Delightful pen-and-ink drawings by Cat Bowman Smith used to illustrate the ‘un-education’ books by Amy Macdonald. The combination is piloted by Aunt Mattie and ably passengered by Uncle Philbert. The line work reminds me of the penmanship of Edward Ardizzone who added imagery to much loved children’s books such as The Otterbury Incident by C Day Lewis and Stig of the Dump by Clive King, among others.
March 19, 2016
Hold On!
March 18, 2016
Marmalade
Golly! The Robertson Preserve Company make the second best orange shredded jam. My father makes the best! Their mascot was used for enamel colored metal badges that were collected. This is a cute combination.
March 17, 2016
Team Green
To celebrate St Patrick’s day here is a couple of old snaps from the memory banks. Me and my Kawasaki Ninja which was my main mode of transportation for a few years when we first settled here in Chicago. She had plenty of oomph, easily cracking the ton and a half, and that lime green sure was a purdy color.
I really enjoyed zipping along Lake Shore Drive ; water on one side, buildings the other.
March 16, 2016
Percival’s steed
In the 1969 Belgian Grand Prix, on the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in the Ardennes, Tait was riding Triumph’s entry for the 500cc race – a version of the Triumph Daytona developed by Doug Hele. Percy travelled with the mechanics Arthur Jakeman and Jack Shemans in an old Ford Transit van, in which the three of them also had to sleep.
Percy led the world champion Giacomo Agostini for three laps to finish second to the MV Agusta at an average speed of 116 mph.
March 15, 2016
The British Rouge Sheep Society, Knighton Flock
Triumph racing team member, chief test rider and all-round motorcycle guru: Percy Tait. Riding twins and triples at Grand Prix, The TT, Bol d’Or, NW200 and a million miles of road testing in between. This photo is taken during a one thousand mile endurance race in the sixties on s production bike.
In latter years he has become a show winning sheep breeder.
March 14, 2016
3.1416
March 14th is celebrated as pi day in the US. π
One of my favorite pies is pumpkin pie. Topped with a dollop of cream. Today I enjoyed a slice of cherry pie a la mode.
March 13, 2016
Look Back
Upon reflection this is a good idea. I acquired a near side mirror to attach to the handlebar end offering a little more all-round visibility. I still always to a head check on both sides before moving across anyways- this just adds to the sense of awareness. Both mirrors are by California based CRG the left is a 3″ dia. Model Hindsight. The right is the smaller 2″ dia. Blindsight.
March 12, 2016
Ape Circus
Joe Lemke Chimps: On a Harley Davidson Hummer motorcycle are Sammy and Susie, and in the back ground are Marvin (L) and Joe (R). Photo from the Mary Gray Frasier collection.
The 2-Stroke 125 wasn’t truly an American bike; though built in Milwaukee WI, it was actually based on the German DKW as WW2 war reparations. The BSA Bantam and Soviets MMZ Moskva were other 125cc ‘cousins’.
March 11, 2016
Sidesaddle Sally
Weekend here again! Let’s hope that some improved weather allows the wheels to roll underneath. A bobber dirt tracker through the woods or dunes would be just fine thank you very much…
March 10, 2016
IQ
Another movie Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne) was in about the same time as the mighty Shawshank Redemption is this Walther Matthau vehicle who plays Albert Einstein in his fictional latter years at Princeton. Tim stars with Meg Ryan and hoofs around campus on a Harley Davidson Sporty.
March 10, 2016
Hope, is a good thing…
” I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.”
Ellis Boy “Red” Redding
March 9, 2016
The Mighty Mini
Race Day. Pack the car we’re off to the track. Well if your car is a classic mini you’d better make sure your Moto is a lightweight one: here they’re toting a Triumph Cub in the boot door. As needs demand!
Did I ever tell you I passed my driving test in a Mini?
March 8, 2016
#pledgeforparity
March 8th is International Women’s Day, and what no better way to celebrate it on GeordieBiker than to have a 3×3 grid of Triumph totin’ gals. Stemming from early 20th C socialist ideals it was a big highlighting of working women’s rights as well as voting rights in the suffrage movement. One century on and we’re still discussing equality in wages.
March 7, 2016
Alexa
Alec Baldwin takes pilot role whilst Jason Schwartzman rides pillion. Amazon has a new interactive device for information and media: called Alexa (the other Siri). Like some quirky scene from a Wes Anderson movie these two look intent on adventure and shenanigans.
March 6, 2016
Airing-out
Dusted the cobwebs off, wiped down the old gal and took ‘er out for a quick spin. Well, to get a gas top up. Looking spiffy in front of this Evanston coach house. Looking forward to spring rides into the North Illinois and Wisconsin hinterland.
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