Director John Young gives us an insight into his life outside the domain of Accountancy, John is definatly not your typical Accountant!!!
Introduction
After the excitement of last year surrounding the lead up to and then the Iron Butt Rally itself, 2012 was always going to be a year akin to “the morning after feeling”. Nevertheless, we have some pretty neat things lined up for this year.
During early July, we’re off to explore Iceland and the Faroe Islands for just a little under three weeks. Prior to that, the TR3OC have another two charity rides lined up one on the NVT Easy Rider Moped from the Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower and one on the NVT Rambler 125 from Nordcapp (the top of Norway) to Gibraltar. I’m supplying both bikes for the charity rides and so I daresay, I’ll ride in both of the rides at some point. Last year, our JOG-LE ride raised more than £10,000 for the charity Help for Heroes and whilst we are unlikely to top that, it would be nice if we could raise a good “chunk” for this years charities, (1) The TT Riders Association and (2) Riders for Health.
I’m planning on competing in the Brit Butt Rally this year and also to complete two IBA rides – a BBG1500 (1500 miles in 24 hours) and a EE2E (European End to End) which is the same ride as the one that we’re doing for charity only as an IBA ride, it has to be completed in 72 hours. I’m planning on using the IBR Trident for both of these rides.
And what else ?
Well the “usual” trips abroad to various shows and rallies, the Beezumph rally obviously on Anglesey and a myriad of other “bikey” things will no doubt fill up the remainder of the year for us.
So welcome to 2012 and in the words of David Coverdale and Whitesnake, “Here we go again !!”
1st January 2012 : Sharlston Soapbox Derby
The new year was less than 7 hours old before we found ourselves trundling up the M1, destination Sharlston for the New Years Day Soapbox Derby.
The NVT outfit from last year had been modified and up-graded to a machine that we felt was capable of challenging for the top positions. This year, I was “driving” with Stevie, my younger son, doing first the pushing and then being the “monkey” on the chair.
The racing was divided up into 20 heats, two semi-finals and a final. Each heat consisted of 3 karts and each team raced in 4 heats, scoring 3 points for a win, 2 for 2nd place and 1 for 3rd place. The top six teams went through to two semi finals and the winner of each semi final went through to compete in the final
Our first three heats, resulted in three second places ……
Our first three heats, resulted in three second places ……
A comfortable second place in our first heat
Another second place for us behind Batman and Robin – aka my younger brother Steve and my eldest son, John
With three second places, we knew that we were within striking distance of making the cut for the semi-finals but that we probably need to win our last heat to make sure.
First place in our last heat meant that we made the Semi-Final “race-off”. Stevie is keeping a close eye on the second placed kart as we cross the line.
With that last heat win, we tied with two other karts on 9 points, but there were only two more places available in the semi-finals. A “race-off” was needed …..
And second place (just) in the “race-off” meant that we made the semi-finals
Although, we made the semi finals, we were drawn in the worst of the lanes and never really challenged for the lead although we comfortably held second place throughout the race
Missing out on the final by one place – second in our Semi-Final
We’ll be back next year, although I think the NVT Outfit has probably reached the limits of its development JJ
We may need a whole new kart for 2013 ……..
7th January 2012 : Newark
The first show of the year was a brand new show running for the first time in 2012 and the TR3OC had decided to take a stand there.
I’d been feeling ill all week and although I’d said I would go up to give a bit of support to the guys manning the club stand and didn’t intend to let them down, I wasn’t looking forward to the 80 mile ride up to Newark. So, I was secretly relieved when I was asked to take some bike parts up for Sam Milner to collect from the stand, meaning that I’d need to go in the car instead of on the bike.
Having said that, and even having driven up, I wasn’t feeling that great by the time I arrived at the Newark
The club stand was good with a “mock shed” being a feature and for the brief time that I was there, seemed to be attracting a lot of interest.
Having delivered the box of bits and spent just a few minutes chatting to club members on the stand, I had a (very) quick walk around the remainder of the show. As always, I seemed to bump into a fair few people that I knew as I made my way from stand to stand meaning that my stay at the show was a little longer than I had intended it to be. Nevertheless, although I hadn’t actually arrived until just turned noon, I was back in the car and heading home before 2.00pm.
