Chairs Chatter

Dear All,

I hope you all have had a Happy Festive break and may the committee take the opportunity to wish you a happy New Year.

I for one, will be hoping for less punctures in 2019; in thirty years of riding, I have had no more than two. However, I managed to get five this year - one front and four rear. An expensive run that led to new tyres, in a hope to shed the bad luck. The upside of this (if there is one) is that I am now an expert in puncture kits and repairs!

The committee met for the first time since the AGM and we have begun to lay the plans to improve our run of test failures, improve the observer experience for Associates and work with the Observers to keep them engaged and motivated.

This was swiftly followed up with an Observers meeting, which has provided lots of ideas as to how we can utilise the resources we have and make improvements where they are necessary. This is a marathon and not sprint but we plan to have systems and processes in place to keep the LAM experience as close to the one we all know, but one that acknowledges change and embraces it.

I would like to thank Claire van den Bosch for organising the Christmas Party, which I understand was a great event for all. I realise it sold out rather quickly and we already have plans to take a larger number of spaces for next year.

Thanks also to Ed Chidwick, who approached Steve Pratt and I at the AGM with an idea of running full members rides for those who have just passed their test and who were perhaps a little intimidated about the prospect of their first experience. This is one of the reasons we are a great organisation, because people are willing to help to make things happen but you do not necessarily need to rely on others. Why not step up and show others the best pub in Sussex or the most amazing views in Kent?

You don't have to be an observer or a full member to organise a ride out, or organise a massive number of people. One of the best ways of practising in between ORs is to find a similar scoring associate, buddy up and go out to put the SYSTEM into practice.  Look at a map and plot a route from A to B; it may be road of 40s or it might just be full of the perfect corners needed to practise the Limit Point.

Whatever you do, please keep coming to LAM and sign up on tracker for events. Associates, please bring your personal records with you, as this will help the Observers.

Happy 2019 and let's look forward to a year of fine weather and big grins.

Paul Harle

LAM Chairperson