Cornwall Advanced Motorists
Registered Charity No. 1067377
Affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Motorists
|
 |
||||||||||||
|
In this Issue Three Cheers for CAM Congratulations and Welcome Urban transport needs a re-think Marie Curie Ladies’ Driving Challenge CAM News on screen or on paper? Have you some time to spare? A Day Out with CAM A Late Starter Committee Members Dates for your Diary The deadline for the receipt of your articles, anecdotes, pictures for the next issue, is 15 November. All will be considered for publication. They should be sent to: The Editor, CAM News, Catherine House, Trevanson, Wadebridge, PL27 7HP We are grateful for the support of Dales Rover of Scorrier and Hawkins Motors of Penryn. Cornwall Advanced Motorists News is published three times a year by Cornwall Advanced Motorists. It appears in January, May and September. It is edited by Peter Hester and Polly Tatum. The views expressed in its pages do not necessarily reflect those of other members of Cornwall Advanced Motorists or the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Three Cheers for CAM! by Don Ingham At the Regional Liaison Forum held at Bristol in the Spring, I was delighted to accept the Dunlop Trophy on our group’s behalf. It is awarded to IAM groups which are considered to be making the greatest contribution to local road safety. As this was only four months into the new committee’s year it is a substantial achievement. This has been publicised in Advanced Driving. We have been fortunate to establish good links with the Cornwall County Council Road Safety Unit. Our member there, Peter Shore, has kindly agreed to distribute our literature to the large number of drivers with whom the unit deals. To this end we have published a new flier, So you think you’re a good driver ... It has local contact numbers and our website address. John Hawkins [senior] of the Hawkins Motor Group has kindly offered us the use of ‘Memories’ - a new customer area at the Hawkins St Stephen branch. We have gratefully accepted his offer for our two big events this autumn - the Awards Evening in October and the AGM in November. Please be sure to come to St Stephen and not to Kenwyn. Stephen Nelson has joined the committee and been elected vice-chairman. He passed his first advanced test in the 1960s. We extend a very warm welcome to David and Pam Ede who have recently moved to Newquay from Watford. David has very kindly agreed to oversee - with Pam’s help - with our Observer/Associates arrangements. We wish them well in their new surroundings and thank them for their interest and support. The group is fortunate in the calibre of its committee members and I would like to thank them for their generous support of it. I am particularly grateful to Diana Smeath for her continued help, support and encouragement during my chairmanship which, of course, ends in November. Stringent cost-saving measures mean that our finances are looking much better than they did. Our treasurer, David Caddy, has devoted a huge amount of time to getting our finances and statistics onto a sound and realistic footing. Committee members have taken few or no expenses. It is unreasonable to allow this continue and we will need to cover expenses next year through the increase in the subscription fee from £7 to £10 which was agreed at last year’s annual general meeting. I hope that many of you, at renewal time, will take up the option of Gift Aid so that the Group can benefit through tax relief. Have you recruited anybody? David Caddy thinks we have managed to stop the decline in our membership numbers and that they will soon begin to rise. This won’t happen without a continuous recruitment programme. My two recruits, Elizabeth Martin and Arthur Hosken, have recently passed their tests and I have just started observing two more of my recruits. We continue to have good press coverage. But more people wanting to join means more observers are needed. Congratulations to those who have recently passed the IAM test observers’ names in italics Elizabeth Martin, Don
Ingham
Welcome to new Associate Members Kathryn Walker,
Truro CAM Needs You John Hewlett, Associates Co-ordinator for the last nine years, has resigned from that post with effect from the November 2002 AGM. We are very grateful to John for his service and for giving us time to have a smooth transition to his successor, David Ede.
Not everyone is willing or able to become a committee member but you can help in other ways. For example you can ¨ Become an observer ¨ Suggest events and speakers ¨ Recommend organisations, garages for example, which would take our material or allow their use as a base for assessment drives or sponsor their staff. Chris Thomas, sponsored by Dales Rover, has now passed his test. ¨ Establish contact with the press in your area ¨ Become CAM local point of contact, say, at your workplace. Thanks to Sally Maynard for undertaking this role at Treliske Hospital. At the time of printing there are 181 fully paid up members of Cornwall Advanced Motorists, 39 associate members, 1 Friend and 8 family members. Cornwall Advanced Motorcyclists has 7 full members, 16 associates and one Friend.
