Reader’s Ride: Blackpool Belle
Fish ’n’ chips, trams and a stick of rock – what could possibly make Stan’s day out at the seaside better? Agorgeous Vespa, of course.
Fish ’n’ chips, trams and a stick of rock – what could possibly make Stan’s day out at the seaside better? A gorgeous Vespa, of course.
Some things are greater than the sum of their parts – take Blackpool for example. On one hand it’s just another northern seaside town, slightly scruffy around the edges with its halcyon days behind it. On the other hand, it’s Blackpool!
Kiss me quick
It matters not whether you’re a threeyear-old wanting to make sandcastles, a teenager looking for a roller coasterinduced adrenaline hit or an octogenarian ballroom dancer, Blackpool has something for everyone. It’s also the home of a local businessman, Stephen Lawton, a man who takes the term ‘Civic Pride’ to a whole new level. A relative newcomer to the world of scooters, Stephen has embraced all aspects of Vespa ownership, his flowing white beard accounting for his nickname of ‘The Hairy Vespa Rider’. Like so many scooterists before him, Stephen grew tired of his ride’s standard appearance. Once he’d decided to create something special there was no doubt in his mind as to the theme, it could only be his beloved home town. There are plenty of ‘local’ scooters out there, most paying tribute to football teams, but Stephen wanted something more rounded, a scheme that portrayed Blackpool as a whole. To turn his dream into reality he turned to Peter Reid and the team at Scooter moda and in Stephen’s absence it was Peter who talked us through the project. “Being a proud Lancastrian, Stephen wanted a machine that reflected both his home town and the talent to be found locally” he began. “I think we’ve managed to
fill the brief in every respect.”
This isn't a football scooter, but Blackpool FC is a big part of the town's identity. Because of their kit colour they're known as The Tangerines. Using that shade as the base coat was a perfect way to include them in the project without resorting to the obvious mural or club badge.
Squeeze me slow
The project’s base was a rather tatty 2006 PX125 in silver, the transformation taking place in Scooter moda’s Preston workshop. Other than a service, recommissioning and adding a SIP twin tailpipe exhaust, mechanically the scooter remains just as Piaggio intended. As this build is mostly about paint I had to ask Peter about the elephant in the room, after all it is rather ‘orange’. Having stopped laughing Peter explained: “This isn’t a football scooter, but Blackpool FC is a big part of the town’s identity. Because of their kit colour they’re known as The Tangerines.
“Using that shade as the base coat was a perfect way to include them in the project without resorting to the obvious mural or club badge.”
The base coat was applied locally, with credit going to JSM Vehicle Solutions in Preston. Once dried, the panels were sent across town to Colin Threadgould at CT Airbrush Art, who applied the murals freehand. These depict Blackpool’s most iconic sights, the tower, pier and of course its unique trams. The level of detail is astounding, they’re almost photographic in their execution. Should anyone still be in doubt about Stephen’s loyalties, the red rose of Lancashire is displayed up front and central on the horncasting.
Finishing touches came in the form of limited bling and a seat re-covered by yet another Lancastrian, June at Scooter Parts UK over in Burnley.
Hold me closely
When I first clapped eyes on this scooter it seemed very familiar. I couldn’t shake the sense of déjà vu until the photo shoot was over and I was back at home scrolling through Facebook. Somebody had posted a set of grainy images of a seaside rally from the late 1970s or early 1980s and there was Stephen’s scooter. Or to be more exact, several of them. Back in those carefree days, customising didn’t involve taking out a second mortgage. Neither did it mean tracking down an artist with the talents of Leonardo da Vinci nor was so much bling added that a lake of semi-precious metals had to be drained. Instead there was a simple but effective formula. This can be summed up as: murals on both panels (plus legshields if you were flash), a little sign writing, crash bars front and rear, a backrest, about half a dozen mirrors on stalks and if your mum could handle a sewing machine, maybe a home-made seat cover. Tuning was minimal; indeed on most Vespas it was non-existent. Certainly in my club, air horns were only fitted to hide a defective horn and therefore ensure an MoT pass. As a Yorkshireman I’m going to claim that the look originated at Lens of Shipley, but the truth is that scooters from Inverness to Brighton could be found in this style. It was popular for no other reason than it worked; Blackpool Belle shows that it still does.
Never let me go
Last summer, thanks to Covid restrictions, many of us rediscovered the British seaside holiday. Perhaps now’s the time we also revisited the joys of back-to-basics customisation.
Words: Stan
Photographs: Gary Chapman