A sunny day in Brighton

Published: 12:11PM Nov 17th, 2010
By: Web Editor

Living up the coast from Brighton, there are often ventures into Britain’s party capital (now sort of established as the Mod capital). The August Bank Holiday sees The Untouchables (Britain’s premier Mod organisation) running events in Brighton, since taking flight from the IoW Rally a few years back.

I ambled along on my GS to Madeira Drive to sample the relaxed informal gathering occurring around the Vox Bar (actually, I rode flat out, but traffic speed these days means flat out on a GS). The weather was good, the music excellent and it wasn’t even necessary to go to the evening events to feel part of it. Wandering around with a camera gave an opportunity to reflect on how much has changed over the years.
For a start, it was possible to bump into fellow VVC members. This may not sound like a big deal, but the first VVC Rally was held in Brighton in 1964 and billed as ‘the face of responsible scootering’. The Mayor then, said how pleased he was that the VVC wasn’t like those beastly Mods, who broke deckchairs. These days, half the VVC committee are (or were) Mods. For all I knew, the Mayor of Brighton was too. Among VVC members encountered were Andrew James and Stuart McNeil (seen here with the latter’s immaculate Andre Baldet GS150). There were many other immaculately restored scooters around, but surely not many are ridden as regularly, or for such long distances (Stuart had ridden down from Nottingham and was off next day to the IoW).

Something else that’s taken hold is the rise of the female scooterist. Originally male Mod style was aped, followed by a more girlie (meaning pink) version. Now a further evolution has occurred. The Vespa shown here has intricately painted panels, mudguard and headset (all done by the owner’s hand). Machines like this raise interesting questions as to how much Mod style should be evolutionary, as opposed to replicating the past. These questions tend to confuse things. To clear my mind I looked in the windows of adjoining gift shops. Here the traditional cheap tourist toy vehicles appear to have been joined by the scooter, usually with lights and mirrors. Things have changed all right.

Seeking enlightenment I wandered off to the Brighton Museum (next to the Pavilion). This confused things further for there’s a small, but conspicuous, Mod display consisting of – people smashing deckchairs with a Modded-up Lambretta beneath it. Not the best example, but its presence is a minor miracle of sorts. The 1964 Mod riots are given the same amount of coverage and (dare one say it) celebration as the Prince Regent and the local football club. From civic disgrace to civic pride in one generation!

The place has become used to Quadrophenia tours and conventions, but now there’s official acknowledgement of Brighton’s greatest moment. A tradition has evolved in naming individual buses after those who have had some connection with Brighton in the past. As mad as this sounds, there’s now one bus bearing the title ‘The Who’. Yes, that’s right; you produce a film about trashing a town and it responds by naming one of its buses after you!

As I powered (OK spluttered) away on my GS, it occurred to me that the whole place is slightly bonkers. A lot of fun though.

A L