http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss260/Captain_Bubble/Drive%20it%20Day%20for%20classic%20cars%201742011/I am frantically busy on a big commission but another RUMmer was keen that I accompany him on a run today. Last night I told him there was no chance, but this morning I worked like a maniac and by lunch-time was able to change my mind.
Today is the day when each year a load of TV helicopters fly over E and SE London, and each time they do so, thousands of people panic try to run away from them down the roads. Each year they fail to get away from the helis and eventually give up exhausted, but never seem to learn that if they just stayed at home the helis would not bother to chase them.
Anyway, my plan was to get some photos of our cars at Canada Water, but each route I tried was blocked off because of the London Helicopter Panic. Traffic was moving pretty well though. We pulled into a side road to make new plans and immediately a BMW pulled up and Mum and glamorous daughter asked if they could get some photos. Of course! Well Daughter, in rather fetching cut-off jeans and T shirt opened their boot and brought out a SERIOUS camera, with a VERY SERIOUSLY BIG piece of glass on its front. We told them that they are NOT BMWs and had a nice little chat, and I enjoyed seeing Daughter's face as I did a U turn in a small side road.
Eventually I realised we could not get to Canada Water, so I said we should go to Surrey Quays to get some nice photos. There are car park bollards there to stop normal cars getting close to the water, but for Cabin scooters these are no problem to get through: Bubbles pas where normals fear to go!
We wanted to get our own photos, but by the time we were out of our cars a crowd was there in the way. Well we had a nice chat and let people get all the photos they wanted, and we let those that wanted to get into our cars for photos. Then we headed for home, but at one point we went over the brow of a hill and spotted a Policeman on road closure duty. He approached with a huge grin across his face, and as he got up to the car I joked about it, and he asked jokingly if we were competing in the London Helicopter Flee.
We were out for about an hour and got plenty of waves, smiles, photos taken etc, in other words a perfectly normal drive in 2 bubble cars!
As we approached my place we had to stop at traffic lights. Suddenly a big black Audi hatch-back fully loaded with dark windows, alloys, big exhaust and the regulation content of boy racers types pulled up beside me on the wrong side of the road. I instantly thought this could be bad, but they were really enthusiastic, and were so keen on finding out what the cars were that they blocked a bus going the other way.
Brilliant fun, lots of friendly banter and interest in our funny vehicles, a lovely break from a gruelling work-load, so big thanks to Goggo for persuading me to down tools, get out for a drive, and do our little bit for classic cars.
