Talking 'bout regeneration

Scooter sales are rocketing. But they are not just a cheap means of getting around

town, they are a fashion accessory, a way of life. Martin 'Sticky' Round of Scootering International magazine shares his enthusiasm.

There's something very special about the Isle of Wight ferry in the hearts of most British scooterists. Until your nostrils have sampled the peculiar blend of sea air and choking blue smoke pouring from revving two stroke engines, you haven't lived. Or perhaps you may live longer - and healthier - than the thousands of scooter riders who make the journey every August to their island Mecca for a festival of dancing, imbibing and camping, all focused around a love for two humble Italian shopping machines.

Today's scooter scene still has at it's heart the Vespa and Lambretta, which swept into Britain in the Fifties and since then a sub-culture has grown up.

The groups

The mod scene - yes they're still here - is in a state of flux, but broadly split into two camps: the Untouchables and the Classic Club International (CCI). The Untouchables - a group of South London mods - are one of the major organisers of mod-oriented events. Their approach is almost totally Sixties authentic, with a fervour that any fanatical extremist would be proud of. They wear mohair suits with three buttons and high collars, once much favoured by The Beatles and The Who. For hair: think Steve Marriot of the Small Faces. The women dance in rayon dresses, Sixties style.

Mods who follow other organisations such as the more open-minded Classic Club International (CCI) despair of certain Untouchables policies - too foppish, too 1960s London gay club.

The machines

There has been a move towards a tastefully standard 1960's machine with few accessories. For the scooterist this means fewer radically chopped or cutdown machines, less engraving and muralled paintwork, but still a preference for some sort of engine tuning. No more overblown "Christmas trees" covered in lights and mirrors, but something more practical which will avoid getting stuck in the traffic.

The music

Much of the fuel for this scooter revival comes from icons such as Paul Weller, Damon Albarn (Blur) and Steve Craddock (Ocean Colour Scene). For those trying to put a finger on exactly what "mod" is, there are a confusing array of answers. Music policy at Untouchables' London events and seaside extravaganzas is based on increasingly obscure 1960's R&B, Soul and Hammond- driven tunes. The CCI operates a far more eclectic music policy at their events, with music covering the 1979 mod revival bands such as The Jam and Secret Affair, right up to 1990's Britpop. Rare Sixties and Seventies Soul has long had an association with the scooterist and mod scenes.

Rallies are one of the best places to observe the speed-driven dance floor acrobatics of the Northern Soulie. Generally they are otherwise saved for all-nighters such as Togetherness at Kings Hall, Stoke. With Scooterists covering the whole range of youth styles and fashions at one stage or another, the DJs spinning at the promotions organised by VFM (Value for Money) have perhaps the hardest job of all.

Soul and Britpop is interspersed with Punk, Ska, Indie and even House tunes. To hear Northern Soul anthems from Joe Tex followed by 1980s psychobilly by King Kurt can only begin to show the diverse range of tastes that are catered for.

The style

Hairstyles seem to vary across the whole decade from "early Beatles" to "late Brian Jones", with "slowly receding and short" strangely becoming popular with older followers of fashion.

The clothes

Anyone who has ever ridden in the rain in a US Army Fishtail parka will attest how hopeless they are as a small pond develops in the rider's lap. Quite unsurprisingly most Scooterists reject this in favour of more sensible riding attire. Most CCI supporters tend to chose smart Fred Perry shirts, Ben Shermans Levi Sta-Prest trousers, hovering on the ankle, and denim jackets or narrow lapelled suits for going out. Footwear: DM boots, heavy leather brogues or loofahs. Preferences for mod girls include short skirts, trouser suits or ski pants.

As you might imagine, a fit mod girl can look quite ravishing - while overweight ones in the same gear are frankly a disaster.

The fringes

With scooterists covering a whole gamut of different sorts of people connected only by a love of scooters there are everything from body-pierced crusties and punks, tattooed scooter-skins, britpop fans, ravers and froth- mouthed Northern Soulies, many on speed, on a rally. The most common item is the MA1 US flight jacket with de rigeur sewn-on patches denoting attendance to previous rallies.

The knowledge

The only thing that they aren't that insistent about are the actual scooters, with some Untouchables followers preferring the comfort of a Sixties car as a more comfortable way to get to a rally. Favourite venues for the rally season which starts next month,are Kettering, Ireland, and biggest of all, the Isle of Wight. On the island last year - an event conceived to bring all the scooter groups together - one of the favourite Scooterist items was a black T-shirt proclaiming: "I am not a f***ing mod." This obviously did no end of good to intersect relations. Why not assess the damage for yourself by attending this August?