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blue knights news
| Knight Times | ||||
| AGM | ||||
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Another successful AGM was held at Progress House, the offices of the
Police Federation, which was an unusual but successful venue that maybe
Tom should propose for the Presidents' Meeting as a change from
Leicester but easy to get to, especially for chapters in Scotland and
Ireland. The evolution of the chapter, which has been successfully managed so well in the past, continues, with people now in post ready to assist the President when the existing Secretary, Quartermaster and Treasurer step down and take a rest in the near future. The chapter members felt it appropriate to increase the subs, which haven't been raised for 10 years or more, and in coming years existing members will pay £25 per year instead of £20, while joining members will be expected to pay £5 more as a joining fee, but will receive chapter patches and pins in addition to the International pack. Charities and the new Conference magazine were discussed with thanks given to John R for the development of the mag. Julia and Tom provided chilli and beer for those who needed to eat and you know, there wasn't a single argument! Thanks were proposed to Jill, at the Cow and Calf, for her magnificent gesture in feeding us month after month, and she will be receiving flowers and a certificate of thanks very soon. Things are being planned for the coming year, with a rally in Dunham Massey and training for event marshals. Lots going to happen, and of course DONT FORGET THE CHRISTMAS BASH!!!! Have you got your tickets yet? |
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| Look after your bike... | Ferry Information | |||
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During the trip to Germany 8 at the end of August, a number of us (England 5) commented on the poor service and attitude of the P&O crew in relation to securing of our motorcycles on the Hull to Rotterdam crossing. We thought that it was “just not acceptable” to have a length of greasy rope given to us especially for a potentially rough crossing.Therefore using my contacts within the ferry and cruising industry I fed our complaints and concerns to the on-board Services Director for P&O ferries and asked him, to put it bluntly, what he intended to do about it.
I was advised that
P&O’s management have discussed the matter of how to secure motor cycles
in the past
and this area
has been the subject
of intense debate over a number of years. Their evidence is that
some motorcycle owners are wanting the company to
look after this area in
its entirety whilst
other riders want to do it themselves given the
value of their machines.
The compromise
adopted by P&O is that webbing straps should be given to the owner and
an offer made of assistance to secure the machine or render assistance.
As
this didn't happen in
our case,
P&O
apologise most sincerely.
Any Knight intending to use the Hull-Rotterdam service should contact me
on
starpawz@byconnect.com
and I will advise
P&O of the time and date of their journey.
Neill Brettell
England V |
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| Old Phone?.... | ....New Home | |||
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Email:
mary.randles@virginmedia.com |
Ian Randles (GMP Ret.) may have been known to many of you, before he
passed away. He was treated at Christie's and his wife Mary has started
raising money for this great institution. Old phones rattle around our drawers, so please consider getting in touch with Mary if you have one she can make use of. |
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| Request from an old friend! | Futurescope, Poitiers | |||
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Bob Blake is a former member of England V and before that was President
of England IV for many years. Since moving to France to live, he has
transferred his affections to France 2, who long time members will
recall was twinned with England V for many years. That's why we are
breaking our normal rule and advertising a specific rally. France 2 are are organising a rally in 2010 at St Cyr, which is only 7 Km or so from Futuroscope at Poitiers. It's not expensive either, at 100 Euros for the whole weekend! Bob would love to see us all there and it would be a great opportunity to meet some old friends. At least give the rally a thought, and go to the France 2 site for details |
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| Matlock Bath still there! | Late in the year but who cares? The fish and chips were as good as ever too! | |||
| The car park picture on an autumn morning | Five arrive! | |||
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| Knight | Down | |||
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Jutta was a beautiful lady riding in a group in
third position when a couple of stupid jerks on sports bikes playing
