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News from Corse – from Chris W & Janet H. MotoGiro d’Italia. ACU consultation on introduction of an online Competition Licence/Trials Registration system.

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Hi Frank, a quick report from the mountains of Corsica.

What a beautiful Island. Arrived monday 7 am, riding in mountains by 9 am. Used up 12 litres of fuel exclusively on tracks and trails up to 2400 m [ca 7500' Ed.] high First hotel fantastic with pool ,jaccuzzi, etc, food excellent. My bike died today, we think it is electrical so a replacement stator ,coil and cd [? Ed.]are on 24 hr delivery from Dherby moto. I have to say this shop puts any and all uk trials shops to shame with the service and choice, [eat your heart out BVM? - Ed.] It’s the biggest trials outlet in europe. tomorrow I have to sit it out by the pool or in the jacussi ,sauna, or bar this hotel is also very good.

We are being guided by a paris dakar & enduro rider called Michael Pissano and spannnered by his mechanic.. bivouac lunch stops refuelling ad hoc..thoroughly reccomend this deal as it is about same offroad mileage as the Scottish with the sections built into the tracks. Exceptional panorama’s weather 28 at 2400 mtrs, sunny with a violent thunderstorm for 30 mins today. We also did a 3 day trial in Ardeche very very good videos etc on http://www.trialclub.com. Janet on podium as usual.Sorry about spelling etc I just cant see this screen too well. Better get to sleep now 0815 start tomorrow so will breakfast with the guys. all good company I was in tears of laughter at dinner tonight. Best regards to all trials mates at home will keep posting. Chris

At the last Board Meeting all Clubs were reminded that ACU Rugby has issued a consultation document about online Competition LicenceaTrials Registration. Directors say its [an online Licence application Form which will take your Fee by debit or credit card]going to happen for next year & will be in place by 01/11/11. The current paper system will continue in parellel. The Centre urges all Clubs to consider the consultation document & respond directly to Gary Thompson. FYI the document was sent [I don't know if paper copies were sent or not] to all Club Secretaries, Gary wants response by 30/06/11 thats just a fortnight away now.

West Wilts are responding as the system that will be introduced does not in the Clubs opinion meet the need of Clubs – it might suit Rugby, but not us as a Club. We suspect your Club will find the same. If you need a copy of the document ask Keith Wooster, Theresa Talbot or myself.

‘New’ Centre Treasurer Clive Chapman had just got back from the MotoGiro d’Italia a six day Rally in surprise surprise Italy on his 175cc MotoGuzzi Lodola together with a lot of other Brits. Have a look at www.motogiroitalia.it for the route & results.

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More “Stuff” – from the Kingswood & North Somerset Clubs

Monday, June 6th, 2011

The NSMSC’s Weymouth Trophy Timed Trial Results from Saturday evening 4th June are now available on the ‘Results’ page

We’ve posted the Regs & Entry Form for Kingswoods 2day Summer Social Trial which is on the Saturday & Sunday 2nd & 3rd July at Lambs Lair.

Interesting Event this one – its being held as an Open Event – so as long as you’ve a Trials Registration or Competition Licence you don’t have to a member of the Kingswood Club or a member of a Centre Club. There’s just 2 Routes – Sportsman for Novice Adult, Youth B, O 50 & Twinshocks – & – Gentleman for Youth C O60 & pre 70 British bikes (but not suitable for rigid machines). Regs tell you its Self Observing in groups of 4 or 5 riders Why not give it a go?

Then we’ve put up the NSMSC’s Rgs & Entry Form for the 2 day “The Valley Smokehouse” Timed Trial on 9th & 10th July. There’s an Entry Limit of 60 for these so make sure you get in early

We’ve also put up the Regs & Entry Form for (another) Kingswoods’ Abbotside H&H Enduro on 31st July.

Better get your Entry in early for this one as well because there’s a limit of 120 on the Entry & it’s a popular event!

Frank

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Alzheimers Society: Kingswood MCC’s Annual Charity Trial

Monday, April 18th, 2011

What are you doing on Bank Holiday Monday May 30th? You are riding Kingswood’s Annual Charity Trial at Breakheart Quarry of course. Unusually in our Centre it’s an Open Trial – so NO Club Membership is required, just your Trials Registration/Competition Licence. As always there’s a barbecue & raffle afterwards so it’ll be a good day. The Regs & Entry Form is now available.