Part of the club stand – a “shed” discovery
Once home, I spent the remainder of the afternoon “tinkering” in my new centrally heated (and warm) garage. The “grand opening” when the IBAUK come along is now only a couple of weeks away and there’s still a lot to do in there.
14th January 2012 : B’ham/Wolves TOMCC “Christmas” Meal
Even back in 1977 when I first joined the TOMCC, the Birmingham/Wolves branch Christmas “event” (back then, when we were all kids, it was a very loud and very alcohol fuelled raucous party) has always been held during early January.
Now as we’ve all aged, it’s no longer a party but a nice, gentle meal out at a local restaurant.
Myself and Sonia have been along to this “modern version” for the last few years and we find it’s always a nice night out.
What made this year memorable for me was that I was awarded the “Harold Snape Bournville and TOMCC Trophy” - quite a mouthful, I know J - but effectively, it’s the Clubman of the Year Trophy
This came as a complete surprise to me as I had no idea that my name was being considered and so I was a little lost for words as I was being presented with the trophy by Ron Barratt (who is a branch member).
When I got home, I dug out the old Nacelles that I had kept from my early days in the club. It seems that the last time I “won” the clubman of the years was back in 1979 !!
18th January 2012 : IBR Talk – TOMCC Peterborough
Dave Porter (the editor of Nacelle) had contacted me just before Christmas to ask if he could run the story of the IBR in the magazine. As I’m continually amazed that anyone other than myself finds what I write interesting, I did as he asked and sent him over the story – over 100 pages of it !! Given that the story would entirely fill two issues of the magazine, it clearly needed “trimming” and Dave enlisted the help of the TOMCC Vice Chairman, Mick Barratt for the task of editing down the story into a manageable size.
The upshot of this, was that Mick (who is also chairman of the Peterborough Branch) had to read the entire story and then decided to invite me over to the branch to do my talk. As I always enjoy listening to the sound of my own voice, I duly accepted the invitation JJ …..
Me and “Hele” in full flow giving our talk
There must have been about 30 or so club members who came along and they all seemed to enjoy the talk.
I’m getting well versed in presenting the talk now and standing up and speaking about the ride is nowhere near as daunting as it was when I first started doing it, last August. The strange thing is, that six months on from actually riding in the IBR, with each talk I give, I find that I’m beginning to appreciate just what an achievement it was to finish. I can vividly remember, that in the immediate aftermath of completing the rally, thinking to myself that I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. Now as I relay the story of the ride, I can …..
Anyway, next stop of the “IBR Talk Tour” is the TOMCC Meriden Branch on 5th March.
20th/21st January 2012 : A Quick Trip Abroad
January at work is manic. It’s all due to everyone of my clients thinking that they’re the only person who decides to leave their tax return until the last minute. There’s simply nothing better in the midst of this January madness to get on my bike and take a nice long ride to have a break from the monotony of churning out tax return after tax return.
This year, I decided to head for the Groningen Groningen is on the northern coastline of the Netherlands
Due to a combination of not being able to get away from work on the Friday until nearly one o’clock, then having to drop some papers off at a clients in Coventry UK
By 10.00pm, I’d only reached Gent, some 80 miles from the Belgium/Netherlands border and still some 200 miles away from Groningen and with being wet, hungry and tired, I checked into my usual hotel that I stay at in Gent , The Ibis Opera.
Once I’d got warm and eat something, I mulled over my plans for the weekend and decided that I’d set my alarm for 6.00am, see what the weather was doing and make any decisions then. For now, a warm dry bed beckoned …..
I didn’t need the alarm the next day as at around 5.00am, I was lying awake listening the rain batter against my bedroom window. Well, that made the decision as to whether or not to ride the further 200 miles to Groningen very easy for me and with that, I rolled over and went back to sleep.
With my plan “A” now firmly shelved, as I was having breakfast, I looked for alternatives and very soon decided to spend the day in and around the First World War battlefields.
