Magazine of the Thames Valley HOG Chapter
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OCTOBER 2015
Hotline: 01753 578616 www.thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
It’s always sad when the last rally of the year comes round but it’s a good one, as the New Forest’s Blazin’ rallies get better every year! Very comfortable accommodation in the caravans - we even had two bathrooms this year just for me and Dave! Read about the rally on pages12 and 13. I’m pleased to say that my trike won the ‘Best of the Rest’ trophy for the third year running. The public, especially children, seem to like it and it helps that I let them have their photo taken on it for a small donation in the bucket! But hey, it’s all for charity... The application forms are out for committee positions for the coming year. Please don’t think that because someone is already holding a post that it’s not available—all posts are up for grabs. I have been editor for over two years now and I haven’t renewed my application. Perhaps you would like to have a chance to be editor, webmaster or any other role you think you would be able to bring fresh ideas to. Have a word with any committee member if you are interested. I’m looking forward to the mileage programme sign-off at Reading on 31st. I know not everyone likes dressing up but there should be a good selection of witches and ghouls hanging around the dealership on that day. Then there’s the Christmas meal at the Calcot Hotel. Always a good evening, weekend for those that stay for the night. How many can we get in a bed this time? And lastly, don’t forget, the final Poker Run is on a TUESDAY this month. Sue
Inside this issue… Front cover
Lining up at SofER for the Parade of Flags. Photo: CJ
Page 2
Editor’s Thoughts
Page 4, 7
Director’s Update
Page 7
Newbury Show - Don
Page 8, 9
LoH - Sue’s Page
Page 10
Avebury Stones
Page 11
Poker Runs
Page 12, 13
Blazin’ 20s - Sue Moyler
Page 14, 15
Calendar
Page 16, 17
Ride to the Wall
Page 18
October/November Birthdays
Michael Walters
19th Oct
Geoff Cutting
21st Oct
Malcolm Poulter
25th Oct
Hayley West
26th Oct
RTTW Party
Jackie Gardner
29th Oct
Page 19
Boys’ Stuff - Mike and Ralph
Nick West
4th Nov
Page 20
Puzzle Page
Ray Shepherd
7th Nov
Page 21
Copdock Show - Mike Wilson
Elaine Shepherd
11th Nov
Page 22, 23
Casino Night - Linda Friend
Bernie Churchill
13th Nov
Page 24
Did you know…? - Pat Adams
Lee White
16th Nov
Page 25
Photo Gallery
Page 26,27
News and Fun
Back cover:
Meet the committee
Happy birthday to you all!
A big Thank You to ALL who have sent copy for this month magazine: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Don, Sue D, Mike W, Mike & Ralph, Pat A, Hayley, Linda, Sue M, Chris and CJ
Hi Everybody,
and welcome to October’s edition ..of Tales from the Riverbank. First and foremost I would like to thank all of you for the well wishes, cards, and gift of Scones, Clotted Cream and Cornish Biscuits from the Chapter following my operation on the old ticker last weekend. After getting home from Ride to the Wall on Sunday afternoon Hazel and I left home for Harefield Hospital. I needed to be checked in by 4pm. By 9am the following morning I was already on the table waiting to be put under for the procedure to start and that’s the last I remember. I came round in recovery around 3:45pm feeling pretty sick and wondering where the time had gone. I’m glad to say, the operation was a complete success and only time, over the next 3 months, will confirm that. I came home on Tuesday evening only to be back in Wexham Park on Wednesday evening through to Thursday afternoon suffering with low blood pressure, dizzy spells and diarrhoea. After a few bags of fluids, and 24 hours in bed, things were back to normal. Wexham believe I may have had a reaction to the medication prescribed by Harefield, to be taken short term following the procedure. Thank you all, you are a truly a great bunch of friends. Since our last club night in September we have managed three ride outs and the last Rally of the season, the New Forest’s Blazin 20s weekend in Weymouth. The chapter visited the town of Avebury, in Wiltshire, to visit the site of a Neolithic Monument erected around 2,850 BC. The massive stones are erected in a circular pattern covering 281 acres of land with a ditch running around the outside. There is an inner circle of stones with a centre stone. Nick and Jamie just putting the stone in place.
