Report on February 2008 activities

Bore Da! Hi there!

Greetings from the hills and valleys in what has been a sunny if a cold month – just as we expect at this time of year.

Monthly Meeting 2nd March

This was a well attended, lively, pulsating, thriving meeting with lots to plan, for the busy season ahead. We normally discuss any issues from the Wing Span but, as no-one had received it; we could not talk about it. Nigel Mackintosh and Liz Randle are poorly at the moment and we send them all our love and best wishes for a speedy recovery and return to the circuit. Pete “Mr Runs” is still on crutches and all strapped up. He arrived at the meeting in his new automatic car and told us how, after he had taken delivery, he was promptly stopped by the speed cops when he was trying out the buttons and shot down the road. As he said,”wait until I get on the bike”!!!!

Reps/Open Meeting

Dave T attended on February24th at the ACU offices in Rugby and fed back to the March meeting. We went along (and made a weekend of it) as we like to see how the club is run and use our vote. (After all, don’t they say that you get the leaders and decisions that you don’t vote for?).

Out and about

Most Wingers sensibly keep their bikes off the road when there is salt about. In our first winter Allen, in his enthusiasm braved the elements when he could and ended up with salt in lots of difficult to get places. Since then he has been a little more circumspect and kept his baby under wraps if the elements are not friendly. He uses the time to get her spruced up and ready for the better weather, tinkering here and there and doing preventative maintenance. Dave S. has re-wired his back-end and so should now glow in the dark! Allen reported that he read in his MAG magazine about the proposed abolishing of the 20 pence (yes 20 pence) toll at Southampton and do’s and don’t’ for going through the barriers at the Dartford Tunnel which is the west-east journey back from Dover. And then, when I thought that I had it all sussed , the telegraph wires got all hot as Nigel sent in an update about the final leg of their building project and reported as follows:

Disaster at The Chase

“Nigel & Joanna's long-awaited extension is finally underway - but it nearly led to an untimely end for their beloved Big Wing. There was an urgent shout last Wednesday from the piling company lads who were preparing the foundations beside the garage: "You might want to get your motorbikes out of the garage - it's collapsing around them!". Sure enough, as they hurried to get the bikes out under the door which by now had jammed halfway, bricks and mortar were falling around their ears! It turned out that the workers had dug far too much earth from under and around the garage foundations, and as the day went on the garage continued to twist and list more and more, just like a sinking ship. International Rescue - well, the piling company's building contractors - turned up at the last minute to bravely (foolhardily?) install dozens of acro props INSIDE the garage! That stopped it falling, and the roof is now just sat there supported by props and a couple of remaining bits of wall, with the bikes and other salvaged belongings locked away on the lawn in a couple of rented containers."