Crombies

02/04/12- THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A "BIKERETTE"

2012-04-02T05:49:00.002-07:00

5^th March 2012 : Iron Butt Talk – Meriden TOMCC

This was the last of my talks that I had been invited to give on lasts years Iron Butt Rally ride.

With each and every talk, I’ve always been surprised at just how much interest there was and continues to be in my ride and again, there must have been some 50 or so people turn up to listen to me ramble on for a couple of hours about the rally. I do find that as time passes though, I have become more aware of the achievement in finishing the event. That is not meant to sound in any way egotistical, but like all things, sometimes when you are intimately involved in a project, you need the opportunity to step back and see it from another viewpoint.

Anyway, as always, everyone who was there seemed to enjoy the talk and there were plenty of questions for me after I’d finished speaking - so I can’t have bored them too much …. J

Something that arose from the talk was that a couple of days later I received a phone call from a rather well spoken gentleman, inviting me to be one of the “attractions” at an event put on by the “International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians”. Given that I’ve never really considered myself to be that interesting a person, I naturally assumed that it was some sort of wind-up from one of my friends and having played along for a while, I was just about to hurl a stream of good natured abuse back down the phone line, when I thought I had just best check. I busily tapped away at the computer in front of me whilst continuing the conversation as best I could. It came as somewhat of a surprise to find that it was in fact a genuine call ….. I’m rather glad now that I did have the presence of mind to check J Anyway, the upshot of it is that I’m a “special guest” at the IFMR Meriden Megaride on 10^th June 2012.

However the “JY 2011 IBR Talk Tour” has now come to an end.

14^th March 2012 : The Police, Speed Cameras and the 14 day rule (continued.)

My battle with Warwickshire Police continues.

My last letter merely provoked the issue of yet another Section 172 Notice – I am now amassing a rather splendid collection of these notices and all relating to this one offence JJ ….

It required a reply ……..

Copy of fifth letter sent to Warwickshire Police :

Dear Sir/Madam,

****/**/**** - Notice of Intended Prosecution

Thank you for your recent correspondence addressed to :

Carelogic Ltd, Carelogic Ltd

Pottal Pool House

Pottal Pool

Teddesley Hay

Penkridge

Staffs

ST19 5RR

That is not a grammatical error on my part. That is actually how the document was addressed.

We assume that this is in response to our letter of 1^st March (copy enclosed). What you have forwarded to us is not what was requested. Accordingly, we have returned your correspondence of 7^th March 2012 unanswered as we do not feel that this is what we should be replying to

We look forward to your prompt response as we are anxious to correctly discharge our legal responsibilities under Sec 172 of the RTA 1988.

The ball has most certainly been returned over the net …..

15^th March 2012 : Staffordshire Triumph Open Evening

BS Bikes (now Staffordshire Triumph) are one of the last of the traditional “spit and sawdust” bike shops to hold the Triumph franchise. However, with the ever increasing desire from all manufacturers for “brand awareness”, like so many other shops before them (and this isn’t just happening in the bike world) they have been forced into adopting the corporate image. I’ve ranted on about this in the past specifically in connection with bikes as this new style of “bike shop” only really works with the “new style motorcyclist”. As long as bikes are seen as a “cool” thing for the accountants, solicitors and bank managers to have in their garage, alongside the jet-ski and other fleetingly fashionable consumer products, then the coffee serving, sycophantic, car-dealership styled bike shops will flourish. However, if it becomes unfashionable to be a “biker”, then I just hope Triumph Motorcycles have done there market research well …..

Ok, having again put the soapbox away, back to the evening itself ….

Well I think it’s fair to say, Staffordshire Triumph “slightly” underestimated the amount of people that would turn up. I was later told that 1500 came through the doors !!

Lord Digby Jones (chairman of Triumph) was there to formally open the dealership - not that you could see him through the crowds J

The Diamond Jubilee Bonneville – this one is destined for the Queen herself. I wonder whether I’ll see her out and about on it next year…… JJ

There was free food and drink (non-alcoholic – although you could buy a specially brewed beer for the event) and we ended up staying until we were kicked out around 9.00pm.

The next time I’m back at Staffordshire Triumph will to be collect my new bike. I’ll know then whether they’ve managed the transition to the new style of dealership, without losing the feel of a traditional bike shop. I do hope so ….

17^th March 2012 : The Garage becomes a conference centre for the day …. J

Since the new “garage” has been fully in use, we’ve had a couple of bike clubs along for meetings as well as a stream of friends popping in to see what everyone now refers to as the “museum”.

Well today, it became a conference centre when Rob Roalfe of the IBAUK held a seminar there for people wanting to learn about route planning for rallies.

18^th March 2012 : The IBR Trident lives again JJJ

One benefit from Rob doing his talk was that I had to be around on the Saturday just in case anything was needed. What this provided me with was the opportunity to work on the IBR Trident. I’d already stripped the bike down some weeks previously and sent both the carburettors and the cylinder head away to be re-furbished. Now that I had two complete days free, meant that I could work on it.

By late Sunday afternoon, it was all back together.

After three kicks the engine fired up for the first time since last July when it was still in the USA.

I have to admit there was a lump in my throat and a slight tear in my eye when it fired. I didn’t realise just how much I had become attached to that bike – some might say literally so, having sat on it for 18 hours a day for 11 days !! J

I immediately took it around the block for a quick spin - that actually turned into a 30 mile “bimble”. It felt good to be back in that saddle ….

22^nd March 2012 : Wolverhampton Triumph – Explorer Launch

Tonight we went to the launch of the new 1200cc Triumph Explorer at Stratstones in Wolverhampton. To be perfectly honest, given that I’d seen the bike already at shows and again last week at Staffordshire Triumphs launch night, it was the free food that was the main attraction !! J

Nights and events like this though always give you a reason for a ride out and a chance to meet up with mates.

24^th March 2012 : I collect my new bike J

It was almost 18 months ago when I put down a deposit on my new bike. At the time, I actually ordered the 800cc Tiger but after delaying the delivery date twice, the new 1200cc bike was then announced and so I just cancelled my original order altogether, transferring the deposit to the new machine.

Following on from my comments after the launch evening, I’m pleased to say that Staffordshire Triumph do appear to have handled the transition from a traditional dealer to a modern corporate dealership well, with the place still having the feel of a bike shop.

We arrived at the allotted time and with all of the paperwork signed, I was “taken” to my bike sitting under a dust cover. It’s fair to say that I’d given the accessory catalogue a bit of a bashing. Actually, what I’d said was something along the lines of “You know the accessories listed for this bike ? – I’ll have them…..” JJ

Ready for the off

After a quick run through of the bikes controls, it was time to leave. I’m not referring here to the throttle, brakes and clutch but to the trip computers (yes – computers not computer), the cruise control and, I kid you not, the heated seats. I’m clearly getting soft in my old age.

This was the first time I’d ridden an Explorer and having shelled out the thick end of £13,000 for it, I was mightily relived that I liked it ! I have big plans for this bike over the next few years.

Back home and the 1200 Explorer meets the 1200 Trophy. My Trophy is one of the first 200 bikes that the “new” Triumph built. 21 years and 543,000 (and a bit) bikes separate these two machines.

Once back home, Sonia got her bike gear on and we immediately set off for a decent run on the bike.

Five hours later and six hours after picking the bike up, we returned home with just under 350 miles on the clock. This bike is going to be fun !! J

25^th March 2012 : Winstanstow Classic Bike Show

The next day was the Winstanstow Classic Bike Show. In past years this was always regarded as the season opener but as classic bikes have become more popular, other events have now slipped into the calendar before it. Still, it’s always a nice ride there, the car park is always full of interesting bikes, they do a wonderful bacon butty and on top of all that, we have been experiencing the warmest March for many years.

Even though I had my nice new shiny Explorer in the garage, the Iron Butt Trident was always going to be the bike for todays ride out.

The village of Winstanstow is only 50 miles from home, just the other side of Church Stretton and so even on a classic machine, it is barely an hours ride away. Once I arrived, I parked the bike off and went off in search of the bacon butties – I know my priorities JJ

I was pleased that quite a few people knew about the IBR Triple and having had my butty and a walk around the rapidly filling bike park, I spent much of the remainder of my time there talking to folk about the bike.

A sobering exhibit there was from the “Safer Road Partnership” and was a bike that had been involved in a fatal accident. It’s perhaps well that the message that bikes can be dangerous is pushed hard particularly at the beginning of most peoples riding season when they are still a little ring rusty.

