Modern Vespa

Raspberries and cream... ow. I'm a little more freckled and don't look quite as much like a milk bottle as before. Genie has gone a lovely honey colour.

This was my favourite road (and the most challenging!)

hi guys, how's everyone

yesterday I went to visit some shops in Oxford St, so I parked Velma behind Debs and lalalala off I went spy on the competition, after I'd spied on John Lewis, House of Fraser and Debenhams I remembered... I'd forgotten to pay the stupid charge!!!

So I ran like the wind (I must had been about 40min by then) to find Velma untouched, no ticket, jolly, sunbathing with her bike mates at the bay.
I was so pleased and so happy I promised her a treat.

And a treat she got today.
I took her to a great value car wash in Golders Green, thorough wash and wax for a £5.
Then I popped into ScooterPower and asked for their trick to get the bikes ultra shiny.

And I am here to tell you The Secret, my friends.

If it isn't MR. SHEEN!
Yes, the one you use to polish your furniture!

I didn't believe her.
So I went to Southern Cross in Kilburn (Aprilia dealer, and amazing workshop) for the lovely kiwis to adjust my back breaks and tyre pressures.
And there I saw the guy polish their bikes with nothing but... MR. SHEEN!!

The one in the can, the "glass, metal, plastic, wood" polish in the can
Spray away and polish with a cloth, just regular cloth.
The shine is amazing and it works on the screen, on the chrome parts, on the plastic, on the seat... it's amazing!
And Velma smells lovely too!

I then showcased her with George in Hampstead Heath and got several compliments... "is it a vintage one? how fast does it go? lovely colour! is it yours? where can you get one of those? is it easy to ride? they're so practical aren't they!" etc etc...
I'm a proud owner.

And I think now I can hang out with Alice and Bill and their ultra polished bikes

lots of hugs you guys

Please don't use Mr Sheen on your scooter. It's not designed to work on paint. It's for furniture and plastics not paint and laquer.
To give something a bit of buillshit spray to sell it on a forecourt is OK but I wouldn't let that stuff anywhere near anything I own.
It's got this waxy feel and creates swirls in the paintwork so here's an offer that I'd like you to take advantage of.
If you can make it to may place I'll make the tea and then I'll wash it for you then treat it with Autoglym Gloss Protectant then polish it with 100% Carnuba Wax then treat your screen with Autogylms Glass Guard which helps the rain bead up then fly off.
It will make it shine like the Hornet and "you'll be amazed" at the difference.
Just as long as you stop using furniture polish this offer will remain for the rest of this year.
Just bring the biscuits.

Regards

Bill X

Sorry Bill, I'm another Mr Sheen advocate. It's also a fine de-greaser. Although mostly advertised as a furniture polish, it's a brilliant cleaner, and doesn't leave a waxy deposit like Pledge, say.

Don't be sorry Jim. I just wouldn't let near any of my paint ... ever.

Bill X

boyf and i had a lovely B-road ride to brighton today, where we met christosx, his lovely wife, and billy for a frozen lemon drink thing at carluccio's. feeling refreshed, we took in some culture - including an exhibition of christos's own landscape photography; i love the image of manhattan disappearing in a cloud of mist - a short walk on the chav-infested seafront, and a tiny bit of shopping. i couldn't resist a little purchase at 'jump the gun', a local mod shop. i've got a fab 'vespa service' pin and am now pondering which jacket to put it on.

off to grill some monkfish and fry some okra. what a lovely sunday

Yep, it's been a lovely weekend. Did bugger-all, visited a friend or two, had a few beers, resisted riding in the glorious weather as all the weekend warriors would be out and about. I'll be riding in the next few days though, and on Saturday head for Scotland with some X9 clubmates. Stirling Saturday night, a whizzle around some great roads practising midge avoidance for a few days, then back late Thursday. Hopefully a distillery or two en route.

Glad the Greek trip was good, as it turned out my pre-emptive arrangements didn't materialise so I could have gone, but I confess I was very happy here at home.

That looks a fab road, Wonder. Can't wait to hear more about the trip.

I didn't do a great deal at the weekend either as the last two weekends have been quite ride-heavy (nearly 1000 miles in four days over the Bank Holiday!), but I had a nice ride to Windsor on Saturday and the mesh gear got its first outing of the year. For once in my life I was delighted to get on the motorway, as the speed really got the cool air flowing 8)

Sitting on the Norfolk line Ferry heading for Dover. 3 lovely days in Normandy and by the time I get home 750 miles (by car )

Ooh, lovely! I am in the process of booking a Normandy hol for later in the year...

