NSRA Swilling Fun Run
Hi All, Not done much on the Run reports have I the last year or two. To be honest i just haven't felt like it nore had the time, maybe I am going stale, but I apologise to all those that do enjoy reading the drivel I write. I will try and see if I can still do it with this report on how I saw the 30th Billing fun Run.
Not even sure how to start???
Oh yeah here we go,
I had been working every spare second I had and even some that weren't spare, to get my Truck done I just
had to make Billing in it, I was absolutely pig friggin sick of working on it but I did make it with a few hours to
spare. I switched the gas on (LPG) Thursday afternoon for the first time ever and whooo hooo it worked
perfectly straight off.. what a relief so I filled up the tank 77ltrs a little over £40 and that was me set.
Twas about 6am Friday that us three finely tuned Rodder's met up, Me (Holmsey) and my two good mates
Puddz with the 32 Sedan and Bakes with his Pop.
We arranged to meet up with some of the Scottish guys, further down the motorway as they set off at 3am from Glasgow and we lived about 3hrs away we should hit the same section of M6 at the same time.
We had a ball driving all three of us like kids off on an adventure, my stomach was turning over, Puddz as
ever was jumping about like a kid to, and I am sure Bakey was if he could just wake up a bit more as he had
been sorting out starter and suspension woes all week and was knackered.. But we were on our way Yeehaa.
As the Scots had been hiking it and we were in take it easy mode, we didnt meet up until Knutsford services way down past Manchester. To greet us with big smiles was Billy Marshall in his recent USA import 47, Brian Watson in his cool as ever classy 48 and Stuart Seymour in his amazing 55 Pop.
After swapping a few pleasantries we set for the last leg of our journey, we had been on the road a
couple of hours, these boys more like 5hours as they had set off from Glasgow now that's a road trip.
I asked the guys where they were to be stopping next and they said they were now going straight through
to Billing. Now we would of stopped at least once more but not these guys they like to keep on moving.
It was friggin ace tooling down the M6 with 5 Rods and me in the Truck.. like a mini run of our own.
These guys like to keep the pace up and was a nice test for my fresh out F100 gave the motor a nice run in.
Only problem that I had was the drivers window wound down and wouldn't wind back up as it had sprung off
a runner. I was Buzzing and loving every mile we drove, all the heart ache and worry the past 3yrs 8month
seemed to dwindle into a past life.. I was here, it was now and I was in my element. The rain we drove
through from home to just past Preston had now stopped and we hoped for sunshine.
Not far to go now as we round the roundabout just off jct15 on the M1.. us fat fendered boys
have to stick together ya know.
I/we had made it BILLING Yahoo.. once through into Billing the poor state of the place from the
last week storms was everywhere and the obvious lack of any kind of upkeep from the new
owners did not bode well.
The Scottish guys parked and set camp at there usual location right by the humpback bridge
and we moved nearer the cafe/restaurant our preferred resting place o;)
Dry ground was at a premium that was for sure, we did find space not far from where we were
last year on the banking and once the tent was up, we had a well earned cool one and just sat
and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. We just sat and took in the scene.
As more and More rods arrived it was great fun just sitting there relaxing and watching the rods roll in.
This was a cool sight, the revamped A sedan with new roof chop and lakes pipes changed the look
of this A from last year.
Before I got into the beer I wanted to cruise the sight and just take it all in, I was actually here at a
Rod Run in my Truck I just couldn't believe it. So one can and I took the Truck for a spin well a slow cruise really. I was struck at how many Traveler type people there were camped in tourer's and just milling about.
It did make me feel a tad uneasy as most have no respect especially not the kids they would chuck a stone at your Car no problem without any chastisement from their parents so I made sure I didn't make a nuisance of myself as I drove by ;o) I met Jason Springate and a few of his mates and they told me of and incident they had. Some kid had been running his hands down one of their Trucks, the owner asked for the kid not to do that, so he then stands on the running boards and was told don't stand on the running boards, to which the kid promptly got off and kicked the truck... little barstards... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I then met up with me old mate Dusty who was stood talking to these guys who seemed to be having a right laff, what it is all about.
Dusty's A Coupe that he has spent some time and mucho lewer on. All new front and rear ends whooo hooo
Look at that gorgeous Winters quick change as beautiful as a sexy woman *weirdo*
;o)
Saw this stunning Chevy pickup roll by as me and Dusty talked.
This 36? Pickup was parked by and was mean as Hell. Wish I had done my pickup this style sometimes as you can use it abuse it and not worry about battle scares.. yes I can see the attraction for sure.
Someone had been having fun already in their 33 Plymouth Rays Rods Coupe.
Loved this A to.
But for me the star of the meet so far was this cooler than cool 32 Coupe it just sat and looked perfect. It had a checkered flag roof that was bang on to.. I lurve it!
I think this maybe a Sat photo I am not sure looks like a lot of people on the show field for Friday, but it is in my Friday photos. But it shows ex (Nick Diss) Model A sedan before its new owner sorry I don't know his name started spinning donuts in the Mud... now that is crackers in such a nice Rod.. but quite wild to watch
Even driving round more than me was Paul Kennedy perfecting the art of jerking the throttle to make the Mad as fuk 33 sound like it was a handful trying to pounce on anything that moved. Like a wild mad stallion prancing round... er the 33 not Paul ;o)
Once I had been out a and filled the LPG tank up (thanks Dusty for showing me where to fill up) I was ready to start to enjoy the weekend some more with some cold beer and put the Trucks keys away safe. Just down the way from us was this corral of shear muscle.
So we had a mosey on down, This is the Gorgeous Suzy's Willy's oh and the new slim line Pike. Pike had some fun getting it to Billing but as he only lives 20mins away he did finally make the arduous journey in one piece with a bit of an over heating problem but Suzy and Pike will have that fixed soon no danger...Nice to see a willy's low down and dirty for a change.
Absolutely loved this Henry J just suits the Pro Street look perfect.. pro street is dead... oh yeah who said so??
Then Mike Noble and his "bird" ;o) turned up in the much talked about Custom El Bondo... this really made my day as Mike is one of my best 'est Hot Rodding Buddies met him at my First Rod run when I got back into the scene and seen him at everyone since.. a good guy.
Wings strapped up and driving all the way from Plymouth cool as fuk!
My pickup received a lot of interest as the day went on, some welcomed some not so. There was an inordinate amount of undesirables roaming round that made us all feel a bit uneasy.
Well that was pretty much Friday really as the night was Naff. We did take a walk over the marquee but didn't stay long as not much was going on, the disco was worse than crap well to my ears anyway someone must like that kind of music and good luck to em but did nowt for me. So it was and early night for us ready for a good long day tomorrow. the weeks of 18hr days in the garage had finally caught up on me and I crashed... for the night.
Saturday Click here |
