Monday 8 November 2010

Just A Few Days Ago

a friend asked me 'what do you miss about the UK?' quick as a flash I answered 'nothing' then I saw this, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, more than 500 vehicles set off from Hyde Park this morning to drive the 60 miles to the East Sussex town, organisers of the Royal Automobile Club's 77th rally said 572 vehicles were entered for this year's run, although not all managed to make it even over the start line, to be eligible to enter the rally, cars must have a pre-1905 registration,
one of the first to cross the start line was a circa 1894 Benz Victoria while a 1904 Darracq, which starred in the 1953 comedy film Genevieve about two couples who take part in the rally, was also in action,

the annual rally commemorates the first 'Emancipation Run' in 1896, held to mark the passing of the Locomotives on Highways Act - which raised the speed limit for 'light locomotives' from 4mph to 14mph and scrapped the requirement for vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot carrying a red flag, I remember the first time I went on the rally, dad had just received his first company car, it must have been in the late 1950's, mum packed a lunch and off we went to Brighton passing old cars all the way down to the beach front, yes this is one thing I do miss about the UK.

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