
.. go to the desert and grow a field of agave.

– George Lucas’ first major cinematic offering is this dystopian world where the protagonist needs to find escape from the controlling authorities. The ‘droid cops ride white faired Triumph Bonnevilles through the tunnels of this future world.

Like some desolate sun bleached scene from a Sam Peckinpah film.

A pair of icons from the 60’s and 70’s. Who was the cooler?

– Stephen Fry celebrates his 64th birthday today. Along with Hugh Laurie, he was one half of the celebrated duo of mirth.

[explaining why there’s a light bulb in his mouth] “Oh, the children persuaded me to light up and ride my cycle around, just for old time’s sake.”
Mortician: “We love to watch him ride his motorcycle in the house.”
Gomez: “And wrestle the alligator.”
Thaddeus Logan: “Wrestle… the alligator? A LIVE alligator?”
Gomez: “Not very sporting wrestling a dead one.”

– if you grew up in Britain in the Seventies you would surely remember the children’s sci-fi tv show The Tomorrow People. I watched episode 1 last night and happened upon these pair of cockney thugs who were chasing the teenage telepaths on BSA bikes. Nostalgia.

– Bear Grylls also tames Tigers. today is his 47th birthday.

– Everyone knows him as James Tiberius Kirk, born March 22, 2233 in Riverside Ohio, captain of the starship Enterprise NCC-1701.
But we also know him as the indefatigable William Shatner who turns 90 today. Here he’s trying to look cool on a BSA tootling around the back lot of the Star Trek sound stage in Hollywood.

– Warren Beatty looking cool as a cat in the ‘75 movie about a charismatic and womanizing Beverly Hills hairdresser. The farcical story sees George Roundy tearing around Rodeo Drive & Sunset Boulevard on a purebred Tiger.

Sid James (1913-1976) – hairdresser from Johannesburg, though he also claimed a boxer, diamond cutter and dance tutor, became one of the most recognized comedy actors in the UK with the double-entendred Carry-On film. Starring in 19 of them his dirty laugh became synonymous with seaside postcard humour. To celebrate his birthday I found this image of on a Honda Monkey CT-70 on Brighton Pier.

Speeder Bike – Moon of Endor
– the first time I saw this chase scene in the movie theater back in ‘83 I was blown away. You were flung through the forest at breakneck speed as if you were aboard with Luke & Leia.

– what better way to escape across the Bavarian countryside than on a rugged tyred Triumph TR6 in German wartime feldgrau. Of course Steve makes it look effortlessly cool.

Top Gear
– TV motoring host Richard Hammond is enjoying the Malvern Hills scenery using a sky blue classic Triumph.

– another photo of Ewan and his favorite marque. This is a caféd Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone. The famous bacon slicer flywheel obvious on the drive side. The green color scheme of the workshop furniture even matches the fuel tank.