smart ass games decided to pass in the wrong place and at the wrong
speed, ripping through the organised ride and clearing off just after a
car went out of control avoiding them, and struck her, killing her
instantly. because of the stupidity of the riders putting their own
'fun' ahead of safety and other people. Jutta's life was cut short for no reason by people without the guts to stop and help. We are disgusted. Our condolences to her family and friends. We wish we could do more. |
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| God cleared! | Missing | |||
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A US judge has thrown out a case against God, ruling that because the defendant has no address, legal papers cannot be served. The suit was launched by Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers, who said he might appeal against the ruling. He sought a permanent injunction to prevent the "death, destruction and terrorisation" caused by God. Judge Marlon Polk said in his ruling that a plaintiff must have access to the defendant for a case to proceed. "Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice," Judge Polk wrote in his ruling. Mr Chambers cannot refile the suit but may appeal. |
A 3-year-old girl named Reachelle Marie Smith is missing. Take
a careful look at Tamworth Police email which is being circulated. |
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| Rider Down! | Blue Vests | |||
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Young Sam Brettell had just changed the Kawasaki seen below for a VFR of
his dreams. Just two days after taking delivery of his new bike a
thoughtless car driver did to Sam what was done to Pete Dowling, with
someone doing a U-turn in front of him. The bike was severely damaged and Sam ended up in hospital though thankfully nothing was broken. He is bruised and battered and if you get the chance please drop him a line. He's a great lad and will welcome your contact. Use the email in the advert below Ed |
Member Roger Mason's new wife Sharon is offering blue vests for sale,
and we hope to have some details and pictures soon. They can be similar to the club vest, or for those who like to be a little more individual, why not have one of the front panels as a flag of St George? Her supplier can do that for you. The happy couple are just back from an exciting honeymoon and we hope to have some pictures of their happy days added to our new picture pages soon! |
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| Rider Down! | Rider Down! | |||
| Sparrow Pits is a tricky
little bugger, as we found when we were taking Verena Fischter, to Chatsworth
Food and Drink Fair. We saw a Blue Knights Vest and an ambulance, more
than enough cause to stop. Of course we stopped to see if we could help, and found ourselves completely useless as England 6 and the ambulance service took care of Jacqui Buxton, who had come off and broken her arm, fortunately cleanly. Our best wishes go to her for a speedy recovery. |
We have
been told that our member Peter Dowling was taken out by a
lunatic in a car doing a U turn right in front of him. Pete's bike is
reportedly written off, and he has suffered broken ribs amongst other
bruises which we haven't enquired about! There are some dozy people out
there in cars! It's amazing how even turning right at traffic lights, drivers still fondly imagine they can claim the bike was going too fast and expect to be believed. |
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| A Wedding to Remember. | ||||
| When Roger and Sharon said
they wanted their wedding to be a Blue Knights event we couldn't have
guessed just how much they meant it. Officiated by New York 1 past President Chet Parker, they had a pagan ceremony outdoors, at Sedgeley Park, the training centre of Greater Manchester Police. The bride arrived on a trike ridden by chapter President Tom Elliott and the groom wore a Blue Knights tartan kilt. There were colours on display all around the centre. Taking their vows in front of fellow Knights was what the couple had always wanted, and the event was filmed for TV, with the three other brides in the competition present as guests. After the ceremony the couple and their guests could stroll across the grounds before enjoying a delicious dinner and a rocking evening. Boss Hogg drove the music along and Trevor from England 1 had them dancing in the aisles. Roger, Sharon, from all the chapter and the Blue Knights everywhere, we wish you a long and happy marriage and some great riding together! There are already a huge number of pictures to be seen on Facebook, and we will be posting more soon, if we get some! |
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| Bike Blessing is Fun! | ||||
| We started by leading a huge pack of bikes from
Manchester Harley Davidson. There were so many clubs there were just too
many to count. The sun shone and Dunham Massey is a beautiful place.
