Dates For Your Diary
Group Meeting
17 April 2023 - Steven Hyde tells us about his recent road trip across America by motorcycle
10 July 2023 - Speaker tbc
9 Otober 2023 - AGM plus Paul Prictor will tell us about his motorcycle tour of Mongolia
SkillShare
1 April 2023 meeting at the Dandy Highwayman Cafe Cherhill.
Bike Ride-Outs on the 3rd Saturday of every even numbered month and the 3rd Sunday of every odd numbered Month. Email will be sent out to Bikers and added to the Forum.
Next ride out Saturday 17 December Details will be forthcoming via email to all bike members. It looks like a good day out too!
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Do you have a topic you would like discussed, or know of an interesting speaker? Please contact speaker at speakers@wiltshireroadar.co.uk |
Congratulations
Congratulations to the following members who have passed their Advanced Tests recently:
Welcome
Please welcome the following to the Group:
Toby Couchman - Bike
Trevor Windsor - Car
Stewart Ness - Bike
Adrian Allen - Bike
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Don’t forget that we have a range of clothing available to purchase. We also offer a range of books, such as Roadcraft, Motorcycle Roadcraft and the Highway Code, and these are available at discounted prices.
For more information visit the Merchandise page of our web site |
We are always looking for more articles, ideas and news for the newsletter. Have you been somewhere interesting recently that would make a good story? If you attend any group events then take a camera and send us your pictures!
Please forward all contributions to newsletter@wiltshireroadar.co.uk |
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A very Happy new year to you all. A cold start to the year which has seen me doing a bit more hibernation than usual and I am looking forward to the opportunities 2023 will bring despite us cancelling a committee meeting due to poor road conditions. I am an optimist (mostly)
We are changing the frequency of our Group meetings. Attendance has dwindled since the COVID 19 lockdown and diminished even further in the winter months. The committee will pull together a survey to see what we have got wrong (speakers, location, timings etc) but in the meantime we have decided to reduce the meetings to when the evenings are lighter and every 3 months no every month. We will keep the second Monday of the month as a default with the exception of our next meeting will be on 17 April (avoiding a clash with Easter Monday) and then 10 July and 9 October (which will coincide with the AGM). Please do come along for an interesting evening of talking our own brand of rubbish about all things road safety, driving and riding.
As is normal at this time of year our membership has dropped. If you have just forgotten to renew, please do so (Paul the Membership secretary will be sending out a final reminder). If you have decided to leave us for whatever reason; I wish you well. Thank you all for your support.
The Committee has agreed to remove the COVID protocols for now. I think COVID is now endemic and it is up to us all to be sensible with how we look after ourselves and others. Please use your judgement as you do in everyday life and stay healthy. No member of the group will be criticised for taking the precautions they feel necessary for themselves.
I look forwad to seeing many of you on the roads this year.
Bob
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Membership Subscriptions
Please remember to renew your membership with the Group (this is in addition to those of you who have mebership of RoADAR!). It is due every October at the AGM.
We have 28 People who have not renewed from last year and I am sure the reasons are many and varied. If you are leaving us I wish you well but please do drop us a line to let us know why and if there is somethig else we could have done to keep you on board.
If you have just forgotten please pay your annual subscription (£17). Paul Prictor, the Membership Secretary, will be sending out final reminders soon and those who remain unsubscribed by end Feb 2023 we shall remove from the database (GDPR regulations says we must!).
Regards
Bob Fram
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Meerkat Wisdom
I am sure we have all heard of the compare the market comparison site and many of us will have been amused and irritated in equal measure by the meerkats. I did not know they have some interesting articles in their Guides section, clearly with a focus on insurance. One such article on road rage can be found here. I will keep an eye out for others of interest. If any of you find articles about which you feel the group will benefit please send me a link and they can be included in the newsletter. A great way of sharing.
Equally if you have some interesting messages or reports to share please do send them to me and we include then in the newsletter. For those academics amongst us I am not sure it will class as being published but we do have a circulation of around 100 people and it goes on twitter (despite Elon Musk; who has not banned us yet) and Facebook.
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Have you been up to anything to do with Riding or Driving lately? If so, then please let us know as we would love to include it here; photos would be great too!
| Bike RIde out to Coombe Gibbet
Mark Sealey organised a short ride out to Coombe Gibbet an interesting place where in the 17th century 2 executed people were hung on a large frame to warn others of the errors of their ways. The couple were having an affair and murdered the man’s wife!
It had been a wet week but the weather forecast looked as though we were to get a break in the weather. I was reminded it is just a forecast, so we set off in wet conditions, many of us donning additional waterproofs at the rendezvous. Six Bikes and 7 people (hats off to Sally Genet for remaining very cheerful as the only pillion) splashed their way through Wiltshire and into the lanes of Berkshire (no chance of Wiltshire RoADAR being described as unadventurous). The riding conditions were challenging but this makes it all the more interesting and is excellent practice.
