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Well, we have waited a long time for this, but provided our government doesn’t move the goal posts further away at the last minute, our HAB rides can re-commence after the 12th April.

Chris Armstrong will lead the ride on Sunday 18th April with Barry Ring as TEC. Six riders only as per the revived ‘rule of six’ socially distanced HAB members. We are meeting at the Ripley car park from 9.00am for a 9.30am start or sooner if everyone is ready.

Setting off we are heading to Sutton Bank and Helmsley with a stop possibly there for a take-away coffee, but firm plans for stops to be decided nearer the day. After coffee we head up to Stokesley on the B1257 and then the A173 past Rosebery Topping to Saltburn, maybe for a fish & chips lunch down by the seafront. This can only be a take-away at this moment in time, so let’s hope for decent weather. Of course bring your own refreshments if you prefer.

Suitably replete we head for home via Hutton le Hole and Thirsk to finish our first ride out of the year at Ripley for a well deserved ice cream.  There is going to be a re-run on the following Sunday 25^th with Barry leading the ride, so don’t worry about getting left out.

COVID-19: Please respect the current and well known by now distancing and protocol guidelines whilst socialising together. 

Looking forward to seeing you on one of rides. To book a space please contact Chris on 07960116166 specifying which date you prefer.

Following the necessary cancellation of the trip to the Scottish Borders in 2020 we have made an early rebooking of the event for May 2021 in the anticipation of the easing of the lockdown restrictions in Scotland.

10 single rooms are booked for 2 nights at the Auld Cross Keys, Denholm, Scottish Borders, TD9 8NU on Monday and Tuesday 24th and 25th May 2021. B&B costs are £60 per night. Journey north on Monday, trip round Borders on Tuesday, return home on Wednesday 26th May. It is important to note that the trip is still provisional and subject to the anticipated lifting of the Scottish lockdown restrictions. Travelling and socialising at the hotel may also be limited to small groups dependant on local restrictions.

Places are limited to 10 in total so if you would like to reserve a place please contact John Blanchfield to book or for further information. No deposit is required at present.

Phone John Blanchfield on 07554936868 or email johnblanchfield@talktalk.net 

We are asking our members and friends to support the MCIA initiative (as detailed below). At the end are links to two example letters along with details of how to find your local MP.

As usual we would be interested to hear of any responses.

MCIA

9th February 2021

Subject: Early Day Motion in support of the extension of CBT certificates

As you will be aware, lockdown restrictions mean that Approved Training Bodies (ATBs) are prohibited from offering motorcycle training, resulting in riders being unable to renew their expiring CBT certificates. Consequently, those affected, including key workers, cannot use their PTW, which affects their ability to commute, or carry out their jobs.

Therefore, MCIA is pleased that Independent MP, Jonathan Edwards, has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament, which asks:

That this House notes that Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) certificates for motorbikes and mopeds are issued on a two year basis for learner drivers; further notes that these vehicles provide a low carbon mode of transport for passenger and cargo; notes that many key workers use this mode of transport as part of their commute, especially in rural areas where public transport links can be poor; notes that as a result of lockdown measures, motorcycle and moped tests are suspended; expresses concern that road users whose CBT certificates lapse whilst lockdown measures are in place are prohibited from using their vehicles on public roads through no fault of their own; notes that whilst road safety concerns are paramount, motorists in this position have been using their chosen mode of transport for two years; calls for a temporary extension of CBT certificates whilst lockdown measures are in place; and further calls on the Government to annul test fees for people with CBT certificates which have lapsed during the current lockdown if they will not extend their validity.

Early Day Motions are used to put on record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns, but by attracting the signatures of other MPs they can be used to demonstrate the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.

To generate parliamentary support for this initiative MCIA is asking all to write to their Member of Parliament, asking them to support EDM 1462.

Link to example letter: http://bit.ly/CBTmemsupport

Link to business example letter: http://bit.ly/CBTbussupport

Link to your MP’s https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

ENDS

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org

Dear all, please find attached minutes of recent meeting.

So unfortunately we are still in lockdown, but you know what, I’m starting to feel better. On my daily exercise walks I see snowdrops on the roadside and there are spring lambs springing in the fields. The days are getting longer, the R number is just below one, all of the old folks have had their Covid jab and I am going for mine this afternoon. It certainly feels like we’re going in the right direction. My bike has had it’s now customary lockdown fettle and I can’t wait to get back out on it with all my fellow HAB riders. Boris will soon be making his announcement as to how we can come out of lockdown and your committee members will be closely watching this, together with the guidance of IAM Road smart, to get us back on the road as soon as possible.  Bob Hill, our Chief Observer, tells me he and the Observers are poised to restart the training with their Associates who have been waiting patiently. A few new Associate members have joined since lockdown and they will be quickly introduced to their Observer. Barry Ring, our ride-out coordinator, is also just waiting for the word to commence our usual ride-out schedule, though possibly modified if necessary, so that we can meet up together and enjoy our bikes and company. Some ideas are already being mooted for longer trips of, say, 2/3 days should there be a demand.

