BlueLady has got me thinking...............

[Andy M]

First of all, my thanks to SteveH for offering to continue to manage the web site. If you would re-instate the PayPal for the £6-00 fee, I would be only to happy to make the annual contribution.

Here here!!
and

Ditto!

Steffan

Seconded.

Hang on though chaps this is a riders club. If we wanted to have sub-comittees, bingo every tuesday and an annual ten-pin bowling match against the Honda-4 club we could all go join the BMW brigade. The fact is that this club might exist mostly on the internet, but it exists for the sole purpose of representing what's actually a group of minorities within the bike world. You won't find anyone else wanting to ride a 500 Bullet in January to a campsite and then go for a pint of ODB to talk about camping stoves unless you are very very lucky. Bullet people are mostly polishers or mecano men who'll want to pull you for fitting a headlight that works and half the people who'll want to ride in January will only be interested if you own something Orange with a 57-inch seat height (and they tend to only do it once)!

I don't see any decline in the club simply because we are using what little free time we have (between new job and wedding plans in my case) to ride. The chances of an organised event landing where it will work for a lot of us is a pipe dream. The big events like the Dragon or Elefant are in fixed slots that you can work round, families expect you to make room for them, so they happen. It's great to know when you get there that you'll have some mates there or due to be there. That to me is what the club is about rather than worrying that we don't have a full TC specific events callender.

Now, how you grow such a group to replace the people who move on is another matter. Personally I think it has to be by word of mouth as 90% of people joining a club at something like Stafford will expect the whole Bike Mag and bingo experience which you are right, we don't deliver. I think we get more permanant recruits via the likes of Yahoo where people actively take part in conversations with our members and decide they like the feel of the club.

Now, if the insurance and H&S thing is killing us, perhaps it might be time to think of some new status as an interest group or some other non-club, non-legal entity, but if our £6 a year pays the bills I for one am happy enough and will drop the TC name in any relevant conversation where we might get a new member (for example we'll be placed in the National Rally standings).

Don't give up chaps, it isn't all that bad 

Andy

[Bill Rutter]

I joined the club in  late 2001 and made my first visit in February 2002 at the Bristol Bike Show on my SLR. It was great to meet such friendly people and this encouraged me to attend the Annual Rally and other events such as Stafford in the October of that year. Great I thought, all these places to ride to on my  new bike. 2004 was better still what with Colin's excellent Crewkerne meet. I thought then that the TC was really taking off. But that seems to have been the peak, we are down to just the one event. We're not going to attract new members with this sort of events calender are we? Look at BlueLady.  And most folk would want more than just an internet forum for their subscription, with all due respect to Steve's excellent efforts.
Now then, who's up for an  seriously informal, come-at-your-own-risk, get-together near Billingshurst next year? (can I say that?)

                                                 

[Steve H]

Now then, who's up for an  seriously informal, come-at-your-own-risk, get-together near Billingshurst next year? (can I say that?)
                                           

If that coincided with Brighton Speed Weekend (is that the name) I could be keen

[guest18]

Got to agree with Steffan, I was pondering how to explain my thoughts and he's hit most of them bang on, cheers mate! 

As others have said, many of us are time poor. I'm going to be completely out of circulation for most of the next 7 or eight months, but I'll try to drop into the (excellent) forum (cheers Steve) and contribute what little I can to the many people who drop by with questions.
For some of us one (main) meeting a year is fine, I just can't afford the time/travel/fuel to ride 700-1,000 miles plus too often 
As (yet more) others have pointed out, one of the good things here is to have a disparate group of friends who are prepared to help each other out, I regularly see offers of places to kip, lend of bikes etc etc. Complete strangers have sent me info, told me how to fix washing machines, offered me stuff to buy...(and news on the comp Steve?  )To me that *is* the club! So what if we don't meet up often, Stanley only had to meet Livingstone once in Africa for us all to remember the greeting 
The last annual rally was small, but no worse for that (damn good in fact). Things change, let's not give up a great group if we don't have to.

Oh and can next years meet up be after May please wherever it is? So I can play 

[Bill Rutter]

Do you know Steve, I think I could work something around that. Good idea mate. Brighton, as you know, is around 25 miles from Bilingshurst which would make for a good day out. I shall give this further thought and discuss it with Terry Lee as he is a local too. I shall recce the Bat & Ball pub and see what the amenities are (I think they are pretty good) and try to find out if this meet would work. I can't see why not.

[Steve H]

I shall recce the Bat & Ball pub

I used to camp there when I was a kid, should bring a few memories back.

[Steve H]

(and news on the comp Steve?  )

If you mean the bike competition from some time ago, then my plead is not guilty. I could go on but I wont

[guest18]

(and news on the comp Steve?  )

If you mean the bike competition from some time ago, then my plead is not guilty. I could go on but I wont

Oooops, no, not at all! I meant computer, and it was meant for Steve L not you mate, sorry for any offence 

[Bill Rutter]

Just remembered GC mentioning a possible meet at the Three Magpies pub in August. Is this still going ahead, 'cos I'll need to be putting in for time off work?

[Steve Lake]

Right.............'tis true...i have been a bit of a lurker of late.....and mainly an 'internet' member...geography dictates that it is difficult in terms of time and mileage for me to attend most get togethers.
That said.....all the previous posts have a great deal of sense....and the volume and size of the posts show there is considerable interest in keeping the show on the road.....so.............

with apologies to the late Jack Kennedy.......I won't ask what the club can do for me...I will ask what I can do for the club???

I'd be happy to organise a local get together, somewhere within reasonable reach of people in the East.

What else needs doing.....I can find time to do some management/organising .... please let me know

AND.....i'd be happy to organise the club 2009 rally.....just let me know

It's got to worth us all pulling in the same direction

SteveL

[Bill Rutter]

Well done SteveL, I hope people haven't mistaken my original post as criticism of anybody in particular. It's just that things are so quiet. I understand completely that family and work commitments preclude many from attending meets but if we could get a few up and running throughout the year (say the Annual, a Northern meet and one in Wales/South West )perhaps there would be something for everybody. Then again others like Steve Dalby would attend all of them if he could. If you missed the Annual there is nothing, clubwise, to look forward to (unless someone takes on Stafford).

[Steve Lake]

(and news on the comp Steve?  )

Ermm...yes...as a matter of fact there is....I have the offending item in my car...collected it yesterday.....but the client (read clot) forgot to bring in the power supply....so will be picking that up next tuesday....then it's sort out a repair (sorry, these things do take some time), now, if you're still interested let me know....I will of course give you a proper quote once a repair is organised....and then you can decide if you still want it
cheers
SteveL

[002]

Oooer ! Wots going on here then ?
Havent been on for a while as my comp has had a few Hiccups !

Anyways I agree with Steffan....so there !

And why dont a few people do as we have done at Llanthony Priory !
Find a tidy camp site with decent pub nearby and have a "Get Together".
I know we have done this in November,and Easter but being a little boisterous there are not too many people around to upset !
Of course not everyone can turn up all of the time.
I for one have had to miss out on a few things this year due to one reason and another.
On the whole it is a very good crowd,when we do get together we have a bloody good time no matter how many in attendance.

Jethro

[guest40]

OH another thingy...
you lot have only just started to warm up from spring thaw and winter. That would slow things down hey?


OOOOPS Sorry, thats as warm as it gets.... 
forecast 24C tomorrow here. Might get out for a ride.

[Steffan]

Don't forget to rug up warm Kurt, what with winter temperatures mate.

Steffan
getting all misty eyed..oh, no, sorry its the weather again.