We were blessed with a break int the weather when we arrived at the Gibbet (although there was a strong and cold wind (a lazy wind as my mother would call it as it went through you rather than round you!). The view from the Gibbet is amazing; clearly the message provided by its use would be seen by many people. It is well worth a visit and easily accessible by car, motorbike and via byways so off-roaders, cyclists and walkers have easy access.
Ride out members discuss the new disciplinary policy for Wiltshire RoDAR
After the usual faffing about with clothing adjustments, setting heated grips, plugging in heated jackets, adjusting gloves and all the rest of the paraphernalia which goes along with winter motorcycling as took a short hop to the café at Cobs Farm shop just outside Hungerford for coffee and cake. We had come from the 4 corners of Wiltshire for the ride so all dispersed to home from the café, finally with clearer skies!
The team about to start faffing before the ride home from coffe and cake
Thanks Mark for a fun and interesting ride out.
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Call for Bikers from Severn Freewheelers
Many of you will be aware of Severn Freewheelers, the blood bike charity
that provides its free service to the NHS and specifically the Great
Western Trust (GWH) at Swindon. Partly as a result of the Trust’s
response to COVID and the service being better understood by the Trust,
the workload now means we have two bikes serving the area. Last year we
undertook over 2000 jobs for the Swindon Trust. Overall Severn
Freewheelers did over 7000 tasks.
This is a request primarily seeking riders to help support our
operation going forward. Naturally over time people fall away as their
circumstances change, they move away or indeed decide this is no longer
for them.
The service runs 1900hrs to 0700hrs weekdays and 24 hrs at weekends
and public holidays. A typical duty is Wednesday evening till Saturday
evening or Saturday until the Wednesday. You would keep the bike at home
until you handover to the next rider. The bikes are the latest BMW RTs.
A new rider needs to have undertaken his or her advanced test in
the last three years and is required to be retested every three years.
In addition, there would be a check ride undertaken on joining and
further periodic check rides with a nominated assessor. Managing the
risks within the operation is a core value of the charity. There are of
course other roles as coordinators and fund raisers and riders are
expected to contribute beyond simply riding which is vital to maintain
the service. From a response basis, riders need to live within 25 miles
of the Great Western Hospital. Training is provided for all
new members.
If this is of interest, please feel free to get in touch.
Geoff
Geoff Brown
Severn Freewheelers
Mob 07399 457703
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Promotional activities
1 April
6 May
3 June
1 July
5 August
2 September
7 October
23 April
18 June
9 July
17 September
8 October
Calne Bike Meet - 29 July. We have booked a stand or this huge event which proivdes an opportunity to recruit both drivers and riders. Please put it in your diary and come and help us popuate the stand to improve recruiting for the Group
If you have any ideas for events, then please get in touch with the committee using the committee email address :
Look forward to hearing and discussing your ideas.
Presentation material
A generic set of slides has been created for use if you are asked about Wiltshire RoADAR and have the opportunity to present. This could be at a local club, workplace etc. Please send a mail to committee@wiltshireroadar.co.uk and the slides will be sent over to you.
We also have flyers and business cards so ask for these via the same means.
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Covid protocol - Retired
The protocols Have been retired. THey will be resurrectoed if required.
Tutors and Associates must agree on the levels of protection they are prepared to accept.
There is no compulsion to go against personal risk assessments and if there is a need to change tutors due to a disagreement then please discuss with the relevant tutor coordinator.
Any questions please refer to the Committee who will issue more guidance should it be necessary.
Good idea to get your flu and COVID jabs done though and also be careful of spreading seasonal flu!
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Media coordinator - Help us to broaden our reach
To help promote the group we have a variety of online media platforms, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. To help make the most out of the opportunities that these outlets provide, we could use some help from someone who has experience of using such tools. Drop me a line at secretary@wiltshireroadar.co.uk if you would be interested in helping promote our group.
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Committee minutes
These are available from the Group Secretary if any member wishes to see them. If you are interested in reading the minutes, then please send a mail to the Group Secretary whom will promptly forward them onto you.
Forum
Please could all Members use the Forum on the Website which can be used for any purpose but particularly coordinating events, hints, tips and general conversation. It is easy to register on the website so please do log on and chat away.
Test results
Reminder to let the Membership Secretary and your tutor know when you have taken your Advanced Driving/Riding Test and result. This is so our database is kept up to date; there is no need or pressure at all to have the result published on the website or in this newsletter if you wish to keep your result confidential.
Gloucester RoADAR Newsletter
If you are interested in the Gloucester Group newsletter here it is.
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