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Pat and Barry organised a good country pub for lunch just outside the village where the chapter enjoyed a great Sunday lunch in the gardens. Many thanks to Nick for taking the ride at the last moment and to Pat and Barry for the organising of the day. The following Friday myself and 3 other chapter members sneaked a day off work to ride down to Weymouth with the ride to the Blazin’ 20s Rally. What a great ride, the weather was perfect. The route was a new one that Nick had put together and the lunch stop was ideal, serving good pub food. Great Ride Nick, well done mate. Ride to the Wall, unlike last year, was a perfect day weather wise for riding up to Tamworth where we arrived at the National Memorial Arboretum at around 11am. The roads from the A38 to the Memorial were unbelievably packed with bikes trying to get to the site; this year was going to be among the best attended events so far. The headcount was estimated at around 20,000 people with around 7,500 bikes turning up during the day. Earlier on during the year the committee of RTTW handed over a cheque to Memorial National Arboretum for just over £90,000 raised from last years Ride to the Wall, a truly great amount of money which goes towards the upkeep and continued expansion of the memorial. Today, the memorial still remains free of charge to visitors because of the support from bikers from all over the country at this event. Sue Moyler and myself laid the Wreath on behalf of the chapter and Ed laid his own wreath from the Scouts.
Twenty chapter members stayed over this year at the local Premier Inn and again after a few drinks in the bar the Massive were in action yet again - in our bedroom! After removing half a bed and a quilt from another room the scene was set for a Thames Valley RTTW record attempt - 17 very close friends stripped off to the waist in bed together. Three other Chapter members peaked too early and went to bed alone. See page 18 for proof! That’s another hotel we may not be able to use again... 5
The Casino end of season party looks like being a great evening with 86 tickets sold. Our band has let us down at the last minute but we have managed to arrange, at short notice, a guy to do a disco for us. More about that in next month’s magazine. SofER Your feedback about this year’s rally has been put into a report and forwarded on to the rally manager which will be discussed at this year’s debrief meeting in November. I will forward the results on to the membership after the meeting. It appears that some of you have been given some false information about the setup of the SofER committee and the Limited Company, and it would appear that it is thought that the committee are on a bit of an earner. This is not so; we are all volunteers and do not make a penny from any of the rallies. SofER Ltd, the company, was formed to protect individuals and chapter funds. SofER Ltd is a company Limited by Guarantee. This means that it has no shareholders and is run by members. (Typically clubs, membership organisations, sports club, student union etc) This arrangement protects individuals (Rally managers) when signing contracts for the event. SofER participating Chapters are liable for only £1 each. If you have been given information about the committee and the company set up, I do hope this puts your minds at rest and you carry on enjoying the rally we work so hard to put together year by year. 2016 Committee Positions As you may remember at last club night application forms for 2016 committee positions were available and will be available again at October's club night. We have had a great response from the membership. We do have several committee members standing down this year including an Activities Officer, Merchandise Officer & Safety Officer. We also have vacancies for trainee Road Crew. We are looking for some new blood on the committee, with new ideas to help make our club even better than it is now. If you have any questions about the positions available, please have a confidential word with me.
Membership Our membership is looking good at the moment. We had no new members sign up in September. We currently have a total of 151 full members and 71 affiliated, which gives us a total of 222 members. Last club night was attended by 91 members in total. Merchandise We have some new style Ladies of Harley patches now available and a few new design patches from Harley Davidson to try out. At the time of writing my piece I still have not received any large Thames Valley Rockers from MID the suppliers. I have made several phone calls chasing them and was assured I would receive them within a week. Ride Safe & carry on having fun.
