Tales From The Riverbank April 2018

first rides of the season

full steam ahead

t h g i l t spo

night rid ers April 2018

Ed Quarters Welcome to April's issue of the magazine.

What a fabulous start to the season. I have really enjoyed the few rides I have managed to get out on. One of which I marshalled on and the other was my first tail / sweep. What an encouraging team of people our road crew are. Now just to get the weather sorted for the rest of the year and we shouldn’t have any problems.

The Road crew are always looking out for ideas for rides. If you have any ideas, please let us know. Already, we have got a huge number of great rides coming up over the next few months. Please make sure that you keep an eye on the calendar for all the latest information on the planned rides. If you do join the rides, I would really recommend you joining the text alert system we operate. This will notify you if a ride is cancelled due to bad weather, etc… and can save you a lot of hassle.

This month marks our first month at our new venue for club night. The Grenadier Guards did a wonderful job for us over the past, but Burnham Cricket Club is a great venue. By the time you are reading this, there is a good chance that you will be enjoying the venue as well. The other big change is the shift in dates for our club nights from the third Thursday to the third Wednesday of every month. Dates of next upcoming club nights are updated and included in the TV Times at the centre of this magazine.

I know that these changes may take some of us a little while to get used to but these have been made to better provide for our ever-evolving requirements as a Chapter. We, as a committee take these decisions very seriously and evaluate the options thoroughly before any change is made. The amount of dedication and hard work I have witnessed as part of that committee is huge. I am very honoured to part of the team helping keep our Chapter great. If you would like to discuss any of these changes further, please let me know.

Let’s look forward to another great year. Make sure that you are a part of it.

Ride safe and have fun!

Andy

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Inside this issue Front cover

Thames Valley (Mac)

Page 2

Ed Quarters

Page 4 - 7

Westie Writes

Page 8 - 9

Ladies of Harley

Page 10-13

Flanders Fields Chapter - Night Ride

Page 14 - 15

Pumping water Crofton Steam

Page 16

TV Times

Page 17

The Valley Rally

Page 18

Charities Update

Page 19

Sammy Miller Museum

Page 20 - 21

Poker Run

Page 22

Ride to Whiteways

Page 23 - 25

Committee Spotlight - Webmaster

Page 26 - 27

Guildford Birthday Bash

Page 28

Ladies Night

Page 29

Saturday Social

Page 30 - 31

Reader Rides

Back cover

Meet the Committee

Birthdays To comply with uncoming legislation and to make sure our records are up to date, if you would like to appear in the magazines birthday listing, please email us with your name and birthday.

New Members Please welcome the following new members to the Chapter:

Amanda Bently & Luke Manning

Roger and Carol Breeds.

Huge thanks to all who have sent copy in for this month's magazine: Mac, Chris S, Cilla, Jo G, Hayley, Mark P, Linda, Robin, & Nick. :-)

Hi All, To say that the last month has been busy is a huge understatement.

We have had a number of changes all hit us at the same time. Committee changes following the initial appointments in February have been difficult for everyone involved. It is important that the committee represents a wide range of viewpoints from the membership and that it is working to make the Chapter a better place for people to enjoy their riding and to meet their social needs. We will all know that it is impossible to please everyone all of the time and we also know that change can take some time to come to terms with, and so I will attempt here to bring you up to speed with some of the issues we have been tackling since last year.

Firstly, the way we communicate is evolving very quickly. The Government have been busy in the data protection department which has forced a change in the way we deliver our web presence. Until very recently, we were hosting our website on US servers, recent changes in legislation impose some new requirements on organisations in Europe which make the hosting of data on servers outside of the EU a problem. As a result, Robin has recently been processing the move of our web onto European servers. Our site was also subject to a barrage of hack attempts in recent months which gave us huge concerns, A change in the way the major search engines work has, in a way, offered a solution and the implementation of new security measures will help us to resist such hack attempts will also boost the status of the site on these search engines. You will notice a small padlock next to our URL on the website which shows visitors that they can use the site securely and without risk of putting their personal information at risk. We have needed to make changes to the membership form to capture your future communications needs and in order to meet our compliance obligations we may need to contact some of you shortly about our obligations under the new General Data Protection Regulations which come into force in the coming weeks.