Urban transport needs a re-think by Martin Lowson There is a global need for a new form of urban transport to provide an alternative to the car and to complement existing forms of public transport. The car is responsible for 85% of all trips in Europe and 97% in the US. However, it is now widely recognised that the very success of the car as a flexible system for personal transport has led to major problems. Congestion in all major towns and cities has reduced the effectiveness of the car. In London the most recent Journey Times Survey shows that achieved straight line speeds from start to destination in the central area are 2.8mph by car and 2.6mph by bus. The massive use of the car has also led to significant environmental impact. In Europe present road for transport is responsible for 40% of the NOx, 56% CO, 31% VOC, 26% CO2 emissions and 26% of total energy used. This issue is now one of major political significance. Policy measures are being proposed in all countries with the objective of reducing car use. At present car based transport is one of the principal contributors to premature death. World-wide it is estimated that 1,000,000 people are killed on the world’s roads each year. According to a recent assessment of several European countries for WHO, the premature mortality brought about by particulate emissions from vehicles is about twice that due to traffic accidents. Nevertheless, despite the manifest inefficiencies, and the resulting problems, the preferred choice for travel is most often by personal as opposed to public, transport. It is clear why an individual will choose a car in preference to current public transport. The car provides a fully flexible system that can respond immediately to meet personal transport wishes. This need appears to be fundamental and provides a central rationale for design of a transport scheme for the next century. Current public transport systems were conceived, designed, and built at a time when the dominant element of any city was the principal city centre, which contained both the major shopping areas and the major work areas. Conventional public transport such as trains or buses, which are corridor based and collective, served such cities well. In the early development of cities, most residential areas clustered around the principal public transport corridors, as can be seen on old maps. Single centre cities are now a thing of the past, and the types of public transport systems which served them are outmoded. Cities are now multi-centred. The great majority of new shopping areas, business parks, industrial estates, supermarkets and hospitals, etc., have been constructed away from the city centre. Since all of these are usually far from residential areas, the new pattern of the multi-centre city generates a new type of strongly decentralised “anywhere to anywhere” travel demand. This is because the new forms of city have developed around the capability offered by the car. The new demands cannot be met effectively by the old forms of collective-corridor public transport, which match old forms of cities. Public transport will not meet present transport needs unless it is radically changed to match the form of modern cities. This article first appeared in Engineering Technology [March 2002] the journal of the Institution of Incorporated Engineers. It is reprinted here, with kind permission, from Diagnostic Engineering [May/June 2002 issue] the journal of the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers. Martin Lowson is chief executive officer of Advanced Transport Systems Ltd
Marie Curie Ladies’ Driving Challenge Sunday 13 October 2002 at RAF Portreath A task force of our membership led by Stephen Nelson, CAM’s Vice-chairman, will assist at this event. The organisers have kindly agreed that afterwards we may distribute our literature. If you are willing to help Stephen, please contact him - 01872 865912. Participation in the event is dependent on raising sponsorship for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Entrants are asked to raise a minimum of £75 and there is a registration fee of £5. Experienced drivers will help you to get to grips with an array of vehicles - from HGVs to buses to fire engines and milk floats. You may experience this challenge as an individual or as part of a team. Women members of Cornwall Advanced Motorists and their non-member women friends, family, colleagues and relatives are cordially invited to take part. Details from: Regional Events Office Marie Curie Cancer Care Marie Curie Cancer Care 14 High Cross Street Marie Curie House St Austell The Avenue Cornwall Tiverton, Devon EX16 4HR PL25 4AN 01884 703540 01726 71200 CAM News - on screen or on paper? Like newspapers and periodicals all over the world, CAM News can now be read on the internet. The current paper version is expensive to produce, even in black and white [£3 per member per year] and it is labour intensive in preparation and despatch. Members with access to the internet could print it to pass on to someone else if they wished to. The advantages of a website edition: ¨ much less expensive in production and postage ¨ easily up-dated so that you would not have to wait two or three months for news ¨ colour photography and moving graphics ¨ vast potential readership Clearly any such move would depend on our members’ consent and access to the internet. To this end, please would you let us know if: 1 You have access to the internet 2 You would be willing to print off a copy for a fellow member who does not have internet access 3 You do not have internet access but would be happy to receive a copy