In anticipation of possible 2021 winter evening meetings we are putting out feelers for speakers and would ask any members with ideas for this to let us know.

The club AGM has been put back this year to May initially thinking we might have been able to meet in person indoors, but this looks highly unlikely now. Accordingly the meeting will have to be a virtual ZOOM affair and it is hopeful that as many of you as possible will take part.
As always we are looking for new members to join the committee and I would ask everyone to consider this. It is beneficial for the Club to have fresh thinking and ideas on how it is run. Could I ask at this point that any member who has not yet paid their subs to do so as soon as possible. We need to do our best to keep numbers up and to keep the club viable.

Fingers crossed then that we can all be back out riding soon in the spring/summer sunshine.

I look forward to seeing you all then.

John Blanchfield Chairman Harrogate advanced bikes

Hi All

We of course are expecting 2021 should be a year of fabulous club rides but unfortunately we are faced with a slow start due to the latest government Covid-19 restrictions.

You will have seen or heard of the tier 3 upgrade for North Yorkshire and the latest full lockdown restrictions for England issued by the UK Government yesterday. Sadly as a club, through our affiliation the IAM and of course our own common sense, all IAM in person meetings including group rides will have to be postponed until such time as it is safe to start again. So sadly, official rides of six, going well since the last lockdown was lifted, are suspended until further notice.

Meeting with one person from another household for exercise outdoors is permitted. Travel to work by motorcycle is also permitted if you cannot work from home.

In the meantime please keep in touch. Use the ‘leave a reply’ at the bottom of this post or log onto our Harrogate Advanced Bikes Facebook page. Post any questions, biking stories, photos, plans for future trips, product and maintenance tips, ideas for routes for when we start up again.

We will be riding again so if you want to be pencilled in to lead a prospective spring or summer ride text or phone me on 07847 786608.

All the best

Barry

Dear Members,

I hope that you all remain safe and well, that you had the best
Christmas you could and wishing you all a better 2021 than the last year
has been.

To all of you that have already paid your 2021 annual subscriptions,
thank you. If you have sent me a cheque, it will take some time for me
to get them paid into the bank, so please bear with me.

If you have not yet paid your £15, this can be done at any Lloyd’s Bank
at the counter, (our account is at Harrogate) by BACS via the internet,
sort code 30-93-91, account number 01807888, reference your name. If you
wish to pay by cheque, please send it to R. Stembrowicz, Farthings, 42,
Colber Lane, Bishop Thornton, Harrogate, HG3 3JR. Subscriptions will
also be due from any Associates who passed their advanced tests in 2020
(congratulations by the way).

The committee would like to remind members that they should also pay
their subscriptions to the IAM separately, in order to qualify for HAB
membership.

We look forward to seeing you at future meetings.

Best wishes,

Richard Stembrowicz

Treasurer

Christmas is coming and most of us are making our uniquely different plans for this festive season. Ordinarily the monthly mid-week riders would have had their Christmas lunch at the Bay Horse Inn at Great Broughton and Mike Fourie would be taking bookings for the ‘Not the Christmas Dinner ‘at The Old Spring Well. Both great social events we are having to miss this year. This year has been disappointing as we have had to limit our biking activities to stay safe and legal, though I am pleased to say our Associate training has managed to continue with our 1 to 1 system and ride-outs have been maintained though only with a maximum of 6 riders. The brighter news is, of course, the breakthrough with the COVID vaccine, which gives us a really positive outlook for the coming year not just for our biking but for life in general. If things go well we should be able to get back to more normal rides and meetings, hopefully by the middle of the year. In the meantime the Committee will watch closely the guidance from the Government and the IAM with a view to increasing our activity as soon as it becomes possible. We will continue to arrange the restricted rides and are looking at the possibility of increasing the number of rides each month to make more opportunities available. As always this is dependant upon the number and availability of ride leaders so I would once again ask for volunteers to please make contact with our ride out co-ordinator Barry Ring (07847 786608) if you can help. Assuming we are able to meet we are planning to hold a lunch/dinner mid-year to make up for those we are having to miss. So 2021 is looking like a very promising year!

I would like to wish you and your families a safe and very happy Christmas and New Year and look forward very much to getting back together again in a normal manner in 2021.

Sadly this Sunday’s weather forecast, according to the BBC, is “strong winds and heavy rain” and with very little chance of change also coupled with the low response to the ride out post I have decided to postpone the ride.

I’m very sorry to disappoint anyone but getting soaked and blown about would be no fun for us.

We have a choice of the following Sunday with the weather forecast better but still not perfect and of course I am aware you may be fully occupied with Christmas preparations. Next Thursday is possible with a much better forecast with “sunny intervals and a moderate breeze”. I would be very happy to run the ride on either day.

Please get in touch if you are interested in either of those options.

All the best

Barry 07847 786608