Friday's Ferrari

A visitor to the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone on a couple of occasions, this  photograph was taken at the meeting in July 1997 when it was entered and driven by Gregor Fisken.

It's a Ferrari Dino 268 SP and this website tells you the history of this particular car, serial number 0798.

Unexpected Visitor

Our house is right underneath the flightpath of planes landing at Manchester Airport from the north-east. I was in the kitchen on Monday lunchtime when I heard what sounded like a very big plane flying very low. Going to the back door I expected to see either a 747 'Jumbo', or even the Emirates Airbus A380 coming in from Dubai. It wasn't either of those though, and having dashed to get my camera with not even the time to put on a bigger telephoto lens I managed to get this photograph just before the plane disappeared behind the rooftops:

It's the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest aeroplane in the world, and this is what I read about it later in the day in the Manchester Evening News. As the newspaper article says it's the third time this plane has visited Manchester Airport and I saw it on one of those previous occasions, probably 2003, when it flew over my head when I was on my way down the road to buy my morning newspaper. It's quite typical of the Manchester Evening News to tell you about these things after the event instead of giving you the chance to look out for it by telling you a day or two beforehand.

Guernsey Again

Our youngest son David came over from the USA to go over to Guernsey for a few days to see his new nephew and we accompanied him on the trip.

David, Beryl and Paul

Edward's now started eating solid food and like all babies he always ends up with a residue round his mouth.

But it's soon washed away at bath time

We enjoyed some walks in the park

And visits to various places including Castle Cornet, from where you get a splendid view of the harbour of St Peter Port.

We enjoyed Martyn and Gill's hospitality and as usual Billy the cat took advantage of this

Is it my imagination, or does this photograph show that Edward's hair is turning just a little bit ginger?

Maybe so, but it probably won't end up as ginger as this!

Our journey home was on one of Aurigny's aeroplanes with an appropriate registration

Maybe it'll take us there again the next time.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a car seen in the Ferrari Owners Club area at the Coy's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

It's a Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 and you can read here what the official Ferrari website has to say about the car. This car is serial number 3439GT

McLaren M26

This, I think, is Frank Lyons' 1977 McLaren M26 seen at the Silverstone Historic Tribute meeting in June 2004.

It's a bit confusing because it's numbered 65 but according to the programme of the meeting the car should be number 9. A record of the results of the meeting by the Historic Sports Car Club and available online show the car number to have been 55 and number 65 is shown to be a Surtees TS9-03 driven by Judy Lyons, although that car is shown in the programme as number 8.

The McLaren ran as number 65 and is shown in the photograph below at Luffield Corner.

1906 Darracq

A race for Edwardian cars featured in the VSCC SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006 but it didn't feature this car, which is one of several which Bonhams the auctioneers brought along.

It's the World Land Speed Record breaking 1905 Darracq and this is what the programme had to say about the car:

Here is a YouTube clip showing the first time the car was started up after being restored.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph I took at the Coy's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 2001 and it's a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe.

I've found this article by Roger Wills who purchased the car in November 2001 detailing the subsequent restoration of the car during which it was re-registered from 123 MOB to 6 FER. A nice looking car and it's good to see that someone's still taking good care of it. The serial number is 1479GT.

Bugatti

When you go to race meetings organised by the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC) you can usually rely on seeing a fair number of Bugattis and here are photographs of some taken at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006.

This is a Bugatti Type 35B replica

As the number-plate says, it's a Type 57C

The red car is a Bugatti Type 43, number 9 next to it is a Type 35B, and number 14 further down the line is a Type 37A

If the car number 26 is the number 26 Bugatti listed in the programme it's a Type 51

A shot from near the other end of the row of Bugattis

Aston Martin Atom

This car is the Aston Martin Atom, a concept car built in 1939, and was photographed at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995. David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin from 1947 to 1972, apparently decided to buy the company after driving this car and the first David Brown car, the DB1 (see photograph below), was based on the Atom. 

You can read a potted history of the Aston Martin company here.

Friday's Ferrari

Nigel Mansell's collection of racing cars, trophies and memorabilia which used to be in Exeter have recently moved to Jersey and form the Mansell Collection in St Helier. Amongst the cars on display is this Ferrari 640 which Nigel Mansell drove in 1989 alongside Gerhard Berger.

Not a very easy place to get photographs of the individual cars!

Caesar's Wife revisited

In September last year I posted a photograph which seemed to define the saying "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion". The photograph below which was taken in Croft Street, Hyde yesterday at 12:20pm shows that they're still at it!

Grandson Edward in Jersey

We spent the week before last on a holiday in Jersey with Paul & Anna and grandson Edward and had a good time despite the weather still refusing to acknowledge that winter is really over. Here's a few photos of  Edward we took during the week.

With Grandma Beryl

With Grandad David

Looking very happy

With Mummy and Daddy and the statue of Gerald Durrell at the Durrell Wildlife Park

Having a nap at the Durrell Wildlife Park