Secondly, the change of location and the timing of our regular club meetings. We have been in discussions with our previous hosts about the changing needs of the club. and since the summer of last year your committee have been searching for a new venue which could help us meet these changing needs. Chapter

members have been lobbying committee for added facilities like the provision of food / snacks, tea and coffee facilities and a choice of quality beers on draught.

We have also been seeking ways to reduce our spend on hosting the event every month. We are asking for a significant financial support from Reading HD to help us put on our Valley Rally and with over ÂŁ1000 worth of contributions from the dealership being used to host club nights last year we have sought specifically to eliminate this spend.

Sadly, our previous hosts were limited to the extent that they could help and the committee is very grateful for their efforts and their co-operation to try to address these points. Our search (eventually) led us to the Burnham Cricket Club, which already plays host to various local motoring clubs at various times of the month.

They appear to be busy enough to keep open barrel times to a minimum (ensuring a fresher pint at the pump) and easily big enough for our group. A noticeable advantage is the outdoor space which will be a huge bonus during the better weather.

The Cricket Club is able to offer tea and coffee and they are going to put on some hot food options especially for us. It is important to understand that they can only do this for us whilst it is financially sustainable. So, come hungry and even a little earlier if you are able. The initial menu is experimental and our new hosts are open to suggestions for improvement. Please provide your honest feedback either to them or via any committee member.

In considering a new venue we looked at a vast number of requirements including location (the new venue is just six miles from the old one and for those of you who will have a little further to travel just remember that this will give you another ten minutes out on your bike on the better weather!). Meeting the above requirements to reduce our spend (the new venue will not be charging us to use the facility each month, instead they will cover their costs through takings over the bar and on the catering. The internal surroundings are well suited to our group (size and layout) and whilst a few members have expressed some concern about the surface in the car park, careful arrival, and selective parking should reduce the risks as with any other destination that we visit.

And now for the rub! Unfortunately, for all of its advantages they could not offer a Thursday night as a pre-existing weekly commitment prevents us from using it on our usual night. Our March committee meeting was held onsite and the team unanimously agreed that all of the other advantages far outweighed this single issue. It happened more quickly than we expected as our previous hosts released us from our obligation to give two to three months’ notice just a week before the last club night, (too late to make the magazine publication).

If you are reading this during some downtime after the April Chapter Night and have been unable to make it along this month, please join us at the next meeting here. I feel sure that you will love it!

Our Valley Rally is gathering momentum with over 120 tickets sold to HOG members both in the UK and in Europe (about a dozen members of Flanders Chapter will be joining us). Tickets are still available from your activities team or any of the Primary Officers. We need your support to make this rally the success that we would all like to enjoy. Please talk to your family and friends in other chapters about joining us. If every member could find another person who hasn’t already bought their ticket, we would be over-subscribed! Please remember that only HOG members, their family, friends, and guests can attend and all non-HOG members must be sponsored by a HOG member who is responsible for their conduct whilst at the event and every ticket holder must sign the waiver form before tickets can be issued. Whilst our special deal on room prices at the nearby IBIS hotel is now closed, rooms are still available and the hotel manager will do his best to offer you the best rate he can at the time of your enquiry.

We still have availability at this year’s convergence rally in Cirencester. The ticket allocations have now been pooled and so you will need to have the activities team check availability of rooms if you wish to take accommodation there. The bands are now booked and we are set for a great weekend. Check your calendar and try to join us if you can. Camping, caravans and motorhome are all permitted onsite if you don’t want to get a room onsite.

A smaller turnout on the 17th March to our final Saturday Social gathering for this winter was likely due to the foul weather and the 2018 Poker Run started with a really good first turnout at the Dukes Head in Farnham Royal.

The weather issues forced the cancellation of our Pioneer Run this year but did not stop us from running two rides down to the Guildford Birthday Bash on the 24th. There was plenty of free HOG roast to go around with a slightly smaller turnout than usual, again due to the forecast weather.

We managed to get our rides running to Sammy Millers, Whiteways Cafe and The Crofton Steam day near Hungerford which was a minor miracle with all the rain we have suffered. The Whiteways ride out was

particularly well supported with about 25 riders and we were lucky with the weather on the day.

The Jake Spicer Toy Run was once again well supported and considering that rain was forecast to be in for the whole day, there were still over 140 bikes in the ride.