printed from the internet by a member close to you But perhaps you would prefer the existing arrangement. If you want to continue to receive the paper version of CAM News would you: A Agree that recipients of a newsletter via the internet should have a reduced membership of, say, £3 per annum? B Be able to assist with the production and despatch of the paper copy? Your response now would not commit you, but we have no other cost-effective way of finding out whether this is a way forward. Please let us know. Your views to committee members, please. A Hard Act to Follow Helen Schofield, IAM’s South West Regional Co-ordinator, writes that Robert van Dissel retires in October. “During his years at the Institute he has been the main support for the Groups and their development, fully appreciating the work that goes on at local level. There will be some who are unaware of the importance of his work but I can assure you that without his support we would have found things more difficult. He will be a hard act to follow.” It was suggested that Groups contribute £10 each to a leaving present for Robert. It has long been CAM committee policy not to use the group’s funds in this way, but members who wish to contribute are encouraged to do so. Donations should be sent to: John Mansergh, RLF Treasurer, Hollyridge, Bristol Road, West Harptree, Bristol BS40 6HF. Cheques should be made payable to Region 1 RLF Account. Have you some time to spare? Maybe that’s a silly question these days, but remember the saying “If you want something done, ask a busy person”! Our Committee needs an Assistant Secretary – to work with me until next May, then to continue on his/her own for two years, when I shall be free to resume the job. Unless he/she has become so addicted to it, when, of course, I will have to manage without it!! All it needs is minimal word-processing skills, useful for typing up minutes of meetings. There is also a certain amount of letter writing to do and liaison over booking of the hall plus sending out information to people who enquire about joining the group. Connection to the Internet would be a bonus because most of the queries come via e-mail. Please would anyone who is interested contact me for any other details I have forgotten to mention. Diana Smeath 01872 862547
Cornwall Mike Doyle Advanced 07870 171720 Motorcyclists mikedoyle@totalise.co.uk A Day Out with CAM by Darren Well as usual, I was early! It is always the same when I look forward to something all week. Yes, Saturday 20 July was going to be a bit special. It was my Observer, Mike Doyle, who told me to contact Colin Rule, CAM’s events organiser, to book my place. So Saturday came and found me sitting on my BMW F650ST at Boscawen Park car park in Truro, at nine-thirty am. A look at the sky said it might possibly rain, and the wind was a bit strong too. But the sun had shone all week, so gloved fingers crossed! Next to arrive was the aforementioned Mike on his dark red BMW R1100RT. Five minutes later Roger Allwell arrived on his Diversion 600. Something that I found very heart warming was that he had brought along a young pillion, Andrew his son, with him. Maybe I am just old fashioned, but I do believe in catching them young. Then the rest of the group arrived in quick succession: Colin Rule, the organiser, with his good lady Jill on their BMW R1100RT. An easy-to-get-along-with Irishman called David Cromey on his silver VFR 800. And finally Charlie Inman on his BMW1100GS Anniversary. After a few photos and a pleasant chat we set off at ten-thirty am Colin leading and Mike acting as Tail end Charlie at the rear, destination, Dartmoor National Park and a nice café that Colin knew of. The usual Saturday morning Truro traffic meant that everybody had to focus their concentration right from the off. However, we soon had some nice roads, which let us make fast, safe progress. Then came another test of the advanced rider’s skills. Anyone can ride fast on a clear straight road, but what about a road with hundreds of cars on it. Hundreds of STOPPED cars! Yes, at Fraddon right by the burger bar made famous by the clown, the holidaymakers were going home. As Charlie shouted to me, “Change over day!” We started to filter past them all, the congestion was for as far as the eye could see and this necessitated a quick change of route, so we turned off the A30 just past the now infamous Iron Bridge and headed towards St Austel, Par and Lostwithiel. The roads then soon turned into nice straights, with plenty of curvy bits to keep them interesting. The wind had died down and the sun was shining gloriously, in a word, perfect. Suddenly we were going past the sign that said we had arrived in Dartmoor National Park. First impressions: amazing open spaces, sheep everywhere, large granite boulders marking the edge of the road and the whole place so rugged. As we rode on towards Princetown, I suddenly wanted to be the pillion on my own bike. Then I could have enjoyed taking in the landscape that has not changed in hundreds of years, and hopefully will not change for many, many more years to come. We reached our destination, the old Police Station Café, and the first thing I noticed was the head of a large model bull which stands at the entrance to the café. The café turned out to be a gem. The food, although simple, was excellent. Moreover, the service was good and cheerful too. After a leisurely lunch, it was back on the bikes, and more awesome views. It’s no surprise to me that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (any relation Mike?) came here, saw Hound Tor and went away to write the best Sherlock