I have been in touch with Carole Dobson who has given me details of the funeral arrangements for Dave.

The funeral will take place on Friday 14^th July. There will first be a private service for immediate family members at Harrogate Crematorium followed by an event to which all friends will most welcome. This will be held at 1:00 pm in the Calder Room at the Pavilions of Harrogate located at the Yorkshire Showground. Carole and her family will be very pleased to see Dave’s friends and acquaintances from Harrogate Advanced Bikes.

Dave had a large circle of friends and colleagues from North Yorkshire Police, his interests such as HAB and his later work following his retirement. Carole is therefore concerned to receive some indication of the number of people who might attend so she can arrange appropriate catering. I would therefore ask that if any members of HAB intend to come to the celebration of Dave’s life at the Pavilions, to let me know by email using the address below. I will then inform Carole of our numbers.

It will be quite in order to arrive on our bikes.

While this will be a sad occasion, there is much to celebrate about Dave’s life and, in particular, the way he helped so many of our members improve their riding skills. I remember the advice I received from him which was always given with insight, humour and with an overriding concern for my safety. I will miss him.

Yours sincerely,

Doug Masterton

Chair – Harrogate Advanced Bikes

rdmasterton@btinternet.com

Rather late notice!

Tomorrows ride will be as follows Straight down the old A1 from Wetherby, cross country and then south in Derbyshire and along Snake Pass, back up to Glossop, up Holme Moss, through Holmfirth and stopping at The West Yorkshire Sculpture Park for afternoon tea.  The ride can end there, but if anyone wants to follow back to Wetherby services I will happily lead the way 

Morning stop is The Fox & Hounds at Newmillerdam WF2 6QQ. Lunch stop is at The Strines Inn, Bradfield Dale S6 6JE.  Time permitting, finish is at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, failing that a last stop at Wetherby services.

Plenty of opportunities for fuel top-ups, please let the ride leader know.  I’m not sure of the mileage yet, probably about 120 miles. 

Meet at the usual Dragon road lorry park next to Asda 9.15 am for 9.30 prompt set-off with full fuel tanks.

The club meeting for June will follow the successful format of that held in May. In the hope that the weather is kind we shall take advantage of the long summer evening to enjoy a short ride to a venue where we can take some refreshments and chat. The Sun Inn at Norwood has been suggested but a decision on exactly where to go can be left until members meet up beforehand. The ride will be led by John Blanchfield Club Vice Chair.

Please arrive at Bilton Cricket Club in time for the group to set off at 7:30 pm.

A previous post of this notice showed the months in the text incorrectly – my apologies.

Doug Masterton

Chair Harrogate Advanced Bikes

The Chief Executive Officer of IAM RoadSmart, Sarah Sillars OBE has kindly agreed to come to Harrogate and speak to us at our regular monthly meeting on Monday 17^th July at Bilton Cricket Club.

I would like to ask all members of the club to make a special effort to come along that evening and afford Sarah the warmest of welcomes. In her relatively short time in post, Sarah has steered some most important developments to the organisation and she is determined to place IAM at the forefront of initiatives to improve safety on UK roads. At the same time, she is seeking to help local groups, such as ours, be as effective as possible as part of the strategy and to make the fullest use of the commitment, interest and experience that volunteer IAM members can offer.

I am sure that she will share her vision and passion to achieve it with us when she comes along but it will also give us all a chance to make suggestions and to air any of our concerns.

The next few years may augur considerable changes to vehicle technology with driverless cars and increasing external management of vehicle speeds and behaviour. The IAM must be an inspired, clear and well informed voice in support of safety and access for two wheeled users of the road networks. With her very varied experience (see biography at end), Sarah brings considerable insight and understanding of the road industry and I am sure that it will be a fascinating evening. Please help make it a good turn-out to show our appreciation of her interest in our group.

Doug Masterton

Chair Harrogate Advanced Bikes

Sarah Sillars, OBE and Hon FIMI, joined the IAM in February 2015.

Her mission will be to improve driving and riding skills and to campaign for legislation to improve road safety.

Sarah joined the charity having overseen the commercialisation of Semta, the sector skills council for engineering and advanced manufacturing.

She has a long and illustrious career within the automotive sector, having been CEO and Executive Chair of the Institute of the Motoring Industry (IMI). They made her an Honorary Fellow and Vice President on her departure in 2012.

Awarded Industry Personality of the Year 2004 and Outstanding Achievement Award 2006 by automotive magazines AM and Motor Trader respectively, Sarah was listed in the UK motor industry’s most influential top ten and the ‘most powerful’ female executive, according to the 2007 AM Power List.

In September 2008 Sarah was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by Bodyshop Magazine in recognition of IMI’s work with ATA in the body repair sector.

She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June 2008 for services to skills training and the retail motor industry.

Sarah has more than 25 years of experience within the motor and retail industries, having begun her career with Marks & Spencer, managing stores in England and later as Operations Director at automotive management consultancy Anne Gray Associates.

