Review - 2019!

Dec 31, 2019
7 min read

As 2019 started, E-YARD adopted the corporate title RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders East Yorkshire. By doing so the group fits in with the national 'branding' which should make E-YARD easier to find for potential members

E-YARD continues to be the groups name due to it being easily identified locally and having built a great, positive reputation in East Yorkshire, Hull and beyond.

Albeit the depths of winter, the social riding and training continued through the winter months, with lots of activity on the Facebook page inspiring ride's out.

Safer Roads Humber held their inaugural 'Biker Down' presentation, dealing with initial scene management and first aid in the event of coming across a road related incident.

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RoSPA HQ went on the road in 2019, with one of their 'Roadshows being attended by a 'team' from E-YARD. The York venue attracted RoSPA groups from throughout the North East and offered the opportunity to liaise and exchange ideas with other groups and the HQ team. There was a guest speaker, Louise Goodman of motorsport media fame who gave a great insight into the behind the scenes of Formula 1 and British Touring Cars

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As the first month passed by E-YARD, RoSPA's publication had a two page spread on one of the groups Advanced Tutors, with Rosie's riding career being the main feature of the magazine

Another Progressive Driver Development course was held which saw the continuance of this unique E-YARD approach to driver advanced training.

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Spring started to arrive brought in on the back of Storm Freya!

E-YARD ran a Tutor Training Course, aimed at experienced, new and potential tutors in both disciplines. The course was designed to create a level standard for all tutors to adhere to

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The month saw the commencement of the E-YARD 2019 Coddiwomples, the first ride out being over the wolds and far away! A brilliant turnout covering 200 miles!

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Training got into full swing with newly qualified Pippa joining the team and getting stuck into it straight away, alongside the old guard!

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E-YARD' AGM took place on the fourth Wednesday of March and saw the committee for the following year sworn in.

John Wright - Chair

Andy Brittan - Treasurer

Chris Hood - Secretary

Jo Bowers - Vice Chair

Denise Rose - Membership Secretary

Julian Taylor - Training Officer

April, and the season really got underway, with E-YARD again being chosen to support local dealership 5-Ways Motorcycle Centre with their Yamaha MT promotion, escorting riders on experience rides of the MT range.

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The following weekend was E-YARD's "Big Event", #ridethewolds, designed to coincide with the start of the motorcycling season to promote advanced riding awareness with free assessed rides. Supported by the Wolds Way Cafe owners Mike and Dianne, with use of their premise as a base, along with the main bike dealers in the East Yorkshire area, 5-Ways (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki) and Miles Kingsport (Honda, Goldwing Specialists), Safer Roads Humber East Riding Road Safety Team and Acklams Coaches.

Other local training bodies were also present to spread the word!

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Unseasonally hot weather for the monthly rideout was enjoyed by another good turnout with the team heading to Derbyshire, over some stunning scenery and brilliant roads.

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Members of the British Horse Society were the guest speakers for the monthly meeting and a great insight into the mind of a horse was explained!

A very good presentation which helped the group members understand the psyche of horses.

Into May, and E-YARD members enjoyed the i2i Academy basic motorcycle handling skills course. The course was fully booked by members of the group and apart from excellent tuition, provided a great 'team bonding' day.

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BikeSafe Humberside got well underway, and E-YARD provided observers throughout the season, at all workshops. The duties were spread between all the group motorcycle tutors, with Pippa and Guy both qualifying as observers for the scheme boosting thier experience and building their portfolios

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Social riding continued with Rosie leading the gang over the Howardian Hills and then on to Richmondshire with Icecream and cake being the order of the day!

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E-YARD's first engagement of Summer 2019 was the first weekend of June, with E-YARD supporting Ride the Waves, the annual Bridlington Beach Race event.

Saturday saw Carolyne and Julia representing RoSPA and E-YARD, whilst Andy B, Pippa and Jo B did the honours on Sunday

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The ride-out for June was a quite hastily prepared route led by Rosie that took in the most fantastic scenery North Yorkshire Moors and the Wolds have to offer.

Commencing at Beverley Golf Club at 10 prompt (well, twenty past!) and heading out toward Malton.

Lunch was taken at the cycle hub after traversing what some members refer to as 'goat tracks'!

The ride ended with the traditional cuppa at Seaways

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June rolled into July and E-YARD continued with its involvement in local events, with a team attending the Crowle 999 Emergency services day

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Sadly, July was rocked with the news that Dave Hardwick, one of the groups Advanced Tutors, passed away following a short battle with cancer.

Dave was a really friendly and engaging man, with a good approach to tutoring and group activity.