Don Director
The day itself was very busy, talking to many people about the bikes and answering all the usual questions. The site itself is absolutely th On September 19 Thames Valley were asked massive and the show is on over two days. to join Oxford Chapter on their stand at the Newbury Show. The day started with a very chilly ride down the M4 to meet Andy, Oxford’s Director, at 7am to get the bikes set up on the stand. Having to make such an early start it was suggested we all went off for a coffee and breakfast roll from a catering trailer already open for business on site. This was a great start to the day! Andy and the boys from the Oxford chapter had been up to the site the evening before to erect their Chapter Gazebo. The displays at Newbury have everything from As you can see, both Thames Valley Flags had tractors, fire engines, new cars, vans, lorries, been given space on the back wall. trailers, farming equipment, portable buildings, livestock and many trade stands. During the day the main arena was used for horse trial events. The day finished around 6pm with 12 Air Balloons being launched from the arena. A fantastic sight to see and even better when they started to ascend into the sky and over the Oxfordshire countryside. A long day but so much to do and see during the show. Many thanks to Oxford for the chance to take part.
Hello Ladies, Well Autumn is finally upon us, even so, there's still plenty of upcoming events to look forward to. We have the final Poker Run of the year on Wed 21st Oct, this'll be your last chance to pick a winning card from Nick's hand as he is standing down from his Poker duties. Many thanks to Nick for co-ordinating these evenings for the last few years, they’re always great fun and well attended. On Sunday 25th October the second National Ladies of Harley Officer meeting is being held at H-D office in Oxford. Some LOH reps & their partners will be arriving the day before, so the ladies from Oxford Chapter have made arrangements for them to visit our dealership on Sat 24th October followed by lunch across the road in the George. If you can make it to the dealership on Saturday 24th, we're not sure how many will turn up as it'll depend on their travel arrangements, but it'd be great to give them a warm welcome. We’re expecting them from 11.30 onwards. On Sat 31st, it looks like we'll be having fun & frolics throughout the day at the dealership for the Halloween Mileage Program party don't forget your fancy dress outfit (if you need one, ha ha!) and as it says on the calendar “witch this space” for updates. At last month’s launch event of the new Street 750 in Nottingham, Elaine, Lorraine McGuire, Dusky Edwards & I were offered the opportunity to test ride some of the Dark Custom Range bikes. As you would expect, we all had great fun! You can take a look at our stories in the latest HOG eMagazine under the Model Year 16 Launch Events & also catch up on LOH news/tales/events from all over the country. 8
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Earlier in the month, riders from all over the country (& Europe) arrived at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffs for RTTW (Ride to the Wall) to pay their respects and show support to our serving & fallen servicemen and women. Don set off early and led a well-attended ride from Thames Valley Chapter, with Bulldog tailing. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible for me to make the journey on my bike (due to a bad back) so reluctantly Bern & I made our way up in the car - all the same it was an emotional, but wonderful experience. For those of us that stayed overnight at a local Premier Inn, we had one of those nights you don’t forget in a long time! LOH November Weekend - There are now 18 ladies coming away for the weekend late November. I'll be sending out more details in the next couple of weeks by email and we can also have a chat at club night. As always, If any of you fancy meeting up, either after work during the week or on a Saturday at the dealership, please let me know. Ride Safe, Sue Dodds Thames Valley LOH Officer 07775 913562
Ladies, if you wish to be incl in the LOH email list, please go to our LOH page on the TV website + click on the pink envelope. Always feel free to contact me at ladiesofharley@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
WOMEN WHO BEHAVE SELDOM MAKE HISTORY
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This was to be Pat and Barry’s ride but, unfortunately, both of their bikes were ‘guests’ at Reading H-D’s workshop. Not to be deterred by such trivialities they turned up in their car and were still able to feel the wind in their faces! Nick led the ride and a good day was had by all.
Poker Run 5, an old favourite, the Leathern Bottle
Poker Run 6, a new venue, with a great atmosphere and very attentive staff, the Fox and Pheasant, Stoke Poges. Poker Run 7, the last of the season, and the last one organised by Nick, is on Tuesday 27th. ALL WELCOME, at The Three Frogs, Wokingham, RG40 1SW
Twenty members of Thames Valley Chapter turned up for the twenties rally. The Blazin’ rallies seem to be going from strength to strength as the New Forest Chapter put on an excellent show, yet again, this year. Three good bands, a very funny Aussie comedian, a talent show and of course, the fancy dress parade, made up some of the great entertainment. The twenty odd mile Grand Parade Ride was very well organised with a police escort all the way, and in glorious sunshine!
