NACC Thames Valley Section

Thames Valley Group of the NACC
(A SECTION OF THE NATIONAL AUTOCYCLE AND CYCLEMOTOR CLUB LTD)

STOP PRESS

Due to the New Inn at Stratfield Saye being closed, we will be using a different pub for the Silchester Saunter on September 19th. It will be another New Inn, this time at Heckfield, which is found on the B3349, south of Riseley - contact details are The New Inn, Heckfield, Hampshire. RG27 0LE - check out their website for details if needed.

Check out recent runs for Odiham report

2008 BBQ - no sickie bags requested this year

Welcome one and all to the news page of the Thames Valley Group of the NACC.

We have existed as a group now for over 11 years (and it don't seem a day toooo long), with a steadfast set of bodies who turn up for meetings and events, and some people who just drop by occasionally when they fancy it, which, we feel, is a sign of a healthy group.

There is no leadership or hierarchy system, all members being equal, and no type of funding arrangements, so no problems along those lines. "Thames Valley" really means anyone who fancies a trip out to Reading once a month - we have members coming from about a 30 mile radius. We meet on the last Thursday of every month (December can be a bit iffy, as Christmas can interrupt our otherwiswe happy times! - bah humbug), gathering somewhere around 8 pm in the Black Boy at Shinfield, just south of Reading on the A327. As with all true wimps, many of us arrive on four wheels, although a few stalwarts regularly get a bike of some description out to impress the rest of us. It is at this point that I'd like to stress that you don't need to actually own a cyclemotor or autocycle to join us - just an interest in the subject is all you need, an an ability to exaggerate all the old glory days of what you've been up to with interesting machines - as in "the older I get, the faster I went" mode. We're all experts at it.

Generally speaking, as a group we put on two main runs during the year, the first being the Odiham run in June, and the other being the Silchester Saunter in either September or October. Both are around 20 or so miles long, the Saunter having a much-loved tea stop halfway round to enable riders to re-group and chat AND EAT.

We welcome all sorts of oldish, low-powered machines, although a hardcore (steady boys) of us are rather besotted with the true cyclemotors genre. But we'll talk to anybody. We also get up to other things - we often, although not always, have a BBQ gathering in the summer, a time when most of the ladies attached to cyclemorists can get together and chat about things other than biking, and without the fear of abject boredom for several hours.

We also occasionally attend other local gatherings, like the Barnardos charity bike show, more major country shows, the bigger events like the Festival of a 1000 Bikes, etc, etc. It really is a case of if you fancy going to an event, then go, and promote our cyclemotoring hobby while you're at it, please. Many of us are also VMCC members, and attend a lot of cyclemotor events put on by them ("them" including several of the Black Boy attendees). Advance notice, in the latter respect, is that I have two dates set for 2009 - a revival of the Box Hill run to be held on May 17th, and our Cyclemotor Sussex run is at the the usual pre-Pioneer run time of March 8th.

AS-IT-WAS-BUZZ

Virtually as long as the TVG have been in existence I have wanted to organise a CYCLEMOTOR ONLY run , it would be slow but joyous and one day it will happen ,but when is another question .There are various hurdles, a small one is sorting out a route of about 25 miles of quiet ,pretty and flatish terrain with a decent public house with a sympathetic landlord and large car park .

The larger hurdle was discovered whilst having a nostalgic browse through a box of Buzzing Magazines, that problem being how do you fit a new run into the calendar .This box of our Favourite magazine contains every edition since joining the NACC.That first Buzzing was dated 1994-volume 13- No4 and the collection continues through to the latest dated 2009-volume 28- No 4 and it is in that last edition that the large hurdle rests .A comparison with the 1994 edition and the latest 2009 edition reveal some encouraging statistics... the 1994 Buzzing had just 28 pages compared to the 2009 with 48 pages .

As far as SECTION NEWS is concerned 1994 had 6 the 2009 edition 25 contributions .The results for RUN REPORTS was 3 for the early edition and 6 [ with others held over through lack of space] for the latest edition. One other statistic should you be interested is that the flimsy early edition weighed in at 34 grams the latest a whopping great 89 grams .

Here is where that hurdle resides . . A glimpse of the events calendar indicates the healthy state of the NACC and our chums at the VMCC Cyclemotor Section . With barely a weekend available for any of the new and enthusiastic sections and their members to squeeze in a new event it would appear that interest in our charming cough and splutter end of powered transport has never been greater but how on earth do we fit in our CYCLEMOTOR ONLY run,the AS-IT-WAS-BUZZ?

COLIN

Please feel free to join us at the Black Boy - we'll try to make you feel very welcome.
If you need to phone about anything, please use 07703 623613. Lorraine.


4 TVG bods recieving the Best Club Stand award at the 2007 Barnardos show - oh happy days.	Smiling faces at the Black Boy in June - must have been raining, or we'd have been outside.


At our Silchester Saunter we do ride interesting machines around quiet lanes, eat and drink at decent pubs but a big attraction are the cakes at the Half Way Cafe.

WAITER " Have a slice of Lemon Sponge. " WAITRESS " Not until he puts that away. "	THE CAKE EATERS

DEREK HAS JUST MANAGED TO GET RID OF THE LAST TWO ARALDITE DELIGHTS.	Bobs Cake Trick " NO BOB! NOT THE TRICK WITH THE PLATE AND SLICE OF FRUIT CAKE "

BOB TRYING TO FLOG ONE OF HIS BENT WIRE FAIRY CAKE DISTRIBUTION DEVICES . HE RECKONS THAT THEY ARE EASY TO OPERATE BUT WE ARE NOT SO SURE .

Visit 'SEAVIEW' the T.V. Groups retreat for distressed cyclemotorists

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