Founded in 2002 by Al Richmond, London’s premier classic scooter club, Bar Italia is celebrating a decade of existence and is arranging a series of events and rideouts to mark the occasion. “2012 is going to be a fantastic year, with lots of public interest in London life,” says Nick Robins, who runs Bar Italia Scooter Club. “Our continued programme of scooter rides and events will move things up a notch to celebrate not only our anniversary, but also the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
“It’s a great opportunity to not only recognise ten official years of the club, but to acknowledge the British culture it is founded on,” Robins continues. The club’s history dates back to the late 50s/early 60s when young ‘mods’ started meeting regularly at Soho coffee shop, Bar Italia, which the scooter club is named after and where it continues to meet today.
Bromley-based signage specialists and scooter enthusiasts, Creative FX are designing and printing banners to promote the events, and are also responsible for giving a lot of the iconic vehicles a personal touch. “We have a real passion for scooter panel wraps,” explains Creative FX Director, Sean Davis. “Not only do they look great, they also protect the panels from stone chips and minor abrasions, keeping the classic scooters just that - classic.”
The first event took place on Saturday 24 March and was arranged with the well-established ‘Kickstart Rideout’ to mark the official scootering season. Attended by approximately 400 riders from across London and the South East, including a number of Creative FX clients and staff, the ride began at the London Eye before attendees travelled en masse across London to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
“400 scooters trying to get through the West End traffic was a laugh!” says Davis, who was at the event. “We’re looking forward to the next one now.” The ‘Buckingham Palace Rideout’ will take place on Saturday 5 May. For more information on the events see http://newuntouchables.ning.com/
