The Monday Photo

In May last year I showed you a picture of the nearest bike in this photo, a 1932 Levis.

It was an old shot from 2010, with the bike sat on a grassy lane at Clifton Reynes; just the place for an off road machine.

But this photo was taken yesterday, at the Stony Classic vehicle show in Stony Stratford. The show takes place on the first Sunday of StonyLive, Stony Stratford’s annual live music festival. The festival and show all usually happen in June, but you all know why it’s late this year.

I hadn’t seen the Levis since 2010, so when I spotted it at the show I went straight over for a good look. Five minutes later the owner Graham appeared, ready to head off along with his mate, whose BSA isn’t much younger than the Levis. You can see the BSA in the photo.

Before he rode away Graham told me the Levis has recently had some new bits fitted; front brake, exhaust and carburettor. I think it’s been off the road while the work was done.

There’s more about the Levis at the first link on this post, above. By the way, it’s pronounced Le-viss, not Lee-vize.

For travelling round the back roads of North Bucks, you can’t beat a motorcycle. Photography and motorcycling go hand in hand, so a bike is ideal when I’m out looking for subjects for the North Bucks Wanderer.

The North Bucks Wanderer is two years old today! Instead of looking back at the previous twelve months, I’m just going to take another look at what was going on from late March ‘till mid June in 2019, the days that in this year we have been in lockdown.

Clicking on the title of each of these posts takes you to the whole article.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Aylesbury
Published 27th March 2019 Earthly Messenger.

Twelve months to the day before lockdown began, I took my camera to Aylesbury to see the first anniversary of the David Bowie statue, erected at the corner of the Market Square.

It’s called Earthly Messenger. The Friars music venue promoter David Stopps presided, and sculptor David Sinclair spoke about the making of the bronze statue.

David Sinclair, sculptor.

As I remember that day, it seems strange now how we all stood so close together. It was Sunday, 24th March.

If you want to see all the posts I made in order, during the dates of the lockdown but last year, this is the one to start on; you can scroll up from here.

The Flower of Saint George
Published 25th April 2019. By a path in Shenley Wood.

On Saint George’s Day, 23rd April, I travelled to three different woods in Milton Keynes, just to see the bluebells. Twelve months later this would not have been a necessary journey, and I would have not been be allowed to do it.

I also listed three other woods in the NBW’s area, and to suggest anyone visited any of these woods in April this year would have got me into some trouble. The flower of Saint George is of course, the bluebell.

Stony Goes Live
Published 13th June 2019 Simply Floyd, at the Cock Hotel, Stony Stratford.

This week last year, we would have been in the middle of Stony Stratford’s annual live music and entertainment event, Stony Live.

Last year, we had over a hundred different acts to choose from, spread over nine days from Saturday. I spent most of the week in the Fox and Hounds pub, but like all the other pubs there it’s closed now.

Band Substance, in the Fox and Hounds.

I stopped to take photos in Stony High Street on Tuesday night this week. A few locals walked dogs. Only resident’s cars could be seen in the High Street; usually there’s hardly anywhere to place to park during Stony Live, and live music fans walk from pub to pub.

In the Fox, I could dimly see the empty bars through the front windows, lit by glowing beer taps. At the other end of the High Street, the Old George is undergoing building work, when usually it would be open, with plenty of live music.

On Saturday this week I’m going to post some photos from last year’s Stony Live that you haven’t seen before, to help tide you over until next year. I’m going to try to post a video too; this will be an experiment; the first video ever on the North Bucks Wanderer.

Next year will be different.

Here’s some of the highlights from last week’s 21st Stony Live festival. It was eight days of live events; music, drama, comedy, art, and more. I saw quite a few bands, lots of people and quite a few vehicles, and these are some of the photos I took. This year I tried to take photos of the audience, having photographed those bands before and got some good results. It’s been a fine week.

Not really part of Stony Live, but the closing moments of a football match in The Fox and Hounds on the first Saturday of the festival.

Bad Hombre in The Old George, on the first Saturday. I’d not intended to take photos that night, but, “Always carry a camera”

Stony Stratford’s annual music event, Stony Live, starts on Saturday 1st June and runs all week until Sunday 9th.

Stony Stratford seems to be full of musicians, and there’s a huge variety in the sort of music they play. At Stony Live there’s rock, folk, jazz, blues, a choir, and traditional music. Of course, not everybody who plays or appears has to come from Stony Stratford.

I like the old rock music and the heavy blues, so it’s likely I’ll be in the Fox and Hounds quite often over the course of Stony Live. I’ll try some other things too, as it’s not just music.

You’ll find art, drama, a barn dance, and on Sunday is Classic Stony in the Market Square, where you can see classic cars and motorcycles. I saw a Field Marshall tractor there last year, like the one my Grandad had. If you have a classic vehicle, bring it along.

Classic Stony, like most of the Stony Live events, is free. This is a list of events.

Here’s some photos from last year. The first four were taken in The Cock Hotel at last year’s Rock for Willen charity event. This year’s event, Rock for Willen 2: Blue Floyd, is on Sunday 9th, again in the Cock Hotel.

The green colour is because of the lighting.

Okay, it was really a classic vehicle show, but I was only interested in the bikes. And an aeroplane...

A nice Matchless single, that looks like it gets used regularly.

Here's the local Pink Floyd tribute band, Simply Floyd, playing at the Fox and Hounds in Stony Stratford. It's not the first time I've seen them play there. They don't have much of a light show and they don't need one; they simply turn up and play. They are very good.