A stark reminder that bikes can kill L The rider of this bike died.

One of the nice things about Winstanstow is that being so close to home, you can have a full morning there and still not lose the afternoon and with so many jobs to do in the garage at the moment, I was more than grateful for this.

MOT time is approaching for several bikes, the Stafford Show is only just around the corner and the NVT charity rides are looming ……

12/03/12- THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A "BIKERETTE"

2012-03-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

9^th March 2012 : A new bike arrives (but only temporarily …..)

It’s been a while (well six months) since I’ve bought a bike and although an NVT Easy Rider barely qualifies under that description, as it’s got two wheels and an engine, it just about scrapes through.

So on Friday after work, saw me trundling down the M6/M5/A30/A39 and finally the A394 down the Helston in Cornwall – or put it another way, about 20 miles or so from Lands End. It was the early hours of Saturday morning before I was home L.

My prize – a 1977 NVT easy Rider Moped JJ

For the princely sum of £137, I was the proud owner (albeit a temporary one) of a 1977 NVT Easy Rider. I’d already sold the bike on even before collecting it (to Dave Bloor, a friend and an equally sad collector of mopeds) as actually, it wasn’t the bike that I was interested in, more what came with it – some original legshields and an original screen.

Genuine Easy Rider Legshields

A genuine Easy Rider Windshield

So why did I travel a round trip of nearly 500 miles to pick up what most people would consider junk ? OK, actually it is junk ….. JJ

Well, last year, myself and an intrepid band of bikers (read : idiots) rode a similar moped from John O’Groats to Lands End over a 6 day period – I only rode the last 200 yards if I’m honest – and in the process raised over £10,000 for help for Heroes.

This year, we’re doing a similar ride, well actually rides. The moped that completed the JOG-LE run, is being ridden from the Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower (in Paris) over a 5 day period. At the same time, another group of the lunatics that I’m proud to call my friends, will be riding a 1979 NVT Rambler 125cc from Nordcapp (that’s the very top of Norway) to Gibraltar. Again, both of these rides are being done for charity and in due course I will be posting up the “JustGiving” page details here, so don’t worry too much about not being able to donate right at this very moment.

In the meantime, I’m preparing the bikes and this is where the legshields and windscreen come in as they’re to be fitted to the moped to make the pain of the journey, just that little bit less for the riders.

The NVT Moped at the end of last years ride

I spent the following day, cleaning up my newly acquired treasures ready for fitting.

Oh and for anyone following the story, there’s been no real developments of note this week regarding my “discussions” with Warwickshire Police Force ………….

07/03/12 - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A “BIKERETTE”

2012-03-07T02:05:00.001-08:00

1^st March 2012 : The Police, Speed Cameras and the 14 day rule (continued.)

Again the police responded quite quickly to my second letter, albeit again rather predictably. The essence of their reply was that “they’d looked into the situation and the matter was to proceed”.

They further went onto state that they would not supply me with a copy of any of the correspondence I had requested and only by pleading “not guilty” and asking for the case to be dealt with by a magistrates court, would I be allowed to see the purported papers.

I therefore tried a different approach. Rather than writing for a copy of the claimed original N.I.P. as the subsequent nominated driver, I wrote to the Camera Unit as the Registered Keeper and therefore the original apparent intended recipient of the letter .

Copy of third letter sent to Warwickshire Police :

Dear Sir/Madam,

Y***/**/**** - Notice of Intended Prosecution

It has been brought to our attention that a vehicle where we are shown at DVLA as the Registered Keeper has recently been involved in an alleged speeding offence. The vehicle in question is a Land Rover Freelander TD4 SWB, registration number R111 BSA.

We have been informed that a Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent to the Registered Keeper following the alleged offence.

As the Registered Keeper, we would inform you that no such NIP was received by ourselves.

We are further informed that a person has been nominated at being the hirer/named driver (or possibly keeper) of the vehicle in question.

As the Registered Keeper of the vehicle, we are informing you that no such nomination has been submitted by ourselves.

As Registered Keeper and the apparent intended recipient of an undelivered document, we would be grateful if you could supply us with a copy of the Notice in order for us to discharge our legal responsibilities under Sec 172 of the RTA 1988.

In addition, I thought it was time to involve the Warwickshire Chief Constable …..

Copy of fourth letter sent to Warwickshire Police :

Dear Mr Parker,

Y***/**/**** - Notice of Intended Prosecution

I have to begin by apologising to have to attempt to contact you directly for such a relatively trivial matter. However, I find that this is my apparent final course of action available.

On 30^th January 2012, a vehicle R111 BSA was recorded at 47mph on the M42/M6 Toll. The full and exact details of the alleged offence can obviously be accessed using the above reference.

I will now list in sequence what has happened since. Please note that each point is only a brief summary. Should you wish to see the full relevant correspondence, it can be supplied although I assume that there will be a copy in the files of the Camera Enforcement Unit.

1. On 15^th February 2012, I personally received a N.I.P. regarding the offence. The N.I.P. was dated 14^th February 2012.

2. On 16^th February 2012, I wrote back to the Camera Enforcement Unit (CEU) advising then that this was the first Notice that was received and in my opinion it was time-barred.

3. On 20^th February 2012, the CEU replied stating that the notice dated 14^th February 2012, albeit that in their letter they state it was sent out (and was therefore presumably dated) 13^th February 2012, was in fact a subsequent notice and therefore the offence stood.

4. On 21^st February 2012, I again wrote back advising the CEU that the address of the Registered Keeper (Carelogic Limited) and my home address are actually the same and that no Notice had been received before the one referred to in (1) above. I asked for a copy of the original notice and I also asked for a copy of the supposed nomination of myself as the hirer/named driver.

5. On 27^th February 2012, the CEU wrote back, refusing to give me a copy of either document and refusing to discuss the matter further. In addition, they state that the only way I can see the information I requested (information that I may add, they already claim to have sent to me/my company and further information that was presumably also received from me/my company), is if I request that my case is dealt with by the Magistrates Court.

So if I understand this correctly, the only way I can see who apparently has fraudulently given by name (as the hirer/named driver - which the police are saying has happened ) on behalf of the RK (Carelogic Ltd - my own company) or whether in fact the Notice of 14^th February 2012 was preceded by one or more other Notices, is if I plead not guilty to an offence that I’m not exactly sure I am actually not guilty of, but am also unsure of whether I should have been charged with in the first instance.

The stance taken by the Camera Enforcement Unit Manager in refusing to simply provide me with a copy of something they claim they have already sent all seems rather pointless and just a little pathetic.

Of course like so many other Civil Servants, spending other people’s money is clearly of little concern to the Camera Enforcement Unit Manager and I now find myself in the position of having to take this matter to the Magistrates Court simply to discover the answer to what most people would consider a very reasonable request – in short, “you claim to have sent something to me, I haven’t received it, could I therefore have a copy please”.

I fully appreciate that you as Chief Constable will probably never even see this letter and at best, I’ll receive a reply back saying something along the lines of “I have looked into this matter and referred the case back to our CEU/CPS for consideration” and unfortunately this it seems these days, is the best any UK citizen can hope for.

On the other hand, when and if I am asked at some stage as to why I have apparently wasted court time on something as trivial as this, my response will be, because I simply asked for a copy of a document to be sent to me ……

Again, I apologise for having to concern you with something as trivial as this matter.

So we now again wait and see……..

So apart from furthering my fledgling career as a lawyer, what else did I get up to regarding two wheels during the week ?

Well, not much really. With nothing much on over the weekend, I decided to spend a couple of days working in the garage, primarily tinkering about with my Iron Butt Trident and re-commissioning it for the current year. (The full story of my 9000 mile / 11 day trip across the USA last summer can be read on http://www.tr3oc.co.uk/ under the “features” section – you need to scroll down towards the bottom of the page to pick up the links)

Maybe next week, I’ll have something to write about ….. J

27/02/12 - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A “BIKERETTE”

2012-02-27T04:30:00.000-08:00

22^nd February 2012 : The Police, Speed Cameras and the 14 day rule (continued.)

I was surprised to receive a reply back from the police to my initial letter almost by return of post. In the letter, they state that the NIP received by myself was not the initial document but a second one after I had been nominated as the driver.

I wrote a reply and it was sent by return post. Again, it is reproduced in full below.