A huge thanks to all of the volunteers who marshalled the ride and to all of the participants who took a gift for the Children at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

By the time you receive this magazine we will also have made a visit to the Alexander Devine Hospice on the 14th April, the Beer and Skittles evening on the same evening and Ralphs ride to the Prescott Hill Climb Event near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. Hayley will be doing her Road Captain qualifying ride to the Departure Lounge near Alton.

The 2018 Cider Rally is upon us and we are taking a good contingent down to Sand Bay for the weekend. If you are not going this year Jamie has laid on a ride down to the Southampton Dealership’s Birthday Party.

We are working on some fun things for International Female Ride Day on the 5th May (see page 8-9 for more details) followed by John Green’s ride to Longstock Farm Shop and Cafe near Stockbridge on the Sunday of Early May Bank Holiday weekend.

The next Poker Run is on Wednesday 9th May at the Cunning Man near Burghfield and Mike Connolly is running another of his popular 3 Cuppas Rides on the 13th May to round off the main events before our May club night on Wednesday 16th at our new home in Burnham Cricket Club.

And finally, for those who have feedback about Chapter activities, Chapter life at Thames Valley and any suggestions for improvement please get in touch. Your volunteer committee are here to help you get the most from your membership and sometimes posts on Social Media can get lost in the melee. If you have feedback on something that is important to you, please speak to me (or any committee member) direct. We would love to hear from you!

Keep the shiny side up!

Nick

Hi Ladies, Spring has sprung at last!

The evenings are getting lighter, the snow has turned to rain with the odd peep of sunshine. This can only mean one thing... riding season has begun! To kick this off, on 10th March we held a very successful Bikes & Bakes event at the dealership. I was of course looking after the ‘Bakes’ part of the event and I must say it wouldn’t have been a success without all of your support with baking, selling raffle tickets, womaning the stall and sampling the many treats on offer. So, from me, a huge THANK YOU! Later on, in March many of us attended a special Ladies Night at the dealership hosted by Jo Senn. I, and many of the other ladies I’m sure, thoroughly enjoyed browsing through the new clothing range without having a husband shadowing my every move exclaiming “You don’t need a new top!” every time I touched something.

As well as shopping, we had plenty of bubbles and nibbles on offer, friends to catch up with and for those moments where we needed a bit of a quiet rest, some of us just stood and admired the bodywork. For those of you who were there, I’m sure you know exactly what I mean, and for those who weren’t, I’m sure there’ll be photographic evidence of the evening in this magazine.

Now, you all know that I’m a newbie rider and 1st April was an important date for me. Not because I was expecting to be inundated with Easter Eggs or because I wanted to play an April Fool’s prank on Mark, but because it was my first ever group ride. There was to be no getting out of it as it was Mark’s qualifying Road Captain ride, and ducking out would have made for an interesting marital conversation.

Up until now, I’ve always ridden just with Mark or solo, and in my head, I’d built the group ride up to be a BIG thing. So, off I went on a bit of a magical mystery tour (sorry Mark!) to Whiteway’s Café with 20+ other bikes. What I can say is that I completed the ride and thoroughly enjoyed myself too! What stuck out for me though was the support from everyone – I had so many words of encouragement before and afterwards and people making sure I was okay en route. Looking back on that day has really made me see what our Chapter is about - shared experiences, shared laughter, shared successes and shared passion!

Lastly, I wanted to talk about an exciting event that’s coming up in early May – International Female Ride Day on 5th May – put it in your diaries! Firstly, there will

be a ride led by Elaine Shepherd, with Sue Moyler as tail and Mandy Mussong as marshal. The ride will provide up to two hours’ and approx.

50 miles worth of opportunities to look good in a group whilst sat at traffic lights, smile brightly at others whilst sat at designated drop off points, hear those pipes as you wind your way through rural, bendy roads and check out your reflection in shop windows!

Once back at the dealership, some of our MoH have kindly volunteered to provide us ladies with refreshments whilst we await the arrival of Jo Green. Jo will be the first lady to complete a solo Iron Hog - what an achievement that will be and we couldn’t be prouder of her or more excited to be part of her homecoming party!

On a more educational note, once all the tea has been supped, cake eaten and merriment has been made, Reading HD will be giving us a talk on bike maintenance – in my case, very much needed!

Timings for the day can be found on Facebook, posters at the dealership and club night and the calendar. If you have any questions, please do drop me a line.

As always, if you have any ideas or suggestions, I’m always happy to have a chat and see what I can do. See you at the next event!