Great weather over the weekend so I fired up the trusty mower & gave it a blast around the grass!

Keep smiling: Frank

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Bums on Seats & Classes for Riders

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Bums on Seats

If I’ve caught your attention this isn’t any sort of comment about competitive Events. No it’s about Club Annual Dinners. Both the Kingswood & the West Wilts Dinners are nearly upon us, so nearly that Kingswoods’ is tomorrow week [19th March] & West Wilts’ is a fortnight later [1st April]. Both ‘dos’ cost the Clubs more than the price of your tickets & are a good evening out with like minded people. Besides if you are allowed out to ride most weekends it helps to treat your ‘other half’ sometimes! Both are at the Golf Club – Chipping Sodbury for Kingswood & Cumberwell Park for West Wilts. I know there are tickets still available for West Wilts & Chris Kelly is your contact on 01225 865497, I’m not so sure about Kingswood but Mike Fear on 01761 418492 is the man.

We hope to see you there.

Classes for Riders

No it’s not some odd way of telling you about Trials Schools or that you need more practice! If you are reading this you are pretty au fait with the Rules of your branch of the sport, but I know that one recent Event had difficulty getting the Youth Results correct. How So?

Well, the Entry Forms weren’t filled in correctly! You, well Mum & Dad know when you were born, but the Club you are riding with won’t if you don’t complete the Box requiring your date of birth if you are under 18. Youth Classes are classified by your age. The Route you ride is the route the Club has laid out for your age groups ability & you should enter that Route on the Entry Form.

If you wish to ride ‘out of class’ ie you are Youth A Age Group , but want to ride down on the easier Youth B route, you must tell the Secretary of the Meeting. In the same way if you are Youth C Age Group but want to ride up on the more difficult Youth B route, you must get permission from the Clerk of the Course and tell the Secretary of the Meeting.

Do I hear someone saying ‘WHY’ – it’s simple, Youth Riders ride down for no award & they ride up without being eligible for an award unless the Supplementary Regulations for the event say you are. In the particular Event I’m thinking of it was the rider who appeared to finish 3rd on marks lost who was the best rider in his class – because the two lads who seemed to be better than him both rode out of class – but they didn’t tell the Club & were [if the Club hadn't checked & got it right] doing another rider out of his best in class award.

Here endeth another lesson - although it’s in the Riders ACU Handbook & should be known to all of you. Frank

ps If you are a Youth Rider of exceptional ability, in our Centre we can consider whether to grade you as a Youth Expert irrespective of your age. Then you will ride the most difficult Route that the Club has laid out

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We’ve held the AGM for 2011 & Maisie Payne was presented with a Rose Bowl.

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Right then, there’s a list of people you are lumbered with until next time [!] on a Page called ‘Centre Officials’ under the About parent page.

We’re delighted that Chris Fear was elected as your President – in case you didn’t know – she does a lot of work behind the scenes to help the Centre to run smoothly, as well as the work she does for the Kingswood Club.

The outgoing President has the award of the Harry Croft Trophy in his gift, & he chose to award it to Ken Lywood, the man who has held the Centrte Finances under control for more years than he cares to remember. In recent years the trophy has seemed to have been awarded to the person who has made most contribution to motor cycling in the Centre in the previous year, but Ken tells me that originally it was intended to be an award to the young person who made the biggest contribution!

We welcome our new Treasurer, Clive Chapman, a member of the Swindon Club & wish him well in his task.

Mention of young people leads me on to tell you that Phil Steadman on behalf of the Centre made a special award of a Rose Bowl to Maisie Payne to mark her winning the 2010 Girls National ‘C’ class Trials Championship. It’s good to see a Wessex rider reminding the country that we have some pretty darn good riders living in our Centre. There was a big bunch of flowers to put in it as well!

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Stop Press: Video available from Avery Cup Trial

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Hi again guys, just another thought & a link to video from yesterday.

While I was doing my lap on foot I noticed Fraser Dickin observing one of the in & out of one of the two ditch sections AND using a camera while the riders were going through. A man who needs corroborative evidence for his observing decisions I wondered. Fraser has uploaded half an hours video & you can watch it here http://vimeo.com/19365763

I noticed Chris Wrigley also had a helmet cam on at the start.

Frank

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Here are the Avery Results from today!

