Those Burton Brewers know how to pick a good date for their annual Custom Show. They sandwiched it in between two very wet and windy February days and treated us to a real taste of spring.
With perfect blue skies and temperatures hovering around 10 degrees, it was an ideal day to get the scooter out and start to get excited about warmer riding days.
Myself and a mate had a quick blast down to Burton, followed by half an hour of getting lost (thanks to a big diversion leading to the venue) but we eventually got there.
Paget High
This was the third year at the event’s new home at Paget High School in Brampton and it was also the third layout change. The Brewers keep evolving things to make the show flow better (the 2023 show was very cramped), or solve problems (like traders messing the school playing fields up last year).
You really can’t fault their organisation, with loads of stewards directing you all the way from the main road right into the huge fenced-off scooter-only parking lot and then into the entrance hall where a line of Brewers direct you to the lovely ladies behind the pay desk. Relieved of £5 you’re in. That entrance also housed a few traders, like ScooterNova, VCB, Mototec Oils, K2 Custom and the helmet man.
School dinners
Following through (not literally), you could visit the school canteen where a glamourous black lady was serving teas and coffees, and later on beers.
Or you could head into the main arena, a well-lit sports hall where the scooters were displayed again this year. And what a lot of them there were, a great display that would put many National Rally custom shows to shame.
Harry Potter
Scooters on display included the very nicely done, Spurgeon-sprayed Harry Potter. A full-blown Lambretta Series 2 with some clever touches, like the brooms for floor runners. It went on to win a well-deserved Best of Show trophy. You can see more photos of it and the other scooters we mention in the gallery below.
Pepsi YPVS 350
Another fat old girl with attitude was the beautifully done YPVS 350 Lammy Series 1 hybrid in retro Pepsi colours. A stunning scooter that I’d quite like to have a play on. Owned by Shaun Howell, it went home with Best Engineering and was runner-up in the Burton Brewer’s Club Choice category.
The Eclipse
The Eclipse also caught my eye; it’s a lowdown Series 2 Lammy with plenty of nifty engineering touches, like a flip-up rear end, stretched mudguard, dropped frame and hand-formed louvres. If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s been around for the last seven years. It’s a ridden rally bike rather than a show pony, and the owner, Bobby Ball, repainted it over winter. He’s actually responsible for all the engineering, paintwork, murals and engine work as well – a talented chap. He walked away with a runner’s up trophy for Best Engineering
Best Vespa: Rambo
Newly finished in time for the show came Rambo, an Armando’s Vespa in blue paint with gold metalflake and a Rambo theme. Tasty if you’re into 80s PX trends.
Best Paint: Ocean Colour Scene
The paint on Ocean Colour Scene deserves a prize; it’s a great-looking Vespa for sure.
Best Non Vespa/Lambretta: Cezeta auto
That’s not something you see every day and I’ve quite fancied one since we did a feature on the remade electric versions a while back. They’re a big old bus are these 1950s Czech-built machines; this particular Cezeta had been converted to auto with a 378cc engine and featured some cool paintwork, too. It sat alongside an equally tasty LD with (I believe) a Suzuki Burgman engine stuffed up its rear end.
Gallery
Of course, there are loads more scooters we could have picked out for special attention and you can see most of them in the gallery above (the full show results are in there as well). The show itself had over 75 entrants ranging from racers to restored, full-blown customs to choppers, a Royal Alloy and modern custom Lambretta, as well as a Piaggio Ape and Honda Dax. Pretty much something for everybody.
Traders
After complaints from the school last year, the various outdoor traders had moved to part of the school at the front of the building. This worked well enough, with a row of stalls on either side of the tarmac road selling new and used parts, as well as clothing.
Scooters galore
Outside, with temperatures heading into double figures, it was warm enough to sit and watch the world go by with a burger or jacket spud from one of the caterers. Through the chain link fencing, the scooter park was full, with a few hundred scooters lined up very tidily and plenty of nice specimens among them.
Pub calling
Rather than wait around for the trophy presentations, we decided to make the most of the afternoon by heading towards home with a pub stop en route. Not before we’d upset an ageing cyclist as we rode up the pavement through the road works to avoid the four-mile detour though. Then, a few miles later, I was pretty close to being knocked off the Lammy by another old driver who decided to turn left straight across my path, with about an inch to spare. Nobody died though, so all was good.
A fantastic way to kick off 2025 before the big rallies start. Well done to all involved.
Words and photos
Iggy
