Morning Members

A post went out yesterday and whilst meant to be a humorous take on a recent trip it did not portray the image and standards of Harrogate Advanced Bikes to the audience our website wishes to attract to the group and is not the type of communications we wish to publish on the website for the general public to see.

For this reason the post has been removed and we would ask members to delete/disregard the email.

Thanks

Paul Dresser
Secretary/Treasurer

Dear Members,

For those who weren’t at the AGM, I thought that I would give you a brief summary of the proceedings, albeit nearly a month ago now.

I am posting this message because I was given the honour of being elected as the Chairman and we also have three new or relatively new committee members.

Glynn Richardson was elected as the Vice Chair and Paul Dresser as Treasurer to replace me. We were joined by Graham Crowther as a volunteer very recently and Martyn Hanson stood and was duly elected as well.

Peter Smith and Pete McNulty stood down as Vice Chair and Secretary respectively and I would like to express my gratitude for their hard work while they were part of the committee and also to the new members for taking on the task.

Reports were given as normal by the Chairman, Treasurer, Chief Observer and Ride Co-Ordinator. All were accepted without controversy and the meeting ended smoothly. If any member wishes to have a copy of the minutes, please ask.

We do not currently have a Secretary and if anyone is willing to be recruited, please let a committee member know. Meanwhile, Paul has volunteered to fulfill this role for the time being.

It was also reported that the club is in a healthy position regarding both membership (61 at present) and financially.

It only remains for me to say that if any member has any ideas for speakers at meetings, topics to be discussed, favourite ride-out routes or other suggestions, please let us know. It would also be good to generally see more of you at Bilton, so please do come along.

I look forward to seeing you in the future and safe riding to you all.

Best wishes,

Richard Stembrowicz

Chairman

Following on from the presentation we had back in January from (Jez)Jeremy Hardcastle from Mental Health Motorbike, I enrolled on the Mental Health First Aid course. 

The course was held in March, over 4 evening sessions each lasting 3 1/2 hrs. The course itself was interactive with lots of practical work within group sessions covering the subject matter comprehensively.

It was extremely informative and very well run and organised. 

As a result of attending the course I am now a registered Mental Health First Aider and I am available to anyone within our group who may wish to discuss any mental health matter.

All conversations will of course be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Colin Fairburn

Dear Members,

I am writing to all members with an appeal for support on the committee from individuals who feel they could contribute a small amount of their time.

The current committee members have been in place for many years, some as long as the group has been established. Three of the committee have been Chairman and one has been chairman twice. 

After a significant period of service, the two key roles of Chairman and Treasurer are stepping down this year and we need to find members who are willing to help the group continue into the future, by volunteering to fill these two vacancies.

Our group runs independently of the IAM and as a charity in its own right. To achieve this however, we do need these key posts in position. Without the support and involvement of members then the future of the group would be in doubt. 

There are other key decisions to be made about the future of the group. The use of Bilton Cricket club as a venue is very expensive and the cost of the room, along with the buffet have a significant impact on group finances. The committee have discussed other options such as meeting in a local pub, not providing a buffet, and only having indoor meetings in the winter, with summer meetings being a ride to a local destination with the final stop being somewhere we can get a coffee or fish and chips, or similar.

We would welcome any suggestions or comments on these issues. Our AGM is in April 2025 and this is the deadline for putting new management roles in place. We can also take this opportunity to discuss how the group operates in the future.

Please consider these issues and provide feedback to myself via email at pjd0568@gmail.com

Our group can only succeed through the input and support of its members.

Many Thanks

Paul Dresser

Chairman

Dear All,

Bob is organising a Theory/Training session on the 6th April at Bilton Cricket Club. This is aimed at new associates and their observers but we would like to open this up to all members who would like to attend.

This session will look at the system promoted by the IAM for delivery of training to new associates and in particular IPSGA, the backbone of the system.

This will be a perfect opportunity for those who want to refresh their knowledge or are interested in how observing is carried out in our group or intersested in observing in the future.

Bacon butties will be provided so even if you want to turn up for a free butty.

Bob needs to order catering in advance so would appreciate it if anyone wanting to attend could book in via the link below.

Thanks, Paul

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/7MWTT7/

This month we have a speaker who is a traffic officer for Highways England and will be talking about their operations across the UK Motorway Network.

There will also be a chance for a catch-up and natter and as usual Bilton’s excellent buffet. The meeting will start around 7.30pm.

Look forward to meeting you all Monday.

Paul

I began riding back in the early 80’s and passed my test in 1981. I had a Honda H100 followed by 2 Honda Superdreams – 250 and 500. My eldest Son was born in 1989 so the bike had to go!! Nappy costs were high in those days!

I then didn’t really ride much until deciding to have a go again last year…. I did a refresher course – took a few test rides and then realised I still had the bug! I purchased a 19 plate Suzuki V-Strom 1000 in April this year. Took it up to Scotland in May and had a great week in the highlands.

My latest purchase was a few weeks ago again whilst visiting Scotland. As you can see I’ve treated myself to a BMW 1250 GS Rallye TE. Love it and looking forward to some nice leisurely rides out before the winter sets in!

Please find below offer from Sue, chair of the York car group.

Please note the condition at the bottom of the flyer that states the candidate must regularly carry children to qualify.

I have 2 places with funding available on our next ADC which starts on 9 September..
Would you be able to put this out to your members please?
We can now cover HG1 3 & 5 with this scheme.
Several York bikers utilised this last year…

The way it works is that they would pay £157.50 upfront to buy the course, then the full amount is refunded on completion by York treasurer – we are holding the PCC funds.

Hi all,

Just a reminder that there is a meeting at Bilton this evening. Unfortunately, they cannot put food on so you may want a bite before you come. There are still snacks and drinks available at the bar. We will just have a social meeting with a chance to catch up and have a natter.

Barry is leading a ride-in meeting at Ripon Marketplace, see Barry’s post for exact details.

Paul