Copy of second letter sent to Warwickshire Police :

Dear Sir/Madam,

Y***/**/**** - Notice of Intended Prosecution

I have received your letter dated 20^th February 2012, the references for which are detailed above. I have enclosed a copy of the letter sent to me, for ease of cross-reference.

You state “the first Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent to the Registered Keeper as detailed from the records we are entitled to use when the offence was viewed”

The Registered Keeper (per DVLA) is :

Carelogic Limited

Pottal Pool House

Pottal Pool

Penkridge

Stafford

ST19 5RR

You will note that that address of the registered keeper is my home address.

I mistakenly informed you in my letter of 16^th February 2012 that I personally was the registered keeper of R111 BSA. I own in excess of 15 vehicles, all recorded at this address. In respect of all of the vehicles with the exception of R111 BSA, I am personally shown as the Registered Keeper. On receipt of your letter dated 14^th February 2012, my natural assumption was that you had written to me as the Registered Keeper and not as I have now checked as the hirer/named driver of the vehicle in question. I apologise for this error.

Nevertheless, my statement in the final sentence of the third paragraph of my letter of 16^th February 2012 of “The written Notice is the first indication from you of any intention to prosecute.” still stands. There had been no Notice received before that date.

The only people who open post addressed to Carelogic Limited is myself and my wife who are both directors. The company employs no staff and the only other person residing at Pottal Pool House, is my youngest son. The original Notice of Intended Prosecution which you claim was sent within the 14 days did not arrive at this address. I can also confirm that no documentation has been returned to yourself nominating myself as the driver in question.

Accordingly, could you please provide me with :

A copy of the original Notice of Intended Prosecution addressed to the Registered Keeper
A copy of the document nominating myself as the keeper - the description used in your letter of 20^th February 2012, or;
A copy of the document nominating myself as the hirer/named driver - the description used in your correspondence of 14^th February 2012

It will be interesting to see what information I receive back regarding my requests.

24^th & 25^th February 2012 : Motorbeurs Utrecht and the Butte du Lion IBAUK RTE – aka “Hele” goes European ……..

I have a teddy bear. There, I’ve said it now. However, this is no ordinary teddy bear. This is “Hele” the teddy bear, who last year completed the Iron Butt Rally in the

USA

with me. Now given that the Iron Butt Rally is the Worlds Toughest Motorcycle Rally and IBA riders are billed as the Worlds Toughest Riders, then that would make Hele, the Worlds Toughest Teddy Bear. In any event, I though it was time I introduced Hele to Europe …………

Don’t mess with this bear – he may look cuddly but looks can be deceptive JJ

The plan for the weekend was simple. Leave home early Friday and catch a morning shuttle to

France

. Ride up through France, Belgium and Holland and get to the show at Utrecht mid afternoon. Spend the afternoon and early evening at the show and stay overnight in Utrecht. On Saturday, I’d begin to make my way home, making a slight detour to meet up with the guys from the IBA UK at Waterloo for a couple of hours at the RTE (Ride to Eat). Leaving there late afternoon, I was due to catch an early evening shuttle back to the

and be back home for around 11.00pm “ish”

Just after 5.00am on the Friday morning, the Daytona headed towards the very familiar journey down to the Chunnel. Of course, with my current speeding ticket dispute hanging over me like the sword of Damocles, my usual gung ho journey down to Folkestone was a little more restrained this time, turning what is already, at best, a tedious journey, into one of total boredom. As ever in these situations, my mind started to wander …….

I reckon over the last five years, I must have made at least 100 tunnel crossings as we use the tunnel at least 15 to 20 times a year. So that means I’ve done the M6, M42, M40, M25, M26 and M20 drag at least 200 times (there and back). At four hours per trip, that’s 800 hours, or 48,000 minutes or hold on, hold on ……. 2,880,000 seconds. That’s nearly three million seconds of my life has been travelling back and forward between home and Folkestone. I considered if there was anything useful in knowing this statistic and after mulling the thought over for a few minutes, I came to the conclusion there wasn’t. It was an absolutely useless piece of information – but one that nevertheless, I’m glad that I now know J On the other hand it did pass 50 miles or so as, over the years, my mental arithmetic has become, at best, rusty and calculations, with so many zeros like that, do not come easy to me any longer !!

Three hours of 70 mph tedium later, I pulled up at the tunnel, checked in and ignoring my pre-booked time (as normal) rode straight around to the loading bays and onto the next train.

Once in

France

and free from the fear of dreaded speed camera, I relaxed, wound up the 955i and was on my way. I should point out here that I don’t ride stupidly fast, but 80 to 85 mph on a bike like the 955i, is barely is holding the throttle off the stop. It’s a nice comfortable pace to ride at and more importantly, that extra 10 to 15 mph makes all of the difference over a long journey.

Hele arrives in Belgium for the first time

As I passed Gent, then Antwerp and crossed the Dutch border, it occurred to me that apart from a brief trip through it’s southerly tip last year on the way to Germany, I hadn’t been to the Netherlands for a couple of years. The

Netherlands

has always been one of my favourite European countries, if only because, it’s one of the few European countries where, as a British person, you feel genuinely made welcome.

By 3.00pm, I’d reached Utrecht, checked into my hotel, had a quick shower, changed, jumped back on my bike, ridden the further 5 miles to the bike show and was inside the halls. This was great, I’d told no-one I was going to be in Utrecht and so I was just able to do my own thing – which I did – meandering around the show, with no particular plan. It didn’t close until 10.00pm and I was in no rush.

The great thing about the Utrecht show for me compared with our own NEC show, is the wide diversity of exhibits on display and the very first bike (and I use that in the loosest sense of the word) that I saw as I walked into the first hall, demonstrated this.

If you’ve got 6 litres of Aston Martin V12 spare, what better use could there be ? J

Someone, (presumably high on some kind of illegal drug at the time), had clearly had the good fortune to come across a spare 6 litre V12 Aston Martin engine and rather than “waste” it by using it to power a car (like any sane person would do) had decided that it would be much better utilised to power 2 wheels ! The resultant machine is pictured above. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder ….. JJ

As with many shows, there was a live action arena outside and at this show it was a display of trials riding. The two lads riding the bikes were going through an endless routine of seemingly impossible stunts - ones that I think I would have had trouble climbing over let alone riding a bike over them.

As always with these sort of shows though, eventually your envy for the supreme skills that these guys possess overwhelms you to such an extent that when they do have a slight slip, you allow yourself a wry smile and for a millisecond or so, you stand there feeling pretty dammed smug. The fact that they then get up, dust themselves off and on the next attempt execute the “impossible” perfectly, soon puts you back firmly in your place !!

Ooops ……

Made it this time !

One of the “must see” stands at any show for me, is always going to be the Triumph stand. At Utrecht, all of the manufacturers stands are grouped together in the one hall. It seems that at any show you visit, the Triumph stand is always busy and Utrecht followed the same pattern.

Given the amazing success story of Triumph over the past 20 years since their “rebirth” in 1991, it still both surprises me and saddens me in equal measures at the general lack of public acknowledgement of this fact. As a country, the

United Kingdom

has hardly covered itself in glory recently regarding its manufacturing capabilities and yet the success story that is Triumph barely ever gets a mention in the mainstream media. Even now when parking the bike up, from time to time, some misty-eyed old gent will come up to me waxing lyrical about a Triumph he had way back in his youth and then be surprised at the fact you can still buy a modern Triumph. I’m never quite sure who’s at fault here, Triumphs marketing guys or whether this is just another example of the rather worrying secret agenda that a succession of governments seemed to have had, of killing off biking. Phew, time to put the soap box away …. J

My next bike – mine arrives in 3 weeks. The next time we’re in Europe, we’ll be on the Explorer, complete with comfy (and heated) seat, upright riding position and a whole host of other modern luxuries

Although I’ve seen the bike several times now, I spent most of my time looking at the 1200cc Explorer. Mine arrives in just over 3 weeks time now and I’m looking forward to riding a more comfortable bike than the 955i. Although I’ve covered nigh on 100,000 miles on the Daytona over the last 5 years, I’ve noticed that I’ve started to ache a little more after each long journey. I think that I’m making the transition from being a sports bike rider to an adventure bike rider just at the right time.

It was well after 7.00pm when I’d decided that I’d seen everything and left the show. As I walked outside, the rain that had been threatening all day had finally arrived and it was a wet few miles back to the hotel.

