Midland Region Spring 2006 Report

Hello Folks

Please Note: I have been advised that all lunch dates circulated for 2006 are listed in error as Thursday dates. I confirm that all lunches will be on Wednesdays one day before the dates given on that list. The dates shown on the website are correct.

The second amendment is to the lunch venue for June. It will now be at The Beehive Centre Rosliston, a few miles south of Burton-on –Trent. It is at the southern end of the village, in a small lane that leads to Botany Bay and Lullington. On the O.S Derby&Burton map the Ref is 250162. This has been amended on the website.

The third amendment (sounds like the American constitution) is to my proposed end-to-end-to-end. Due to family considerations, it is now a Bromsgrove Lands-End Bromsgrove departing Bromsgrove Tuesday 4th April 2006. It has now been officially accepted as a fund raising charity ride for the R.N.L.I.

Now to business. At the December lunch at Worcester was Mike and Jacqui Davey who motored over from Ludlow and me. Lunch at the Garden Centre was a bit indifferent so I shall be looking for an alternative to Worcester.

January’s lunch at Upton Barns was a real cracker! By prior arrangement Morgan Reynolds led the run very gently through traffic free local lanes with Dennis Heges Alison and Martin Purser and me fighting to stay on his wheel! Arriving back at the ‘Barn’ we found Greta Spiers, Jim Hopper, George Mills now recovering from an illness, mention lunch and you will always find Pat Kenny as well. Unfortunately we took the ‘Barn’ by surprise not being prepared for so many visitors they said they would do their best; it was a pretty damn good best. I now have a contact number to give them notice of our next invasion.

February 12th found forty three members, wives and friends enjoying the Midland Region Annual Lunch at the Millers Arms at Sibson. My opinion is that this is one of the most pleasant venues we have ever had the lunch at and I am sure everyone will join me in congratulating Greta on a job very, very well done.

February’s lunch was a bit different. One of our regular attendees couldn’t make this one, so he sent his wife! on a bike. Barbara wife of Paul Arnold impressed me with her particularly smooth, easy pedalling, but felt that she was holding Tony Green and me back. Just in case anyone else would feel the same as Barbara and therefore not come on the rides, I would say give us a try, these rides are social rides NOT events. During the ride we passed a rider on horseback. His seemingly serious enquiry about our trikes and were could he find one should have him searching the web-site. Our arrival at ‘The Spiders Web Café’ Cosford was perfectly timed for a 12.30 lunch, in the company of Jim Hopper, Norman Danby, and Jim Ithell recently returned from a training camp in Spain. He didn’t actually say training camp he just looked fast, one to watch this season.

The May lunch listed as Loughborough does not yet have a meeting point, I know nothing of the area so I need suggestions for a lunch venue, which will then be listed on the web-site.

While I was doing duty at the local bike shop, Janet the lady who had joined us for the Ludlow lunch enquiring about trikes came in. She tells me that the Di Blassi folding trike she bought is very heavy and despite being nervous when there are cars about she is persisting, and increasing the length of her rides. Hopefully she will bite the bullet and join us for another lunch, and not feel inadequate because of the type of machine she rides. Equally hopeful that the information passed on to Rita Marshall of Plymouth helped her with her search for a trike suitable for ‘track and path’ did you find what you wanted? Rita.

Visiting a cycle jumble yesterday with Norm Fenn proved what I wrote last year about jumbles being a good place to find trikies, or are we all just ‘taters’ at heart, one mans junk is another’s treasure etc. Paul Arnold was there (did Barbara know) with a friend who had recently bought a trike, and will almost certainly become a member.

An early reminder! The Midland Region A.G.M will take place after the Stan Spelling event not after the Jenny Noad.

All for now, I think. Phone for a chat Mac Timmis 01527 879974 or email mactimmis@hotmail.co.uk