Spirited B-road jaunt
No good adventure ever starts smoothly and this one was no exception. Meeting early at Bickley station with @PorscheVintage, @simonjessop_phot, and @Chislehurst_Motor_Club gave us a chance to catch up as we waited for the others. A little while past our departure time, we learned that the missing folks were struggling to start one of the cars. With the sun out and good company, hanging around a little longer wasn’t a problem. Soon enough, @mooresj18 arrived in his 356, carrying the news that we’d be one car down due to a poor battery.
Off we set, with one less car in the group, heading out through Biggin Hill, enjoying the B-roads on this glorious, quiet morning. Arriving in East Grinstead, we net up with @AlexjNash and a few others. This marked our mid-point in the journey; remember, we’re one car down already. It was at the point Simon’s 356 decided it wasn’t keen to carry on but was coxed into life—although as we carried on, the car only wanted to run on four cylinders intermittently. During this next phase, we also lost a fresh 930 to teething issues. A quick fuel stop for some as we crossed the A24, and then we were off through the wooded lanes that lead to Goodwood.
I’d forgotten what it’s like to cruise with a number of vehicles, and four hours after meeting up, we finally reached our destination. Entering the show, we were all duly split up, directed to park up with fellow model types. While this is great from a show perspective, that was the last I saw of everyone I cruised with. The huge downpour of rain didn’t help, as everyone sheltered in the various paddock structures. I selfishly took the opportunity to try capturing some images during the storm and promptly lost track of time.
I did have the delight of finally meeting @Auto_Emotive in person. For two people who live relatively close to each other and talk via Instagram a lot, it’s taken too many years actually to meet. The rain gave us a good chance to catch up and share stories.
Flat sixes, fours, air and water
While the show title might suggest focusing only on Porsche’s six-cylinder cars, this is a celebration of all things Porsche. As such, throughout the venue, there were fantastic examples of almost every model from Porsche’s history. The team behind Flat Six had made a great effort to carefully position old and new cars for maximum effect, mixing the old and the new. There was a good selection of modified Porsche on display too, providing plenty of inspiration.
As the sun returned, many drivers took to the track to get their laps in while those in the paddock bought out the drying cloths. One thing I noticed was that the cars appeared to outnumber the people. This was far from a quiet event. I guess the humans were sheltering out of the weather while those of us who hide behind our cameras were out capturing their images.
Final thoughts
While I may not have come away feeling ‘Wow, that was a great show’, this was still a brilliant, well-organised event, with some really awesome cars in attendance. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace. Maybe the broken cruise, the rain and getting separated from the folks I was supposed to spend my time with didn’t help. My less-than-glowing account is exactly that: my experience. Please don’t let that put you off attending next year’s event; it will definitely be worth the effort. I’m intending to head back for another visit, whatever the weather. Keep an eye on the FlaxSix website for details on the next event.
A small ask from me
I hope you have enjoyed this article and my images. If you have, why not directly contribute to my artistic growth and encourage me to explore new creative avenues by clicking on the button and buying me a coffee?
Many thanks, Dereck