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Now I’m Chattering, right, Ben Darch did win, but Lee Hassall wasn’t 2nd, K Brain was runner up, if I knew “the Brains” first name I’d use it, but I don’t. Someone will tell me I’m sure. As I didn’t catch up with the Experts & didn’t see an Entry List I had to guess the likely winners & chose to watch potential winners Ben & Lee on their last lap at Sections 3 – 6 inc., the ones that might have been the sections to take marks.

Quickly looking at the other Results, I reckon Paul Mountevens rode the Expert route & not the AB route? The Over 40 route was obviously hotly contested with Mark Talbot coming out on top. Richard Elliot had a rear wheel bearing collapse at the end of lap 2 & had to limp round his last one to get his finish. Kevin Miller had a good result [3rd] in B class, his first Championship trial since being upgraded.

Kevin Hart has asked me, via the Contact the Editor link, when our Championship Rounds are. I’ll try & get the Centre Fixture List posted up soon as I can. Pete Cullimore has been working like a Trojan to get it printed for us & it’s available today. You should be able to get one by asking your Club Secretary. If you join West Wilts, Phyllis will send you one with your Club Membership Card, but I don’t know how many other Clubs do the same! Frank

Posted in Centre Champs, Franks mutterings, Kingswood & DMCC, Old Maler's Quiz Answers | No Comments »

Bored with tennis? Watch Biathlon? Go to the Avery Cup Trial!

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Hi everyone, its 16:00 hrs & we’ve just got back from the Avery Cup Trial. It might have been Andy Murray’s day in Aus. We started watching the Mens Final at home, Murray might have a chance Djokovic has a a lot of strapping on his knee – ligament trouble? might help Andy if he can keep on stretching him, but Duty Called! Kept listening in the car & Murray drops the first set to Djokovic 4:6. As Chris Fear said – I thought Phyllis will stay at home to watch the tennis, – but no as duty had called. Trial Finishes around 15:00 hrs. Got home & what shall we do shall we find the result or watch it tomorrow as a replay. Lets find out as we’re bound to be told on almost any TV or Radio programme. Quick check, its not on a loop on any Freeserve channels or Eurosport. Eurosport has ladies with guns – Biathlon. Do commentators ever consider what they are saying? We both hear “the French women are very solid in the prone position” I keep quiet, Phyllis begins to chuckle I explain I have no experience of french ladies in any …… Go to BBC’s Text Sports headlines – Murray crushed by Djokovic. Say no more, straight sets not even a tie break

So: A lovely day out at the Avery it was cold but sunny, 92 entrants – hence lateish finish Sections rode fairly easily it seemed & much better than staying at home watching Andy Murray losing comprehensively. Fortunately the cold wind that can freeze Observers at IRP didn’t blow so thank you to all 13 of them & especially the Ladies amongst them.

The Trial Result? Much too early to say, but unofficially I think Ben Darch took it from Lee Hassall comfortably if the marks they think they lost are those on the Observers cards. I’ll post the results when I have them, but it may be tomorrow morning as Clive is cooking dinner for us this evening.

I was asked why I hadn’t mentioned Paul Mountstevens as a Centre rider with an entry for the SSDT. Quick as a flash I said ‘not a Centre Resident at the moment” – but we all wish him good luck up in Scotland anyway. Saw Jack Benton sporting a black eye & just back from Aus, broke but happy & planning his next away year already, just walking the dog today. And lots of other people, Jon Bees’s three small ones with Granny & Grandad, a wee 3week old one, an Oset electric bike. Yes it was much better than staying at home. Frank & Phyllis

Remember the next 2 Sundays have Championship Trial Rounds as well.

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Struggling for Observers! The January 2011 View from Ba House

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Chris Wrigley’s been in touch, KIngswood are being pro-active for the Centre Champ Avery Cup Trial & he says:

‘Hi Frank, regards the Avery trial next Sunday, it looks like we are going to be struggling for observers even more so than usual as there are a couple of other events on, If anybody wants to volunteer or turn up to help out they will be most welcome. Dave Benton COC has limited the number of sections to 10 (due to anticipated problems with “manning” them) despite finding a new bit of land so we have 4 brand new sections (2 of which will be sure to take some marks) and have been able to spread it all out a bit.’

So if you are entering, please help out by providing an Observer – your days sport depends on them

The View from Ba-House

Congratulations once more to Colin Crease,who won our Centre Championship again,even though last year’s competition was beset with extra distractions.What with missing trials by having to work most Sundays and becoming a dad,he did well to win it this time.

