It is always a good sign when the notices go out advertising the annual garden show at Stansted Park
It means that Summer has truly arrived.
The annual show is a brilliant event and is, usually, graced with reasonable weather.
We’ll be there. Will you ?
The Garden Show at Stansted Park
This was us, Gerry, me and a couple of friends out for a Fridays entertainment.
Honestly, we were in the stalls, somewhere just left of centre, three rows from the back.
The picture was taken at the very end of the show by Genesis Connected, a very competent tribute act.
I have been a Genesis fan since the early 70’s. In fact, the first time I saw them live, they were only 2nd or 3rd on the bill, still very much on the rise.
I followed them closely, seeing them live every time they visited Portsmouth. That is until Peter Gabriel departed.
After that, I found it very difficult to differentiate between Genesis with Phil Collins taking the lead vocals or a Phil Collins solo effort.
This new phase for Genesis saw the band transition from Prog-Rock to Pop-Rock, and my interest in Genesis waned.
Not having any prior knowledge of this act, I will admit to being a little disappointed during the first half of the show. I was expecting more offerings from Prog-Rock Genesis.
Where were tracks from Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway ?
Turns out that I was being a tad unfair. The image below tells why.
“Celebrating the hits ….”
Genesis didn’t start to have hits until they transitioned to Pop-Rock, although they did enter the UK charts with a track taken from Selling England By The Pound. I Know What I Like was a minor hit, reaching number 21 in April 1974.
Once I had rationalised what this band was about, I began to enjoy the show more.
We were treated to crowd pleasers such as Living Years and Cup Of Coffee from Mike and The Mechanics, Biko, Sledgehammer, and surprisingly Panopticom from Peter Gabriel, but for the most part, this was a Phil Collins love-in with songs such as In The Air Tonight, Easy Lover, Turn It On Again, Invisible Touch, Sussudio and more besides.
Genesis Connected had the audience singing along, clapping, and even dancing for the final song of the night.
All in all, it was a polished performance. I sang and clapped with the rest of the audience but when it was over I was left hankering for the Return Of The Giant, Hogweed, The Knife, Watcher Of The Skies, just a little more Prog-Rock.
Having said all that, I would go to see them again. I’ll just have to get my Prog-Rock fix elsewhere.
Had a lovely evening out with family yesterday at Marwell Zoological Park.
Here are just a few snaps ….
Shannons are an insurance company, in Australia, providing Car Insurance, Motorcycle Insurance, and Home Insurance products for motoring enthusiasts who drive imported, modified, classic, veteran or vintage cars.
Each year they host a classic car show. Somehow, despite numerous visits to Perth over the years, I have failed to hear anything about the show. Until now, that is.
Which is how I came to spend around three and a half hours of this past Sunday, being totally surrounded by some of the most amazing classic, veteran and vintage vehicles.
Well OK, I did take a break during that time. One does have to keep body and soul together and a fabulous Brisket Burger, courtesy of “Up In Smoke”, helped with that task.
The show presented a vast array of vehicles. As soon as I had paid my $10 entry fee I found myself surrounded by several Lamborghinis
…. I still think the Miura P400 is the best looking Lambo. No sign of one at this show.
But who wants to waste time looking at high tech super cars …
… when there are classic Volvos. Who remembers The Saint, starring Roger Moore as Simon Templar in his white P1800.
… or Fiats … My wife and I used to own a dark blue Fiat 128. It took us, with two daughters, all the way from Portsmouth in the UK, down to Port Grimaud in the south of France where we toured around Cannes, Nice, St Tropez and Frejus. A glorious two weeks.
… and VWs … Note the strange protuberance on the side of the Herbie lookalike. It’s not a rocket booster but a retro-fit air conditioner. Working in much the same way as the evaporative air conditioners used on many Australian homes.
… no Classic Car Show would be complete without Citroen, responsible for some of the most innovative, technologically advanced cars. And, at the same time producing some of the, mechanically, simplistic vehicles that became iconic in their own right.
… 3 Wheelers like the Messerschmitt, with its aircraft cockpit bubble and even an aircraft style yoke to steer by. The Isetta could be driven in the UK on a motorcycle license, because it was classified as a three wheel motorcycle. I did note the absence of Rodney and Del Boys vehicle of choice, the Reliant. I guess WA is a little too far from Peckham for Trotters Independent Trading Co.
… a few Rileys with their gorgeous curves.
… a few fabulous Austin Healeys. As a school boy I used to lust after a 3000 that I would see regularly in Battle High Street. It was aubergine in colour and had a roll cage, wide wheels and leather straps to hold the bonnet down. The typical “Frog Eye” Sprite was a bit girly by comparison.
… there were a few Fords … what is there to say. Cars for every man. Although not everyman wanted to have the same as everyone else. Hence the many uprated, sporty customisations. I have to say I never thought I would see a Mustang towing a trailer. Especially not a trailer made out of another Mustang. Sacrilege !!!
… Chrysler were well represented by the R & S series Valliants
Never too old to learn something new. I was informed, by a very friendly fella, that the Slant 6 Engine is really a thing. Until Sunday, I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently the Slant 6 enabled the cars designers to achieve a lover profile for the bodywork.
… There was a strong showing from the Holden camp. Many examples especially given the recent news that Holden are ceasing production . My favourite is shown below.
… no show is complete without a Cobra or two ….
Of course it is hard to tell an original, from a replica licensed as a Shelby authorised continuation of the original AC-built Cobra series. Whatever they may be, they are fabulous looking cars.
Of course I could go on throwing up image after image of classic cars but that isn’t all that was available here.
There were trucks …
… Busses … apparently the City Clipper used to offer free rides around Perth city. Interesting that Luxembourg has just announced free public transport in a bid to alleviate traffic congestion. It remains to be seen if the scheme works. Nice to know that Perth was such an innovator, back in the day.
I’ve already shown you a VW camper of sorts. Here are a couple of other campers.
And finally, something most unexpected …. Perambulators ….. Prams !!!. I remember my sisters being pushed around in something similar. No collapsible buggies back then. Definitely not car friendly.
I have many more photos. If you are interested they are available on my Flickr Photostream
Every year a Classic Car Show is staged in the Waterlooville centre.
Despite the weather letting the exhibitors down there were quite a few folks up there and I include a few snaps for your edification.
The pedestrianised precinct is ideal for this type of event. It is a shame that there wasn’t some music and perhaps a barbecue or hog roast to supplement the static car display. Now that the precinct has been refurbished the town has to make maximum use out of the facility. I arrived around 13:30 and all I could see aside from the cars was some kind of Face Painting and a caravan with someone bending balloons. I couldn’t see much to indicate if there was any kind of “Best in Show” competition.
The owners of the cars were not much in evidence although some had obviously taken refuge within their cars. I did wonder if the old lady, asleep in one of the cars, might have been an optional extra at the time of original purchase.
I can only wish them better luck with the weather next year.
WrAnTz 