Dave made a great impression on everyone he met with his gentle nature.

Having attended the training weekend in Scotland last September, where he qualified as advanced tutor, he impressed colleagues from other groups present at the weekend and his loss has been felt by them too, with John Forrester of the RoADAR North Cumbria & S.W. Scotland group and Colin Blackley of RoADAR East Kilbride group passed their condolences.

Dave's funeral took place in August with a cortege of E-YARD outriders escorting him on his final journey.

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E-YARD Vice Chair, Jo Bowers commemorated Dave with her poem.

No other words are necessary

"Dave Hardwick was a genuine, funny, top-top man,

Cut far too short was his life span,

No malice in his words was ever heard,

A love of life, cake and bikes he shared,

Warm and friendly, a welcoming guy,

Open, honest but not one to pry,

Dave put the gentle into gentleman,

And we will remember him the best we can.

R.I.P. Dave Hardwick xx"

The August Coddiwomple saw the group invade the Lincolnshire Wolds including the International Bomber Command Centre

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E-YARD were represented at the Hornsea Bike Show over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Jo B, Andy B and Mark K formed this events team at the show, with the group Gazebo making it's first appearance - wise as the temperatures reached 30 degrees - phew!

More interest was generated with attendees signing for the free membership draw.

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The Monthly meeting took place on the 4th and final Wednesday of the summer, with Dave P chairing a discussion on the merits or otherwise, of Electric Vehicles, as the world turns against fossil fuel driven internal combustion engines.

A huge turnout for the first Coddiwomple of Autumn on 1st September with 16 members heading to the Yorkshire Wolds. Meeting as usual at the Beverley Golf Club for Breakfast and going on to ride 200 miles. The ride played host to Adam from Illinois, a friend of Pippa

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The closing event of the local biking calendar was the annual RSPCA Bike Show

A fantastic weekend weather meant a good footfall and plenty of engagement with attendees by the E-YARD team.

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Whilst the show was ongoing, E-YARD's annual European trip was well underway having left Hull port to Belgium on Friday night, stopping in Nancy, France, before heading to Fussen in Southern Germany. Rides out into the Austrian Tyrol and down to Stelvio in Italy were enjoyed before heading back via a Wasselone in France and the Ardenne in Belgium for night stopovers before sailing back to Hull the following Sunday

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After many years in the seat, John "Norge" Wright decided to stand down as group Chair announcing this decision on 7 September.

This led to the calling of an Extraordinary General Meeting to elect a new Chair. This was duly done and Mark Kelk was unanimously voted into the role

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Good-bye John - Thanks for the hard work you put into the Club.

Welcome Mark and the future of the club in your hands - you have a hard act to follow

BikeSafe Humberside concluded in September with Rosie and Julian being the representatives for the final session

October group meeting, apart from being an EGM, enjoyed a presentation from Safer Roads Humber on their work in engagement, education and enforcement

E-YARD were, once again, the subject of an article in the RoSPA Care on the Road magazine, this time with Pippa featuring in an article about her advanced driving 'experiment'!

The monthly ride-out went ahead from Beverley Golf Club, heading south cross country, but was shortened after Rosie, Andy T, Ivan, Andy B and Rod reached Uncle Henry's near Kirton Lindsey resembling drowned rats!

Rain, Rain, Go Away... With days and days of extensive flooding and continuous rainfall, November was a quiet month, training-wise.

Whilst November wasn't the wettest on record nationally, our area did have one of the worst on record.

It was however, the month of the national motorcycle show at Motorcycle Live! at the NEC.

Several members of RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders East Yorkshire (E-YARD) attended over the 10 days of the show, drooling over the newly released 'shiny things' and picking up bargains and freebies!

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Just when we thought the "Events Season" had come to an end, E-YARD invited to two events, the first being as partner members to Safer Roads Humber and the annual Road Safety Week promotion, which took place on the Leconfield DST (Defence School of Transport) site. A chance to engage with young army drivers, and their supervisors and trainers, and spread the message of Advanced Driving to them at the start of their driving careers.

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The following week was another of our local partners 'Big' events, with 5-Ways Motorcycle Centre holding their 'Black Thursday' Big Open Night

Mark, Jo and Jules represented E-YARD, mingling with the invited customers and chatting bikes and advanced riding. Chatting with Tim Robinson of 5-Ways, he said the general feeling toward advanced training seems to have swung over the past few years form being seen as 'niche' and 'boring' to a worthwhile consideration. Whether this is due to more mature riders becoming aware of their mortality, or a swing away from sports-bikes to adventure style machines who knows, but it is a positive thing whatever the reason.