IN a recent article about the Classic and Specialist Car and Bike Nights held at the Red Lion in Shobrooke each month, mention was made of the possibility of “virtual” events replacing the real meets that get lost to the Coronavirus situation.

At the time that was written, some doubt surrounded exactly how such online events might work, but a plan has been worked out and is ready to be tried out at the end of this month in place of the usual April meet.

Virtual Car and Bike Night will take place on Thursday, April 30, from about 7pm on the Classic and Specialist Car and Bike Night Facebook page, which can be found at: www.facebook.com/rlcarbikenight .

This is a public access page so does not require a Facebook account to view, although one will be required if you wish to interact with the page.

A Facebook Event has also been created for further updates and discussion prior to the meet. This can be found at: www.facebook.com/events/240683584004726/ or via the main page.

The format of the event will be a relatively simple one. At the appointed date and time a post will be put up on the Facebook page which will, in effect, become the meet.

People will be able to “attend” by posting a picture of their car or motorcycle in the comments section, this hopefully setting off some friendly chat very much as would occur at the real meets.

As an added twist, people are also encouraged to add photos of machines they used to own/perhaps wish they still did!

In this way, maybe a virtue can be made of the current necessity and a historic “fantasy carpark” created!

While the organisers do not pretend to have been able to transfer all the benefits offered by the Red Lion into the online world, hopefully Virtual Car and Bike Night will be well attended and will offer a brief bit of respite from the stresses and difficulties of the current situation.