Well, at least this month we can accurately call this piece ‘from the saddle’ once more. I hope that you’ve been able to take advantage of the relaxing of the lockdown guidelines to get out on your bike. We are continuing to advise that you build up to lengthy or faster-paced runs, take time to rebuild your skills and continue to bear in mind that we are all acting as ambassadors for motorcycling.

As of 1st June the government guidelines have allowed smaller social runs of up to 6 people, as long as social distancing rules are adhered to, and it’s great to see that some of the local teams have been organising runs on this basis. Although it’s meant  planning the mid-point stops a little more carefully, and sometimes taking their own refreshments, these smaller social runs have proved very popular and enjoyable; I hope you get a chance to join in.

And from 15th June we have been able to conduct Observed Rides once again and I’m very pleased that we can include our Trainee Observers in Observed Rides. For the time being we need to restrict Observed Rides to one Associate. Again, we would advise that you take time to build up your skills.

The current guidelines mean that we can’t unfortunately meet at St Crispin’s or for other social events and meetings. The virtual meetings have been widely used in the club by local teams and the committee and it’s great to see people staying in touch and up to date this way. We will be holding a virtual St. Crispin’s meeting on 21st June at 9:00am (see Zoom link opposite) so please ‘drop in’ to the virtual meeting. The Training Team will be there to answer any questions you might have and also to discuss the Observer Training Programme for anyone that is interested in becoming an Observer.

We have taken the difficult decision to cancel the Observer Weekend this year. This was planned for July, in Wales, and the guidelines mean that this won’t now be possible. We have considered other venues and dates, but our concern for the safety of our members, and the uncertainty over future guidelines, meant that this wasn’t possible. We are holding a short online session for Observers on Saturday 11th July to cover some of the items from that cancelled weekend.

Things are looking up. Although there are still some difficulties around the larger meetings and events, we can resume smaller social rides – and Observed Rides – and these are key activities of the club. We have adopted online virtual meetings far more effectively than most and this has allowed us to stay in touch and up to date. If we are sensible in our approach then we may be able to extend our activities further, as guidelines allow. We will keep you up to date with the latest changes, and how they apply to TVAM, via groups.io and in the meantime enjoy your riding and stay safe.

Best wishes

Chris Brownlee
Chief Observer