It’s been a worrying period these last few weeks with a spate of unrelated accidents causing pain and suffering to four of our best-known riders.One broke his wrist while practising,falling backwards off a step,another caught his eyebrows and nose-hair on fire fettling his bike,then one split his finger driving into a rock and the last one bruised his ribs trying to execute a low level vertical loop.I’ve looked into the detail of each incident,in my capacity as self-appointed Health and Safety Officer,and I have reached these conclusions.

In the first case the rider had ignored the golden rule,” Never practice with a better rider.It’s bad for your confidence and it always ends in tears.” Second case. Anyone who is capable of catching his head on fire should never again be allowed near flammable liquids.Third case.This elderly rider has continuing problems with spacial awareness.I first noticed this last year at the Knut,when I saw him ride into a tree which he had forgotten about.It would probably be best if someone rode round with him in future to show him the way.In the last case,which I witnessed at first-hand, there were signs that a fierce determination to succeed had over-ridden the self-preservation reflex.To continue with the plan of full throttle in fourth gear,when coming to a halt,was the mistake that caused the accident.Mind you if I’d been riding I would have stopped just past the Begins Cards,then looked down at the engine.That’s the better plan.

This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the running of the first Scottish-Six-Days-Trial and although at the moment the details are sketchy,it looks like the organisers intend to make this the best Scottish week ever.From what I can gather,on the Saturday before the trial,fifty really old-fogey,(1905-1912 Vintage ) motorbikes will set off from Edinburgh and ride to Fort-William to arrive in time to head the parade of competitors up the High Street on Sunday.On Tuesday there will be a fly-by of the last Vulcan,flying down the Great-Glen past Laggan-Locks,in remembrance of the days when David Tye used to bring his flight of RAF Vulcans past us at low level in salute.What a sight that will be.There are also plans to replace Town-Hall-Brae,known locally as “Herbie’s sorrow”,with a section in the centre of the High-Street,which will be used at the end of each day.That’s a great idea,it’ll generate a lot of interest, but the highlight surely will be Gordon Jackson,on his AJS,riding up Grey-Mare’s Ridge once more,to the place where he had his one dab total to win the trial.

With the New Year upon us it would be nice if,in this Centre,we could finally kill off all this jumping up and down nonsense in our trials.I’d like to think that someone would make a start and agree to run all their events in 2011 as non-stoppers,but no-one wants to be the first to return to sanity.When it comes to it Uncle Albert said it right at the Knut,” That aint riding ” Ba

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What’s New? Upcoming T&E Licencing Seminars: Dates & Attendance Lists. More Regs Available. Gazzer Says:-

Monday, January 10th, 2011

FYI, here are the lists of delegates to the T&E Seminars at Warmley by date & Club:

18th Jan 2011 delegates

NSMSC: Paul Manning, Jim Sharpe, Jerry Walters, Andy Jeffries, Andy Frost, BSSA: Phil Sparkes, Kingswood: Steve Hodge, Mark Bennett, Dave Benton, Chris Wrigley, Wells: Steve Thorne, Martin Lawford, Jerry Cross, Mendip: Rob Pike, Andy Leahy. Wilts Border: Mark Talbot, Colin Sawyer, Neil Blackmore
25th January 2011 delegates
Kingswood: Pete Culliford, Nicola Golding, Tim Frost, Mike Fear, Chris Fear, BMCC: Phil Steadman, Alan Mountstevens,

We’ve just posted up for you the Rgs & Entry Forms for the First Centre Championship Trial – the Kingswood Avery Cup on 30th January. Wonder if we might have a new Centre Champion this year?

And Gazzer says “Every Cloud”, as they say and as a result of the cancellation of the infamous “Turkey Trial”, due to snow just before Christmas, the Mendip Vale Trials Organising Team get the opportunity to use the venue for their first event of 2011 - the Winterhead Trial on 23rd January 2011.
The action takes place at Churchill Rocks, signposted on the A38, at Churchill south of Bristol. Start time 10.30 and enter on the day.
The course will be entirely off road and cater for all abilities, from Expert through to Beginners over three routes.”

The Regs are now posted for you, but I wonder what happened to the Turkey? It might just have unfrozen inthe last few days? – Frank

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Wessex Centre ACU Chattering