NW Report June-July 2011
I attended the NC meeting at MAG HQ. Minutes of meeting will
be available on MAG
The RSBS initiative has secured funding from Lancashire,
The Seventh Saucy Fun n Frolics on the Fylde was the biggest and best yet. This year’s theme was the holiday resort’s very own Betty Boop. For those who fancied a trip into Blackpool, a double-decker bus was on hand during Saturday to ferry folk back and forth. The groups this year was amazing and the weather, although not the usual blistering sunshine, was adequate to keep the party spirits high. Big thanks to all the marshals who came from far and wide to help out this year, and a massive thanks to all who attended and “Booped with Betty”. Around £2k raised this year to help boost the fighting fund.
I took the MAG van to this event, which is more a social get together of biker mates, but always the chance to pick up the odd member or two. I had the Mutchie “You cannot be serious” banner up behind the stage and it provoked plenty of heated debate, fuelled with plenty of alcohol. Plenty of flyers were taken away..
This is the fourth year we have run this show and gets bigger and better every year. Profits to our chosen charity of the year, Vine House Cancer care, but we will have made more for MAG in merchandise sales and memberships. The show was very well attended, excellent PR for MAG and biking in general, and an enjoyable day for all involved.
I was unable to support the event this year due to attending another affiliated club event, but members of Morecambe & District MCC volunteered to run the NW MAG stall, and from all accounts, it was a very successful event, picking up a few memberships, selling merchandise and distributing loads of materials. MAD MCC members have also volunteered to take the NW MAG stall to another event in the area in a few weeks time that I am unable to support. Just goes to show the real value of the affiliated clubs, which is the point I was trying to make a month or two ago J
A few events were discussed that are coming up soon in the
region. I thanked Lancashire Police for erecting “Think Bike” signs around the
approach to “The Caveman Bash” rally, run by Millennium MCC, another affiliated
club. I had made the request through the RSBS forum and was pleased to see that
Lancashire Police Traffic Division was very helpful.
A MAG member I know has
recently been issued with a Section 59 ASBO for overtaking four cars in a line.
I asked Lancashire Police if this was common practise. I was told that certain
officers would use this option if there was not enough evidence to prosecute
for any other road traffic offence. The Biker in question had been captured on
the pursuit cars video doing 53mph in a 40mph limit, but not for a long enough
period to secure a prosecution and so a Section 59 was issued for riding that
may cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. I am trying to
follow this one up but would welcome any comments or reports of similar
incidence from other regions.
This started off as a request via facebook to highlight the
tragic death of Sophie Lancaster, a young Goth who was kicked to death whilst
trying to protect her boyfriend from a gang of youths. They were attacked
basically because they looked different. We decided to show support as bikers
who are one of the subcultures in society that suffer daily discrimination both
socially and politically.
The demo went well and whilst the march
took place, a number of us on bikes did a slow ride up the promenade. We got a
fantastic response and gratitude from the event organisers and Sophie’s Mum,
who gave a very emotional speech at the end of the march. Details of the cause
can be found at www.sophielancasterfoundation.com
The Manchester Rep, Jax, is moving out of the region and I
am hoping that we can find a successor so that the group can stay active.
Not a lot of news of late from Wirral and
As we have no local group in the North of the region, it is great to get the
help from MAD MCC in Morecambe and shows that the value of the affiliated club
scheme is more that just the fees we receive from them.
I had a request from a newly formed Blackpool MCC, The Roadsters, to attend one
of their meetings and talk about MAG. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it,
but Chris from Blackpool MAG went along in my place and hopefully the club
should have now affiliated. The Lost Souls MCC have also said they will soon be
affiliating, once they can get their secretary to send the forms in.
Blackpool MAG are doing well and have a local AGM soon to elect a new local
rep. I have been acting as temporary rep for the last year and so this should
lessen my workload. At a recent meeting, many concerns were raised about the
proposed “Flash” demo runs, and I have been trying to follow up on these
concerns. I will discuss more at the NC meeting.
We have been given a free pitch at the Devil Disciples MC North Manchester Bike
Show. The DDs were so enraged by what they saw at the FYP in relation to
compulsory Day-Glo, they want us to bring our stall to their event so that we
can gather support against these proposals. The bike show is the same day as
the planned National Demos, so I am hoping that we can combine some of the runs
with a ride into the show. There is also a planned Satan Slave MC event taking
place that weekend in
Tony Cox
NW Regional Rep.