Bank Holiday and I'm at a loose end on my own at home, so a little impromtu road trip to get me out of the house.
The destination has been in mind for a while; the Legend of Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin. First time I heard of him was a short film staring Rowan Atkinson in the lead role - True Stories - Full Throttle. One of the Bently Boys for a while, had a thing about Norfolk and is burried in Blakeney.
Enough of an excuse for a trip.
The plan - find Sir Henry Birkin's grave, then head back around the coast road. SatNav as usual set to discourage motorways and prefer A and B roads.
The plan - find Sir Henry Birkin's grave, then head back around the coast road. SatNav as usual set to discourage motorways and prefer A and B roads.
Good run up, some fantastic country to look at and some winding roads through Cambridgshire. Through Mildenhall and past the RAF station - perhaps a location in The Fourth Protocol?, Swaffham - Wilt & the Swaffham Strangler?
I think I've watched too many movies!
Blakeney
My preparation included identifying St Nicholas as the correct church and plugged in as a SatNav destination, however once there I hadn't really thought of how to find the right grave.
Started wandering through the graveyard, noticed the curious double tower, and then cheated - looked up a picture online of at least the style of the grave marker - and there it was almost infront of me with an old Photo of presumably Birkin, his Bently and a few small Bently toys.
Reads
In Loving Memory of
Henry Ralph Stanley Birkin
Tim
3rd Baronet
Who Died June 22nd 1933 Aged 36
A Racing Motorist of International Fame
Sobering - he frittered his own fortune and a proportion of his sponsor's on racing Bentleys. His end, blood poisoning caused by touching a hot exhaust while reaching for a post race cigarette. Silly sod.
Spent a while in the church - original intention being to check out the architecture a little - excellent wooden ceiling and block-work floor. Ended up spending some time to remember family lost in the last 7 months. I'm not particularly religious anymore but if nothing else churches are peaceful places for collecting thoughts.
Salthouse
Time to freshen up! 10 minutes along the coast road, spur of the moment decision to head along the beach road and endulge my other passion - the sea. A little foggy/sea mist, but great wide open views.
The view back to Salthouse, a little chilly and stoney though so decided to drive on before lunch.
Muckleburgh Collection
This is decidedly nothing to do with cars!
Cheiftain, used to have a Tamiya model kit of one of these, 17th birthday present, fully motorised. Dad enhanced it with gun elevation and turret motors/gearboxes, including home made slip ring for turret power and perspex control panel attached to the side of the kit control box. We couldn't afford radio control though - so it had 20 or so wires trailing from it to operate everything.
Checking out some alternative controls in some sort of tracked missile launcher.
Russian T34 perhaps?
Comet, didn't know this name before - but you can tell it was British.
Not over keen on it's driver facilities, most of the tanks have hatches open which is great for some pictures and insight into driving conditions.
Only potential car application - a genuine NACA duct leading into the empty engine bay.
The cockpit condition is criminal really, full of water damage and mildew, the canopy is not correctly closed or seals gone, there is standing water in the footwells. All the controls are still in there slowly rotting.
Home
The rest of the day making my way home, around the coast road to Weston Super Mare, Lowestoft and through Essex, a bit of fun here and there on empty A roads, and a little discretion applied when the local boy racers decided to try and compete. Its not about the bottom line speed - its about the corners and handling!
Long day, left 7.30am home around 7pm but great to spend some time speeding through the elements in my Zero.
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