Tag: tvam

Special Christmas Membership Offer

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

IAM Skills for Life Christmas Offer

Thinking of joining our great biking club? – The Skills for Life package normally costs £139 including all the training, books and your test fee – but we have a special offer if you sign up before Christmas.

The discounted price for sign-up before Christmas is only £125 – a saving of 10% on the normal price – and, what’s more, you will get 18, not 12, months membership of the IAM and still all the coaching, the books, the ride outs and an annual membership of the most active biking club in the UK! – TVAM.

We have a limited number of these special offer packages from the IAM – so don’t leave it too long –the offer expires at Christmas.

Why not print this off and leave it lying around as a hint for that Christmas present!

And – you get free RAC membership too!!  You can donate that membership to someone else in your family – another Christmas present sorted!!

There’s more information at www.iam.org.uk/about/membership or contact us for more information.

Chocks Away… what a great day!

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

A great day was had by all, even with a damp start. Thirteen teams dashed around the countryside in an attempt come out on top. All will be revealed soon when the points have been counted. This year’s Events Team Challenge award will be presented at St Crispin’s on 21st October.

 

NATIONAL RALLY RESULTS

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

Congratulations to the TVI’s (Thame Village Idiots) who came 2nd in the teams’ category of The National Rally, all achieving Platinum.

The team of three, Martin Cragg,  Chris Bowler and Simon Rawlins pictured above are all from GNATS.

Other participants from the club were Peter Dowlen (team Petits Pois) who competed with some fellow balloonists and team Slob Go Mob Handed,  Jonathan Switzman, Tony Foreman and Simon Dickinson, all of whom achieved Gold.

Well done to you all.

Skills for Life this Summer?

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

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 As the name suggests, better riding is not a one-time benefit but a real skill for life.

Recognising that the majority of collisions are caused by driver or rider error, the IAM Advanced Driving Test has the specific objective of significantly improving driving standards and is accredited by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). The Advanced Riding Test is not exclusively about safety, but encourages the rider to feel confident on the road, to make good progress, and to get greater enjoyment from the experience.

To date, over 400,000 people have taken the Advanced Test, the pass rate is around 75%, and we currently have over 100,000 active IAM members.

The IAM Skill for Life package contains everything you need to get your riding skills up to speed.

  • An initial assessment with an IAM Observer from an IAM group local to you
  • As many rides as required to get you to ‘test ready’ standard
  • The definitive guide to advanced riding techniques ‘How to be a better rider’
  • Membership of your local IAM bike group, with invitations to group events
  • Full preparation for your Advanced Riding Test
  • Your Advanced Riding Test undertaken with a qualified examiner
  • An IAM Advanced Riding Certificate on passing the test
  • 12-month membership of the national IAM, which includes:
    • Our award winning membership magazine ‘Advanced Driving’
    • Access to a host of membership benefits, privileges and discounts
    • Special insurance discounts and policy cover once you have passed – Click here for more details.
    • Access to the members-only area of this website (for special events, services and member offers)

PLUS every Skill for Life course now comes with 12 months FREE RAC roadside and recovery cover (£106 RRP) so there has never been a better time to become a better rider! 

As a charitable organisation, the whole Skill for Life package is available for only £139*.

To find out more –  contact us

Times Past 2

Posted on | by Steve Dennis | 2 Comments on Times Past 2

Another BAM (Basingstoke Advanced Motorcyclists) photo for you to ponder. This has come via Robin Crane:

Basingstoke Advanced Motorcyclists

Click on the image for the full-sized version.

Robin Crane up front and centre with his “Chief Observer’s Notepad” (do we still have these?).

Who are the others and what was the occasion? (Use the Comments section below)

Times Past… (Update 29-May-2012)

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

As the recently appointed “Club Historian” (OK, all I did was volunteer to gather and write up the history of TVAM for the “About Us” page on the website), I have here the first of many (I hope) contributions and am looking for info on this picture.

Basingstoke Advanced Motorcyclists Beech Hill Village Hall 1991

Kindly provided by Tony Roper, it shows a meeting of the “Basingstoke Advanced Motorcyclists”, sometime in summer 1991 at Beech Hill Village Hall.