Tom asked us for a good turnout, and it was, though it could have been more. Those who didn't make it missed something good, with a real welcome at the Church, from our own Chaplain Jerry, and there was a rocking band and farm shop victuals after the blessing! Olivia was there on her own new bike. Black and red. So stylish! LOL Harry turned up in his reflective mesh jacket instead of his colours. Doh!! Some of our most far flung members also turned out, Keith Eccles came over the Pennines and our Welsh contingent arrived too! There is no doubt that the best marshals there were the Blue Knights, and we could do with more of you learning to do it! |
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Tom organised the
marshalling which was something very important. At every junction the
wait must have tempted some of the car drivers to butt in, but the
sheers numbers, from Vespas to Trikes, would have intimidated anyone not
aware of what gentlemen we are. Pete's extremely loud CBF was like a flashing light passing through the lines of bikes. What a great colour! |
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| Our
editor and Vice President arrived with his lovely wife, then spent the time walking away
from her unless she was bringing him tea or summat! I don't think
we've ever seen him smiling for so long! He tells us he lost pounds because he had to walk so far to see all the bikes. |
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| UKCOPS Presentation | ||||
| England V members
can be proud that their chapter was able, in April, to present £1000 to
UKCOPS, which is struggling to keep up with demands for its services. An old friend of ours was on hand to accept the cheque from president Tom Elliott. Geoff has enjoyed his visits to England V and told the room that without the Blue Knights and UKCOPS he couldn't imagine them making it through the pain of their loss. Tom Elliott took the time to remind us that the club recruits from other law enforcement agencies and thanked them for their understanding and help with fund raising. The presentation took place at a chapter meeting with a great turnout. |
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| Head of UKCOPS stands down | St George's Day Bike Blessing | |||
| Christine Fulton
was one of the founders of UKCOPS. Following the untimely death of Jim
McNulty she continued the good work and saw the organisation grow to the
significant size it is today. Christine was a pleasure to be with when you met her, always ready to listen and smile softly. She has now decided to stand down, no doubt tired from the huge efforts she made. She will be missed and we hope she will stay in touch with the Blue Knights. |
Our Chapter
chaplain, Jerry Sutton, ran a bike blessing at his church in
Dunham Massey on 26th April. You can see the pictures above. There was a parade starting from Manchester Harley Davidson and registration was just £3.00p. There was a ride through the deer park and a live band (Boss Hogg) played while we munched on burgers and hot dogs then checked out the fancy dress - for which there were prizes being given. Brilliant day! |
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| A site to see...... | Germany 1 and 5 | |||
| Have you seen www.comparethemeerkat.com? If you need a little chuckle get along there, we don't often recommend sites but this one is absolutely whizz! You have probably seen the TV add, for compare the market, who sell insurance, but they have found an ad agency with a real sense of humour! | Well while Andy Steel and Co. are trolling off to North Germany later in the year those with time off in July might want to join Harry, Sal, Mo, Margaret and probably Dave Knight and Dick Greaves, who are having a run down to Cologne for the Germany One Anniversary. Not quite as far but a good ride to see some old friends! | |||
| Norwich Union | Sad Times? | |||
| No tears should be shed for the Norwich Union name, as this company was the one which destroyed the idea of cheap motorcycle insurance with their misguided cost saving idea of the 'rider policy.' This saved them many pennies at the cost of many pounds and we are still over charged for insurance as a result! Let's hope as Aviva they can do it better! | Speed Ferries was a tiny company compared with P&O, Sea France and the like, and one which, sadly, has failed in these financially difficult times. Their route to France via Boulogne was incredibly cheap and they had refitted their motorcycle handling rather than just ban us from using their service. The route has been taken over by LD who we have never heard of, so if you can tell us a little about their service we would welcome the information. | |||
| Chaos fear splits Test | New Bikers Radio Station! On the net! | |||
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A new motorcycle test due for introduction at the end of March looks certain to be split in two in an attempt to make the best of a bad job. The move is proposed by the Government’s Driving Standards Agency in response to criticism that the original plan would achieve exactly the opposite of what was intended and actually put L-riders at more risk because of the long journeys on unfamiliar roads many would face in getting to test centres. It is also feared that without major changes the loss of more than three-quarters of the country’s motorcycle test centres would be a catastrophic blow to motorcycle sales and motorcycling. It is now proposed to run the on and off-road elements of the new exam as separate tests – Module 1 and 2 – that can be taken up to two years apart and at more centres. But it will also mean that learner riders will now have to pass four tests to gain a full licence – Compulsory Basic Training, a theory paper and the two new riding exams. |
