Random Stuff!

[jfy1999]

Cardiff has pulled out of the running to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. I can see it being Birmingham's year folks – that is if we launch a bid!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

My mum's first car was an isetta bubble car. She was still taking driving lessons so my dad used the time to respray it in metallic blue with aerosol cans in the garage. Can remember going out in it and recall quite clearly the smell of petrol and oil. My dad showed me a photograph of a messerscmitt and of course I wanted him to buy one because to a 7 year old it looked like a 109 with the wings taken off.

I remember the Isetta. The passenger sat alongside the driver unlike in the Messerschmitt where the passenger sat behind. There was also a Heinkel bubble car around at that time where the passenger also sat alongside the driver.

I've done a bit of research and have discovered that my Messerschmitt must have been a 175 model made between 1953 and 1955. The later 200 model was more sophisticated in its control having three pedals as in a conventional car.

Mine was like the one in the linked picture, except that it was cream coloured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR175#/media/File:Messerschmitt_KR175_01.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR175#/media/File:Mivalino_Interior-view_controls.JPG

Heinkel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heink...3_-_Heinkel_kabine_micro_car_-_1957_-_006.jpg

Isetta

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta#/media/File:BMW_Isetta_-_Flickr_-_mick_-_Lumix.jpg

 

[wolfheze]

Yes, was definitely the isetta that my mum had. I seem to remember that the steering column was fixed to the front door and through the use of some kind of UJ was able to swing with the door when opened. Not sure how it would have stood up to an accident, just as well it was only really used around the local lanes. Can anyone from the Elmdon /Sheldon area remind me of the name of the shop on Old Lode lane that used to sell bicycles and mopeds? It was from there my dad bought the aerosol cans to paint it. The car was sold to a neighbour when my mum graduated to a Fiat 500 and after a few years use fell into disrepair. It was eventually put on the back of scrap yards lorry never to be seen again.

 

[Butty]

Watch wheeler dealers for an excellent Isetta refurbishment. All fabricated for TV stuff, but a great result.

Re: the Commonwealth Games, bidding should be a no brainer for Birmingham. If they don't then the city should give up all hope of ambition. Come on let's just damn well do it!

And bid for the Tour De France Grand Depart.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Watch wheeler dealers for an excellent Isetta refurbishment. All fabricated for TV stuff, but a great result.

Re: the Commonwealth Games, bidding should be a no brainer for Birmingham. If they don't then the city should give up all hope of ambition. Come on let's just damn well do it!

And bid for the Tour De France Grand Depart.

The Wales Assembly Government pulled out of bidding for the Commonwealth Games because it said it could not afford the estimated £1.5 billion cost.

 

[Ray Finkle]

As much as I'd love it to happen I just don't see the council coming up with that kind of cash. We just don't seem to have the vision and ambition anymore, especially when in cost cutting mode.

Speaking of cost cutting, a few months ago some rather sad individual pinched the insert of my recycling wheelie bin, the bit for the paper. I requested another one from the council website and it was duly delivered 3 days later. This afternoon (3 months on) I came home to discover a brand new wheelie bin and two new inserts sat in my front garden. A replacement wheelie bin is supposed to come at a cost of £20. Glad to see costs are finally getting under control

If anyone needs a new one then they're welcome to it

 

[wolfheze]

Just missed out for the second time on a Qantas 747 /200 in the old colours a la first visit of type to bhx in 78. Thought £63 would be enough but was outbid by £2. AAAARRRGGGHHH!

 

[wolfheze]

I didn't know if this should be here or nostalgia as it's more to do with growing up than the airport.
The link above is to a song I heard today and will forever remind me of a misty night at bhx in October 1977. My mate and I had been sat in the viewing lounge for most of the afternoon and as darkness fell people gradually slipped away until we were the only ones left. The day had been typical Elmdon with the usual viscount, herald, one eleven and 737s coming and going but we were holding out in the hope that somewhere else would become fog bound, this was something we endured regularly and of course most of the time nothing happened and we would see nothing except maybe a one eleven from Dusseldorf or Paris. So there we sat with the radios tuned to Birmingham radar in silence apart from the peculiar sound that came through the airwaves every time the radar dish turned and watching the odd vehicle moving on the apron or maybe a bus driving up the Coventry Rd. The silence was broken by the sound of the door at the end of the lounge opening as two girls around the same age came in. Being a couple of fairly quiet 14 year old country lads we were gripped with fear as they came toward us and in blind panic we both grabbed our radios, clicked onto AM and quickly found radio 1 in the hope that they wouldn't think we were plane spotters! The song that was playing was 2468 motorway by Tom Robinson and for me will always be associated with that one event. There wasn't any happy ending to the tale, we sat and talked for a while and that continued for another couple of nights that week but they soon realised we were more interested in 737s than them and were never seen again.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Fantastic story mate and one that I can relate to on so many levels. I could tell many a story from my youth but I'd be too embarrassed to ever log on again

Anyone with kids of a certain age will have seen Inside Out (fantastic film ) This particular clip had me actually crying with laughter in the cinema.

I guess you have to have seen the film to really appreciate it

 

[jfy1999]

I think they absolutely nailed it with their depiction of the inside of a cat's head

 

[jfy1999]

Think I may have posted this already but here it is again – a drawing of BHX I did last year.

View media item 4072

 

[ronnoc1k8]

What a beautiful drawing.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I can't remember seeing this before. It really is quite exquisite. Many thanks for posting it.

 

[Brum X]

What a great drawing, you are very talented

 

[Ray Finkle]

Fantastic.

I bet it took quite a while to do but if you ever fancied doing another one it would be great with an A380 parked at the end of the pier

 

[Kevin Farnell]

After all of the atrocities of recent months, I find this an incredibly moving and heart warming gesture -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36936658

As a Catholic myself, I feel humbled by this response and have never held true Muslims responsible for any of the terrible acts that been have carried out in their name.
One thing I've long wanted to do but have never got round to, is to visit a Mosque on one of the 'open days' they hold.

Kevin

 

[Jerry]

After all of the atrocities of recent months, I find this an incredibly moving and heart warming gesture -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36936658

As a Catholic myself, I feel humbled by this response and have never held true Muslims responsible for any of the terrible acts that been have carried out in their name.
One thing I've long wanted to do but have never got round to, is to visit a Mosque on one of the 'open days' they hold.

Kevin

Yes it is truly warming! Hopefully these horrible attacks will unite people against evil and not divide like they are intended to! And in that way the terrorists will not win!

 

[Butty]

Liverpool confirms it's bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Come on Brum, throw your hat into the ring.

 

[Brum X]

Liverpool confirms it's bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Come on Brum, throw your hat into the ring.

I have a feeling they wont put Brum into the ring. Just my gut feeling. Which will be sad but I agree with Ray when he says the city council appear to have lost the ambition for these kind of things over the last few years.

 

[JENNYJET]

A city council that disposes of NEC, a candidate to host the Commonwealth Games?

I weep with the comedy involved with such a bid.

With airports in mind, if Liverpool won the rights to host the games, is it Manchester that gains the most or is there a plan to massively expand Speke?