Dear Wakefield MAG Member,
Welcome to the Wakefield MAG e-newsletter. If you can't attend our Tuesday meetings regularly, it's the next best thing to keep you up to date with what we are up to.
CONTENTS
1) Mobility in the age of Restraint
2) Transport Select Committee Inquiry
3) Wakefield Hospice 10K Race Marshalling
4) Rally Tickets
5) Post Christmas Auction Report
6) Wakefield MAG May Day Bike Show
7) Easter Egg Collection (in aid of Wakefield based Charity Kidzaware)
8) 21st Birthday Bash
9) Leeds and Bradford MAG
10) Forthcoming Events (for March and beyond)
1) Mobility in the age of Restraint
There has been a huge kickback against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN), Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), 15-minute cities, and traffic reduction policies. But from much of the media there has been nothing but hostility for protesters. It seems that mobility - and the people who want to move beyond their local area (for necessity, for pleasure, or for none-of-your-business) are under attack.
In this Future Cities podcast 'Mobility in the age of restraint', John Stewart (Campaign for Better Transport), Brian Gregory (Alliance of British Drivers), and Colin Brown (MAG's Director of Campaigns and Political Engagement) try to work out what is going on.
Link to the Podcast: soundcloud.com/the-future-cities-podcast/mobility-in-the-age-of-restraint
2) Transport Select Committee Inquiry
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) suggests a topic for the Transport Select Committee's next inquiry. Iain Stewart MP published an appeal for ideas on 17th January and MPs on the Committee want to consider subjects they may have never come across before, from people who are 'in the know about innovations that deserve more attention'. MAG says that the role of motorcycles in a multi-modal transport future has yet to be fully considered.
Transport Committee Chair, Iain Stewart MP, said: "If you know of an issue that would benefit from Parliamentary scrutiny - perhaps something we've never looked at before - then we would warmly welcome your short proposal for an inquiry. We look forward to hearing your ideas."
MAG's Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said: "It may seem a bit late to point to motorcycling as an innovation. But we are clear that our preferred existing transport mode is not being fully exploited in the much-publicised multi-modal future of transport."
The MAG submission explains that current policy only promotes three favoured modal choices. The policy approach focuses on restricting the use of cars in favour of walking, cycling and public transport. Motorcycles do not receive any separate consideration. This is demonstrated in depictions of the sustainable travel hierarchy which routinely fail to recognise the existence of motorcycles.
MAG argues that there is no nuance in policy terms to allow for disaggregating the unique flexibility and convenience that motorcycles offer. Motorcycles represent a way to reduce the impacts of cars whilst retaining the benefits of personal motorised transport. The proposal is that the Transport Committee firstly evaluate any current policy to facilitate motorcycling in the multi-modal future. MAG fully expects this to reveal that there is none. Therefore, a significant opportunity for progress in transport policy is being overlooked. The second step will be for the Committee to consider proposals to expedite a filling of the policy hole.
Colin concluded: "The message is nothing new to us, but it is about time we saw some tangible policy. It is time to demonstrate that the message is being heard. It is all well and good Ministers saying warm words when challenged, but we are long overdue for some policy action. MAG will continue using every opportunity to promote what is obvious to us, but, apparently, a complete mystery to policy makers."
3) Wakefield Hospice 10K Race Marshalling
The Wakefield 10k Road Race is organised for and by Wakefield Hospice, with the aim to raise as much as possible for patients and their families living with an end of life diagnosis. Wakefield Hospice annually needs to raise £4 million. They would not be able to achieve this without the help of local people going out of their way to raise funds through taking part in events like the Wakefield 10k.
This years event will be the 26th annual Wakefield 10k and during that time runners have raised more than £0.5 million for those who need specialist care at a very difficult time in their lives.
The 26th Wakefield Hospice 10k race is being held on Sunday 19th March 2023, and takes a similar route to previous years: starting from Clarence Park, it's a linear route straight out and back along Horbury Road.
Wakefield MAG have helped to marshal this popular event for more years than we care to remember, and our role is as mobile race marshals, looking after those competitors at the tail end of the race. The roads will only be closed for an hour maximum, and although the bulk of runners will be finished whilst the road is still closed, a good number of runners (walkers !!!) will still be on the course, hence the requirement for mobile marshals (that's us !!) to ensure their safety, once the road is re-opened to traffic. We are generally the last 'officials' remaining on the course, and hence play a vital role. We need 6 marshals, although the more the merrier. We currently only have 4 definates so need at least another 2 - If you would like to volunteer, please let me know. It's an early start but you'll be home for lunchtime !!!
On the day, meet at 08:30 on Lawfield Lane to be issued with your marshalls Hi-Viz vest and receive any last minute instructions.
N.B. Please ensure your own bike insurance does not have an exclusion relating to marshalling non-motorsport events i.e. runners on a partially closed road route - MAG's preferred insurer, Bikesure, does not in it's standard insurance cover exclusions.
We now have our Branch allocation of sale or return tickets for the Yorkshire MAG 2023 Rallies and these are currently for sale at our weekly meetings.
Ticket prices and dates are:
Remember, if you buy your tickets directly from us, you save on the on-line booking fee (which are per ticket not per transaction !!!) and postage .... more money in your pocket = more beer money .... what more of an incentive could you possibly want !!!
See the Yorkshire MAG Events site for more details of these 3 fantastic rallies: www.mapevents.co.uk
5) Post Christmas Auction Report
See event report here
6) Wakefield MAG May Day Bike Show
Our popular bike show, hosted at the Wakefield Gala at Clarence Park Arena, on May Day Bank Holiday Monday (1st May), is rapidly approaching. Fettle up your pride and joy and enter it into the show .... for FREE. All types of Bike, Scooter, Moped, Combination and Trike are welcomed and there are six winning categories plus an overall Best in Show up for grabs. We will also be hosting the Wakefield MAG stand and running a tombola (with some great prizes to win). Lots of other attractions at the gala (including a motorcycle stunt show) to entertain you whilst you wait to see if your bike has won, and it's a great family day out.
Location: Clarence Park, Wakefield. Show to be judged at 14:30, Entry into show from 09:30 onwards (Gala officially opens at 10:00).
Hope to see you there. Did we mention it was FREE !!!
7) Easter Egg Collection (in aid of Wakefield based Charity Kidzaware)
2023 is quite significant for Wakefield MAG for we are 21 years old !!!; Significant also for MAG nationally as MAG is 50 years old this year !!!
To help celebrate this monumental anniversary, we are going to host a Saturday Bike Day (in June - exact date TBA) at the Thatched House, with a bike display / show in the car park, Steve the Landlord will be laying on a BBQ, we'll have our Wakefield MAG stand and the legendary Huddersfield MAG Top Box Sale (on tour) will be joining us so lots of opportunities to bag some bargain bike gear.
Still lots of planning to be done but hopefully you'll be able to join us in June, to help celebrate MAG's 50th and Wakefield MAG's 21st birthdays.
The Leeds and Bradford MAG AGM was held on 6th February 2023, where their long standing rep Richard 'Manny' Manton stepped down due to work pressures. Unfortunately, no body else put themselves forward to be voted in as local rep so the branch is now left without a representative.
The Leeds and Bradford MAG committee now looks like this:
Keith Maven is acting as a branch contact in the interim and they will still meet at the Royal Hotel in Pudsey - 1st Tuesday (business) and 3rd Tuesday (social). For the business meetings, it will depend much more on members bringing areas of interest along to keep it alive, in the absence of an elected rep. They also still have an elected political officer to maintain dialogue with Leeds City Council (who are notoriously anti-bike). However, they won't be hosting as many events and fundraising activities during 2023 (although a couple of volunteers have offered to run the Lineham Farm egg and toy runs). In my 21 years of being active in Yorkshire MAG, Leeds has always been a leading strong group within the region, so it's a shame the group is unable (temporarily hopefully) to continue as an 'active' MAG group.
The vacant positions remain open if anyone lives in the Leeds / Bradford area and would like to volunteer.
10) Forthcoming Events (for March and beyond)
Sunday 12th March - Yorkshire Region Meeting
11:00-13:00 at Breighton Ferry, Breighton, Selby, YO8 6DH
Sunday 12th March - Magic Action Promotions (Yorkshire Region Rallies) Meeting
13:30-15:30 at Breighton Ferry, Breighton, Selby, YO8 6DH
Sunday 19th March - Wakefield Hospice 10K road race marshalling
See Above
Tuesday 28th March - Wakefield MAG March Social - Event TBC
Tuesday 4th April - Last donation day for the Easter Egg Collection (in aid of Wakefield based Charity Kidzaware)
See Above
Tuesday 25th April - Wakefield MAG April Social - Event TBC
Friday 28th - Sunday 30th April - Into the Valley (ITV) Rally
See Above. www.mapevents.co.uk
Sunday 30th April - Wakefield Classic & American Car & Bike Show
Held in Wakefield City Centre, 10:30 onwards
Monday 1st May - Wakefield MAG May Day Bike Show
See Above.
Friday 16th - Sunday 18th June - Farmyard Party (FYP) Rally
See Above. www.mapevents.co.uk
Friday 4th - Sunday 6th August - Yorkshire Pudding Rally (YPR)
See Above. www.mapevents.co.uk
See the events page for further details and more !!!
That's all for this month, hope to see you all soon.
Ride Safe .. Ride Free
Steve Travis
Chairman
Wakefield MAG
0772 078 4734
Wakefield MAG meet at the Thatched House, Stanley, Wakefield at 8:00pm every Tuesday. New (and Old) faces are always welcome.