Best of the Rest trophy won third year running for my trike. Sue
Saturday morning dawned sunny again & most of us lined up (off site!) to join the Police escorted ride to Weymouth Pavilion via a 21 mile detour. I heard that around 275 bikes took part, there certainly were a lot & it was a great ride. We caused quite a spectacle along the seafront which was packed with locals & holiday makers. Robbie was all set up outside the Pavilion where the bike show was taking place. We all went our separate ways for the afternoon, enjoying the atmosphere in the sunshine. Saturday evening was the 20s party & what a fab spectacle. Everyone made the effort with some great outfits on show, from Gatsby to Chaplin, Capone & Beach Belles & the New Forest Guys n’ Gals put on a dance routine which must have taken some practicing. After a fancy dress parade & some prize giving we were treated to an Aussie stand-up comic who has us all crying with laughter.
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October Club Night Thurs 15th, 7:30
November
Remembrance Day Ride Sunday 10th, 10:00 Check calendar for further details
Poker Run 7—last one TUESDAY 27th 6:30 The Three Frogs, Wokingham, RG40 1SW
Saturday Social Sat, 14th, Lunch meetings start for the winter season Venue to be confirmed Check calendar
Ace Café Harley Night Thurs 29th, 6:00 N10 7UD
Club Night Thurs 19th, 7:30 SL4 5EY
Reading H-D Mileage Programme Sign-off Halloween Party Sat 31st—ALL DAY Fancy Dress (optional) RG6 7HN
Ace Café Harley Night Thurs 26th, 6:00 N10 7UD LoH Weekend Fri 27th—Mon 3th
November
‘Turkey & Tinsel’ at Sand Bay
Committee Night Tues 3rd, 6:00 Reading H-D
December Club Night Thurs, 17th 7:30—10:00 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL At Reading H-D
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Dates, events, ride-outs and activities Details correct at time of going to print. Check the website for updates and amendments www.thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
Club Nights
Rallies 2016 Coming soon, Watch this space
Events Halloween Mileage Party Sat, 31st Oct At Reading Dealership Broom Farm Toy Run Sunday, 29th Nov TV Christmas Party Saturday, 5th Dec Calcot Hotel RG31 7QN
October
15th
November
19th
December
17th
January
21st
February
18th
Mag contribution Deadlines October
Reading Toy Run Sunday, 6th Dec Christmas Club Night Thursday, 17th Dec At Reading H-D 7:30—10:00 pm
Check website for details on all events 15
8th
November
12th
December
10th
January
14th
February
11th
Ride to the Wall 2015 took place on Saturday, 3rd October.
In its eighth year, numbers have grown from 2,000 in 2008 to 20,000 in 2015 with people attending from all over the UK, Europe and further afield. RTTW Mission Statement:-
That motorcyclists may gather together and ride as a group to a place of remembrance to pay their respects to our serving and fallen servicemen and women and in doing so raise funds for the National Memorial Arboretum, solely for the purpose of perpetuating their memory and recognising the sacrifice they made. During the service the crowd was treated to a flypast from a WWII Dakota with someone waving from the side door. A Tiger Moth also flew over dropping hundreds of poppies in the car park. Incidentally, did you know that the Invasion stripes on the fuselage and wings on the Dakota (3 white, 2 black) were painted on during the Normandy Landings for recognition by friendly forces?
More than twenty Thames Valley members met for the ride to Staffordshire to lay wreaths on behalf of the Chapter and to pay their respects. Others joined en route whilst some made their own way there, meeting up for lunch. A good TV turnout for this humbling event.
Someone’s day didn’t end too well. His bike burst into flames as he was leaving, blocking the exit for many bikes.
Chris, falling out
THAMES VALLEY SETS NEW RECORD - 17 IN A BED
After a sombre and humbling day at the National Memorial Arboretum, Thames Valley Massive spent the evening relaxing in the way they know best - creating havoc! Determined to beat last year’s attempt, just 6 in a bed, additional mattresses and bedding were brought into the director’s room. A good time was had by all Strangely enough, people checking out the following morning were heard to be complaining about noise in the night...
