THIS MONTH... in 2023
Classic Bike’s Rick Parkington has first-hand experience of joining in the activities on a pre-war bike at the Shuttleworth Race Day Air Show. He explains why it’s such fun – and a great day out for the whole family
THE GREAT THING about Shuttleworth Race Day is, well, all of it. Where else can you watch unusual pre-war motorcycles and cars rattling about at speed up a grass runway, and see anything from stunt planes to string-and-canvas pioneer aircraft taking off and landing in front of you? You can also get up close to a world famous collection of aeroplanes, cars, motorcycles and ephemera or visit the gardens of Shuttleworth House stately home.
For me, much of the appeal is the sprint. It is not a competitive event, just a demonstration but it’s always good fun showing how well an old bike in good fettle can go and because ‘the track’ is just the grass runway, you feel as if you’re going very fast indeed.
The organisation is pleasantly relaxed and while the marshalls are very conscious of spectator safety, they also largely leave the riders to judge and ride within their capabilities. Having completed the run up the grass, riders return along the tarmac road toward the hangars, passing the spectators, for another run. Riders are not ‘rationed’ to a certain amount of runs and are allowed to keep going round for as long as the session lasts. Bikes and cars are sometimes run together, but bikes seem to be forgiven for queue-jumping as they take up less space and get away faster.
OCT 1st
The organisation reflects the attitude of the collection’s founder, Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth. He was one of those dashing young men of the 1930s; having served in the Royal Lancers, he was an expert horseman, with motor racing and flying among his other passions. Having grown up fascinated by mechanical things, he gathered a collection of early wheeled and winged transport – always in working order and used, not just static exhibits. He competed in the London to Brighton car run regularly from 1928 and made incredible flights in early pioneer aircraft. Sadly the sky took his life, aged just 31 while in training with the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1940.
So, for anyone like me who really enjoys using very old bikes, Shuttleworth is the right place to do it. More than that, in a blame-culture world where motor vehicles are under increasing scrutiny, it’s important to engage and entertain members of the public.
This is the sort of event where people with little connection to classic vehicles come along for a good old-fashioned family day out – and if these
