Dates For Your Diary
Monday club nights will be organised on the second Monday of the months of - March; June and September. This gives us lighter nights.
SkillShare
6 April 2024 meeting at the Dandy Highwayman Cafe Cherhill. 9.30 am for 10 am start
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 February. Details will be forthcoming via email to all bike members.
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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:
Steven Hyde - Bike re test - Gold
Please welcome the following to the Group:
Scott Bonnell - Bike
Emma Hookham - 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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Happy New Year
I hope you all managed to have some family time and have a bit of a rest over the festive period; although I suspect it is all a bit of a distant memory for all of us and we are back into a routine. I am looking forward to better weather and longer days though.
I have not made any new year resolutions (although the perennial need to lose some weight still hangs over me!). I have, however, planned some more road trips this year. I am not working full time and told myself to get on and plan the trips I promised I would do when I had more time. I now have some dates in the dairy, so they are not overtaken by normal life. I have found this has provided me with a new sense of freedom as I turn down other invitations and no one seems to be upset. I will need to start planning next year pretty soon as well.
Sadly we have lost a lot of car members during the renewal process. I know this will be for a variety of reasons but one which is challenging me at the moment is we do not offer sufficient for the car drivers. We are trying to ensure we have more interesting road safety talks for our meetings and we continue to try and recruit new members. If you have any ideas, suggestions or just a comment please do get in touch with me chairman@wiltshireroadar.co.uk. Better still come and join the committee and help us do more for the car drivers.
In the meantime please stay safe in our ever changing, and sometimes challenging, weather conditions.
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Booking a Retest
Please be aware you need to book your 3 yearly retest directly with RoSPA via their website. Sadly we cannot book it for you as it is all done electronically. You may also need to check when your re-test is due if you have not been paying your subscriptions to RoADAR as they will not remind you.
Tutors will be happy to conduct a refresh should you wish one prior to a re test.
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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!
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January Ride Out - Hampshire's temporary fords
The largest turn out for a ride out in many months met at the Sally Pussey in Royal Wootton Basset for our January ride out. 10 Bikers joined our ride leader, Winston Castle, for a few hours riding Wiltshire and Hampshire roads. After a short briefing on how our drop off system (ensuring we do not lose anyone) we set off in the unseasonably warm weather (well the frost had long gone).
A damp Pub car park - we meet in some selubrious places
The route took in some of the less travelled minor roads between Devizes and Marlborough. These can be challenging, and our drop of system failed us as we lost 2 riders in deepest darkest Wiltshire (no phone signal). Once the lines of communications were re-opened it was agreed the 2 “strays” would meet us at out lunch stop. In true advanced driving and riding style we are reviewing our processes to ensure this does not happen again. It is very unusual to lose anyone but the size of the Group may well have contributed to the error.
As ever the more minor roads take in some stunning scenery and some very expensive looking houses. As we flirted with Hampshire the recent wet weather was showing its presence. There was a lot of water in the streams around the River Test and lots on the flood plains. Many houses looked as though they had been flooded (buying Littlebrook Cottage may in retrospect be an unfortunate purchase!). There were many bits of road which were flooded and it did seem we were rerunning the Cotswolds Ford route but all of the fords were temporary. An interesting challenge and one which did not help keep our bikes clean.
The Ride leader marshalling the tropps after lunch
We met up with our lost chums at Thyme and Tides near Salisbury for a coffee and a small bite to eat (the place we rammed so cooked food was taking too long). Our route to the Crowns Café at the REME Museum in Lyneham was less eventful (with the obligatory u turn because of a closed road!) where we enjoyed a coffee and a chat to reflect on our ride. All of our bikes are really filthy (not surprising given the condition of the roads) so a good clean down was required when back home.
We took the wise decision to end the ride where we could get a coffee
Bikes need a bit of a clean!
A great day out with some good lessons learnt – thanks Winston.
Bob Fram
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BikeSafe feedback
We have received the following email from the Wiltshire BikeSafe coordinator. Given there was a change in coordinator midway through the year having helped observe 44 bikers in Wiltshire this year . If you want to read the full report you will find it here (not attached as per the email!).
We will continue to support Wiltshire Police in 2024 (in conjunction with Wilts and Bath Advanced Motorcyclists). It is a fertile recruiting ground.
Hi Team
Please find attached the end of year report from Bikesafe UK. It is an interesting read!
The short headline is, that your efforts have had a direct input to road safety over the last 12 months, ensuring that 44 of Wiltshire’s motorcycle community have undertaken a first-hand interactive training day and observed ride with Wiltshire Police Motorcyclists or our IAM / ROSPA colleagues. This being a first step to better motorcycling and in many cases, further training through one of the Advanced Training Providers.
The overall stats for the wider policing team are impressive and the innovations within BikeSafe UK are making outreach initiatives better year on year.
With the current public confidence in policing at an all-time low, initiatives such as BikeSafe are a welcome reminder of the all good that we do within the community and show our passion for policing and our commitment to our mission of Keeping Wiltshire Safe.
In stark contrast to other areas of policing, EVERY piece of feedback generated from BikeSafe is POSITIVE and this is solely down to all of you.
With the dates locked in for this year, I anticipate a significant uplift on that number, (44), and this does not include any further workshops for the military, which may come to pass this year all being well. We have also received a request for a ‘Ladies Only’ day, which I think will be will be a first if we can accommodate it!
Very well done on your part in making 2023 an outstanding BikeSafe year and helping to raise our corporate reputation. I very much look forward to doing it all again in 2024!
John Hutchings
Police Inspector 1358
Force Incident Manager
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Highway Code App
The Stationery Office has launched a new Highway Code app.
The app is for all road users and makes it even easier - and more fun - to keep up to date with the rules of the road.
What's new?
- Instant access to the very latest version of the Official Highway Code while on the move, on tablets and mobile devices
- Quizzes and timed challenge features, that help users check their knowledge of the Highway Code and track their progress.
- A voice over option enabling users to listen as well as read.
The app costs £3.99 and is available to download on both Android and iOS platforms. |
Membership and GDPR
Due to GDPR we are required to remove an individual's details from our Group database when they are no longer required by us. We remove a lapsed member's details if they have not paid a subscription by the 31 Dec following the AGM (3 months after the subscriptions are due). If a member has forgotten to pay their subs and pays after 31 Dec we will require a joining form to be completed so we can replace them on the database.
It all seems a bit strange, but we do not want to get on the wrong side of the Government's Information Commissioner. We understand if members forget or are late with their subscriptions, but please help us to keep our database accurate and compliant.
This is, of course, separate to those of you who maintain a membership with RoADAR HQ.
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Promotional activities
Successfully supported by Wiltshire RoADAR motorcycle tutors and WABAM Observers. Final confirmed date for the year is:
Starting again in the New Year!
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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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
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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.
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.
If you have read this far, thanks! If you have any feedback or suggestions about content for your newsletter, then drop us a line at newsletter@wiltshireroadar.co.uk If you can't leave constructive feedback though, then we don't want to hear from you!
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