Cilla P Thames Valley Ladies of Harley Officer loh@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk 07525 462186

HOG Flanders Field Chapter Night Ride September 2017

I apologise for the fact that this article has been so long in the making there were some logistical problems.

In September last year Sue & Malcolm Poulter and Jan and myself went to Ypres for the weekend to take part in their annual night ride and we had a hoot. On the way Malc's rear wheel bearings went at Junc 10 on the M20 we had to leave them behind to get that fixed. But they caught us up later some ÂŁ650 worse off but they made it. This first picture shows about 250 bikes in the main square.

On the Saturday we all met up at the Flanders Field dealership at 1pm for registration and at 2pm went off for a memorial ride.

Now I know a lot of people have ridden with Flanders Field but for those that haven't it is quite an exhilarating experience, you can ride for hours literally and never put your feet down as they have powers to stop the traffic. We were

provided lunch on the hoof and a couple of tea stops on the way.

The memorial ride finished in the main square at Ypres at about 6pm where we were able to put our feet up for an hour or two and then it was time for Last Post at the Menin Gate which is a ceremony that takes place every night at 8pm and Mark

Peck and I had the honour of being chosen to lay a wreath on behalf of Thames Valley HOG along with representatives of various other Chapters during the proceedings. It was here we met some Americans that were members of the Towpath Volunteers Pipe and Drums Corp from New York who were desperate to grab picture on the bikes.

Then at about 9pm Malc and I set off on the night ride itself it was obviously pitch dark by then and we started quite well but unfortunately after about an hour and half we had to throw the towel in and give up.

Mark Peck however managed to finish the course with the aid of some of the locals and credit to him because it was flaming hard to navigate and read the clues at the same time.

The lure of a nice bottle of red waiting for us back at the ranch was too much. At the end of the ride which was the Dealership more food was available and the stragglers were still coming at 2am.

This year's Night Ride takes place on Saturday 15th September 2018, and I thoroughly recommend it. It's a great weekend away.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ghislain Peers who is the Flanders Field Chapter photographer who kindly provided me with these photographs.

He takes a cracking picture and allowed me to use them for this article.

I would love to do the weekend again this year but I am not sure if I am going to be able to fit it in.

Regards Chris Smith

Pumping Water!

It was one of those mornings when you hear that voice next to you ask the eternal question: are you going on the ride today? Forecast was not good and dipping my toe out of the bed to peek at the world outside confirmed the weather man was not wrong! Easter Monday and it’s raining. What to do? Oh well, looks like the bike is getting dirty again.

Arriving at the BP services on the A33 I was met by Don, Chris and Jan. Toppedup with fuel, we waited to see if we were the only ones. Thirty or so mins later.... we were! Don confirmed we'd meet-up with Malcolm Bradly from Hogsback and a few of their Chapter and ride down together. So, our first leg was a gentle ride down the A33 to Chineham.

Don joked we might double our numbers when Malcolm arrives. We laughed. We laughed even harder when Malcolm did arrive. And exactly doubled our numbers! Six bikes!

I didn't realise, but Malcolm is a volunteer with the Crofton crew, so he took-up lead as he travels there regularly with Don as tail. Noted that Malcolm was riding a Sportster rather than his trusty tourer.

We were to find out why within just a few miles.

The route carved through the best that the North Wessex Downs had to offer in terms of scenery.

Staying largely off the main routes and on roads just wide enough for two vehicles provided some magnificent views, tiny villages and hamlets - and mud. And gravel. And puddles (more like swimming pools in places). And man-hole covers.

And pot-holes. In the rain. A technical ride it was then. Our madness confirmed. But, don't let that put you off. It was proper fun and I want to go

explore around there some more when it dries out!

Arriving at Crofton we duly parked-up and made for the tea-room. Hot drink, something to eat and start quizzing Malcolm about the beam engine and his involvement.

Duly prepped and warmed-up we started our tour with Malcolm providing great info as our group wandered around. Throughout the building are various volunteers eager to share their knowledge and experience too. Although not the largest of beam engines it is an engineering marvel for its day and you can easily lose an hour or two. It's mesmerising to stand and watch the motions of it pumping water, raising it some 40ft to help replenish the Kennet & Avon canal.

After a great tour, we decided to end the day with a ride to a cafe.