I didn't really know the region as I tend to venture further south but I was pleasantly surprised - the fab weather helped too

am catching holy hell from my supervisor for allegedly taking my holiday 'without permission' ... which means that although i cleared it with everybody on my staff team, i failed to obtain the requisite managerial pawprint on my leave card - which apparently amounts to larking off without asking permission and leaving a trail of chaos in my wake.

ah well. the holiday is done and dusted and they can't revoke the wonderful time i had, so the joke is on them

Just send your supervisor this evidence of your thoroughgoing seriousness of purpose:

Oh crap one of those photos came out properly.

oh that's just perfect. why don't i fire myself now and save him the trouble.

I'm afraid I've been PMSL reading about your woes on the Greek Islands thread. I hope the numbskulls further up the chain of command sort themselves out, though, and possibly offer you compensation for the distress you have suffered.

That pic was hilarious.

Bill X

As you can see, it took Genie's steady hand-- a miracle given how hard we we were laughing between takes!

Great pic!

Had a great day today, did another recce for the July 1st evening ride-out, tweaked route a bit, now far better and a tad shorter, so a bit of a time leeway built in.

I have to say Surrey County Council have pulled their finger out on road surfaces - last year some of these roads were almost unrideable - now those are grippy and smooth. Not all are to top standard, but any London riders won't have a problem.

Wonder and Genie, didn't you talk about a DSSC meet up fairly soon so you can all bore us silly with the details of the Greece trip ?

I really like the Pilot if you are thinking of venue.

And talking of which who else is up for a meet at Duxford Museum on the 19th of July ?

I am Miss I am Miss !

Regards

Billy-no-scoot

Saw a scooterist on my way home last night with an interesting take on road safety: topless except for a hi-viz vest!

If I wanted to see armpits on my commute, I'd take the Tube

First day back in the office and a classic near death SMIDSY this morning as a white van cut into my lane.

The only real hazard in Greece are rental cars or goats, hidden by weeny bushes on a switchback bend. Now that wakes you up!

I remember being startled by an oncoming donkey in Corfu some years ago...

I spent a semester in Normandie in college. Lovely countryside, with cheese, cider and calvados not to be missed... 8) Enjoy!

Deborah

Ha ha! I got chased by an almond seller and his donkey in Thira (Santorini) last time I was there. He didnt like his photo being taken and told me that my brother was like his donkey's arse... i replied with 'ah so you've met my brother'. This didnt go down to well and the chase ensued.

Magnificent!

That'll teach you to look at it Skok

Hilarious. On Santorini I saw a number of donkeys loaded up w tourist suitcases. They probably all felt like chasing tourists down. 8) Here's a line of them headed for a Santorini staircase:

Apparently those donks have just had an improvement to their quality of life.


They now have a shelter at the bottom so they can rest out of the sun while the owners now operate on a queueing system.

Same report said there's a plan to build another shady area at the top too.


Bottom shelter was funded by Stelios Easyjet after an appeal from a Cycladic donkey sanctuary according to the report.


Glad to here it. Those Donkeys used to wake us up each morning as they went past our hotel room with their tinkling bells. Fond memories.

rescued from page two. i'm just off to the gym to try and work off some of the flabby results of my two weeks of wonderful excess

bleh.

More flesh = more area to show off that tan, though!

Gah, all the good work from my holiday is being undone by the intransigence of my landlord.

Landlord = shaved baboon

genie - did you ride up West End Lane/Abbey Rd yesterday morning by any chance? I think I saw what appeared to be you but were you wearing an open face?

poor paul weller got a parking ticket slapped on his mini clubman s today as it was parked on a single yellow line outside my office. the modfather left his outside table at the pizza express and ran to catch the parking warden but he was a few seconds too late.

how did he respond?

he shook the parking attendant's hand, smiled, and returned to his table to finish his meal with friends.

being a fan, i was tempted to offer him my parking space and chat about my brother, who used to teach his kids and knows him a bit but i though he might think i was a stalker so didn't.

nice to see that he didn't throw a hissy-fit.

Ah genie you are busted!

Kam, given the Modfather's legendary temper, I'd say that Weller must have been having an amazing day to act as he did.

i blame the sunshine.

*Draws curtains and gets into a filthy bate*

Have you been hitting the allotment due to all the sun?

Gently, gently Kate - what's up with your follicle-challenged intransigent baboon landlord?

I have had a festering mouldy wall(s) in my flat and it has still not been fixed after months. I am that close to withholding the rent and finding somewhere else to live.

yep that was me!! i was about to wave and honk but wasn't sure it was you.

i was wearing my 3/4 - i fell in love with it all over again on the Greece trip - it's soooo nice and cool and lovely in the summer