Holmes book of all The Hound of the Baskervilles. We eventually left the park and headed towards Bude. More great testing roads for us to play on. It was around three forty-five when we pulled into a lay-by about three miles from the north Cornwall town. My trip meter said 137 miles. It was here that Roger and Andrew said goodbye. Earlier we had said goodbye to Colin and Jill who were staying near to the Moor for the weekend. Then it was homeward bound with Mike leading - A39, Camelford, Wadebridge and A30. Mike and David left us at the spot where earlier in the day all the cars had been parked! Charlie went on to Penzance and I took my St Day turning. I arrived home at five fifteen. A magical day! This coming winter when I’m riding to work in the cold and the rain it will be days out like this with Cornwall Advanced Motorcyclists that will make me smile and think that maybe I would rather be on a bike right now after all! There is a great programme of social rides planned. If you would like to take part, visit www.cornwall-advanced.co.uk and register your interest. Alternatively, call Colin Rule on 01872 275630. Please - no telephone calls before 9 am or after 9pm. Thank you. A Late Starter by Polly Tatum I left it late in life to learn to drive. My first vehicle was a tricycle which I pedalled up and down the paths of our garden in London - the other traffic was my brother on his tricycle and some free ranging hens. Later, while an evacuee in North America, I learnt to ride a bicycle in Detroit, the home of the motor car. When I started work at eighteen I decided the best way to get there would be by bicycle. So, whatever the weather, I cycled from Highbury to Chelsea every day. It took 28 minutes. I chose the quickest route which meant going down to the Angel, Rosebery Avenue, Seven Dials, Trafalgar Square, The Mall. I never saw another cyclist in Trafalgar Square [apart from me, I never saw a learner driver there, either]. Although there was less traffic then, it was faster and I am sure there were more buses. I got to know my native city very well and became quite traffic wise. I did once fail to stop for a policeman on a zebra crossing. A friendly admonishment was given and never forgotten. In 1954 I went to live in Rome [and my mother gave away my bicycle] where I worked for British European Airways. In Rome I rode pillion to work - no helmet, hair blowing in the wind, no protective clothing, elegantly sitting sidesaddle on a Moto Guzzi. It appalls me when I think of it now. But there were no mishaps. I was lucky. My grandmother was a native of Camborne and all my life my loyalties have been divided three ways - London-Cornwall-and a bit of Italy. When it came time to retire we moved to Cornwall to my grandparents’ cottage. Our children said, “Now, mother, you can’t move to Cornwall if you don’t know how to drive. Here’s an application for a provisional licence. We’ve filled it in for you. Just sign it and start driving lessons.” I was 56 years old and I could ride a horse, paddle a canoe and row but I couldn’t imagine that I would be capable of learning to drive a car. Anyway, off I went to the Scuola Guida Varani/Holborn School of Motoring in Clerkenwell. My instructor, Giles, had the patience of a saint. Most of my lessons started near Euston Station and from the very start I had to learn to cope with London’s traffic - taxis, double-decker buses, police cars, fire engines, motorcycle couriers, road works and jay walkers. It was daunting. One night, raining, rush hour, Giles greeted me with: “Well, we’re going down Whitehall tonight, Polly.” Oh God. Still, I had done that on a bicycle. As a cyclist now at the wheel of a car, I was amazed to discover that vehicles behind would wait for me to turn right - not so on a bicycle - I am sorry to say motorists seem to have very little respect for people on bicycles. I had no car to practise on so I had a lesson a week for a year and passed the test at the first attempt. I was amazed. I bought my first car [a well-used Maestro] in Wadebridge and drove it to London via Calne in Wiltshire where my cousins lived. This was my first ever drive alone - there was no-one beside me. Do you remember that experience? I got lost. When dusk fell I couldn’t figure out how to switch on the headlights. When I saw the Wiltshire County Constabulary I drove into its car park and burst into tears. It was eight hours since I had left Wadebridge. Help came quickly. I’m all right now but I am still afraid of getting lost. At the age of 68 I decided to put myself in for the advanced driving test because I wanted to be a better driver - my confidence needed a boost. I made it at the second attempt. It’s all very well to be a late starter, but will I know when it is time to stop? Will my family tell me? What will life be like when we can no longer go where we want to when we want to? When your children and your friends start to drop hints about your driving, think very seriously about what they say. Giving up will be a hard decision to make, but it is our duty to stop driving when we are no longer able to do it well. Picture: Polly and bike, several decades ago. Photo Ronald Carton, aka Dad
cornwall county council young driver education programme wanted: garage owners! Every year the Road Safety Unit run young driver programmes in schools and colleges throughout Cornwall. One of the workshops [through role play] involves the students buying a second-hand car from ‘garages ‘ set up in the classroom. If you feel you could help us [travelling expenses paid] please contact Carol Wright, Project Co-ordinator, 01872 327 273.