If anyone recognises themselves, their friends, their bikes or their friend’s bikes, please let me know at webmaster@tvam.org or post a comment below.

More old photos and anecdotes required please!

 

Update: 29th May 2012 (from Robin Crane)

The Red Laverda RGS1000 that you can see in the drive (albeit obscured by someone admiring it!) is mine. I think the person who is obscuring it (back to camera) is Jan Janiurek, and it’s his Ducati (750 sport) which is parked tail to nose with my Laverda.

Just to the right of Jan, and to the right with purple-y top and hands in rear pockets I do believe is Jane Janiurek, Jan’s wife.

They were both Observers whilst I was Chief Observer.

The silver BMW “brick” on the left was Ian Garrard’s and has Bob Pearse leant over it looking at a map (black/red/white jacket) – and I think that’s Ian (that you can’t see!) next to him – I remember the grey top section of his jacket, which you can see . Bob was my assistant Chief Observer for a while…….

Behind and to the right of the Ducati is Nigel Fowler (in shirtsleeves) holding a notepad, with his son Mark and I’m pretty sure that’s me with dark glasses that he’s talking to (with the flash of blue/white something around neck). This is probably taken at a time when Nigel was still Chief Observer.

 

Lois Pryce – Adventure Motorcyclist

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

April 4th 2012 at The Masonic Centre, 7 Reading Road, Wokingham, RG41 1ED.

“I can’t quite remember how it all started, but back in 2000 the combination of itchy feet and a recently acquired motorcycle licence had put ideas in my head. Initial investigations soon pointed me firmly in the direction of Chris Scott’s Adventure Motorcycling Handbook and thus, my plan to motorcycle from Alaska to the tip of South America was born.” 

And subsequently, Lois Pryce’s Lois on the Loose adventure travel book about her epic solo journey on a 250cc motorcycle. You heard about this motorcycling adventure on her last visit to us two years ago.

Not content to stop there, on October 14th 2006 Lois left the UK to ride the length of Africa. She’d always fancied the challenge of motorcycling across the Dark Continent and it certainly turned out to be an adventure. Ten-thousand miles and four months later she rolled into Cape Town, just about in one piece! Red Tape and White Knuckles is funny, chilling and inspiring! Lois will be relating the adventures of this trip on April 4th (see Slipstream for details or visit the online calendar).

Lois is still thrill-seeking these days with her husband Austin Vince of Mondo Enduro fame on a Ural sidecar motorcycle.

Lois has also partnered with Horizons Unlimited, the motorcycle adventure travel resource people, to create a Ladies on the Loose video interviewing many women who are adventuring around the globe.

She and Austin are also busy with the Adventure Travel Film Festival, now being held in two venues in the US and also in Australia and the UK.

Find out more about Lois on her website Lois on the Loose.

See you there on the 4th April – 7.30pm doors open – 8.00pm kick-off.

TVAM New Year Ball Auction and Raffle

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

held on Saturday 21st January 2012 at The Wellington, Stratfield Turgis

We would like to thank all those who donated prizes for the Auction and Raffle. Without your participation we would not have been able to raise £935 which goes to support the work of Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance. 

Auction

Hot Air Balloon Flight for Two
– up and away with balloonist Peter Dowlen

Silver Torque Bangle
– a unique item of jewellery, designed and made by Gary Peacock

Raffle Prizes donated by:

California Superbike School, Rapid Training, GS Motorcycle Tyres, Bahnstormer Motorcycles, Hughenden M40, Hein Gericke (Reading), Hein Gericke (Slough), Pro Bike (Newbury), Hatfields of Crowthorne, Berkshire Motorcycles, Bulldog Triumph, Reading Honda, Ultimate Ear, Norman Larkin (Ultraseal), Poppy Bowler, Helen Gardom, Nigel Taylor, Richard Tickner, Andy Wedge, Richard Clauson, Central Studios, Nesta Livesey, Geoff Norman, Steph Monger, Guy Lipscomb, Salli Griffith and Amanda Coneley.

Other miscellaneous gifts were brought on the night so a big thank you to those who donated them.