festival of a 1000 bikes at mallory park, the big one of the year, you need to be here if you have any interest in classic bikes, particularly classic racing bikes, me and dangerous are on the way at 0600hrs, the journey is just an hour's ride away, we are in the luxurious loveless race transporter, [mick from up the road's ex gpo vauxhall combi van] and yes, we do have the stove on board this time, into the paddock and it's rammed, we get a spot with a lakeside view, [right next to the rubbish compactor] and the greenfly are swarming even at this early hour, we drop the bike out of the van and dangerous goes about his duties, sorting the tools and spares and i get a brew on, 0730hrs and i make my way to race control to sign on, collect the bike and dangerous trails me as i push the 'zed through the waking paddock to scrutineering, i get the easy end of the deal, the bike weigh's nothing, dangerous is burdened down with my leather's, glove's, helmet and boot's, we are complimented on our preperation, [if only they knew...], number fixed on, 76, not my usual 51, scrutineering tag's on and back to base camp, i'm laughing to myself at dangerous who is bitching away carrying my riding kit ten feet behind, another brew on and the first of our many visitor's arrives, i work with lee and he's down for the day, give him a cuppa and he tell's us it's taken him two hour's just to walk through the campsite and carpark on the exterior of the track as there are so many bikes to look at, i adjust the chain and add some fuel and our next visitor arrives, it's only the legendary sammy miller, yes, that sammy miller, he is having an early morning stroll around the paddock, he's taken with little mz and ask's us all about it, his enthusiasm for bike's is evident to see, as he wishes us a good day and continues his journey i turn to dangerous, he look's back at me and i say, 'that's it youth, chuck the bike in the van and let's go home, it doesn't get any better than that...........'
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