Chris, falling out
7 IN A BED
rial Arboretum, way they know
MOTORCYCLES ARE NOT MADE FOR SURFING. They do not float. They are not waterproof. None of that stopped Aussie stunt rider, Robbie Maddison, from riding the waves in Tahiti on a modified KTM 250 SX motocross machine. The feat capped three years and 5,000 man-hours spent working through dozens of iterations to nail the bike’s design. The idea was sparked by snow bikes, where the front wheel is replaced by a ski. But when Maddison approached Bill King at 2Moto in Idaho, who specialise in designing snow bikes, they quickly realised that for this to have a chance on water they needed bigger skis. They also needed to stop the bike sinking (or things could get very expensive) which meant adding a bag that inflated whenever the rider fell off. And they had to pack the air intake with foam to minimise the risk that the engine would suck in water and stop. Eventually, having ironed out all the kinks, Maddison and his team got the bike to travel on water for up to 15 miles without any trouble. After that, the laws of gravity take over and the bike sinks. Then you have to strip down the engine to dry it and clean it before you can do it again – so this isn’t the sort of thing you can use to commute to work! So how did they do it? This picture shows how it works – the back tyre is modified to work like a propeller (clever) and the plastic skis provide the lift. Maddison has to sit further back on the bike than you would on dry land, to balance it, and it’s launched from a boat on a sort of runway onto the water. Then you just open the throttle and go. The most important thing is forward momentum - easy. Well not that easy. Apparently Maddison sank over a hundred times before they got it right. DO NOT TRY THIS ON A HARLEY! 19
The Boys Stuff boys, Mike and Ralph.
Born and educated in Essex, diminutive in stature but big in personality. The youngest of two girls who, at the time, both married men guarding the realm. Who could it be? Answer to: editor@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
Yes, of course it was Jamie! MILEAGE PROGRAMME CAPTION COMPETITION That meal was c**p. Where's the ‘just eat’ app so I can order a pizza? FRED
At READING H-D 31st OCTOBER
ALL-DAY HALLOWEEN PARTY
Are you sure that’s edible; it looks very poorly? CJ ‘Hmm - I shouldn’t mention it or they’ll all want one!’ PAT A
At 08:30, Sunday saw two bleary eyed Michelin Men lookalikes (Mike and Tania) climb on to the Reading HD Road Glide for what turned out to be an incredibly crisp and invigorating ride up through the Dartford Tunnel from Gatwick to Ipswich. 120 miles later, as we started to get closer to Trinity Park, the dual carriageway began to fill with more and more bikes of every description, and we were guided into a very well organised bike park for the show. Even at this early hour the field was crammed full of motorcycles. I am not a great judge of acreage. however there were ‘many’ acres of Club Stands, Auto Jumble pitches, Dealership and Manufacturer displays, and although Tania and I walked from 11am until 3:30pm I am not convinced we saw everything. We did manage the beer tent and the classic motocross display, oh and the amazing Mattie Griffin. If you have never seen this guy on a bike, he is well worth looking up on YouTube as what he can do with a bike would make your hair fall out, ahem! There were three massive arenas offering all sorts of entertainment, from the Imps display team to Moto Football, and owners club ride arounds so there was plenty to choose from whatever your taste. The Copdock has to be one of the ‘must do’ events for me as it offers everything for the bike nut in the one day format. My only problem is that I have a need to buy loads of goodies to take home, and for that I would have to go in the car. Not a chance! Mike Wilson
£ What a way to end the season! A Casino Night. Glad-rags, sparkles and DJs... everyone looking fabulous. The music was supplied by Lewis by the Disco Monkeys, Martin & John were in charge of the roulette wheel and the blackjack table. Martin gave everyone a $100 bill to exchange for chips - the challenge—to win the most money by the end of the evening—had begun. Gaming only ceased momentarily when Don made announcements and the raffle was drawn. A new LOH flag was presented to Sue Dodds The dancing continued until 11:30 when the casino winners were announced. mmmmmmmmmmmm
Ladies ..Lisa Lovelock .. with $700 Gents ..CJ with $800. Linda Friend
£
Did you know? HE’S an interesting character, that Steve McQueen. A 1960s icon who left a troubled youth, spent in reform schools, to star in renowned film classics such as Bullitt and Papillion, and to become The King of Cool. Cars and motorcycles were part of his persona, and he himself admitted: “I’m not sure whether I’m an actor who races or a racer who acts.” Whether racer or actor came first, one of the first images that comes to mind when thinking of Terence Steven McQueen combines both. The – much as I hate to use the word – ‘iconic’ view in The Great Escape shows Captain Virgil Hilts on his motorcycle (Triumph T60), with the Germans fast behind, just before he tries to jump over the barbed wire to safety.