Afternoon all

We need more members to come forward with their own ideas of destinations and routes to support our monthly Sunday and Midweek ride outs as leading them is falling to a faithful few. If lack of confidence is a problem support and guidance is available from the ride out co-ordinator (Andrew Pratt) or any other of the regular ride out leaders.

Whilst it is helpful to have a sat-nav it isn’t essential – we had ride outs before sat-navs were invented! Many members will be out riding around in the great part of our country and will come across previously undiscovered gems that would be suitable for our rides.

Go on – put yourself forward and help out the faithful few or we may find we have some months with no ride at all !!

With the aim of inspiring more motorcyclists to ride safely and confidently, Harrogate Advanced Bikes announces a sponsorship initiative for riders age under 30 undertaking the IAM RoadSmart rider improvement programme ‘Skills for Life‘.

The Chair of the club, Doug Masterton, explains what is being offered.

“Young riders in the Harrogate Area signing up for ‘Skills for Life’ with IAM and training under the supervision of our club, can apply to us to request a full refund of their £149 IAM fee if they pass the advanced test before their 30^th birthday. The offer will initially be limited to the first 10 eligible riders who succeed in gaining a test pass.

I am delighted that the club management committee has given its wholehearted commitment to this plan. Over the years, we have helped many riders with their advanced training but we wish to do more and encourage younger riders who often find it expensive to pursue their interest. Safe, progressive, advanced riding is highly enjoyable for riders of all ages and we wish to dispel a myth that Skills for Life is something to which only older or more mature riders aspire.

Our significant financial commitment indicates how much we value Skills for Life in building both enjoyment and safety into our riding. We wish to establish the idea that the government DVSA driving /riding test is but the first step towards becoming a fully competent rider. Skills for Life greatly develops both personal safety and enhanced enjoyment on two wheels.”

Riders should apply to the IAM to undertake Skills for Life via the web site www.iamroadsmart.com 

For the August ride out, the committee has decided to try a new format inspired by such events as the Welsh National Rally. Technically, I believe it is termed a Navigational Scatter Rally and I hope as many members as possible will come along and give it a go.

The details are being formulated but kept under wraps. Before the event a list of places around North Yorkshire will be published together with the starting and finishing points. This will give you the chance to choose your own route visiting a set number (to be decided) of these places. You will have the opportunity to choose a route through some of the most stunning roads and places in our county and decide where you might wish to take your breaks. The distance you choose to cover will be comparable to that of our normal Sunday rides.

On the day, when you register, you will be given a list of questions, one for each location. You will need to find the answer to the questions by visiting the locations you have chosen. At the end of the ride out we will all meet together again, answers will be checked and any tie breaks decided to identify the winner.

The event is being planned by Bob Hill, Andy Pratt and myself and work is in hand to establish the details. There will be no time contest or race and no account will be taken of the distance covered. The event is a fun excuse to explore the roads and countryside but with a sense of purpose. If you sometimes have a pillion passenger, this ride out might be the one they would really enjoy, helping decide the route and finding the answers to the questions as you travel.

Please put the date in your diary.

Doug Masterton

Chair Harrogate Advanced Bikes

All to please note

There will be no weekday ride out in June owing to holidays. Ride outs will resume as normal from Wednesday July 12th when John Blanchfield will lead a ride.

The  Sunday ride on 21st May will be lead by John Blanchfield.

Meet as normal at the Harrogate ASDA lorry park 9.15 for 9.30 prompt start.We will head north-east to Boroughbridge and on to Wass to the lovely English Heritage Byland Abbey tea rooms for a coffee stop. We then make our way north via Old Byland and Hawnby over the west side of the Cleveland Hills to Osmotherley. Crossing the A172 at Swainby we continue north to Yarm, where, just north of Yarm, we call at the café of  the Preston Hall Museum for lunch.

The return ride takes in some great sweeping roads heading towards, but not going into, Catterick and Northallerton (B1264, B1263, B6271). From Yaffoth we ride south to Topcliffe and back on the A168 to Morrisons, Boroughbridge where the ride will finish.

Total mileage is around 110 miles but knowing my trips it might be more!

HI fellow bikers a quick update for you re the weekday ride out for all those lucky enough to not have to work !! They are back to the usual second Wednesday of the month. Here is the ride out for next week; 

Meet Morrisons Boroughbridge (far end of car park) from 9.15 for a 9.30am prompt start.  From Boroughbridge the route heads north towards Northallerton then north west on minor roads, keeping west of the A1(M) before crossing the motorway north of Scotch Corner and on to Piercebridge. Coffee stop at the Piercebridge Organics Farm Shop café.  North east from Piercebridge to Staindrop then north on A688, turning left on B6282 and on to the northern outskirts of Barnard Castle.  Lunch at the Red Well Inn, Hardmire Road, Barnard Castle DL12 8QJ.

After lunch, A67 from Barnard Castle then B6274 south across the A66 and on to Richmond. On to Bedale then back roads to outskirts of Ripon, continuing on A61 to Ripley where the ride will finish.

 Distance: 121 miles. Dave Haywood will lead.