Motorcycling now has had its own internet radio station since July. It’s on air 9pm until midnight on Wednesdays and Sundays and can be heard on www.bikerfm.co.uk An extended New Year’s Eve broadcast began at 8pm and ran through until 1am. (So we are told. If anyone gives the channel a listening to, let us know using Shout! just what you think about it.  New Norton! |
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| BMW is as old as some of our members! | Surrey ain't so bad! | |||
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A MOTORBIKE enthusiast has donated £250 to a Gomshall boy who had his dirt bike stolen. Thomas Scott's 'Monster Orion' motorbike was taken from the back of his father Patrick’s van, which was parked outside the family home. Now management and workers at G.D. Brown Motorcycles, in Godalming, have raised cash towards a new bike for the distraught youngster. The yellow dirt bike, which was covered in Yamaha stickers, had been given to Thomas last year as a Christmas present, and he used to ride it at least once a fortnight at a track in Alton. The bike was stolen on the evening of November 17 and the motorbike fanatic’s parents described their 11-year-old son as being “absolutely inconsolable". But after reading about the theft, Simon Huber, director of G.D. Brown Motorcycles, contacted the Scotts and offered to pay £150 towards the cost of a new dirt bike. When Thomas and his parents went to meet Mr Hughes however, it turned out that staff at G.D. Brown had added to the donation, raising a total of £250. Louise Scott, Thomas’ mother, said: “We could not believe it when they announced that all the staff had had a whip round and presented Tom with a cheque for £250, he was over the moon. “I’ve got a friend who used to ride motorbikes professionally and he says he’s got a few contacts, so I’ve asked him to see if there’s anything available." She added: “We would like to send our heartfelt thanks to Simon and his staff for being so generous, and for putting a smile back onto Tom’s face. "He will never forget having his beloved motorbike stolen, but now he will also never forget the kindness of Simon and his staff.” Mr Huber said: “I felt a little bit bad over the story, it’s a nasty thing that happened to him. We don’t generally sell those sorts of motorbikes, but I decided I would be willing to put some money towards replacing it. “I also had two bikes stolen recently, so I know how it feels. They were my own personal bikes and it’s a horrible thing to happen to anyone, especially a young boy.” |
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| Riding in Bus Lanes | Wearing Helmets | |||
| We love to hear politicians living up to their promises, and were extremely disappointed when Boris Johnson appeared to be reneging on his promise to allow motorcycles to use bus lanes. He is planning a 'trial' following pressure from biker organisations. If you ride in London, encourage people to ride sensibly and keep the pressure on, because you will find the safety extremists will be doing that, to ensure we aren't allowed to use them! You may think that this is irrelevant to us here in Manchester, but the subject is up for discussion and we still don't have a forum to help councillors with these decisions, but bicyclists and pedestrians do, and so do the misguided people who want to ban motorcycles all together. Take the time to send a free email now, while you are thinking about it and the computer is switched on! OK? | Can you even imagine the wind in your hair and flies in your teeth as you ride a bike these days? Are you thinking the unthinkable or simply outside the envelope when you suggest that there is absolutely no justification for legislation in this area? Are you incapable of deciding to wear a helmet without the majesty of the law requiring you to do it? There are a growing number of discussion on US forums about the reasons helmet law was originally enacted and whether in the days of financial collapse and war around the globe such a tiny group of the world's population can attract the whole weight of the law. Read T.E. Lawrence's description on heroes. Add your comments to Shout! but please write about the subject, don't insult people who have different views from you just because you disagree. | |||
| Eurotunnel | Whatever happened to Sam Peat? | |||
| Bikers have had something of a mixed relationship with Eurotunnel, who started so well but slowly began to see us as a nuisance. Two things caught our eye this week. Bikes travel for half the price of cars, meaning that prices are from £22. What they proudly announce though is typical of their spin - Don't worry about your bike because you travel all the way across with it. Sorry Chunnel, we don't want to. We want you to give us back the bikers' lounge we used to have where you could sit in comfort and sip some water. You know, the one with the helmet rack! We want you to take responsibility for your customers' vehicles the way Sea France now do and stop trying to duck and dive! Even Speed Ferries looks after us better than this! | Sam Peat was a
member of England V years ago who left the area and was never seen nor
heard of again. We wondered how many other Blue Knights have moved and
lost touch with us, not because they didn't like being Blue Knights but
because they started to do other things when it became impractical to
attend chapter meetings. The club has grown a huge amount over the last few years with chapters being much more accessible. If you know where any of these missing guys now live, why not let their local chapter know and see if they can bring them back? They'll be surprised just how much we do these days and how many new members have joined us. |
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| Yet another set of rules! | Comment | |||
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British motorcycle riders face new curbs under plans to harmonise driving licences across the European Union. The new rules, which will come into force in 2012, are intended to counter the rising number of motorcycle accidents. Under the arrangements teenagers will still be able to ride a 50cc moped from the age of 16 but will have to wait until they are 19 if they wish to use a machine of more than 125cc. Currently 17- and 18-year-olds may do so provided they have passed a motorcycle test and the machine has a maximum engine performance of no more than 33bhp. At the other end of the scale, the system allowing 21-year-olds to ride any motor-cycle provided that they have passed their test will be scrapped. The minimum age will rise to 24, unless they have gained at least two years' experience on larger machines of up to 47 bhp. |
Once again we are faced with
changes to the system for getting driving licences. It is hardly a
breath ago that the rules were changed at huge cost to the tax payer and
here we go again. No direct entry until you are 24, kids, who need cheap transport to get to work, will be stopped from riding a safe bike until they are 19. No thought to their safety riding 50cc machines and being forced into gutters by inconsiderate cars! The same blinkered people, all of whom have the benefit of the London public transport system, will ignore the benefits of biking, supported by the prejudiced in organisations such as ACPO who recently told lies to the Transport Committee, simply to get bikes banned. For their information the number of road bikes capable of "in excess" of 200mph is tiny, and the vast majority of powered two wheelers are used primarily for commuting, not a hobby. We would suggest to the authors of the ACPO response that they check their facts to avoid looking foolish, because we will check their facts.... |
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| Still Developing | Saintly News | |||
| When Triumph decided to take on the British Supersport competition some people were surprised. This is a series dominated by Japanese 600 fours, so there had to be a risk in entering their three cylinder 675 Daytona. To everyone's surprise, they won! Good going fellas! | Not only have we got a new
chaplain in England V, we have a newly designated saint too! For those of you who don't know the patron saint of motorcyclists is St Columbanus There you go, get all the important news here! He spent a lot of time in Ireland too. |
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| Christmas Party. | Shock Horror, Belgians make Harry pay for his drinks! | |||
| Well the
Christmas party may be over but the memories will linger on. Visitors to
Manchester spent Friday demolishing a great curry along the world famous
curry mile, and on Saturday those who wanted to went to the Theatre of
Dreams to watch Manchester United destroy their opposition 5-0 (It seems
only Manchester City beat them consistently?) Sedgeley Park once again proved to be a superb venue and members of the chapter took care of our visitors very well. The accommodation is some of the best at any rally. You can choose not only to eat breakfast, but how much you want to eat too. Excellent troughing. Happily, and in usual England V tradition, there were few speeches and large amounts of fluid to consume. A great band made the floor bounce and the night passed all too quickly. There was a quiet bar and the police orchestra who were also there contributed greatly to the fundraising. Our Belgian guests have made contact to say how much they enjoyed their stay and we hope to see them again soon. Thanks to Tom and his team. |
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| 2009 Rallies | Christmas Party | |||
| Those of you who
have not come to our meetings recently may not yet be aware of Andy's
plan to ride to Bremen for the Germany 8 rally on 28th August 2009. Our
President, probably in one of his more inebriated moments, made this
offer. "If you come to a rally and don't enjoy it, I'll pay for you!"
Now, I am sure none of you would actually ask him for the money, the
point is well made, because rallies bring us together, not only within
the chapter but with members of other chapters. Members of England V
have visited rallies spread around the world, with Secretary Andy even
acting as the representative of the Conference in Peoria because none of
the Conference Officers attended. Members have also visited Scotland, Austria Germany Holland and Belgium. We have been extremely active this year! |
We were looking forward to our
Christmas party, which we hold in November for the simple reason that
Father Christmas works for much less when he's not busy as he is in
December! As usual, it really was a great night and for those of you who haven't been it could be your first chance to meet Blue Knights from other countries such as Koen Hutse from Belgium, who is an old friend of ours. We need to think about the possibility of a rally next year. If we are planning one we need to book things now! What do you think? Would you go along to a chapter event? What about having a little soiree at your place? Do you know a good restaurant where the chapter can have a meal? It's your chapter! |
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