If you want to bid for a motorbike owned by Steve McQueen, try the Bonhams Stafford Sale on October 18. Among the 230 bikes on offer is McQueen’s 1934 Indian 750cc Sport Scout, estimated at £55,000-£65,000
Steve McQueen’s 1934 Indian 750cc Sport Scout which goes under the hammer at Bonhams’
"Just wanted to say a big thank u to the TV Hog members for all their help and support throughout my bike training. I have now passed my full test so will be joining u on the roads (on a Harley!!) Soon "
Monthly Club Raffle
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Every month, at club night, we have a raffle with good prizes. Some of these prizes are donated by our dealership and in the case of t-shirt prizes, they can be exchanged for a larger or smaller size. However, this arrangement is being abused of late; people are choosing a t-shirt prize then taking it back to Reading to change for something completely different, making cash adjustments. This plays havoc with their stock tracking system and creates a lot of extra work for the staff. So, if you don’t want to win a t-shirt, don’t choose one! It’s not a voucher to be changed for other items. The Dealer Principal will be donating vouchers as prizes to eliminate this problem but if, in the future, you see a t-shirt prize, only choose it if you want to win that t-shirt.
A biker went to a bar and ordered a drink. As he sat sipping his whiskey, a young lady sat down next to him. She turned to the biker and asked, "Are you a real biker?" He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life on Harleys. My momma was pregnant with me when she rode on the back of my Daddy's Harley, then as a little boy I rode on the back with my Daddy until I finally got my own Harley. I've been riding a Harley ever since. So yes, I guess I am a real biker." She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women; when I shower, watch TV, eat, whatever, everything seems to make me think of women." Then she got up and left. The biker was thinking about what just happened when a man sat down next to the biker and asked, "Are you a real biker?" He replied, "I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian."
Motorcycle Live 2015 Saturday 28 November 2015 - Sunday 06 December 2015 NEC Birmingham - Halls 2 - 4 Car Parking: £12.00 per day Motorcycle Live is a fantastic day out for all bike enthusiasts. Representing the best products, bikes & services available from leading companies across the globe. The show is a haven for bikers of any age, or level of experience. The Manufacturers will be out in force offering the chance to sit on, compare, admire, question, photograph and indulge your passion. You can also get your hands on the latest technology to enhance your ride at the only place in the UK you’ll find so many different motorcycle companies under one roof. Whether you’re in the market for leathers, helmets, boots, heated clothing, travel ideas, merchandise or products to keep your pride and joy safe – Motorcycle Live is the perfect place to research, compare and get advice on what’s best for you.
PRIMARY OFFICERS
Don Wibberley DIRECTOR
Pat Adams Asst. Director
Nick West Asst. Director
Email: director(assistantdirector)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
Club Venue: Grenadier Guards’ Club Maidenhead Road Windsor, Berks. SL4 5EY
facebook.com/groups thamesvalleyhog
youtube.com/user/ tvwebmaster1
Colin Wilkins Treasurer
Sue Moyler Secretary
Third Thursday of every month
Email: treasurer/secretary@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
COMMITTEE
Sue Dodds Ladies of Harley
Sue Knight Editor
Lee White Webmaster
Chris Smith Membership
Barry Adams Activities
Toni Charles Activities
Linda Friend Photographer
Chris Earley- ‘CJ’ Photographer
Email any committee member at (position held)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk