Sunday Scrambling

Sunday Scramble is an assault on the senses, the smells, the sights, the sounds, the conversations and even the quiet corners. It is a day to savour and a day to look forward to. After Bicester? Well, after Bicester Sundays aren’t really the same.

The Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble was completely alien to me over a year ago. Classic cars weren’t really on my radar. I can tell you the history of Lotus road cars and nothing excites me more than the fantastic tales handed down through the corridors of Hethel but I wasn’t a classic car enthusiast. The lifestyle, the joy of driving something old, the joy of not driving, the chats and the coffee, it had never really interested me. That changed really, really quickly.

My photography was still in its infancy the first time I visited Bicester in the Autumn of 2018. I had shot plenty of Lotus cars at Hethel, but never shot cars in the real world. Bicester isn’t the real world, it is a movie set, a series of locations, every building presents a different but perfectly formed back drop. The below shot of the 911 Carrera was re-posted by Bicester Heritage on Instagram, that was a huge deal for me. Validation from the event I suddenly coveted so sincerely.

Next up was a colder day out in January 2019. This time an Evora GT430 was the weapon of choice. The early morning drive to Bicester from Norfolk is just about the perfect early morning road trip distance. Just far enough to do in one hit, without stopping and not long enough to need the toilet!

This time the colours were more muted but the subject just as engaging. The location didn’t disappoint, as with colder and flatter light, came new tones and reflections to explore on the cars. Porsches always stand out at Sunday Scramble, mainly because of the sheer number that turn up! Also the condition in which they have been kept or restored. As you can see below, I found a few I liked!

The biggest scramble of the year was soon upon us, the Super Scramble! A warm summer event and this time I took the entire Lotus press fleet, as the next day at Bicester we would be holding a press refresher event for those who hadn’t been in a Lotus for a while.

The Scramble itself was a blast, I spent a lot of the time on our Lotus stand with an S1 Esprit for company. What I did get to see of the event is in the pictures below. These are some of my favourite shots so far from Bicester.

I haven’t made it to Sunday Scramble for the last two events, and I have sorely missed them. In April 2020 I will be back, with my Elite.