All of the pictures on this page
were taken by professional photographer Kelvin Fagan,
I am very grateful to him for the opportunity of reproducing them here.
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Click on any image to get the bigger picture |
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After the Sprint Section of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club announced that John Hobbs would be running The Hobbit at the 2008 1000 Bikes Festival at Mallory Park, they decided they needed a photograph on the home page of their website to promote the event and the appearance of The Hobbit which was their star attraction. After searching for a suitable image on the internet, they chose a photograph which I had taken in about 1978 which they found here on The Acceleration Archive. To say that I was chuffed to bits is an understatement. I was duly thanked for giving permission for the use of the photo. The more I looked at the event, and with perhaps the chance to see The Hobbit run once again, I rather cheekily asked if I could have a ticket to attend (well if you don't ask!!). Anyway, Juan Manzano of VMCC's Sprint Section was only too happy to let me have a couple of tickets. But to my surprise, I was also offered the chance to take some photos of the sprint event, as their usual photographer was taking part in the sprint demonstrations himself. I jumped at the chance of course. As well as the scheduled demonstration runs, The Hobbit was also on display, with the chance for people to have a good look, take photos, and chat with John Hobbs himself. Held during the lunch break of the event, and running in an anti-clockwise direction along the start finish straight of the Mallory circuit, a total of about 20 - 30 machines entertained the gathered crowds. A couple of bikes went first, as John Hobbs looked on, he then gave the thumbs up and he was ready to fire up The Hobbit for his first run. First a practice launch and a chance to assess the grip of the track, which unlike a well used drag strip had absolutely no rubber down. His second run, some 30 minutes later, was a lot harder and faster and the sound of that twin engined Weslake was music to my ears. The following photos are a record of the day Mallory Park was woken by the thunder of The Hobbit. |
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Contact Kelvin Fagan |
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(First posted on 29 July 2008) |
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