Important: Joining the forum

Sadly, the various messages abut joining the forum seem to be being missed right now, so it's time to flag up the one important change re joining the forum.

We do not allow webmail addresses for new users of the forum.

That means you cannot join with an address like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or another other webmail address from similar companies. It's not ideal, but the current forum is being spammed to death with applications right now - the only way we can spot genuine people is via genuine addresses.

If that causes you major problems, contact us and we'll try to sort something out. If you have applied with a webmail address of late, your application will have been refused - as will all future applications from webmail and freemail.

Modculture forums

Quadrophenia scooter up for auction

The famous Lambretta Li150 scooter that Phil Daniels rides in cult mod movie Quadrophenia is up for auction later this month.

Famous Knightsbridge auction house Bonhams is hosting the sale on November the 25th, and have placed an estimate of £20,000-25,000 on it. The character 'Jimmy' rode this scooter throughout the early parts of the 1979 film, and it was an integral part of the story development (based on The Who's 1972 concept album of the same name). After filming the scooter ended up in the Portsmouth area, where the current owner has kept the 'KRU 251F' bike ever since (when not using it for various promotional activities).

The most famous Lambretta in the world could be yours very soon. See the sales page on the Bonhams website here for details of how to bid on this unique item.

Creative FX scooter panel wraps

If you fancy customising your scooter, Creative FX is making it easy with its vinyl scooter panel wraps.

The man behind the Kent-based company is long-time mod/scooterist Sean Davis, who will accept any artwork you can design (or help with ideas too I presume). If you have artwork already, you can send it over in JPEG or TIFF format and Sean will give you a quote for the cost of producing the wrap.

You can be as subtle or as 'out there' as you like - in fact, individual designs are encouraged. Prices start at £95 plus VAT per panel, but you can get a firm price once you've sent over your artwork or you can find out more by dropping Sean a line.

Find out more at the Creative FX website

Full feeds return on Modculture

We have had problems with our feeds in the past, but all that is now hopefully sorted and we now have full feeds back on Modculture.

What does that mean Well, if you are signed up for news email, you will get the stories in their entirety (with images) sent to you on every day where new stories appear. And if you read the news via a feed reader, you'll see the full story there.

If you're not signed up to our email, you can join via the box on the right hand side of the site. And you can also subscribe easily to your favourite feed reader using the buttons also to your right.

Reminder: Joining the forum

Just a quick reminder - if you plan on joining the forum, please use a 'real' (not webmail) email address. That means your ISP, college or work address for example and not Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail etc.

We have had problems with hackers and the odd unsuitable comment, meaning we need to know who is using the forum. Apologies for the inconvenience (and for all accounts that have been refused), but it is for the greater good and does cut down on any potential problems.

If you want to join the forum, you can do right here.

Vespa hire in Brighton

Fancy nipping around Brighton on two wheels? Well, you can if you visit Vroom By The Sea.

Based in central Hove, the company offers Vespas for hire - everything from 50cc twist and go bikes through to more traditional bikes like the Vespa PX125 pictured here. Or if you feel lazy, they can even deliver a scoot to you.

Various offers are currently available, so check out the site for full details. Although as a guide, prices are between £22 and £44 for a day.

Find out more at the Vroom By The Sea website

Vespa shoulder bags

I'm not convinced these are official pieces of merchandise, but the Vespa shoulder bags are certainly eye-catching.

Take your pick from four retro designs, all made from a synthetic leather, with a single storage area and adjustable/removable shoulder strap.

Sized at 25 x 31 x 8cm, you can pre-order now, priced at £33 each.

Find out more at the Purves website

Vespismo scooter helmets

Petrol prices are on the up - which means more people are opting for two wheels to get around town. Which is good news for the scooter accessory companies, the latest of which is Vespismo.

Based in Holland (but shipping worldwide), the company offers mod-friendly scooter clothing and the helmets above. All are approved for safety, clad in weatherproof sky leather and made in Italy.

The three designs above are Vespismo Target, Bossy Beetle, Union Jack and Classic Crimson, but others are available and new styles added on a monthly basis. All are priced at 119.95 Euros and if you want vintage goggles to match, they have those too - for an extra 24.95 Euros.

Find out more at the Vespismo website

Invasion scooter rally in Yorkshire

Just around the corner is the Yorkshire Scooter Alliance (YSA) annual weekend get-together, Invasion.

Now into its 5th year, the Invasion sees scooterists from all over Yorkshire and beyond gather between the 11th and 13th of July. Expect the normal rally affair - custom show, dealers, soul & ska DJs - plus live music from The Finnlys, Barmy Surplus, RT3 (formerly The Purple Hearts) and The Vesparados. Plus there is a chance to win a restored scooter, a GP200 Streetracer. Admisson each day is just £6 to YSA memebrs, and £12 to non-members. The venue for the weekend is the Northern Events Arena in Pickering, which has all the on-site facilities you could hope for.

For more on the event, and on what The YSA does, visit their website here.

Wanted: Your recommendations

Well, we've (almost) got a brand new website, now all that's needed is a serious update of the content.

We've got the album reviews covered, not to mention films and books (although it's always good to hear of new ones - and indeed new bands). But we could do with your help for the club listings, recommended shops, scooter dealers, barbers - you know the kind of thing.

If you can help with anything (nothing is too small), then please fire over an email to:
david@modculture.co.uk
- with the subject of what you're sending about (club, shop etc) and the details in the main body. Check out the current sections for the kind of info we need. If you have any ideas for news stories, fire them to the same address too.

Right now it's UK only, but we are considering expanding the shopping guides to worldwide. If you can help, drop us a line...it might just push us into doing it.

Contact Modculture