Peasholm Park is a haven of tranquillity in Scarborough’s North Bay – unless the battle ships are taking pot shots at one another! during the summer season, war breaks out on the lake when 20ft replica warships recreate the tensions of a battle at sea. The “Battle of Peasholm” has been played out for more than 80 years, delighting audiences with a dramatic pyrotechnic display. Until 1929, all the boats were man powered, but then electricity was introduced and now only the larger boats need to be steered by Council employees.
In the early days the models were First World War Dreadnoughts, but after the Second World War the fleet was replaced with new vessels and the display recreated the Battle of the River Plate. Around 1960 new ships were added and aircraft were introduced, altering the play of the ships but adding to the excitement for audiences, who could not seem to get enough of the battles!
The shows begin around the last weekend of May and continue until September 1st. In June the shows are on Saturdays only, in July they are on Thursdays and Saturdays, and during August they are on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Performances start at 3pm but they are very popular so it is best to arrive early! You can find more details on the Peasholm Park website.
April 30th, 2010
Categories: Places to Go . Author: Fast Car . Comments: No Comments
The most useful item I had in my garage this winter was my Black and Decker ” Smart” battery charger. With such extended periods of low temperatures the strain on the battery of my MX5 was quite severe, especially as it wasn’t driven every day during the snow.
I researched which charger to buy quite thoroughly as they have come a long way since the simple model I bought for my MG Midget thirty years ago, and finally decided on the BDV1084 charger with built in diagnostics. This is an extremely well made product and is completely idiot proof! All you need to do is connect it up and switch it on and the charger selects the appropriate charge rate, monitors the process and switches off when its done. There is a bright digital display which tells you what’s happening, and there is an automatic maintenance charge function so that once the battery is full the charger will monitor the voltage and switch on and off to keep it topped up. The diagnostic programmes can check the condition of the battery and the car alternator and also measure the voltage.
Now that spring has arrived you might feel this is not the time to buy a charger, but many MX5 owners do very low mileages so it is well worth considering. You can get one at a really good price from Amazon.
April 27th, 2010
Categories: Gadgets . Author: Fast Car . Comments: 1 Comment
Shelly used to hate driving and would do her best to avoid it. Many people find modern motoring very intimidating and most just grin and bear it, but not Shelly – she bought an MX5! The car she chose was a silver mk2 1.8i with the 5 speed gearbox and the Mazda hard top.
First journeys were tentative, it was so low down and nippy! But the performance and superb handling of the car soon boosted her confidence and now she really enjoys her motoring. The awful winter meant that the hard top was a real asset but it also meant that Shelly didn’t get the full roof down experience until last week when the hard top came off and she finally got the wind in her hair!
The car was a “significant birthday” present for Shelly and came with an appropriate number plate! So here is proof that life does begin at 40 and that an MX5 really can change your life.
April 25th, 2010
Categories: MX5 . Author: Fast Car . Comments: No Comments
So you have found an old MX5 Mk1 which really has seen better days but is basically sound; why not turn it into a thing of beauty with the AMX Astonish kit? Designed in Australia the Astonish is now manufactured under license here in the UK. It can easily be assembled between 1 and 2 weekends by either the home enthusiast or professional mechanic. The kit totally transforms and updates this classic roadster and builds upon its existing qualities.
The original panels are removed and replaced with the kit which comes complete with all fixings, grilles and lights. It makes use of the existing panel fixing points for ease of build and is re-clothed with quality handmade GRP panels. The AMX Astonish kit is currently available as a DIY kit delivered to your door. A full build service is available for those who do not have the time or inclination to build their own car. The kit is manufactured in Milton Keynes by K Sports Cars and you can find full details on their excellent website which has lots of useful advice on buying a suitable MX5. Just click on the Logo:
April 23rd, 2010
Categories: MX5 Restoration . Author: Fast Car . Comments: No Comments
I was an air traffic controller for almost thirty years and my eldest son is now training to be one too, so we have both been very interested in the flight restrictions imposed because of the eruption of the Icelandic volcano.
Click on the picture to go to the live display
We were keen to monitor the number of aircraft airborne over Europe and we used the superb Flight Radar website which gives real time information on aircraft in range of their receivers.
The photo above is a screenshot of the display over the UK today. Clicking on an aircraft brings up an information pane, as shown on the right, with all the flight details together with links to photographs of the plane. The screen is very high resolution and can be customised to show callsigns and airfields. The track and data information is read from the transponder on board almost all modern large civil aircraft and is constantly updated.
You can take a look for yourself by clicking on the main picture, and judge whether you would like to do the job; you might be quite surprised to hear that it is both rewarding and very addictive!
April 21st, 2010
Categories: Gadgets, Interest . Author: Fast Car . Comments: No Comments