After a quick meal, I was in bed by 10.30pm and asleep by 10.31pm. These days, I can do early starts or late nights – but not both !!

By the next morning, the rain had stopped, the sun was out and it was a beautiful, late winter/early spring day in the

Netherlands

. I was in no rush today. The RTE location was barely 130 miles due south of where I had stayed overnight and we weren’t due to meet there until 4.00pm.

An RTE is a “Ride to Eat” and tend to be held once a month somewhere in the UK and 4 or 5 times a year in Europe. There’s no set pattern to these gatherings though. Someone will simply suggest a place via the IBA UK forum, we all turn up, have a bite to eat, hang around for a couple of hours (some will then stay overnight), take a group picture and then disperse gain until the next time. As one of my buddies from the

USA

so elegantly put it, “we ride alone to be together”.

Even with a leisurely ride down and a detour for a coffee for an hour or so in Antwerp, I was still at the Butte Du Lion a good two hours before the official time - not that I was the first though. Mark and Angie from London were already there and as I rolled up into the car-park, Roland, Steve and Deb, more or less followed me in. We retired to the café for coffee and food.

Ere !! Who’s nicked my bike I was sitting on ? Sartorial elegance at its finest J

As more people arrived, someone then had the “good” idea that we should climb to the top of the monument – all 226 very, very steep steps of it ….

It’s a long way down for a little bear

Half hour later, I realised that 6 years on from running my one and only marathon, I have lost more than a little of whatever fitness I had back then J

The IBA flag flies

But it’s an even longer way up !!

And then, all that was left was the group photograph. As always, the group assembles and some poor passing person is asked if they wouldn’t mind just taking a photograph. After having a succession of 20 cameras or so later thrust into their hands, the poor soul, finally escapes presumably to have some sort of physiotherapy on his/her, by now, aching index finger …..

The obligatory group photograph. I’m second from the right looking “cool” - note the Monument near the top left hand corner of the photograph

Those that were then staying overnight, left for their hotel and those of us returning home left for the tunnel. It was 138 miles back to the tunnel from Waterloo and inside a couple of hours, we were on the train heading back to England.

On the shuttle home and Heles first European adventure is nearly over

As we left the Chunnel terminal and joined the M20, Hele who was riding pillion didn’t say much. I think he’d enjoyed his first trip to Europe. Myself on the other hand was again lost in my own world as I started to calculate how many seconds it would be until we arrived home …….

26^th February 2012 : TR3OC Cogenhoe Swapmeet

Although I didn’t arrive home on the Saturday evening until almost 11.00pm, by 8.00am the following morning I was back on the bike heading for the TR3OC annual swapmeet at Cogenhoe near Northampton. This has been a feature on the club calendar for as many years as I can remember. Although the amount of rubbish (sorry, I mean spares) that people bring along has diminished over the years, no doubt due to the rise in activity on e-bay, it is still a well supported event, with many members simply seeing it as a social event.

The older we get, the faster we were – or so we remember !! J

As treasurer of the club (although not for much longer as I finish my term at this years AGM) for me it’s a chance to settle a few outstanding accounts and catch up with other committee members on general club business.

With the NVT Runs, the L.P.Williams Re-unuion and Beezumph already looming large in 2012, I certainly had plenty to talk about and once I’d had breakfast, spent the next 3 hours chattering away.

This year, I even bought something from one of the stalls – a air filter assembly for a X75 Hurricane (without boring you too much, this was a special one year only model, that had an air filter assembly that are difficult to get nowadays). I bought it simply as a spare on a “just in case” basis, presumably just like the guy who was selling had done some time previously. As I handed over the £20 for the air filter, both Pete (the seller) and myself both knew deep down that at some point, this air filter would re-surface at a future Cogenhoe Swapmeet for someone to buy from me, presumably again on a “just in case” basis. In the biking world, there is a sea of spares that spend there entire life, never actually being fitted to a machine, just moving from one bikers garage to another …..

One mans rubbish is another man treasure

As I left the village hall and headed for home, I realised that I’d now got the next 3 weekends at home – or rather in the garage. The “jobs to do on bikes” had now reached into a two page list. It was time to curtail accumulating the miles for a while and time for some spannering to begin.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A “BIKERETTE”

2012-02-21T01:03:00.001-08:00

The Police, Speed Cameras and the 14 day rule

The day started badly ……..

It’s always unusual for Sonia to phone me during the working day and so I knew immediately that there was some bad news awaiting me as I picked up the phone. I wasn’t wrong as Sonia told me that I’d received yet another “speeding ticket” – this time, I’d apparently been doing 47mph on the M42 when the variable speed limit was showing 40mph. Now whether the overhead gantries were showing 40mph, nearly three weeks on from the date of the offence, who was I to argue – they probably were and even if they weren’t, there’s little point in arguing against something like this as I’ve found out to my cost in the past. A quick glance at my diary showed that I was indeed on the M42 around the time the “alleged offence” took place and so rather glumly, I resigned myself to having yet another three points on my licence. With six points on there already, plus these three would mean one more “strike” and I was facing a possible driving (but more importantly, riding) ban.

What is all the more amazing and given the miles I ride each year on bikes capable of 150 mph plus, every single speeding endorsement that I have ever had on my licence, bar one (and there’s been a few J), have been whilst driving a car. Now given that the last four have all been in the Land Rover makes it all the more galling as the Land Rover barely exceeds the motorway speed limit these days due to its age and mileage and that’s with my foot planted firmly on the floor !!

I returned to the more mundane matters of catching up with correspondence at work, but there was something at the back of my mind nagging away about something to do with N.I.P.’s (Notice of Intended Prosecution aka speeding ticket) and time limits.

Now the internet can be a wonderful thing and quick “Google search” later, I found the piece of legislation that I was looking for.

A quick call to a criminal lawyer that I know (that is a lawyer who practices in criminal law, rather than a lawyer that I know who is a criminal J), confirmed my apparent findings.

The letter that I sent off to the Warwickshire Police is reproduced below. My lawyer friend tells me that this is now “dead in the water” as far as the police and any sort of prosecution are concerned. I, on the other hand, am a little less confident, but will be absolutely delighted to have my doubts proved wrong.

Now let’s see what they respond with …..

Copy of Letter sent to Warwickshire Police :

Dear Sir/Madam,

Y***/**/**** - Notice of Intended Prosecution

I received your letter dated 14^th February 2012, the references for which are detailed above. I have enclosed a copy of the Notice sent to me, for ease of cross-reference.

You have written to me because I am the Registered Keeper of the vehicle mentioned in your Notice. My address is correct as per the details at DVLC, and the vehicle was not a Company car, and was neither hired nor borrowed.

No Officer spoke to me at the time of the alleged offence, and no accident took place. Also, no Police person has spoken with me at or near the time and place detailed in your Notice. The written Notice is the first indication from you of any intention to prosecute.

Your Notice details the alleged offence as 08.54hrs on 30^th January 2012. The Notice is dated 14^th February 2012, and was delivered to me by first class post.

Excluding the day of the alleged offence, the date on the Notice was the 15th day after the date of the alleged offence.

Under legislation section 1(1)(c) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, a Notice of Intended Prosecution is required to be served on the driver or registered keeper within 14 days of an alleged offence. Since the Notice of Intended Prosecution was created on the 15^th day after the offence, it was impossible for it to have been served on myself within the stipulated 14 days.

I believe therefore that the Notice was served out of time and accordingly, prosecution is time-barred..

Fingers crossed !! JJJ

15^th February 2012 (Part 2) : B’ham/Wolves TOMCC visit to my new garage

The second part of the day was a much more pleasurable experience.

My new “garage” has attracted more than a little favourable comment and so I felt having hosted members of the IBA a couple of weeks back, it was only fair to invite over my local Triumph Owners Club.

Sonia again provided food and with several members of the North Staffs TOMCC also coming along, meant that we had another 20 plus attendance. Given by the nice e-mails we received the following day, it would appear that the evening was a great success.

The most amazing thing though concerning that garage, is that we actually had a email from someone wanting to “hire” the garage from us for a few hours for a meeting. I suppose that’s the ultimate compliment that we could receive for what we’ve put together. We actually declined the offer of payment for the hire of the room, instead just asking that a contribution be made to the charities that the TR3OC, later this year, is doing its charity rides in respect of.

Should anyone reading this ever find themselves in my garage, the collection box is just to the right of the door as you leave ….. JJJ

18^th February 2012 : Bristol Classic Bike Show

Another weekend, another show – this time Bristol.

