Evandale Village Fair

After 40 years, the village fair is still going strong. I reckon that 40 years is at least 4 times longer than the initial reign of the mighty high wheel before the advent of the “safety” bicycle. It might be possible that we are currently in the era of peak penny farthing. This year there were over 40 riders from around the world.

It has been some years since I “seriously” raced (I was the junior national champion) but I have occasionally taken place in the annual slow race so that I could savour the sweet sensation of being first over the line. (The object of the exercise is to be the last to cross the line, without ever going in reverse, a rule put in place after the 1989 winner was still completing the course in 1990*) I also reflect that the cheery chap who persuaded me to return to the race track a few years ago by saying it was all a bit of fun, a chance for a couple of laughs and then a pint or two at the pub, then went on to break at least two elbows, several knees and a brain or two as he was flung from his cycle of death when he ran over a bit of grit.

I do love, however, how you can ride a penny farthing around the streets of Evandale at any time of the year without raising an eyebrow. Ride outside this safe zone and you become a bizarre spectacle, causing pile ups and confusion as bus loads of tourists jostle to take photos. In Evandale, it’s just a convenient way of getting to the shops and taking your thylacine for a walk.

*completely made up fact.

Great big bikes and tiny cars, definitely a winning combination. The Sunbeam in particular, what an awesome achievement. I don’t know what the land speed record is for half sized cars, it would have to be half the full sized times, surely.

Definitely my kind of machine. I’m guessing we’re only a couple of steps away from perpetual motion. Maybe the water wheel could propel the wind turbine to blow the clouds away from the PVCs