Popham airfield seemed a clever idea. That was until we realised we'd missed the turning. To protect the guilty, I won’t mention how many qualified Road Crew we had on the ride, but we did laugh. So,

Blackbushe airfield beckoned instead. It was here we duly fuelled ourselves, shared a few more laughs and then set about returning home.

All agreed it was a wonderful day that even the weather couldn't spoil. So, If you ever find yourself at a loose-end one weekend, then you could do worse than trace a route through the heart of Hampshire and Wiltshire to Crofton for a visit. Definitely worth it!

Mark

Wednesday, 18 April Club Night (closed event) Sunday, 22 April Hayley’s Comet (closed event) Thursday, 26 April Reading Harley Davidson Bike Night Friday, 27 – Monday, 30 April Cider Rally Saturday, 28 April Ride to the Rally - Cider Rally Sunday, 29 April Ride to Southampton H D birthday (closed event)

The Valley Rally Beaconsfield Town FC 29th June - 1st July 2018 www.thamesvalleyrally.com

The Convergence Rally Royal Agricultural University Cirencester 10th August - 12th August 2018

Please check the website for the latest on all rides.

CLUB NIGHTS

Tuesday, 1 May Committee Night (closed event)

May 16th June 20th July 18th

Saturday, 5 May International Female Ride Day

August 15th September 19th

Sunday, 6 May Ride to Farms Land (closed event) Wednesday, 9 May Poker Night Friday, 11 – Monday, 14 May St Ledgers Rally Sunday, 13 May Three Cuppas Ride (closed event) Wednesday, 16 May Club Night (closed event)

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTION DEADLINES May 3rd June 7th July 5th August 2nd September 6th

Charities Update We all dip into our pockets and give to charity at some point in our lives whether it be regularly or randomly but we rarely get to see where our money has gone. It was great to be offered an opportunity for all of us to go and see the work that has been going on at the Alexander Devine Hospice in Maidenhead last weekend.

I'm sure you will all agree that the donations received have truly made a big difference to all the children and their families at the hospice. Julia, Community Fundraiser, at Alexander Devine sent the following thank you email which she wanted me to share with you all: "A big thank you and well done to all of the wonderful members at the Thames Valley HOG for their fabulous Bikes and Bakes day and great raffling of the Hatchimal! We were so grateful to receive your fantastic donations totalling a great ÂŁ324.66!! Please extend our great thanks to everyone for their wonderful generosity.

Thank you all for your continuous support it is so very much appreciated and have a wonderful Easter!"

I would also like to extend my personal thanks to you all for your support whether it be helping with fundraising events or parting with your hard-earned cash. Without you we would not be able to make such a huge difference to these charities.

As many of you know the ride to Alexander Devine was one of two qualifying rides for me after my Road Captains training at the end of March.

I hope many of you will join me on my second ride to The Departure Lounge Cafe in Alton on Sun 22nd April. The ride will be leaving from the BP garage in the A33 at 11am.

Hayley - Charities Officer

Ride To The Sammy Miller Museum.

A really fresh but dry start to the day.

Although that didn't appear to impact on the number. Nineteen bikes, six of which had pillions, all met to start the ride from Chievley Services on the A34. A pleasant ride through Stockbridge, Romsey and Lyndhurst took us into the Forest and onwards to the museum.

Once there all took advantage of the cafe to regain a little heat before taking in the sights of the fine collection contained within the museum.

Afterwards riders either departed home, went onwards to Mudeford or on to the Southampton dealership.

A great start to the riding season.

Poker Run Another great turn out for the first poker night of the season. A bit damp so no bikes, but over thirty members to get the ball rolling. enjoyed a get together at the Dukes Head in Farnham Royal.

Linda

Ride to Whiteways cafĂŠ It was the only half decent weather over the entire Easter weekend and Mark Peck just happened to have his qualifying ride organised for that very day.

Quite an amazing turnout. Just after 9am on a Sunday morning with temperatures at that point at three above zero, twenty three bikes and one trike.

Did I mention there were three people who had never ridden with the Chapter as a group before. You may as well have all the variations in your qualifying ride.

The ride down towards Arundel took us through some beautiful countryside and plenty of opportunities for possible detours, meet ups and adventures. Mark did a great job of getting us all there.

Committee Spotlight - Webmaster Let’s get something straight from the outset whilst you have this page open. This article is worth reading if you have a passing interest in IT. If you have zero interest in IT, please fellow-rider, read on as it may help you sleep.

