I Love to Go A-Wandering …

Last Saturday in Nantwich saw the annual classic car event, the Weaver Wander.

The cross-country run was due to leave town at 10:00, so we made our way there after a late breakfast, arriving just in time to see the first car flagged off. Forecast threatened rain, and though there was a bit of a sprinkle, it turned out to be a nice sunny morning.

There was a good selection of what you could call “proper” classic cars, of varying ages, followed (in a seemingly endless stream) by a lot of not-very-old but interesting motors. I think the event was open to “sports cars” as well as “classics”, in an attempt to ensure a good number of entries, I guess. Not sure you could justify a 21st century Mini Cooper as either classic or a sports car, to my mind at least; but never mind — good to see people with an enthusiasm for a local motoring event.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Weaver Wander, posted with vodpod

Good Things Are Worth Waiting For

Finally he has arrived …

Having seemed for a while reluctant to enter the world (and who could blame him!), Number Three Grandson was finally delivered around teatime on Monday (13 June), and is now safely installed at home.

Oliver James, to be known as “Ollie”, was supposedly due on the first of the month, but proved to be in no great hurry.

Anna was finally called into hospital for 4:00pm last Sunday, with the promise of having the birth induced at that point. However, Ollie was not to be rushed, it seemed, and two lots of medication failed to dislodge him! So we were still waiting on Monday afternoon. At this point, the department was apparently somewhat overloaded with incoming mothers, with the result Anna and Matt were largely ignored until the birth was almost fait accomplis — rather a stressful experience, and one the NHS should not have allowed to happen!

Still, all’s well that ends well, I suppose, and thankfully mother and babe seem healthy enough, though the former is pretty tired.

And for those who have to have the statistics, the weight was 8lb 7.5oz.

Senna The Movie

To the cinema yesterday, for a matinee screening of SENNA, the movie.

Can’t remember the last time we went “to the pictures” but it must be five years or more. On this occasion we went to the Vue screens at Cheshire Oaks. The attendance for a 3:35 programme was, as you might expect, pretty thin.

The film was good, though I wouldn’t have minded a bit more driving footage; but this movie is not really aimed at motorsport fans first-and-foremost — it’s obviously intended to have wider appeal.

It was particularly interesting to get the background to Senna’s life, to see the spiritual dimension to his personality (though I’ a bit dubious about his theology!), and to be shown something of the inside view of F1 motor racing as the context of his all-too-short time at the top.

The behind-the-scenes politics that affected his career, and specifically the influence and behaviour of the FIA president at the time, struck a particularly resonance in view of the present goings on re the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix!

Inevitably, the film has a bias in favour of Senna, and I have to say I think there are negative aspects to his attitude and approach that were played down. An interview with Jacky Stewart was especially relevant: in that interview, JS pointed out the astonishingly high incidence of “contact” in Senna’s overtaking manoeuvres, as compared to any other contender for the soubriquet “great racing driver”; Senna had no response beyond indignant bluster.

There is no question, though, that the man was a genius behind the wheel, albeit a flawed genius. This insight into his family, background, personality and influences, is on-the-whole well done; and well worth seeing for anyone with an interest in motorsport.

(update) Tiff Needell summed it up pretty neatly on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/tiff_tv/status/79303597136949248