We've been thinking about doing pop-up shops at different businesses for a couple of years, but not pulled our fingers out until recently. Todd ran a pop-up at See See in Portland (see the report) and, on this side of the Atlantic, we held our first at Bolt London on Saturday.
What's a pop-up? A one-day stall at somewhere that isn't an event. We have stalls at the Bike Shed Show, The One Moto, Malle Mile, Cafe Racer festival and others, but these pop-ups are turning up to A, introduce Sideburn to another shop's regulars, B, Bring our friends and followers into the shop that is hosting us.
That's Deb, waiting for the customers to arrive on a cold December morning.
Bolt have a sprawling, slightly ramshackle shop with a cobbled yard. The site was a motorcycle shop nearly 100 years ago.
Adjoining Bolt is Zippo Records, co-owned by local resident, Thurston Moore, formerly of Sonic Youth.
One of the first visitors was our old pal Brink, whose race kit is featured over four pages in Sideburn 43.
He turned up with son Bill in Mustang with a modern Corvette V8.
It left with a new Rollerball-style rub-on sticker.
Another early visitor was artist Benedict Radcliffe. Click his name to check out his automotive creations. He got a bit of Christmas shopping from the stall.
Dapper regulars rolled in.
Alex Coco, who did the fantastic design and lay out of the How To Build A Motorcycle book turned up on his little Honda twin resto.
I kept wandering in an out of Bolt to check the racks. I ended up with a new Eat Dust shirt. Bolt has formed its own community, very inclusive, but different and distinct to the Bike Shed crowd, just a few miles away. Bolt stocks little known cult brands like Eat Dust, Pike Brothers, Fleur des Bagnes, and their own high quality clobber, plus new and vintage helmets, old leathers, some Biltwell stuff and, also serves hot drinks.
Killer font on old leathers for sale.
All two-wheelers welcome.
A mad mix of machinery on Bouverie Road.
My nephew, Louis, and Anna rode up on their pushbikes. Louis co-owns London bicycle shop Paradise Cycles on Roman Road. Ready for all your cycle fixing/restoring needs. That's Tony Davis in the background, who hosts the beginner's mechanic courses at Bolt.
Kristen made a splash with her CBR400RR...
Then bought a Sideburn Springfield scarf.
She wasn't the only women to turn up on cool machinery and ride home with a new scarf.
Low-mileage 883R wasn't afraid of a bit of salt on the roads.
Did I just take photos of women and their bikes? Maybe. This is Olivia and her Honda street scrambler.
We weren't the only people popping up. Zoe had a stall for the charity - Two Wheels for Life. They're raising money for the long-established Riders For Health charity, beloved by the MotoGP paddock, initially with a range of T-shirts.
Andrew Bolt's Ornamental Conifer-painted Lambretta, battered but, Andrew says, finally running well.
Thanks to everyone who turned up for a chat, or to buy something. I want to do another pop-up!