in Hawkshead where the remains of "Bluebird" are kept.
First piccie is a model in a tourist shop window !
Rebuild is being done up in Teeside by Bill Smith who has his own engineering works.

Thing that surmazed me was the full history of Ken Warby and his World record efforts and his visit to the Ruskin Museum?
Most of the old farts met up with Ken at Gieco's a few years back---- small world "Init" ?

[jackiewilson]

Well, Craig won the final heat in Sarasota--------four wins and a second put him top of the heap.
He needed five out of five------lost out on the title by three points!

Some days you eat bear!!!!!

[jackiewilson]

Funny how all the old farts hibernate at weekends, has to be somebody out there who disagrees with what I'm saying------maybe most of em got taken to the old folks farm ! Where there's no signal.

Watched the P1 final last night on the link that Mark sent me-------craig quite obviously did not have the quickest boat-----he did have one he could put anywhere with confidence ------got the set up spot on and used his experience as a Triple World Offshore Champion to out drive the rest of the pack!
They are not the prettiest boats I ever saw, but one of a kind racing always was a compromise or you never would get a novice in one. What it does do, is make for close racing!
What it doesn't do is stop the bitching and moaning you always get when one guy dominates !
Craig offered to give his boat to any other driver there, and he would take their boat------needless to say there were no takers.
He also said he never once saw. 66 mph-------so they fitted webcams to three of the boats to prove it. His included.

Monday morning again-----just love that day! Off on another adventure !!!!!

[jackiewilson]

Everywhere you go there's one of these damn things-----just like garbage cans?

[jackiewilson]

This is ones just for you Gene-------thought that you being so much older than me, might just remember this before it was shipped to Joburg SA.

[jackiewilson]

Of of all the cars in the museum at Windermere -------that's the one I like best XK 140 Jag.
Just the dogs cajones.

[jackiewilson]

Bentley 4 1/2 litre, mundane, "rich mans car"------couldn't give 'em away after the war, saw several for sale in Motorsport for £100 -----that was 1946/7.
Meself, I wouldn't give it garage space-----but this one comes with Campbell history, that would take it up in value by a shilling or two.

[jackiewilson]

Big old V12 Cadillac Fleetwood--------elegant but thirsty old bastard------only does gallons per mile----not miles per gallon, don't doubt some dopey footballer or gullible golfer would shell out a couple of mill or more for this old dinosaur .