With free-flowing Tea Journey Infused Cocktails + 京A brews, Mark and Cat hosted their final farewell for all their Beijing friends at Hatsune Sanlitun. It was a night full of surprises with Josh Kernan auctioning off Mark Thirlwall’s beloved “Ferrari” with 100% of proceeds donated to Bicycles for Humanity (B4H).
Stay tuned for news from Mark and The Hutong’s further expansion.
For more information on Mark’s Ferrari, scroll down to the bottom of this post!
A Letter to Guests:
Now for the proceedings, a short reminder about one small section of the night. Auction sale of Lot 1 with Chief Auctioneer Joshua Kernan. Before the details begin, the proceeds of 100% of the sale will go towards Ex-Beijinger Darren Benson’s new beginnings with Bicycles for Humanity.
Having given away the clue, I can now concede that I will be finally auctioning off the love of my life! For clarity’s sake, I cannot auction my wife Cat off – she would not allow it so instead I wanted to pick the next closest dearest thing to me, that was not a member of the family. Enter the bike of my life.
For those that know me, the “Ferrari” has been with me since I was 12 years old. It is an Italian frame, 1968 for your vintage wallflowers. The frame has seen adventures drawing in the backroads of Southeast Asia, being peddled all the way from Bangkok to China on its maiden voyage to the Far East. It came in search of tea, and has handled many a brick of Pu’er within its metro-manned-up crafted “flower basket” that sits proud towards the bow of the bike. This bike, for others who have had the privilege to stand in her presence, offers a sense of almost rude purity, side straddling coastal ocean roads with crashing waves, leaves curling up and floating back down to the ground, crisp as the autumn light peaking through the trees and stroking misty mountain pathways climbing above tea forested foothills, sometimes venturing to the icy clad stoney outcrops above heights that would leave most of its 2 wheeled brothers and sisters punctured, tortured and twisted, broken down on the side of the road.
The Ferrari conjures up more than just oatmeal porridge around a campfire in the wilderness. The Ferrari instills untamed power and natural beauty that more mirrors the movements of a jaguar, hardly noticed until boom! the rider in red upon her back comes flying to the front of the Peloton, fists punching the sky as the champions ribbon furls around his or her neck, sending the rider to the cheering crowds. This is an opportunity, something that you for the first and perhaps only time in your life have the chance to experience.
For women this bike resembles EVERYTHING a man should be: poetry, athleticism, warm fireplaces and romantic strolls along the beach. If Christian was ever two wheels, here you have the chance to meet him face to face. For you boys, let me tell you, girls just never seem to tire of its presence, often lining up just to touch the handsome frame resting between the loins of its owner. For all the glitz and glamour that single speed, fixed gear Mohawks might wish for, this bike is instead more attune with those that appreciate the finer things in life. For those having tasted wines from spanish homesteads, been in the presence of spiritual leaders, skydived, speared a Mexican Nun with a spineless speargun, roamed the Amazonian jungles in search of sacred nuts that would bring humanity a potentially brighter and more sustainable future – and most of all, for those of that you that just love a story.
The Ferrari will be departing its owner for the first time since it was snapped from a small garage sale on the Sydney beaches back in 1989. I feel this is the greatest thing to leave to someone. All just for the chance to give someone else something we were entitled to when we were all young growing up.
Bring your wallets for this only. Shall be a bit of fun. To accompany the sale of Lot 1 – The Ferrari – the first time released to the public in 24 years, we have a complete bike kit donated by B4H (both bike top and bottoms).
Any questions….ask someone.