My bike club, the Trident & Rocket 3 Owners Club had taken a stand there and that meant two very important things, one, the chance of free entry passes and secondly, somewhere to leave our gear whilst we walked around the show. “We” in this instance was myself and my eldest son, John.

Although I’ve ridden bikes since I’ve been seventeen (some thirty-five years now), I’ve discovered that I’m not the “cool dad” that I thought I would be when it came down to my kids and bikes. Both John and Stephen ride – they both have 600cc Triumphs – and to put it bluntly, I’m not exactly thrilled by their decision to have bikes !! A perfect case of do as I say, not as I do, I think JJ

The Club Stand

Partly due to the forecast of heavy rain, but mainly due to the fact he hadn’t arrived back home until around 5.00am, Stephen opted out of the trip down to Bristol and with Sonia already “crying off”, that just left John Snr. and John Jnr. representing the Young household at the show.

Although it’s billed as the Bristol Classic Bike Show, it’s actually held nearer to Shepton Mallet. The Garmin read 128 miles as we pulled into the car-park at the showground and after a quick phone call to one of the club members on the stand, a couple of free passes duly appeared.

The first “motorbike” that Sonia had back in 1979 (and I use that description in its loosest possible way) was one of these – a Honda Express. 50cc, 1.5 bhp and a top speed of 30mph

She now rides this – A Triumph Rocket 3 Trike (aka The “Trocket”). 2300cc, 140bhp and a top speed of 135mph

As I’ve said before, shows for me have long since stopped being anything other than a social event and an excuse to go for a ride. Occasionally an exhibit will catch your eye or you’ll pick up something off a stand, but more often than not, my time at shows is spent chatting to people - Bristol was no exception.

As regards the bikes on show, I think I actually spent more time looking at a “40 miles from new” little Honda moped than anything else and that was only because Sonia had one of these back when she was 16. She now rides a machine 46 times the capacity JJ

We stayed at the show around 4 hours or so, before leaving for home – just as the rain started. Neither of us had carried waterproofs with us and so by the time we ridden through the storm and out of the rain, we were “somewhat moist” J. It didn’t help matters that the temperature had dropped significantly and so by the time we reached home, we were both glad that it had only been a two hour ride back.

As we were due to go down to London the next day, I left the bike out overnight but when I woke the next morning, any thoughts of riding the bike much before sunrise disappeared as I looked out of the window to see a blanket of snow covering both the ground and the bike. More relevantly, after snowing, the temperature had dropped to such an extent that the roads immediately surrounding our house had turned into an ice rink. Bikes and ice do not work well together. After watching through the bedroom window, a succession of cars hit ice and slide unceremoniously into the kerbside, I went back to bed…… London could wait for another day.

The next morning ………

In 7 days time, I’d be heading off to the continent again. This time to the Netherlands and Utrecht for the “Motorbeurs” show and on the way home calling in at the “Butte Du Lion” (which is the monument at the site of the Battle of Waterloo, just to the south of Brussels) to meet up with some of the IBAUK riders on the first of this years European RTE’s.

Blasts from the Past

As I hoping that many people reading this blog will be following our biking life for the first time, I thought occasionally I’d throw in a few pictures of some of the places we’ve already been to and some of the things we’ve already done. Don’t worry, it’s just going to be pictures – so there’s no difficult reading to do J

Following one from the last picture, here’s a few “snowy” ones to start with ……

Germany

: February 2010

Wales

: March 2007

Northen England : February 2006

Norway

: February 2011

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A “BIKERETTE” Continued

2012-02-14T00:40:00.001-08:00

8^th February 2012 : Performance Triumph Stratford Open Evening

This was another of those open evenings that seem to be becoming more popular with bike shops, especially it seems, with Triumph dealers. The way it works is that the shop simply stays open for a few hours longer, puts on some food, marks up a few items with special prices and then invites along the local Triumph club.

In all honesty, it cannot be denied that from a business point of view and as a marketing strategy, it “ticks all of the right boxes”. On top of that, they’re generally a pleasant night out, you get a chance to meet up with folk who you may not have seen for a while and once in a while, you do drop onto a bargain.

I went down with Jon Everall and then having had a quick look around, eat some food, listened to the dealer “welcome”, spent the remainder of the evening chatting away to Clive Humphries about the “good old days” of biking and how we don’t understand these “modern motorcyclists”.

It’s good to be nearly 52 as I can officially slip into my “grumpy old man” mode whenever and wherever my fancy takes me and on any subject whatsoever JJ ……..

10^th– 11^th February 2012 : Retro Moto Wieze

Two days later, saw me off on another quick trip across the Channel, this time for the classic bike show and autojumble at Wieze, which is about halfway between Gent and Brussels in

Belgium

The weather had remained bitingly cold throughout the week and although no further snowfalls of any substance had been forecast, the sub zero temperatures were set to continue.

After an early start in the office on the Friday, I was able to wrap up for the day, be back home and on my way, by just turned noon. As it was school half term, the Chunnel had very few spaces available and the only crossing times I could get were 4.20pm or 7.40pm on the Friday. I opted for the earlier one, but that did require a fast ride down to Folkestone in order to check in on time.

When I arrived at the terminal, the queues for checking in were unusually long. A quick chat with one of the Chunnel staff and the reasons were clear – there had been a couple of breakdowns earlier in the day, which had led to a substantial backlog developing.

After a unsuccessful attempt as I always do, to simply ignore my allotted time and just ride around to board the next train (the first time I might add that this hasn’t worked), I took myself back to the terminal, “plonked” myself down in a corner and waited.

The terminal was full of families off on “half-term” ski-ing holidays. It seemed that every family though was a “cloned” unit – a rather ridiculous looking dad, wearing a Barbour jacket, with an unfeasibly “loud” woollen jumper underneath, a “yummy-mummy”, sun-glasses perched on head and two/three annoyingly loud “brats” (sorry – children), whose every sentence appeared to begin with the words “I want ….”. Outside of course, the car-park was full of cloned vehicles – 4 x 4 ‘s of all shapes and sizes. These will for the first time in months, all be presumably experiencing the sort of weather conditions that they’re built to cope with but will spend most of their time parked up in the “devoid of snow” hotel carpark, having travelled down to the ski centres on roads “devoid of snow” ……

See, I did tell you earlier that I was able to slip into “grumpy old man” mode at the drop of a hat !! J

After waiting around an hour and conscious of the fact that it had been a cold journey down, it was going to get colder once the sun had gone down and that I still had 100 miles to ride once on the other side of the tunnel, I decided to try again to bluff my way onto an earlier train.

This time it worked and within 15 minutes I was boarded (the last vehicle on) and 45 minutes later arrived in France. Although it was still daylight, (albeit not for long), looking out of the window as we approached the terminal offered little in the way of encouragement that it was going to be anything other than a very cold ride to my hotel.

The scene that greeted me as the train arrived in France

This was one of those times, when you just had to “get on with it” and having kitted up left the relative warmth of the train and rode out into the French cold air. Still it could be worse, I could have been one of those ridiculous looking dads …JJJ

Albeit that I was barely 30 miles away from England, the temperature on the continent was noticeably colder and as the light faded away, it dropped still further. At least the roads were dry and with me being free from the problem of losing your licence if you’re caught speeding – it’s generally just a nasty fine abroad - I wound the Daytona up to a “respectable” cruising speed and crunched the 100 miles to Gent as quickly as possible. It was simply a race to get there before both my fingers and face gave up the unequal struggle against the cold.

As the cold bit into every part of my body, I was reminded of a description someone once wrote of what being cold is like when you’re on a bike :

“There is cold, and there is cold on a motorcycle. Cold on a motorcycle is like being beaten with cold hammers while being kicked with cold boots, a bone bruising cold. The wind's big hands squeeze the heat out of my body and whisk it away; caught in a cold October rain, the drops don't even feel like water. They feel like shards of bone fallen from the skies of Hell to pock my face. I expect to arrive with my cheeks and forehead streaked with blood, but that's just an illusion, just the misery of nerves not designed for highway speeds.”

The one thing that the Daytona is good at though is gobbling up the miles and even with 100,000 miles on the clock, can still cover ground with indecent haste. Within the hour - yes, an hour J - I turned off the motorway and rode the last few miles to the Gent Ibis hotel, my usual first night stopover point, whenever I’m heading North or North-East into mainland Europe.

