Dear Wakefield MAG Member,
Welcome to the Wakefield MAG e-newsletter. If you can't attend our Wednesday meetings regularly, it's the next best thing to keep you up to date with what we are up to.
CONTENTS
1) Justine Travis Obituary
2) MAG Annual General Conference
3) July (Memorial) Rideout
4) May Day Bike Show Report
5) Yorkshire Pudding Rally
6) Call for YPR Marshals
7) MAG welcomes New DVSA videos
8) Fleur de Lys Classic Vehicle Show
9) MAG refuses to back down on ULEZ
10) Forthcoming Events (for July and beyond)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of Wakefield MAG's original members, Justine Travis, on 31st May, after a short battle with Ovarian Cancer. Justine's obituary can be found Here.
2) MAG Annual General Conference
The 2019 MAG Annual General Conference is being held on Saturday 28th September, and is being hosted by the 3 West Yorkshire MAG Groups - Leeds, Huddersfield and Wakefield !!!
We have booked a superb venue for the AGC with the conference room at Shaw Cross Sharks ARLFC, Leeds Road, Shaw Cross, Dewsbury WF12 7HP (easy to find from whichever compass point of the UK you are coming from). The venue also includes on-site camping in a secure area, with toilets and showers, and there are plenty of hotels and Bed and Breakfast accommodation, to suit all budgets, within a short distance. Entertainment will be on both evenings: Friday 27th September - Biker Quiz and Live Acoustic Sets from Kelly Ann Bolland; Saturday 28th September - Post AGM Party with Live Music from The Interiorz.
One AGC planning meeting has already taken place and the next is scheduled for Thursday 11th July at 7pm at Shaw Cross Sharks (all MAG members welcome). We will need lots of volunteer marshals to help the event go smoothly so please get involved and offer your services. Keep the date(s) free and watch this space for further information and details of the help needed. Let's together make the West Yorkshire AGC an event to remember !!!!
Our July Rideout, which is traditionally our annual Memorial rideout, will be held on Sunday 14th July, and is dedicated to the Memory of dear friends and ex-Members of the Branch who are sadly no longer with us. Of course, this year it has a particularly significant meaning. Martin has planned a learner friendly very scenic 'long way round' route to Whitby and 10,000 acres of clear blue sky is guaranteed (well, OK, we can't guarantee the last bit ... but we can live in hope !!!). Usual Rideout rules apply. Meet 8:30am (leaving at 09:00am) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT. Hope to see you there.
Check out the event report Here.
Now the FYP is out of the way for another year, we have the splendid Yorkshire Pudding Rally to look forward to, held at Estrick Estate, Estrick, nr Selby/York, on 2nd - 4th August.
The Most Chilled Rally on the Calendar:
The Yorkshire Pudding offers a friendly chilled atmosphere with great weather (usually !!!). It has two marquees for entertainment, one hosting a big stage with bands playing both nights and a comedy show during the day on Saturday. The other smaller marquee is a more chilled real ale marquee with a small stage with artists playing both evenings. A great selection of traders selling bike related stuff and food vans selling top notch food from pizza, fish and chips, burgers and curry, to donuts. As with all our rallies we make sure the best toilet providers work twenty four hours a day to keep everything clean and fresh for you. All our rallies have twenty four hour litter pickers so none of our sites have a litter build up.
Wakefield MAG still have tickets for sale but these will sell out shortly. Remember, the Yorkshire Pudding Rally is a Pre-Book only event, with no 'On the Gate' ticket sales, therefore, if you want to go to this most splendid rally, you have no option other than to get your tickets in advance (and don't leave it until the last minute as this event always sells out once the dust has settled from the FYP ....
.... Don't say you haven't been warned !!!
Tickets for the YPR are Twenty Five Pounds (or a Saturday Ticket Option of Eighteen Pounds) and available at our Wednesday meetings (for the time being anyway) ... Be quick if you want some.
Marshals Registration for the Yorkshire Pudding Rally 2019 is now open.
Please note the deadline for registration is Friday 12th July, and you will receive confirmation of your shifts by Monday 15th July.
It would help us tremendously if you opt to work more than one 4-hour shift and left it to our discretion as to when and where you work. We will do our best to try and make sure that you have one night off with friends. If you need certain times off or there are areas not suited to you we will also try to accommodate this as much as possible, but please try to be as flexible as you can.
At the event: We ask that could you please ensure you register your arrival on site with marshal's admin to collect a marshal's wristband (giving access to marshals camping). This is to let us know you have arrived even if your shifts are not till later in the day/weekend.
Please help us to make sure you get the rewards you are entitled to from the marshal's package - 15 minutes prior to the start of each shift please report to marshal's admin, and then return after your shift to collect your thank you package.
All shifts will be 4 hours long but in one or two cases a 6-hour shift may be allocated and this will be treated as a 2 shifts for the marshal's package. The thank you package ensures that you are fed and watered and if you work 2 or more shifts, you get a free event T Shirt, and 3 or more, you get free entry to the event.
The site will be open to pre-registered marshals from Wednesday 31st July 2019, for those helping with set-up. All marshals are welcome from Thursday 1st August 2019. Thank you for volunteering to support this event, without you they would not happen.
To register to marshal, go to the rally web site, go to the 'Marshal at Event' link at the top of the page and follow the instructions.
7) MAG welcomes New DVSA videos
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has welcomed news of an initiative to help learner drivers be more aware of motorcycles on the road.
A new set of training aids in the form of videos has been launched by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The realistic computer-generated videos aim to encourage learner drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists, and have been made with the help of road safety campaigner and keen biker Ria Brisland. Ria's 19-year-old son, Nick, died in April 2015 after being involved in a collision with a car while riding his motorcycle.
The videos will become part of DVSA's official learning materials and education products.
Michael Ellis, Road Safety Minister, said: "After reading Ria's story and her concerns for fellow bikers, I was determined to help her and I am delighted that these clips will now be seen by millions of learners, helping improve road safety."
MAG's Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown said: "The MAIDS research project showed that about 70% of the main causes of collisions involving a motorcycle and another vehicle are attributable to the driver of the other vehicle failing to spot the motorcycle. There is only so much that a motorcyclist can do to raise his or her visibility; we are always reliant on other road users taking the time and remembering to consciously look for motorcycles. Hopefully these new training videos will help new drivers to learn this important habit. 'Sorry mate, I didn't see you' is a phrase that deserves to go out of common use as soon as possible."
8) Fleur de Lys Classic Vehicle Show
The annual gathering of classic vehicles organised by the Fleur de Lys Classic Vehicle Society will be held on Friday 5th July at Clarence Park, Wakefield, from 4pm to dusk. All vehicles are welcome and to be classified as a classic they must be aged over 25 years old ie. Manufactured in or pre-1992.
Enjoy a summer's evening in the Park wth some wonderful classic vehicles and enthusiasts. Entry is free for spectators.
More details at: fleurdelyscvs.org/
9) MAG refuses to back down on ULEZ
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has received a belated response from Transport for London following two formal letters to Mayor Sadiq Khan. Following a review of the response, MAG continues to press for greater clarity and common sense to be applied.
MAG wrote formally to Sadiq Khan in March, ahead of the 8th April launch of the Mayor's ULEZ (Ultra Low Emmission Zone). The initial letter requested a delay to implementation of charges for Powered Two Wheelers (PTWs). There was no formal response. MAG wrote again on 25th April calling for a suspension of charges. A response was finally received from Alex Williams, Director of City Planning at TfL dated 22nd May 2019. The six page letter concludes by stating "We cannot therefore meet your request that motorcycles be exempt from ULEZ charges." Going on to say "I trust this answers all of your queries and I look forward to working with you to prepare motorcyclists for the expansion of the ULEZ in October 2021".
Selina Lavender (MAG Chair) commented "Whilst the letter was lengthy it carried no real substance, and failed to address the issues that we raised in a meaningful way. A further round of virtue signalling and dismissive attitude fails to come close to acceptability in the eyes of our membership."
MAG has therefore responded to Mr Williams with an eight page letter crammed full with hard facts and analysis of the weak comments made in Williams' letter.
MAG's Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, commented: "To me it is self-evident that decisions are being made by TfL that simply cannot be defended. The revelations about the COPERT modelling flaws even lead to a comment from Williams that it was MAG that was mistaken on the issue of degradation factors. This demonstrates that Mr Williams has not even looked at the model data that TfL claim to evidence motorcycle emissions. Indeed my ongoing communications with EMISIA, the company that designed the modelling software, has revealed that they 'could not locate the original study where the NO2 emissions originated from.' For TfL to claim this modelling data as evidence is laughable."
MAG's Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Lembit Öpik, said: "If TfL and the Mayor think this issue will simply go away, they are very much mistaken. We hope that Client Earth and others are following this case with interest. If they are not, they should be. Sadiq and his team are actively attacking proposals and policies that would accelerate the reduction of NO2 on the streets of London. This simply does not fit with the claim that he is leading the way on reducing emissions in the shortest time possible. The only thing his 'hard hitting' policy is hitting, is the pockets of the very Londoners he claims to work for. He is letting NO2 off the hook."
In response to Alex Williams closing remark, the letter from MAG concludes: "The Motorcycle Action Group looks forward to working with TfL to achieve the correct outcome of exemption for all motorcycles from the expansion of ULEZ in October 2021, allied with a policy to positively promote modal shift from single-occupancy cars to motorcycles."
10) Forthcoming Events (for July and beyond)
Friday 5th July - Fleur de Lys Classic Vehicle Show
See Above. 4pm-dusk, Clarence Park, Wakefield. Free for spectators. More details at: fleurdelyscvs.org/
Sunday 14th July - Wakefield MAG Memorial Rideout (Destination: Whitby)
See Above. Meet 8:30am (leaving at 09:00am) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT
Wednesday 31st July - Wakefield MAG Evening Rideout (Destination: TBC)
Meet at Redbeck Cafe, Doncaster Road, Crofton from 18:00 onwards, leaving at 18:30
Friday 2nd August - Sunday 4th August - Yorkshire Pudding Rally (YPR)
See Above. www.yorkshirepuddingrally.co.uk
Sunday 11th August - Wakefield MAG Rideout (Destination: TBC)
Meet 8:30am (leaving at 09:00am) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT.
Wednesday 28th August - Wakefield MAG Evening Rideout (Destination: TBC)
Meet at Redbeck Cafe, Doncaster Road, Crofton from 18:00 onwards, leaving at 18:30
Friday 30th August - Sunday 1st September - NE MAG's 29th Stormin' The Castle 2019
Custom Bike Show, 15+ Bands on 2 stages, 3 bars including Hogoblin Real Ale Bar, all the usual entertainment & more. Check website for more details: www.storminthecastle.co.uk
Ticket: Adults £35, OTG £45, Prebook day ticket £25 & kids £10. Witton Castle Country Park, Witton-Le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 0DE
Sunday 8th September - Wakefield MAG Rideout (Destination: TBC)
Meet 8:30am (leaving at 09:00am) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT.
Wednesday 25th September - Wakefield MAG Social Night - Event: TBA
20:30 in the Grey Horse, Kirkgate, Wakefield
Saturday 28th September - MAG Annual General Conference (hosted by West Yorkshire MAG - Leeds, Huddersfield and Wakefield)
See Above.
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 Grey Horse, Kirkgate, Wakefield at 8:30pm every Wednesday. New (and Old) faces are always welcome.