Custom Car – September 2019

Thisyear’sRollingBlokesJalopy

Gatheringsawaround 30 carsboard

aferryheadingtotheIsleofWight.

Theshortcrossingmeanttherewastime

tosparebeforecheckingintothepre-

bookedaccommodation,anda20-minute

cruisetoBembridgeforatourofthe

lifeboatstationbridgedthatgapnicely.

Itwasthenashortdrivetothe

WhitecliffBayHolidayParkwhere

participantsweregreetedbyabevyof

RollingBirdsinyellowHi-de-Hiblazers

whodirectedustoourpreferential

parkingarea.

Saturdaywasreliabilityrundayand,

aidedbyaboundbookletofdirections

andmaps,thecarsheadedoffona

meanderingtouroftheislandwith

sightseeingstopsalongtheway.

Amazingly,consideringthesizeoftheIsle

ofWight,thetourmanagedtocover1 30

milesbeforeeveryonearrivedbackatthe

holidayparklateafternoon.

WastherearoadontheIslewedidn’t

drivedown?NotmanyIsuspect.

AneveningpartywithaBBQandalive

bandroundedthedayoffnicely.

Asthereturnferrywasn’tuntil3pm,

Sundaymorningsawashortdrivetothe

steamrailwayatHavenstreet,where

everyonewasissuedwithatrainticket

andabrownpaperbagcontaining

theirpackedlunch.Therailwayisalso

aworkingmuseumandatourofthe

workshopswheretherollingstockis

restoredwasfascinating.

Alltoosoonitwastimetoleaveand

catchtheferrythough,endinganother

brilliantweekendcourtesyoftheRolling

Blokes(andBirds).

Asalways,theemphasiswason

driving,justasitshouldbe,thefavourite

aspectofthisthingwecallhotrodding.

Welldoneall.CC

thetourmanagedto

cover1 30 miles

Solentrunning

Wordsandpics:KeithHarman

MarkHodgsoncompletedhistraditional’^32 just

intimefortheGathering.TheBrookville-bodied

roadsterispow 24 e-rsetdubdyFlaaRthoeyaadlK.ustoms-built

PeteAlexanderbroughtalongthePaulRees-

builtModelAroadsterpick-uphe’sownedfor

afewyearsnow.Werememberthe’ 6 0’s-style

roadster’sdebutattheBillingFunRunin2 006.

AhighlightofSaturdaywascruisingthehalf-

milewoodenboardwalkatRyde.It’sthesecond

longestpierinthecountry,donchaknow?

LastseeninCCinourFlatlandsMotoramaspread,

here’sRollingBlokeBrianNewman’sblown’

5-windowoutontherun.

Bycontrast,RollingBlokeDanParkerhasowned

his’39sedanforyears,anditstillholdsitsclass

recordatPendine.

JJoiningtheGatheringforthefirsttime,Steve

andStellaWoodleyfromwayoutwestinYeovil,

wheremenaremenandthesheeparenervous...

Ex-pat(haha),JohnnyBest,givesthetwo-

fingeredsalute,inthiscasereferringtothe

‘two’inDeuceforhisborrowedridetoRyde.

TheweekendkickedoffatSouthseaseafrontforcoffeebefore

theshortcruisetoPortsmouthferryterminal.

18 CUSTOMCARAUGUST 2019