After a quick 50 miles blast down to Ypres, I left the main roads and found the old back roads that ultimately would lead me back up towards Dunkirk. More importantly, these are the roads that between 1914 and 1918 led to and from the Western Front.
Once you’re on these roads, it’s not long before you start to come across the cemeteries and once you pick up the first, thereafter they come thick and fast.
I stopped at the first three cemeteries and walked around taking pictures of various graves. The ages of some of the men killed very soon put my own feelings of being “pissed off” with tax returns firmly in its place.
This puts your own problems into perspective. G.A.Chambers, aged 19, 12th August 1917 - the day he died …… LJ
Just one of hundreds of war cemeteries dotted around Ypres
Like military cemeteries the world over, the maintenance was immaculate and even though it was the middle of winter and the remainder of Flanders was covered with its famous mud, the grave yards enjoyed a lush covering of neatly mowed and very green grass.
Eventually the cemeteries become fewer as you move away from what was the Western Front and before long I rejoined the coastal E40 which took me back to Calais and the Chunnel terminal.
With gaining my hour back, I was back on English tarmac by 2.30pm and with plenty of time before I was due home, I decided to visit somewhere that I’d been meaning to go fir a while – the Battle of Britain memorial at Folkestone
All three are British machines JJ
Whilst I was there and walking around the visitor centre/gift shop one of the attendants commented on how nice it was seeing someone riding a British bike. The complement was nice and made all the more poignant given where I was.
The Battle of Britain
I left the memorial at just after 3.30pm and after what can be best described as a “brisk” ride home, I pulled into the yard at home at 6.30pm. Folkestone to home is 223 miles – I may have “strayed” slightly when it came to adhering to the speed limits on the ride home JJ
Still, I returned to work on the Monday suitably refreshed.
28th January 2012 : IBAUK RTE - The Garage Grand Opening
Over the years, as my bike collection has expanded, so as the memorabilia. I had always wanted a building to house my “proper” bikes (read : BSA/Triumph pushrod triples) and the associated triple “stuff” and so just before Christmas 2011, and after quite a protracted planning stage, building work commenced.
By the time the New Year came around, the garage was finished (central heating included) and was ready to be kitted out. Once that was done, it seemed a good idea to have an “Opening Party” and with the success of the last IBA RTE we held here, we decided to host another to co-incide with the grand opening.
The Garage
In the weeks leading up to the RTE, more and more IBA members added their names to the list meaning that by the time the day arrived, we were expecting somewhere in the region of 30 people. As ever, Sonia was a star (as were my mom and dad) and they managed to prepare and feed the group with a menu consisting of hot pork baps, grey peas, curry, chilli, soup with a constant stream of tea and coffee served from the garage “kitchen” by yours truly.
The Garage looking the other way ……
I think it’s fair to say that the garage was “well received”, even by those riders who had no interest in classic bikes and at least four admitted to “garage envy” by the end of the day.
A nice turnout of bikes
It never ceases to amaze me when a group of bikers get together how they can continue to find new things to talk about on the subject of bikes, biking and bikers. One would have thought that after 100 years or so of bikes being around, most subjects would have now been talked to death ….. JJ
The riders aren’t quite so pretty though JJ
With the last of the riders leaving around 4.30pm (and the first having turned up at just after 11.00am) meant that we’d had nearly a full 6 hours of “entertaining”.
So, the garage is now officially “open” and we’ve done our IBAUK RTE hosting for this year !!
30th January 2012 : Wolverhampton Business Club Talk
Just before Christmas, I was out at lunch with Dermott Kelly, a bank manager who I know and the subject came around to bikes and some of the trips that me and Sonia do. The upshot of this was that I was invited to do a 20 minute or so talk of our “biking life” to the Wolverhampton business Club.
Normally I have no real problem with doing talks on bikes and biking – but then again, I’m normally talking to bike clubs and not a group of accountants, solicitors, bankers and other assorted professionals J
Nevertheless, the talk seemed to go down well and the questions afterwards certainly seemed to me as though the audience enjoyed it – but then again, they could have just been being polite ….. JJ
I think I prefer talking to bike clubs ……..
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