It was still very cold, but from what I had seen in the dark, at least the lying snow had petered out somewhere around the Ostend area.

For now though, a warm shower, a change of clothes and some food – in that order – was all that I was concerned with.

The Wieze show is only around 30 miles further on from Gent and so I lay in the warmth of my bed the following morning, for a lot longer than I would usually. I must admit, having peered out of the window at a rather frosty Gent, there was some considerable reluctance on my part to think about climbing back on the bike for another days ride. At least it was sunny though and I attempted to make myself believe (albeit failing miserably) that sun would mean warmth.

I was due to meet a Dutch friend, Martin, at the show and as I arrived, he was waiting for me. He cheerfully informed me that his outside air temperature in his car was reading minus 12 as he pulled into the car park. Although I never saw the gauge myself, the lack of feeling in any of my fingers more or less confirmed this ……. L

Martin from the Netherlands. He only live 100 kms away, but he’d come in his car

So as for the show itself ? Well like so many shows these days there’s generally very little new to see. E-bay has very much destroyed auto-jumbling (although the odd gem does still turn up from time to time) and the Internet in general plays its part as a “spoiler” to remove any surprises that shows might have in store. In my opinion, shows have become much more of a social experience these days and offer the opportunity to meet up with friends that you haven’t seen for a while. Of course, the fact that a show exists, also provides a reason for a ride …….

As if to re-enforce the above point, of the couple of hours I spent at the show, the vast majority of the time, I was sitting down drinking coffee and putting the world to rights with Martin. Now, I know that to a non-biker, to ride some 400 miles, be at a show for a couple of hours and then ride back home another 400 miles may seem like nothing short of madness, but it’s something that you do understand or don’t understand. If you’re in the latter group of people, there’s simply not enough paper and ink in the world for me to successfully explain it to you JJ

As I left the show, the temperature gauges on the overhead gantries on the E40 still read minus 5 and it was a chilly, albeit sunny, dash back to Calais to catch my 2.00pm crossing.

Again and unsurprisingly, I was the only bike at the terminal and although I have many pictures of various of my bikes sitting awaiting boarding at Calais in my photograph collection, a picture of one in the snow was a notable omission – not any more …..

There’s cold and there’s “Motorcycle Cold”

Once back in the UK, the tedium of the 221.3 miles (yes, I’ve done this journey so many times that I know the exact distance) from the Chunnel to home was all that separated me from a nice warm bath. At least the temperature was again noticeably different from the French side of the Channel and as I sped along, I basked in this relative warmth.

After a refuel and a coffee break at Oxford, I rolled up back at home just before 6.00pm. The next trip abroad would be in a couple of weeks time to the big bike show at Utrecht in the Netherlands, but between now and then, I’d be helping to man the TR3OC stand at the Bristol Classic Bike Show in 7 days time

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A “BIKERETTE”

2012-02-07T01:03:00.000-08:00

Director John Young gives us an insight into his life outside the domain of Accountancy, John is definatly not your typical Accountant!!!

Introduction

After the excitement of last year surrounding the lead up to and then the Iron Butt Rally itself, 2012 was always going to be a year akin to “the morning after feeling”. Nevertheless, we have some pretty neat things lined up for this year.

During early July, we’re off to explore Iceland and the Faroe Islands for just a little under three weeks. Prior to that, the TR3OC have another two charity rides lined up one on the NVT Easy Rider Moped from the Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower and one on the NVT Rambler 125 from Nordcapp (the top of Norway) to Gibraltar. I’m supplying both bikes for the charity rides and so I daresay, I’ll ride in both of the rides at some point. Last year, our JOG-LE ride raised more than £10,000 for the charity Help for Heroes and whilst we are unlikely to top that, it would be nice if we could raise a good “chunk” for this years charities, (1) The TT Riders Association and (2) Riders for Health.

I’m planning on competing in the Brit Butt Rally this year and also to complete two IBA rides – a BBG1500 (1500 miles in 24 hours) and a EE2E (European End to End) which is the same ride as the one that we’re doing for charity only as an IBA ride, it has to be completed in 72 hours. I’m planning on using the IBR Trident for both of these rides.

And what else ?

Well the “usual” trips abroad to various shows and rallies, the Beezumph rally obviously on Anglesey and a myriad of other “bikey” things will no doubt fill up the remainder of the year for us.

So welcome to 2012 and in the words of David Coverdale and Whitesnake, “Here we go again !!”

1^st January 2012 : Sharlston Soapbox Derby

The new year was less than 7 hours old before we found ourselves trundling up the M1, destination Sharlston for the New Years Day Soapbox Derby.

The NVT outfit from last year had been modified and up-graded to a machine that we felt was capable of challenging for the top positions. This year, I was “driving” with Stevie, my younger son, doing first the pushing and then being the “monkey” on the chair.

The racing was divided up into 20 heats, two semi-finals and a final. Each heat consisted of 3 karts and each team raced in 4 heats, scoring 3 points for a win, 2 for 2^nd place and 1 for 3^rd place. The top six teams went through to two semi finals and the winner of each semi final went through to compete in the final

Our first three heats, resulted in three second places ……

A comfortable second place in our first heat

Another second place for us behind Batman and Robin – aka my younger brother Steve and my eldest son, John

With three second places, we knew that we were within striking distance of making the cut for the semi-finals but that we probably need to win our last heat to make sure.

First place in our last heat meant that we made the Semi-Final “race-off”. Stevie is keeping a close eye on the second placed kart as we cross the line.

With that last heat win, we tied with two other karts on 9 points, but there were only two more places available in the semi-finals. A “race-off” was needed …..

And second place (just) in the “race-off” meant that we made the semi-finals

Although, we made the semi finals, we were drawn in the worst of the lanes and never really challenged for the lead although we comfortably held second place throughout the race

Missing out on the final by one place – second in our Semi-Final

We’ll be back next year, although I think the NVT Outfit has probably reached the limits of its development JJ

We may need a whole new kart for 2013 ……..

7^th January 2012 : Newark Winter Classic Show

The first show of the year was a brand new show running for the first time in 2012 and the TR3OC had decided to take a stand there.

I’d been feeling ill all week and although I’d said I would go up to give a bit of support to the guys manning the club stand and didn’t intend to let them down, I wasn’t looking forward to the 80 mile ride up to Newark. So, I was secretly relieved when I was asked to take some bike parts up for Sam Milner to collect from the stand, meaning that I’d need to go in the car instead of on the bike.

Having said that, and even having driven up, I wasn’t feeling that great by the time I arrived at the Newark showground and so my visit to the show was never going to be anything other than a brief one.

The club stand was good with a “mock shed” being a feature and for the brief time that I was there, seemed to be attracting a lot of interest.

Having delivered the box of bits and spent just a few minutes chatting to club members on the stand, I had a (very) quick walk around the remainder of the show. As always, I seemed to bump into a fair few people that I knew as I made my way from stand to stand meaning that my stay at the show was a little longer than I had intended it to be. Nevertheless, although I hadn’t actually arrived until just turned noon, I was back in the car and heading home before 2.00pm.

Part of the club stand – a “shed” discovery

Once home, I spent the remainder of the afternoon “tinkering” in my new centrally heated (and warm) garage. The “grand opening” when the IBAUK come along is now only a couple of weeks away and there’s still a lot to do in there.

14^th January 2012 : B’ham/Wolves TOMCC “Christmas” Meal

Even back in 1977 when I first joined the TOMCC, the Birmingham/Wolves branch Christmas “event” (back then, when we were all kids, it was a very loud and very alcohol fuelled raucous party) has always been held during early January.

Now as we’ve all aged, it’s no longer a party but a nice, gentle meal out at a local restaurant.

Myself and Sonia have been along to this “modern version” for the last few years and we find it’s always a nice night out.

What made this year memorable for me was that I was awarded the “Harold Snape Bournville and TOMCC Trophy” - quite a mouthful, I know J - but effectively, it’s the Clubman of the Year Trophy

This came as a complete surprise to me as I had no idea that my name was being considered and so I was a little lost for words as I was being presented with the trophy by Ron Barratt (who is a branch member).

When I got home, I dug out the old Nacelles that I had kept from my early days in the club. It seems that the last time I “won” the clubman of the years was back in 1979 !!

