Eric Fellner’s production company, Working Title Films is currently one of the most successful in the industry. With movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Fargo in the nineties, to the more recent Rush it encompasses the lesser mainstream items and ones I’d prefer to see.
A well framed portrait of him with prized vehicles: a Ferrari 458 Italia and a late 50’s Triumph Bonneville. Smartly attired he seems for attracted to the moto!
Photography by Neil Bridge.
French actor Jean Paul Belmondo was surely the Gallic McQueen. Starring in several New Wave films of the sixties such as the classic, and pivotal, Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 Breathless, he managed to reinforce his ‘le cool’ demeanor by being seen riding ‘un moto’. Especially when it is ‘Une Triomph’!
A wee scoot up the shore to blow the cobwebs out of the system. Super sunny skies, scudding water surface and a fresh breath of air.
For late September it is what could be considered Perfect Weather.
The last day of the week: generally one looked forward to on Monday is traditionally the feminine one. Literally The goddess Frigg’s day; wife of Odin and queen of Asgard, highest goddess of the Æsir, the realm of Norse paganism. The romantic countries further south adopt Venus as their Friday gal; hence the French Vendredi.
Friday’s symbol is the same for the planet Venus and is the symbol for femininity: a circle with a cross underneath it. It is also used for the chemical element copper. Since mirrors used to be made of polished copper it has been suggested that the icon is a simple form for a hand holding a mirror.
Don’t say this blog doesn’t teach you anything!
Yesterday I wrote about balance and an attitude necessary to achieve it. Well a motorcycle (and its sibling the bicycle) have its own equilibrium already built in once the wheels are spinning. Their gyroscopic effect maintain an alignment unless subjected to a turning moment; such as a lean on the bars (counter steering anyone?). It’s the marvelous world of physics and the mechanics of things with mass, velocity, rotation; and the forces acted upon them that derive our friend of two-wheeled conveyances: Angular Momentum.
Riding is about balance, poise and a smidgen of grace. To feel at one with the road below and the corner ahead smooth flow needs to be achieved. A moto dance so to speak. The ballerina uses years en pointe at the bar to achieve this; the motorcyclist must use active miles on highways and byways of various kinds to build experience, allowing that balance between mental attitude and motor skills to speed along swooping along from apex to apex like some swan of the road.
A truly evocative image of one Jim Kanka putting his Triumph 650 through its paces at the South London venue in 1971.
Crystal Palace is where I learned to ride motorcycles. It was a little Suzuki 125cc that I tore around the stadium grounds and eventual streets of Beckenham, Penge and Sidcup.
Wonderful period poster promoting the suburban speed events. The Palace was a noted venue in the race calendar for two and four wheels alike.
The circuit was used from 1927 until ’72. The final year seeing an average lap record of 103.39 mph set by Mike Hailwood.
These four motorcycles were sat at one corner of the car show: somewhat eclipsed by the British cars on display but in their own right can stand alone as classic vehicles of blighty. The first is a wonderfully sorted Triton, combination of Norton featherbed frame and Triumph pre-unit motor. The big Manx tank and clip-ons hints at both marques racing history.
Here’s a clean Norton Commando, great roadster of the seventies.
A contemporary Triumph next, this one a Thruxton… A machine within my reach: perhaps some day!
Lastly, but NOT leastly, the sublime Vincent Black Lightning 1953. Words escape me when looking upon motorcycle perfection… So let’s just look…
Summer weather continues unabated as we head into September. Sultry nineties with a lake borne fresh breeze every now and anon. Can’t take photos as I ride along with my newer phone (yet!). So the bike in a shady ‘lot in Highland Park will have to do.
I’ve discovered a nice quiet route through Lake County horse country with a few more corners, rolling fields, well rolling for Illinois, and woodland bordering the way with the odd promise of fall color. Yes the year is waning.
Cutting a dapper figure whilst riding a scrambler sorted Triumph Cub over a Hudson River bridge is the talented racer Don MacShane.
#199 he utilized the wee 200cc single to much success in desert races, scrambles, trials. He was a member of the Manhattan Motorcycle Club… His club emblazoned tabard here at Davos Ski Resort in ’64. His cool demeanor with shades strike a appropriate pose for the track…
.. Being a longtime friend of Lee Marvin, both hailing from Woodstock NY, I’m sure he could have told a tale or two!
Mud on the face; yet a grimacing smile shows a passion for the race.
The New York NY lot were highlighted in a photoshoot for a Life magazine special highlighting the Manhattan motorcyclists haring around the island; Don, is of course at the front!
Though it was a muggy morning, the air was cool and a sun offered to burn away any moisture: so I headed out early to take advantage of traffic free roads. The plan worked a charm and a very pleasant outing was had on the Bonnie. A patch of chilly fog up in Lake County cooled proceedings for a dozen miles or so but we loped along enjoying the horse country.
I propped the phone camera up at a corner and clipped stills from the video recording it to come up with this dynamic triptych.
Don took his power and skills further afield: The Alps, Himalayas, Patagonia. Again putting up inspiring first ascents on difficult lines that stymied his contemporaries.
I’ve posted a similar image before, but here it is a a different light. A late fifties shot of Triumph Tiger pilot Whillans and pillion Chris Bonington setting off for an attempt on the notorious Eigerwand.
This is recreated in the eighties about the same time as yesterdays posts subject. Both travel worn and aged but still a twinkle in their eyes.
Here’s Don & Chris in the Alps at the Central Pillar of Freney, a severe rock face high up on the Mont Blanc massif.
Exploits took him to the South Face of Annapurna.
And Karakoram…
He developed mountaineering equipment: the expedition box tent, Whillans climbing harness. A background as a plumber not only strengthened forearms..
This image epitomizes his later years. An ’81 expedition to Gangotri – the ubiquitous monsoon season brolly strapped to his Adidas bag and approaching rake-thin yogi set the scene for one of Don’s tales:
Whillans rounded a bend and stood face to face with a mysterious Indian in a large turban. As was customary, the Indian held out his hand to receive a contribution. “Hmm, are you on some sort of sponsored walk?” asked Whillans and shook the surprised man’s hand.
What a place to sit with a brew, smoking a fag after a good day on the mountain… A deepening shadow in the Chamonix valley and the Aiguille Rouges deepening in color of an Alpine sunset.
Though my favorite tale is this one while participating in the 1972 European Everest Expedition. The atmosphere was not the best among the various nationalities, no one wanted to carry loads because everyone was saving himself for a possible summit attempt. The German climbers heard on the radio that England had lost a soccer game to Germany. The conversation went “It seems that we have beaten you in your national sport”, said a proud German to Don. After a minimal pause Don replied “Aye lad, and we’ve beaten you at yours, twice.”
One of my favorite books as a young kid was Richard Scarry’s illustrated sort books. They all involved animals as people in all traditional ethnic roles. Cats, dogs, foxes, worms, rabbits, pigs and usually a large lumbering bear. So when I found this vintage photograph it reminded me of his world made real.
It seems bears have good balance. And for a reminder of his loose illustrative style. Lively, chaotic, family, work, food: Busy.
And here’s a fox on a motorcycle. Reynard seems like a better rider than Ursa…
I learned about the wide wide world in this book…
geordiebiker.com 