Come and join Ace Cafe London celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Oldsmobile Rocket 88.  The car launched in 1949 was soon the car to beat. Together with the success of Ike Turners 1951 recording (by Sam Phillips) in Memphis of his song Rocket 88, this is considered by many to not only be the first muscle car, but also the first rock and roll record!

It changed everything….

The hurricane of sounds that swept across the Atlantic in the 1950’s caused a flowering of enthusiasm for rhythmic music both in its American form as well as its British offshoot. The Ace Cafe was there – bikes, cars, and rock ’n roll.
 
This month’s regular All-American Cruise-In features DJ Jimmy Guntrip’s free to attend Halloween “Shock n’ Roll” Rhythm n’ Cruise Rockin’ Record Hop, from 7pm – 11pm on Saturday 26th October . Halloween prizes will be up for grabs at the Ace along with copies of Vintage Rock and UK Rock n’ Roll magazines.  A  pair of tickets for the Classic Motor Show & the Classic Motorbike Show, held at NEC Birmingham 8th to 10th November are also to be won , and  ( thanks to the publisher Mortons, ) a subscription to Classic American magazine!

Prizes will be awarded for children and adults wearing the best costumes, and for the best “dressed” cars.
 
Spend £5 or more over the counter from 6pm and receive a raffle ticket.
 
Draw to be held at 10pm

Listen, revel and be immersed in a mix of the best rock and roll and rockabilly, blended with the London sub-culture sounds, broadcasting 24/7 on online radio and social media.

 4pm – 11pm
Saturday 26th October

Riders gather at Clatterbridge Hospital after the Wirral Egg Run

Despite the hard-knock, hard-living image that many people have of bikers, anyone who knows them knows that they are, at heart, a great bunch of people. There is a camaraderie, a good humour and a positive attitude to life that all bikers share, and that’s what draws many people to join ride outs and biker groups. And nowhere is that spirit more clearly shown than in biker charity events, such as the annual Wirral Egg Run.

Now, there are lots of ways of raising money. You can flog your old gear on eBay. You can claim one of the many online casino bonuses and spin the wheel of fortune. Or you can sign away your life with a loan. But few money-making ideas are quite as spectacular, as roaringly loud, or as perennially popular as the famous Wirral Egg Run, completed by thousands upon thousands of bikers every spring.

A proud history

The Wirral Egg Run started small, with just twenty bikers from the Empress Motorcycle Club riding from New Brighton, on the Wirral, to the local hospital at Arrowe Park. Each rider and their pillion took an Easter Egg for the children who were in hospital over the Easter weekend. It might not have seemed much at the time, but it was the start of a great tradition. 

The following year, the run grew to 50 bikers, and by 1986 there were over 250 bikes roaring from the coast to the hospital, bringing over 400 Easter eggs. The ride out continued to grow, and by 1994 organisers counted 1500 bikes, prompting national coverage in the press and biker magazines. This boosted numbers even further, and by 1996, no less than 4000 bikes, trikes and scooters were making the run, and the venue soon had to be changed to Clatterbridge Hospital as the bikes were getting in the way of Arrowe Park’s A&E services. 

The run reached its peak in 2000, with police estimating between 8000 and 15000 bikes taking part, delivering over 20,000 Easter eggs and raising around £6,500. Unfortunately, this level of involvement brought with it costs and complications, with a huge logistical challenge for all involved, including policing, road closures and more. It also meant that the group had to become a registered charity in 2008. 

The end, but not the end

After 32 amazing years, the Wirral Egg Run officially ended in 2013, due to escalating costs of around £15,000 per year and a lack of sponsorship to cover them. With the charity wound up and the organising committee disbanded, it seemed that this brilliant bit of biking charity work was at an end. But if you know anything about bikers, then you’ll know that they never say die.

Despite the original organisers asking people to ‘refrain from organising their own version’, the Wirral Egg Run lives on. Since the official disbandment of the event, a ‘Wirral Egg Run Tribute Ride Out’ has taken place every year, growing to almost 7000 riders at this year’s event, and raising thousands more in cash for local children’s charities. The event has even gained support from the police and permission from the local council to have street collectors on site at the meet up point and key viewing points along the route. 

The Wirral Egg Run Tribute Rideout Facebook group has almost 6,000 members. Between them, the unofficial event has raised over £10,000 since the formal version was cancelled. And official or not, the ride out continues to go from strength to strength every year, with thousands more bikes and bikers of all shapes and sizes expected to gather on King’s Parade next April for the 2020 event.

With tens of thousands of pounds raised, and hundreds of thousands of Easter eggs collected, the Wirral biking fraternity are proving what a great bunch of people bikers can be. You can join them on their Facebook page for all the latest news, or better still, why not take a ride up to the Wirral next spring and join the party? Just don’t forget your Easter egg!

• Be sure to check your local weather forecast beforehand so you can plan your journey accordingly. If you have no choice but to travel, use main roads where possible which are less likely to get flooded.