18^th January 2012 : IBR Talk – TOMCC Peterborough

Dave Porter (the editor of Nacelle) had contacted me just before Christmas to ask if he could run the story of the IBR in the magazine. As I’m continually amazed that anyone other than myself finds what I write interesting, I did as he asked and sent him over the story – over 100 pages of it !! Given that the story would entirely fill two issues of the magazine, it clearly needed “trimming” and Dave enlisted the help of the TOMCC Vice Chairman, Mick Barratt for the task of editing down the story into a manageable size.

The upshot of this, was that Mick (who is also chairman of the Peterborough Branch) had to read the entire story and then decided to invite me over to the branch to do my talk. As I always enjoy listening to the sound of my own voice, I duly accepted the invitation JJ …..

Me and “Hele” in full flow giving our talk

There must have been about 30 or so club members who came along and they all seemed to enjoy the talk.

I’m getting well versed in presenting the talk now and standing up and speaking about the ride is nowhere near as daunting as it was when I first started doing it, last August. The strange thing is, that six months on from actually riding in the IBR, with each talk I give, I find that I’m beginning to appreciate just what an achievement it was to finish. I can vividly remember, that in the immediate aftermath of completing the rally, thinking to myself that I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. Now as I relay the story of the ride, I can …..

Anyway, next stop of the “IBR Talk Tour” is the TOMCC Meriden Branch on 5^th March.

20^th/21^st January 2012 : A Quick Trip Abroad

January at work is manic. It’s all due to everyone of my clients thinking that they’re the only person who decides to leave their tax return until the last minute. There’s simply nothing better in the midst of this January madness to get on my bike and take a nice long ride to have a break from the monotony of churning out tax return after tax return.

This year, I decided to head for the Groningen bike show. Groningen is on the northern coastline of the Netherlands close to the Dutch/German border. Well that was the plan at least …..

Due to a combination of not being able to get away from work on the Friday until nearly one o’clock, then having to drop some papers off at a clients in Coventry and finally the twin assaults of lousy wet weather and the M20/M26 junction being closed, I didn’t even get to the Channel Tunnel until nearly 7 o’clock. Then add on the waiting time for the train, the 45 minutes crossing and finally the one hour time difference between continental Europe and the UK meant that my tyres did not feel French tarmac until just before 9.00pm – and it was still raining L

By 10.00pm, I’d only reached Gent, some 80 miles from the Belgium/Netherlands border and still some 200 miles away from Groningen and with being wet, hungry and tired, I checked into my usual hotel that I stay at in Gent, The Ibis Opera.

Once I’d got warm and eat something, I mulled over my plans for the weekend and decided that I’d set my alarm for 6.00am, see what the weather was doing and make any decisions then. For now, a warm dry bed beckoned …..

I didn’t need the alarm the next day as at around 5.00am, I was lying awake listening the rain batter against my bedroom window. Well, that made the decision as to whether or not to ride the further 200 miles to Groningen very easy for me and with that, I rolled over and went back to sleep.

With my plan “A” now firmly shelved, as I was having breakfast, I looked for alternatives and very soon decided to spend the day in and around the First World War battlefields.

After a quick 50 miles blast down to Ypres, I left the main roads and found the old back roads that ultimately would lead me back up towards Dunkirk. More importantly, these are the roads that between 1914 and 1918 led to and from the Western Front.

Once you’re on these roads, it’s not long before you start to come across the cemeteries and once you pick up the first, thereafter they come thick and fast.

I stopped at the first three cemeteries and walked around taking pictures of various graves. The ages of some of the men killed very soon put my own feelings of being “pissed off” with tax returns firmly in its place.

This puts your own problems into perspective. G.A.Chambers, aged 19, 12^th August 1917 - the day he died …… LJ

Just one of hundreds of war cemeteries dotted around Ypres

Like military cemeteries the world over, the maintenance was immaculate and even though it was the middle of winter and the remainder of Flanders was covered with its famous mud, the grave yards enjoyed a lush covering of neatly mowed and very green grass.

Eventually the cemeteries become fewer as you move away from what was the Western Front and before long I rejoined the coastal E40 which took me back to Calais and the Chunnel terminal.

With gaining my hour back, I was back on English tarmac by 2.30pm and with plenty of time before I was due home, I decided to visit somewhere that I’d been meaning to go fir a while – the Battle of Britain memorial at Folkestone

All three are British machines JJ

Whilst I was there and walking around the visitor centre/gift shop one of the attendants commented on how nice it was seeing someone riding a British bike. The complement was nice and made all the more poignant given where I was.

The Battle of Britain Memorial

I left the memorial at just after 3.30pm and after what can be best described as a “brisk” ride home, I pulled into the yard at home at 6.30pm. Folkestone to home is 223 miles – I may have “strayed” slightly when it came to adhering to the speed limits on the ride home JJ

Still, I returned to work on the Monday suitably refreshed.

28^th January 2012 : IBAUK RTE - The Garage Grand Opening

Over the years, as my bike collection has expanded, so as the memorabilia. I had always wanted a building to house my “proper” bikes (read : BSA/Triumph pushrod triples) and the associated triple “stuff” and so just before Christmas 2011, and after quite a protracted planning stage, building work commenced.

By the time the New Year came around, the garage was finished (central heating included) and was ready to be kitted out. Once that was done, it seemed a good idea to have an “Opening Party” and with the success of the last IBA RTE we held here, we decided to host another to co-incide with the grand opening.

The Garage

In the weeks leading up to the RTE, more and more IBA members added their names to the list meaning that by the time the day arrived, we were expecting somewhere in the region of 30 people. As ever, Sonia was a star (as were my mom and dad) and they managed to prepare and feed the group with a menu consisting of hot pork baps, grey peas, curry, chilli, soup with a constant stream of tea and coffee served from the garage “kitchen” by yours truly.

The Garage looking the other way ……

I think it’s fair to say that the garage was “well received”, even by those riders who had no interest in classic bikes and at least four admitted to “garage envy” by the end of the day.

A nice turnout of bikes

It never ceases to amaze me when a group of bikers get together how they can continue to find new things to talk about on the subject of bikes, biking and bikers. One would have thought that after 100 years or so of bikes being around, most subjects would have now been talked to death ….. JJ

The riders aren’t quite so pretty though JJ

With the last of the riders leaving around 4.30pm (and the first having turned up at just after 11.00am) meant that we’d had nearly a full 6 hours of “entertaining”.

So, the garage is now officially “open” and we’ve done our IBAUK RTE hosting for this year !!

30^th January 2012 : Wolverhampton Business Club Talk

Just before Christmas, I was out at lunch with Dermott Kelly, a bank manager who I know and the subject came around to bikes and some of the trips that me and Sonia do. The upshot of this was that I was invited to do a 20 minute or so talk of our “biking life” to the Wolverhampton business Club.

Normally I have no real problem with doing talks on bikes and biking – but then again, I’m normally talking to bike clubs and not a group of accountants, solicitors, bankers and other assorted professionals J

Nevertheless, the talk seemed to go down well and the questions afterwards certainly seemed to me as though the audience enjoyed it – but then again, they could have just been being polite ….. JJ

I think I prefer talking to bike clubs ……..

VAT – Have you considered the Flat Rate Scheme?

2012-01-27T00:41:00.000-08:00

The Flat Rate Scheme is a method of accounting for VAT, which could save you time, smooth cash flow and best of all, could result in more cash in your pocket!

If your taxable turnover for the next 12 months is expected to be less than £150,000 – you qualify.

If you don’t suffer a lot of VAT on purchases, for example if you are a service based business, the scheme is probably for you.

How does it work?

The amount of VAT payable to HMRC is calculated by multiplying your gross turnover by a percentage agreed with HMRC. An example is detailed below:

Business Type: Travel Agent

Percentage payable: 10.5%

Net Turnover			100,000
VAT Charged (A)			20,000
Gross Received			120,000

VAT payable to HMRC (B)			12,600
Under Flat Rate scheme

Flat Rate “Profit” (A-B)			7,400

This amount is liable to Tax			(1,554)
Assumed 21%

Additional “Cash” in your pocket			£5,846

This example assumes an immaterial level of VAT is suffered on purchases.

Following joining the flat rate scheme and agreeing the percentage payable, you receive a 1% discount in your first year of adopting the scheme. Don’t worry if you intend to make a capital purchase of over £2,000 (VAT inclusive) as the VAT can be reclaimed as normal on these items.

What to do next?

If you feel your business could benefit from the scheme please call Gareth Perrett on 01902 773933 or email garethp@crom.co.uk to arrange a free no obligation consultation to assess your suitability for the scheme.

