I was alone at home and wide awake when the first vibrations were felt. Deep down inside, a weird sensation more than an actual feeling but in that moment all your senses are wide awake. I’d felt it before in 2009 and now here it was back again. As fast as you’re trying to articulate the word, the event happens. We take the very air we breath and the ground we stand on as absolute, like the sun coming up in the morning ….. when that ground begins to shake and heave beneath you, your entire frame of reference is momentarily lost – you freeze.
I am fine and our home has no structural damage, 45 miles away however it was a different story. Amatrice, Arquata, Accumoli and many other small villages were near the epicenter of the 6.1 earthquake. Today the death toll stands at 284 with a further 388 injured. Today, like yesterday, the rescue teams will be working tirelessly to find others.
Our hearts go out to the victims and families for their loss. Our praise and admiration goes to those emergency services both Italian and International who continue to work tirelessly day by day. In a world made ugly by some, it is wonderful to see what can be accomplished when people truly pull together.
I finally got around to finishing off the new closure panel (AP8168916) and seat/tank heatshield (AP8117201 – now unavailable) using the 2mm rubber sheet I bought a few months ago. A single 500mm x 500mm piece is enough to make one each of the panels at a cost of about £4 per panel. Compare that to the list price of Aprilia replacements – £15.58 & £22.48 each PLUS VAT!