I’ve had some great feedback from club members about the new website comprising of suggestions, criticisms, praise and (believe it or not) one or two members even wishing for the old site to come back! That is not going to happen.

Ever!

The second topic in the conversation is what I class a “Can You Just” question.

Can you just look at my phone and solve this problem?

Can you just install and configure this piece of software whilst you’re here?

Can you tell me how to play this game on my tablet? Yes, I’ve these questions and usually I stare blankly back.

I really don’t mind assisting users (but not games, please not games) and it’s empowering not just to fix an issue but to give some training to a club member as how to solve a similar issue. I’ve lost count of the number of fellow riders I’ve taught and shown how cloud wizardry works – Google Photos is great example of quick training whilst standing in front of the coffee machine at Reading HarleyDavidson.

The third topic of conversation then goes along the lines of “So how do you become a webmaster then? How do you learn this stuff?”

Let’s start with the basics; the term “Webmaster” is a very old and traditional job description. “Old” in the computer industry is anything over 5 years depending on the branch of computing you’re involved in. In my day job, I’d pitch “Old” at around 2-3 years and when I’ve dabbled with robotics and Artificial Intelligence we’re talking months.

The new website is at the top of a very large pyramid of cloud servers, domains, network configurations, emails, databases, backups, updates, and security patching and most of it has to be managed by the yours truly. I’m not seeking a “wow” or additional praise but it’s worth understanding how this stuff all works together and the skills are fairly commonplace in the IT Industry.

It would be fair to say that with the right start, any club member these days can design a website, plug in a payment system and start selling online within a couple of hours.

The new website took a bit longer to develop for a few reasons. The first was that the previous website was old – there’s that term again. Old has consequences.

Older systems are harder to maintain. Vendors stop supporting older systems and let’s not forget, older systems are easier to attack and compromise. If you’re running anything older than Windows 10 at home I’d recommend you update and quickly.

Also, the previous website was stored in the USA and that won’t do with the upcoming GDPR / Data Protection legislation.

So, I had the task of selecting a new place to host our website in the EU, choose some technology that could be supported not just by me but by anyone with some website experience and ensure it met all the club needs. I also (and I do want a drum roll & applause fellow-rider) had to transfer the user information from the USA to the new EU cloud servers. That caused a few late nights and some IT stunt work.

So, the pyramid construction begun. Choose a hosting company with servers that could grow with the club, install and test a backup system, transfer the user information across and most importantly choose a design tool where the resulting website would work on mobile, PC/ Laptop and could be changed quickly. The Committee also had requirements around the Membership database that the old website didn’t meet. That needed building and testing.

The first test website launched to the then committee in September 2017. Development stopped as the Valley Rally website needed to be built and launched by late October 2017 and that project was a good test of the platform I’d chosen and put my name to. Over Christmas I revisited the new Thames Valley website and immediately scrapped it. The reason was I wasn’t keen on the design and I needed to be sure that we could build a website fast on the new servers. Luckily for me it worked and with Committee permission, I sought out some web testers inside and outside of our club.

As the feedback rolled in the design changed, content evolved, bugs were ironed out and spelling errors corrected.

The last task was to move the web address from USA to EU servers which is why the hogbiker.co.uk address was used as stop-gap. During a website address transfer, anything connected to it (email included) will not work as the address does not have a home until the transfer is complete.

Whilst all of this was happening I was administering life-support to the existing website until we could switch it off and of course dealing with the “Can You Just” questions which I’m always happy to do.

Harley casting judgement over Robin's web building skills

Let’s go back to the question, how do you become a Webmaster? Well, there are no official qualifications to learn that grant you a shiny Webmaster certificate. The main requirement is an interest in the technology needed to build a useable website. My role as I see it is a server manager, security and updates manager, website designer and of course IT support (99% of the role).

The most important aspect of the role is to be able to communicate sometimes complex topics to the committee or club members in plain language.

For example, I can ride my Harley and fill it with fuel and insurance but I’ve really no idea how it works. I push a button and it starts. I rely on Reading HD advice and they’re good at explaining issues to me. Similarly, if a user can’t use the website or the phone app, I need to be able to explain why in their terms, and hopefully fix it.

Mission Control

The state of play right now is your membership subscriptions are being applied to your accounts and you’ll soon receive an email alert that your password has been reset and ready for you to login.