Crombies: The Self Assessment Deadline is Looming

2012-01-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

Crombies: The Self Assessment Deadline is Looming: The deadline for filing on paper for the tax year which ended April 5 2011, passed on October 31 last year. However, you can still file onl...

The Self Assessment Deadline is Looming

2012-01-19T06:39:00.000-08:00

The deadline for filing on paper for the tax year which ended April 5 2011, passed on October 31 last year.
However, you can still file online up until midnight on Tuesday 31st Junaury 2012; any tax due must also be paid by this date.

Meeting the deadline is more important than ever because HM Revenue & Customs has introduced tough new penalties for late-filed tax returns.
There is now a £100 fixed penalty for submitting your tax return late, even if you have no additional tax to pay; previously, the fine was £100, capped at the amount of tax unpaid as at January 31st.

If the return is more than three months late, there is a £10 daily charge, capped at £900 or 90 days, and after six months, a further penalty of £300, or 5 per cent of the tax at stake is applied.

To avoid getting caught out by this deadline or to obtain any advice on how to file your tax return, please contact us at Crombies Accountants on 01902773993.

Children In Need Update

2012-01-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

We thought we would share that Alex's certificate for the fundraising he did for children in need back in November was delivered a few days ago. Once again we would like to portray how proud we were of his brave antics, and can't wait to see what he does this year!!

New Member of Staff

2012-01-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

We would proudly like to welcome Alec Walton to the practice. Alec has been with us for the last 2 months and has bedded in well with our clients and staff. Alec is situated on John Young's team as an audit and accounts assistant. He is currently studying towards his AAT qualification as a junior. In his own time he enjoys watching Sports, follows Wolverhampton Wanderers but mainly Leicester Tiger’s rugby club. We hope his future with us will be a long & successful one.

Children In Need 2011

2011-11-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

We can always count on Alex Dangellilo when it comes to giving yourself up for the cause, but we never envisaged that he would go this far to represent the team. On Friday 18th November in the spirit of Children in Need and all for a good cause, Alex (Nancy) donned a series of female outfits and paraded himself proudly for all to see outside the Crombies Head Office in Wolverhampton. We all feel like proud parents, especially as he managed to raise nearly £200 for charity!!.

Here are a few of his best snaps...'Till Next Year'

Newly Qualified Accountants

2011-08-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

Crombies would like to congratulate Gemma Greathead & Pete Mason pictured below for passing their final exams and becoming ACCA qualified. Crombies are dedicated to increasing the profile of their staff and actively encourage any training and development needed to progress their careers, well done to them both.

'All we need now is to sort out who's buying the first pint at the pub!!'

Pete Mason

Gemma Greathead

Its been great having you!!!

2011-08-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

Crombies are sad to announce the departure of one of our well liked members of staff. Dave has not only been a professional, reliable and popular member of the Crombies team but he is also one of our best Go-Karting drivers!! and will be sorely missed. We obviously wish Dave all the best success in his new role, and will look forward to seeing him at future 'racing'/networking events representing his new employers.

Pictured: Dave Price

Congratulations to the newly wed!!!

2011-07-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Crombies staff would like to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to our Helen, formerly known as Helen Tolley now Helen Cotton. Her big day was on Saturday and I think we can all agree that it was a beautiful day, one that the bride and groom can be proud of and will remember for years to come.

Pictured: The blushing bride

Future Alliance Go-Karting Event

2011-07-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

On 19th of July at the Full Throttle Raceway in Stourbridge, Crombies staff once again took to the tarmac. The event, which was very successful, was organised by the Future Alliance Networking Group. However, the format was very different to the last go-karting event, drivers from each company were mixed up and put into pairs making it a bit more competitive, but even with this unconventional arrangement one of our drivers (Alex D'angelillo) still managed to come second overall. That makes two podium finishes for Crombies in as many races so well done to us!!

Pictured: Alex with team member, 1st on the left.

2011 Iron Butt Rally, Day 10

2011-07-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

2011 Iron Butt Rally, Day 10

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wednesday was the last Call-In bonus of the rally. The information available from the voicemails and Spot tracks indicates that more than 1,000 miles separates the easternmost riders from the westernmost riders, and that’s as-the-crow-flies. At 10 a.m. Pacific time, we had riders as far west as Albuquerque, New Mexico, and as far East as Biloxi, Mississippi.

Crombies John Young was in Texas and headed for Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 1:12 pm.

Please keep posted for more updates.

John's Epic Adventure !!

2011-06-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

On Thursday 16^th June 2011 our very own John Young (Director), will be taking part in The Iron Butt Rally held in the United States. The rally consists of five checkpoints located around the perimeter of the United States, in order to be considered a finisher the riders must be present at each of these checkpoints within a two hour window.

No consideration is given for bad weather, riders can expect to ride through severe thunderstorms, hurricanes and the occasional tornado. Temperature extremes routinely run 125 degrees or more in the desert southwest, in living up to the name "Worlds Toughest Motorcycle Competition", event organizers intentionally route the rally through such places as Death Valley or the Mojave Desert during the hottest part of the day, to extreme cold at the top of mountains like Pike's Peak in Colorado.

We will be posting updates on John's progression through his gruelling journey, so please show your support and follow his success.

New Staff Member

2011-06-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

Crombies would like to warmly welcome our new member of staff Michael Stanley. Michael (pictured below) will be starting as an accounts junior with us on Mark Fletcher's team and will be nurtured into becoming a fully qualified accountant.

Crombies Go-Karting Team Take 2nd Place!

2011-05-18T03:58:00.000-07:00

The odds were stacked against us but the Crombies lads came up trumps last week in the Accountants Grand Prix at The Raceway in Birmingham, there was stiff competition from Price Pearson who unfortunately beat us to first place, but given the circumstances and with a skeleton team, Dave & Charles (pictured below) gave it their all and were rewarded for their perseverance with a place on the podium (thanks to Gareth and Gemma for their expert photography.) Well Done!!

'The Leaderboard'

Pictured: Dave & Charles

Go Karting Competition

2011-05-10T02:33:00.000-07:00

Crombies Accountants will be entering into the Accountants Team Challenge tonight in Oldbury, with a bit of luck we will better our position from last years 13th. Keep an eye out for our postings throughout the week where we will reveal our finishing position...Come on guys you can win it!!

Fundraising for Compton Hospice

2011-03-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Entrepreneurial students at the University of Wolverhampton raised approximately £20,000 for charity as part of a module to test their entrepreneurship and innovation skills.

The students’ final work was showcased at an Exhibition of Applied Creativity at The Holiday Inn, Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton on January 18, 2011, where they illustrated their successful fundraising activities to fellow students and staff and presented the money raised to representatives from the supported Charities.

The charities involved were Compton Hospice, Severn Hospice, Wolves Community Trust and the Steve Bull Foundation in Wolverhampton. 250 students took part.

Crombies employee and student Charles Grizzle and his group of five, managed to raise £750 for the Compton Hospice, helped by the support of the Crombies staff and other fundraising initiatives. A big pat on the back to everyone at Crombies who helped to raise funds.

Has your firm got a business story?

2011-03-02T03:23:00.000-08:00

Director at Wolverhampton Chartered Accountants, Crombies, Mark Fletcher scored a perfect ten by running the Royal Parks Foundation half marathon on 10.10.10 and raising £2,010 in the process.

Over 12,500 people crossed the finish line for the increasingly popular London event which takes in Hyde Park, Regents Park, St James Park and Kensington Gardens.

Mark ran the event to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity devoted to improving the lives of teenagers and young adults with cancer. “Teenage Cancer Trust has just opened a £2.8 million specialist unit at Birmingham Children’s hospital to provide state of the art care. I just wanted to support the fantastic work that the charity does”, he said.

With the origins of the practice dating back to 1899, Crombies continue to service the corporate market of the Black Country from their Waterloo Road office. The firm specializes in reducing the tax burden of its clients and aims to take the stress out of the financial side of running a business.

Mark is pictured with Louise Scott of the Teenage Cancer Trust

Crombies Tax Seminar

2011-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

We were delighted with the turnout for our Tax Seminar which too place earlier this month at the Mount Hotel in Tettenhall. We received some very positive comments from our guests, and would like to thank them all for attending the event.

If you didn’t manage to attend, don’t worry as we plan to do more informative events in the near future. Keep an eye on the events page on our website. www.crom.co.uk