October is a significant month for TVAM. It marks the end of our financial year, so a time to reflect on our achievements. It also marks the beginning of the end of the riding season, as the weather starts to turn – although we seem to have had more fair weather in the last couple of weeks than we had all summer! It’s a good time to try and get things done before we hang up our boots for winter (although the Club, of course, continues to have ride outs and events all year round). Associates – get out there and pass your test; Green Team members – get that Advanced Plus you’ve been meaning to book, booked; and Observers – get that Aardvark “ticked off” if you still have one outstanding.
This edition of “From the Saddle” is a poignant one for me – it will be my penultimate. After much soul-searching I have decided to step down as Chief
Observer at the AGM in January. Why? When I took up the mantle last January and was truly humbled having been elected by you all, I did so in good faith, intent on completing the usual five-year term. A few things in my life have changed since then, however.
First, the day job continues to take its toll. I routinely work 60 hours per week, I don’t have the option of flexible working and so commute into London every
weekday. Recently I was offered an exciting opportunity abroad but unfortunately that opportunity fell away. It did, however, plant the seed for me having to step down as Chief Observer and I have given this a lot of thought since. As it happens, I have just been given an expanded portfolio at work, so I can’t see my workload easing anytime soon. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Second, family life has taken a different direction. My significant other lives in Germany so I am spending more of my weekends travelling back and forth. It also makes spending time on “bike club stuff” more challenging when we do have time together.
Finally, there is the role itself. Being Chief Observer is a huge privilege and comes with significant responsibilities. While I knew many of these when I took the role on, I hadn’t fully appreciated the enormity of it all. It is testament to the huge contribution previous post holders have made but also an example of how the Club has grown in size and complexity.
One thing I wish to leave in my albeit short legacy is a clear role description for the Chief Observer along with the sort of experiences that would help someone step into the breach. This seems only fair.
I’m trying not to feel that I’ve let the Club down. This is the right thing for me to do and, ultimately, it is also the right thing for TVAM. Who was it that said “better quit while you’re ahead” and all that?
I will happily stay on and support the Club in any way that I can and have already agreed to take over the ABC course from Chris Caswell next year. I recognised the huge achievements of Chris and of Graham Jones, who have between them run and administered ABC for 14 years, in my announcement at last month’s St Crispin’s and want to do so again in print here. I’m also keen to get out on the bike more, either as an Observer, Observer Assessor, or just to get out on some social rides.
So, I’m sorry but there it is. Now, if I haven’t put you all off, the Club is seeking expressions of interest from anyone who might wish to cast their hat into the ring, and stand for election as Chief Observer at the AGM. Please come forward and speak to either myself or to Barrie.
While I have finger to keyboard, I also want to thank Alan Mossman for taking on the printing and distribution of Slipstream. If he’s done his job well, you didn’t notice last month and won’t again this time!
My continued thanks to everyone that helped at St Crispin’s last month. It was the first time we used the “refectory in a tent”, which I think worked quite well. I’m not sure how we’ll manage when the weather is bad but we will see. Finally, just a reminder please that for anyone leaving St Crispin’s to please use the far exit nearest London Road. This is part of the agreement we have with the school and I was somewhat amazed by the number of riders going straight through the coned off areas. Maybe we need bigger cones!
Adrian Ellison
Chief Observer