• Don’t forget to check your windscreen wiper blades and lights are working properly. You will need to use your dipped on site autodoc.co.uk if visibility is significantly reduced so give them a check too.

• On flooded roads, think before driving through deep water, do not stop in standing water and drive through the highest section of the road slowly. If there is any doubt do not enter it. Once you have managed to drive through check your brakes and dry them out as quickly as possible – a light touch of the brakes whilst still moving should do the trick.

• Roads will be more slippery than usual in wet weather – be sure to give yourself more time to react when approaching a hazard. Increase your following gap to at least four seconds from the moving traffic in front.

• Keep your eyes peeled on the road at all times as spray from other vehicles can suddenly reduce your visibility. Remember it affects others too, so anticipate their actions and be prepared.

Top tip - If your tyres begin to lose traction, ease off the accelerator, avoid braking and allow the speed to naturally decrease until you have full control of your car again.
Driving in wet weather can be challenging, and with delays and increased concentration needed it can be more tiring too. By allowing increased time to stop and extending your following distance you can remain safe.

Driving Advice from IAM RoadSmart on driving safely in the wet

A rare timepiece given to Mike Hailwood by gifted watchmaker and pioneer entrepreneur Jack Heuer will feature in the Bonhams auction at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford later this month.

Regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, “Mike The Bike” Hailwood later went on to compete in Formula One and other classes of car racing, making him one of a very select few men who competed at Grand Prix level in both motorcycle and car racing.

It was during his time competing in Formula One that he was presented with the 18k gold Carrera with “To Mike Hailwood for a successful 1972 Jack Heuer” engravedon the case’s back.

Having only recently been added to the auction, this ‘timely’ late addition was presented to Hailwood in 1973, and was likely to have been partly in thanks for his role in pulling Clay Regazzoni from his burning Formula One car.

Jack Heuer said about the 18k gold Carrera 1158, which was his favourite model: “These watches have a deep emotional meaning for me, as we have lost drivers to racing accidents.”

A similar 18k gold Carrera 1158 timepiece sold for around £87,000 at a previous auction.

Other stand-out lots in the Bonhams auction include a 680 Brough Superior, and a 1949 Series C HRD-badged Girdraulic fork sporting Vincent Rapide expected to prompt a lot of interest. Two Nortons will also feature – a flat tank model 18 and an early, bolt-up frame Featherbed frame Manx which will be both admired and desired. The auction takes place over the Saturday and Sunday of the event, attracting bidders from across the globe.

Outside of the auction hall, the showground will also be home to excellent club stands, exciting live action including the wall of death and Classic Racer GP Paddock, classic competition machines and special guest stars from iconic eras of motorcycling. Throughout the weekend, the event will feature more than 900 traders, dealers and autojumble stands offering a wealth of parts and spares for every project.

For October 2019, guests of honour are 10-times world sidecar champion Steve Webster MBE plus the ‘Genius Engineer’ and Classic Motorcycle Mechanics contributor, Allen Millyard, who will both be interviewed by compere Steve Plater.

The 26th Carole Nash International Classic Motorcycle Show will take place on October 19-20. To find out more about the show, and to save money by buying your advance tickets, visit: https://www.staffordclassicbikeshows.com/

Doors open to the ‘two-wheeled-extravaganza’ that is Motorcycle Live in association with Bikesure Insurance at the NEC, on Saturday 16 November - with the show running until the 24 November.
The show offers families a great place to bring their budding bikers. With free entry for children five and under** and just £1* entry for 6-16 year olds*, there's no excuse not to bring the kids along for a fun-filled day for all.
Get them on two wheels!
Whether it's their first go or they're looking to try something electric, there's something for our smaller visitors from 2-12 years old to get involved in - and the best thing? It's FREE!
Children aged 4-12, can take part in the FREE Arenacross Youth Experience which offers kids the chance to get kitted out, and ride an electric bike on a learner-friendly track. Those aged seven or over can try out OSET machines in the ACU Try Trials area in Hall 3, in the OSET Children’s Riding Feature.
Brand-new for 2019, the Arenacross Toddler’s Experience is suitable for kids aged 2-5 years old. It's the perfect activity for those too young for an electric bike who still want to have a go. Watch as they take to the specially built course to have some fun and build their confidence on two wheels.
Family Fun
The Moto-Cirque Arena is a ‘must visit’ action-packed show - with entry included as part of your entrance ticket. Meet, and watch our professional riders performing breathtaking aerial FMX stunts just inches from the roof, and each other!
New for this year, the Motorcycle Live Treasure Hunt will offer under-10s the opportunity to work their way around the show, answering questions and bagging goodies along the way.
Car parking has been subsidised with advanced car parking £10 and £12 on the day. As always, motorcycle parking is FREE in the Monimoto Bike Park.
Advanced tickets are on sale now, priced at just £19.50 per adult, £12 for Seniors and £1 for 6-16 year olds*. There is also a £25.00 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and an Oxford Products Secure HD Max disc lock worth £25.00, which is collected at the show.

For book or for more information, visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk