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) Bingo Night Report
2) Caths Leaving Do Report
3) Membership Drive
4) Yorkshire Region AGM
5) MAG represents FEMA in International Working Group
6) Kidzaware Christmas Toy Collection
7) Biker Quiz Nite
8) Remembrance Sunday
9) Christmas Do
10) Forthcoming Events (for November and beyond)
Check out the event Report: Here
Check out the event Report: Here
Our branch membership (defined by virtue of being a fully paid up MAG member (Full / Joint / Family) with a WF postcode) has dropped off a little recently. Funnily enough, that hasn't been seen at any of the Wednesday meetings, which have remained very well attended. However, we do want (nay, need) to maintain a strong MAG membership presence in the Wakefield district - simply put, the more members we have, the greater the difference we can make to riders rights locally (and nationally).
So, to this end, we are launching a major membership recruitment drive. If you are reading this newsletter, and are not a MAG member, or have recently lapsed, please join/re-join. MAG's vital campaigning, which ensures you maintain the freedom to ride your motorcycle without unnecessary rules, restrictions and bureaucracy, is only possible with a strong membership base. If you have a friend or acquaintance who is a rider, or has an interest in powered two wheelers, get them to join also.
You can join MAG at any of our weekly meetings, by phone (0800 988 3193 during office hours), on the Internet (www.mag-uk.org/en/membership/), or by post (MAG UK, Unit C13, Holly Farm Business Park, Honiley, CV8 1NP). Membership fees are £27 (Individual) or £40.50 (Joint). Family Membership is £5.00 per child on either a single or joint adult membership. New members between the ages of 16 and 25 years old receive a £5 discount on first year of MAG membership. Join (or renew) by Direct Debit, then your renewal will be automatic every year, so no risk of a membership lapse.
You don't have to commit to attending meetings regularly or being involved in any other way, by being a MAG member - so, if meetings are not your thing, it's not a barrier to membership so don't let that put you off joining.
Don't forget also, that with Christmas coming up, MAG memberships make excellent Christmas Presents !!
And finally, if you are reading this and you are a current MAG member, Well Done and a huge THANK YOU !!!!
The Yorkshire Region AGM was held on Saturday 7th October 2017, at the Royal Hotel, Pudsey (Leeds MAG's HQ). Wakefield was represented by Steve (Branch Rep), Chas (Deputy Dawg), Ian (Region and Wakefield's Political Officer) and Justine (Branch Finance Officer). The meeting covered a lot of ground and it is apparent that all the local MAG groups are working very hard in the interests of their fellow bikers in God's own County of Yorkshire. Oliver Rose, who's been the Yorkshire rep for the last three years, stepped down and everyone thanked him for all his efforts over those three years.
A number of sizable donations were made by local groups to the Region (both throughout the year and cheques at the AGM itself), including £1,500 from Wakefield MAG.
Along with the other Yorkshire Groups, Wakefield presented our highlights for 2017, which were / are:
A Pretty active year, comprising:
We also gave a blatant plug for our forthcoming events and distributed flyers for the aforementioned events.
Elections were held for the 2018 Regional Committee and duly elected were:
The Tony Berry Memorial Award was presented to Helen and Dave Taylor, Leeds MAG Stalwarts.
All in all, a very positive and productive year has been had by Yorkshire MAG. The only real downside is the number of active MAG groups in Yorkshire has dropped to five, having lost Scarborough and York in 2016 and Barnsley and Doncaster MAG this year. Plans are afoot for expansion however .... watch this space.
Following his election, new Regional Rep Manny said:
"As vice rep for the last two years, I put myself forward to be rep, and was duly voted in. For those who don't know me, I've been Leeds rep for the last seven years and we are very active both politically and socially, so I hope to bring this to the whole Yorkshire region.
As a brief outline, I started riding on an MT5 in 1986, passed my test in 1987 and have ridden ever since. I've owned nearly fifty bikes in this time and I currently ride a BMW 1200GS. I am passionate about all motorcycles and the lifestyle that surrounds them and will do my best to protect and promote motorcycling throughout Yorkshire.
Taking my old role as Yorkshire vice rep is my good friend, Andy Foody who's a Moto Guzzi riding rock god from Huddersfield.
In the political role we are in very safe hands with Steve Bolton and Ian Whittaker, both of who have been negotiating with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the last two years to get a fairer deal for bikers.
Garry Timms has been returned as Treasurer; Garry has been looking after regional finances for a 14 years now, so another pair of very safe hands.
Completing the new committee, we've got Linz Foody as Yorkshire MAG secretary which is a vital role that will hopefully help to keep me sane, as anyone that knows me knows my aversion to computers.
I intend to endeavour to send out regular emails to keep you all informed of what's happening both locally and nationally with MAG.
We're looking to make some changes to MAG in South Yorkshire to hopefully serve the members better; this will be led by Oliver Rose. More details to follow.
We also have a gaping hole in Yorkshire MAG as we currently don't have a group in North Yorkshire. I'd love to see Scarborough or York MAG resurrected or even a completely new group formed in North Yorkshire. To do this we need willing volunteers. It's not a massively onerous task to run a group, it's generally good fun and you can be assured of full support from the other Yorkshire groups. I know Oliver has started the ball rolling in Scarborough so fingers crossed ...... If you fancy having a go, please get in touch with me."
5) MAG represents FEMA in International Working Group
Ian Churchlow, MAG Director and the Group's representative in the Federation of European Motorcyclists Association (FEMA), represented the movement at a major working group on riders' rights recently in Brussels, discussing issues affecting bikers across the European continent and beyond.
Ian says, "this was a joint working group between FEMA and FIM and we met at FEMA Office Brussels on 18th October (2017). We identified many areas where we have common interests and shared concerns. These include motorcycle exhaust sounds and the balance between the damage irresponsible use of the motorcycle throttle and illegal exhausts can make to the image of motorcyclists versus the right to buy an aftermarket exhaust system without undue restrictions."
"We also covered the question of self-driving cars and whether this could lead to further road space limitations, thanks to dedicated autonomous car lanes. We have many position statements on matters including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), motorcycle accident black spots, dangerous roadside crash barriers, motorcycles in the environment, traffic-calming systems and a great deal more. One of the key areas of common interest is finding a better approach to initial training, licence conditions and tests."
Ian believes that FIM, FEMA and FIVA (the federation which protects the interests of users of older vehicles) should adopt single-position statements where possible and externally communicate a united position on major motorcycle issues: "Policies like 'Vision Zero' - the goal of achieving no deaths on the roads at all - are logically and practically problematic, and we discussed options. What's certain is that working together we've got a greater chance of influencing such policies than if working separately. MAG is just one voice in this international working group, but I think everyone feels we have a lot to offer. I'm delighted that we now have a place at the table on these strategic groups."
6) Kidzaware Christmas Toy Collection
Following the success of last years Christmas Toy Collection for Kidzaware, we are hosting another collection for Christmas 2017. We are collecting toys and presents (age range: A few months to early twenties) which we will deliver to the charity on 1st December. We will also need volunteers to help wrap the presents at the charity once they have been sorted and allocated to the children / young adults, based on their respective disabilities.
Please bring along any toys / presents (unwrapped at this stage) to any Wednesday Wakefield MAG meeting, up to and including Wednesday 29th November. If you can't make a meeting but would still like to donate some toys / presents, please let us know, and we'll arrange to collect them from you. Let us know also if you would like to volunteer to help wrap them. Thank you in advance for supporting this most worthwhile local charity.
The legendary and hugely popular Wakefield MAG Bikers Quiz Nite is this month !!!
The quiz will be held at 8:00pm on Wednesday 15th November 2017 at the Grey Horse, Kirkgate, Wakefield, WF1 4EJ. We wont mess with a winning formula so it's the same tried and tested 60 questions, 30 of which will be motorcycle related and 30 will be general knowledge (but there will be a bike related link / theme somewhere, however tenuous). The quiz is hotly contested throughout Yorkshire and the prestigious roll of honour is:
Who will win in 2017 ? .... Leeds Again Probably !
Open to All. £1 entry fee p.p. Team (Max. 5) or individual entry. Great prizes for the winners (1st, 2nd & 3rd), plus booby prize for the least number of correct answers.
And just for a change ....... All proceeds to the MAG Fighting Fund ;-)
Wakefield MAG will be attending en-masse the City of Wakefield Remembrance Sunday Memorial Service on Sunday 12th November. We have attended this service for more years now than we care to remember, to honour the fallen from our own area, in our own area. We will again be laying a Wakefield MAG wreath at the war memorial, that we have already purchased from the Royal British Legion. Following the Wakefield Service, we will be attending (at the invitation of the RBLR), the parade and service in nearby Mirfield - The role of the motorcyclists, is to lead the procession through Mirfield, with the marching bands, service personnel, cadets, veterans, and everyone else following on behind. The remembrance parade culminates in an afternoon service at Mirfield War Memorial. The Mirfield parade is billed as the largest outside London and usually gets covered in the BBC Look North News that evening.
Meet 10:50 (or earlier) at the Wood Street War Memorial in Wakefield for the City of Wakefield Remembrance Sunday Memorial Service. We will then be riding over to the Old Colonial pub in Mirfield, to meet up at 13:00ish with the Royal British Legion Riders (RBLR). We will be leaving the pub at 13:30 for a ride to the Mirfield parade which starts at 14:00, followed by the service at Mirfield War Memorial. As a thank you for attending, food is laid on afterwards at the Old Colonial by landlord Tim. Hope you can attend both and let's have a big turnout of bikes to honour the fallen from all armed conflicts, and to show our respect.
It's not long to Christmas now so time to plug the Wakefield MAG Christmas Do (as if we need an excuse to go on the lash !!!)
Our Christmas do will be held on Saturday 2nd December, starting at the Smokehouse Real BBQ, Wood Street, Wakefield (where we went last year .... and the year before). We have made a provisional booking for 15, but we can always add more numbers. The meal will be at 13:00, and suitably fed, we will venture on to many of the Merrie Cities fine hostelries for multiple goblets of foaming ale. You can come for the meal, or meet us at one of the many pubs in town, or do both ... the choice is yours. Wakefield MAG Christmas Do's are always highly memorable, and if previous years events are any indication, we are in for a jolly good time .... Check out the previous event report(s) if you don't believe me !!!
If you want a reservation making for the meal, let us know (we are collecting deposits now).
Christmas hats and reindeer antlers strictly optional. Hope to see you there.
Smokehouse Wakefield Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Smokehousewoodstreet/
10) Forthcoming Events (for November and beyond)
Sunday 12th November - Wakefield MAG at the City of Wakefield Memorial Sunday Parade & Service
See Above. Meet at 10:50, Wood Street War Memorial, Wakefield. There is a Rideout afterwards to the Royal British Legion Riders Branch event at Mirfield, following our attendance at the Remembrance Service.
Wednesday 15th November - Wakefield MAG 14th Annual Bikers Quiz Nite
See Above.
Saturday 2nd December - Wakefield MAG Christmas Do
See Above.
Wednesday 20th December - Wakefield MAG Social Night (Event TBC, but it will be something suitably festive)
20:30 in the Grey Horse, Kirkgate, Wakefield
Wednesday 10th January 2018 - Wakefield MAG AGM
The Wakefield & District Motorcycle Action Group Branch AGM will be held in the Grey Horse, on Wednesday 10th January 2018, starting at 8:00pm (prompt). All members are invited to attend this special meeting, so please try to attend if you can. At this meeting there will be a review of the year, elections for the branch committee and the prize giving for our branch heroes.
See the events page for further details and more !!!
That's all for this month, and I hope to see you all soon.
Ride Safe .. Ride Free
Steve Travis
Chairman (since the early Carboniferous Period)
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.