Unmentionable words ... Observers observe - they do not train or instruct. Helen Schofield, SW Regional Co-ordinator, reports that the use of the words ‘training’ and ‘instruction’ should never be used because they can have direct implications with the insurance status of the Group. This matter came to the Regional Liaison Forum from IAM head office because of serious problems that had arisen in another group. It is recommended that Groups check all their literature and make sure that their observers do not use the terms. Lastly, and most importantly, they should reconsider removing the title of ‘Training’ from any committee posts. [When you are observing you must make it quite clear from the start that the person in charge of the car is the associate]. There has been a complaint from an associate who ‘passed’ his check test and then failed the real test; he challenged both the group standard and the examiner’s standard. If a group offers an associate the opportunity to go out with a stranger just prior to the test in order to remove/reduce their nerves, this is fine if the associate wishes but it must not be seen as a test, be it a ‘check’ or ‘mock’ one. It can be a pre-test run. Some groups have their associates ‘checked’ by a senior observer when the observer thinks their associate is test ready. Helen suggests that this is an insult to the observer who surely knows what the required standard is. Of course a second opinion can always be sought when there is a problem. Remember: a senior observer is just that and not a junior examiner.
C A M Committee Members Chairman Don Ingham Vice-chairman Stephen Nelson Secretary Diana Smeath Treasurer David Caddy
Membership Secretary Brian Hill Venue Co-ordinator ----------- Publications Peter Hester
Polly Tatum Motorcycles Mike Doyle
The Institute of Advanced Motorists is registered charity No. 249002 Cornwall Advanced Motorists is registered charity No. 1067377
Dates for your Diary Group meetings are usually held in Truro at Lychgate School Room, Kenwyn Church Road directions on page 19 But please note that there are events at: Wadebridge, RAF Portreath and St Stephen Sunday 13 October at RAF Portreath Marie Curie event Tuesday 29 October at 7.30pm at Hawkins Motors Ltd, Gwendra Road, St Stephen, St Austell Awards evening Police Superintendent Colin Terry Tuesday 26 November 7.30pm at Hawkins Motors Ltd, Gwendra Road, St Stephen, St Austell Annual General Meeting Russell Holt ‘Driving the World’ Wednesday 29 January 2003 at Kenwyn Talk and demo by Cornwall Fire Brigade Subject to there not being an emergency Also coming to us next year: Bryan Lunn, IAM Chief Examiner Tuesday 25 February Andy Daniel Devon & Cornwall Police Road Safety Officer Tuesday 29 April Sandra Gillespie, Cornwall County Council Road Safety Unit Tuesday 29 April Directions to Lychgate School Room Kenwyn Church Road, Truro From Truro: take the B3284 Perranporth Road under the railway bridge, go past the City Inn, then Hendra Road, both on your left. 400 yards past Hendra Road you will see a crossroads sign. Turn right into Kenwyn Church Road. Lychgate is at the far end of the road where it becomes Knights Hill. There is on-street parking. From the A30: travel via Shortlanesend on B3284. Shortly after passing 30mph sign at the Truro boundary you will see the War Memorial on the left. Turn left into Knights Hill. The Lychgate is at the end where Knights Hill becomes Kenwyn Church Road. There is on-street parking. How well can you read the road ahead?
Do you remember to have your eyesight tested regularly? Your Questions Your technical questions should be sent to the address below for forwarding to the appropriate person: CAM, Orchard Cottage, Greenwith Road, Perranwell Station, Truro TR3 7LX |
|||||||||||||
©
2003 CAM - Cornwall Advanced Motorists Legal Notice
Web Site developed
and maintained by Roger
Fleet.
|
|||||||||||||
