At last summer has returned and just in time for National Bike Week - an excellent time to reach out and bring in people that are new to cycling or are just returning. Our 3am ride to Stonehenge on the 21st June always attracts cyclists out of the wood work and is such an experience to be cycling along empty roads with those of varying abilities, including children with the twinkle of red lights as far as the eye can see!
News from Headquarters
We have many people to thank for keeping us on the roads these days. Not the least of which is our own dear HQ in Godalming. You would have heard that HQ is now relocating to a purpose built facility out at Guildford with a newly established charity trust status enabling it to exploit new avenues of funding - roll on the winged wheel. There has also been a change in the company who were administrating our membership – a good decision by the CTC Council.
Campaigning
Having been in Godalming recently for the Cycle Campaigning conference “Bikes, Barriers and Breakthroughs” (organised by Cherry Allan) it is clear that there are many Right to Ride reps and campaign group representatives working up and down the country to keep us in the forefront of town planners minds. This was brought home recently in the correspondence from Wiltshire County Council detailing the aspects of the Local Transport Plan for 2006/7-2010/11. One has to applaud their ambition to increase the number of people cycling in and out of Salisbury by 50% (based on 2005 figures). However, the officers at the County council seem to have made a slight oversight, as the current expenditure in Salisbury, set by the District Council, for 2005/6 is actually £0.00 with no foreseeable change in the future. So if you have not yet got involved with your council on the next LTP – don’t wait for someone else to do it! Make sure they know what you want!
A thanks Shawn Shaw and to all our volunteers in Wessex DA
Making sure we get out on our bikes are all our rides leaders, all doing what they love to do i.e. getting out on their bikes and encouraging us join to them on their favourite rides. So next time you go out on a ride – just take a few minutes to thank the ride leader! Our own DA calendar events list is pretty extensive with 16 main rides each calendar year. Whilst your DA Committee were conducting their meeting on the 14th May many a cyclist were meandering their way round the Brimstone 600km on Shawn Shaw’s last AUDAX event. Shawn has held up to 4 a year since 1987, and has
raised the status of Wessex DA, contributed a considerable amount of money to the DA funds, and provided riders with some amazing rides - as current DA President, thank you for this amazing contribution to cycling!
St. Lo twinning visit
I hope that you are all as pleased as I am that Norman Payne has been able to organise the return of our good friends from St. Lo. This will be taking place on the weekend of MAY 5th/6th/7th/8th 2006. We expect about 20 to 30 visitors all of whom have to be provided with accommodation, fed and watered and of course taken out to cycle over our beautiful Wessex countryside. More details will follow in due course. In the meantime it is good to know that our presents from Loric (St. Lo President) given to individuals to carry home have now been brought together and are safe and in one piece.
Fig 1............est arrivé enfin! Ici le buffet chez Payne pris en photo la semaine passée (Photo courtesy of Norman Payne).
René Laffaiteur kindly sent me a copy of the St. Lo 'Les échos du Petit Randonneur' which is a copy of their annual review that prepared each year after their AGM. I shall bring it along to our AGM.
2005 Wessex DA AGM - Saturday 5th November 2005 at the United Reformed Church, Blandford Forum.
The DA committee has agreed to provide a small buffet at the AGM this year. This is currently being explored and if it goes ahead then it will be free to Wessex CTC members who will be expected to register for their lunch prior to turning up at the AGM. The Committee hopes that many of you will take the opportunity to come along and join in what is at the end of the day an enjoyable and extremely sociable occasion.
Fig 2. Spotted on a recent camping tour in Pewsey – this is Kiki the Parrott on tour with his cycling companion (from the London area).
Best wishes and happy cycling,
Jimmy
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