And now fellow club-member, I give the website to you. Again, I must reiterate, that if you have any suggestions, advice or issues you need help with, please let me know and I’ll be happy to help – even if it’s a “Can You Just” question!

Cheers Sassman

Guildford Dealership Birthday

Ladies Night

Saturday Social The Lands End

Jo Green What Year and Model?

2014 Softail Deluxe Have You Named Your Bike?

Yes! Her name is Dixie Deluxe - I do like a bit of alliteration!

How Long Have You Had Her? Since November 2016. I bought it from Oxford HD and traded in my previous Dyna Wide Glide model.

What Made You Buy It? I fell in love with Dixie and her paintwork when the Sparkle Tour called in to the Dealership in September 2016.

She certainly drew many admiring glances that day and has continued to do so ever since!

What Mods Has She Got? Lots! Custom '8 Ball' Paintwork. Full Stage 1 tune with a Screaming Eagle Tuner, Performance Air Cleaner and super stand out twin fishtail 'Freedom' Performance Exhausts.

Lots of extra chrome bits and most recently, the addition of CVO Deluxe Wheels which were an amazing 50th Birthday present from my hubby, John.

What Mods Do You Plan For The Future?

I would like braided hoses and some more chrome, of course :-). The exhaust brackets aren't that pretty and I would like to sort that out....

What Do You Especially Like About Her? The Deluxe is a super comfortable ride and, I think, so stylish. Dixie is completely 'me' and is capable of doing it all. Ride solo, two up when needed and she can be turned into a full blown Tourer with a few simple additions (I have a pillion seat, sissy bar, rack and windscreen). The engine is silky smooth and a total joy to listen to heading along on an adventure or two. Of course, the exhaust note is pretty sweet too....

Favourite Ride Out You've Had on Her? Gosh - so many. But the Sparkle Tour South in 2017 was a major highlight - that

Tour with the girls was simply amazing. Bring on 2018 and the Sparkle Tour South East! Completing the HD Road Captains course with her, the One Day Run (Coast to Coast) with Thames Valley members were others. At the New Forest Chapter's 'Blazing' Blitz' seafront bike show last year, Dixie won the Mayor's Choice Award and Best in Show. I was so proud - I nearly burst! My Mum saw the local newspaper report and showed it to all her friends. Although she used to ride pillion with my Dad she felt (after my Uncle died in a motorcycle accident) she was very 'anti' bikes when I was younger. For my Mum to now be proud of me and my involvement is very special. My Nan was also properly into bikes - riding and testing at Brooklands (how proud am I?).

I feel that I come from a line of passionate, adventurous women and I am looking forward to achieving so much more in 2018. Having taken part in the World Record Attempt (for the past 2 years) of the most Female Riders at a bike meet (1,132 in 2017), a solo trip around Scotland's NC500 route all in 2017, Sparkle Tours - what more could be in the offing? A solo female IRON HOG - that's what!

Leaving Maidstone on Thursday 3rd May - I will hope to fully finish the mammoth 1650 mile, 18 Dealership (for me) challenge on International Female Ride Dy 2018 - the 5th May 2018. Support needed? yes - muchly!.....

Winner's Cake Whilst Nick won the beautiful Harley gas tank cake in the Bakes and Bikes raffle, he showed great self control and generousity when the cake made its way to the last Clubnight. I have to report that the cake didn't make it out again in one piece.

2018 Officers & Committee

PRIMARY OFFICERS

Nick West Director

Andy Tunley Assistant Director

Sue Moyler Secretary

COMMITTEE & SUPPORTING OFFICERS CLUB VENUE Burnham Cricket Club Memorial Ground, Taplow Common Road, Burnham, Slough, Berks, SL1 8LP

Priscilla Peck Ladies of Harley

Andy Tunley Editor

Mike Wilson Jason Compagno Dealer Principal Dealer Rep

https://www.facebook.com/ thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

Lesley Lederer Treasurer

John Green Safety Officer

Chris Smith Membership

Malcolm Poulter Activities

Jamie McLaughlin Mark Peck Head Road Captain Social Media Officer

Linda Friend Photographer

Robin Sasson Third Wednesday of every month 7:00pm Webmaster

Fred Cotsford Activities

Nick Ekendahl Activities

Sue Knight Historian

Hayley West Charities Officer

Alex MacDonald Jamie McLaughlin Photographer Photographer

Email any committee member at (position held)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk