Cycling UK AGM 2017 – vote now

By on 9 May, 2017   /   Blog posts  

The following is my personal view, independent of West Surrey CTC committee.

At last year’s AGM a motion was passed requiring candidates for election as trustees to have been CUK members for at least a year.  When the elections came round, this motion was ignored – half the candidates were not members at all, and the names of some candidates who had a right to stand never made it on to the ballot paper.

This year’s agenda includes a number of resolutions relevant to the relative power of members and trustees to influence CUK policy, i.e. concerning how democratic our organisation is.  I appreciate that many of you just want to get on with riding your bikes, but I appeal to you to consider just 3 of the 15 motions and vote as follows.

Motions 5 and 7 are designed to suppress opposition from ordinary members;  please vote against them.

Motion 11 is designed to provide a means to question undemocratic action by the trustees;  please vote for it.

If you nominate the Chair as your proxy (the default option), please vote ‘abstain‘ for all motions you wish neither to support nor to oppose, otherwise you will automatically support the board of trustees.

The AGM is on Saturday (13th) in London (should you wish to go), and the deadline for electronic voting (should you not wish to go) is 9 a.m. on Thursday (11th), so find the sheet of paper that covered your latest ‘Cycle’, find therein the relevant Electoral Reform Society web address and security codes, and get on your computer/phone.

Do it now!

Thanks for reading this.

Chris

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35 mile Reliability Ride

By on 11 April, 2017   /   Blog posts  

A few riders undertook the 35 mile Reliability Ride on Sunday (9.4.2017), and with the sun shining, took off from Godalming to the Village Shop, Kirdford via Plaistow.  Unfortunately I slipped on my stairs at home and twisted my knee on Friday so decided to drive out and meet the group as they went by and to beat them to a coffee at Kirdford.

Peter Fennemore

Plaistow, Angela leads from the front.

A thumbs up so all’s going well.

Preparing to leave Kirdford for the journey back to Godalming.

Yellow is the colour……

With the sun and the wind at their backs it’s a return to Godalming via Dunsfold.

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Centurion Way Update

By on 10 April, 2017   /   latest news  

The route from Chichester to West Dean was extended last year to reach the main A286 passing under the road but ended at a fence. The South Downs National Park announced today that new steps have now been built with a bike ramp to reach Motor Road, which leads to the main road, opposite the pub at West Dean village.

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50 and 35 mile Reliability Rides 9th April 2017

By on 4 April, 2017   /   latest news  

Over the years I have received a number of adverse comments about the fact that these rides finish about 12 miles from where they start. A few have also commented that they like the ride to Kirdford but are not so keen on the ride from there to Holmbury St Mary. As a trial to gauge reaction, this year’s rides will finish back at the Crown Court car park, Godalming where they start . If you can’t see me outside at the start it will probably be because I’m in the Jack Phillips having breakfast. Click below to download route sheets and TCX files for the new routes.

Roger

Route notes 35 mile

Route notes 50 mile

TCX files

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Geoff Smith

By on 30 March, 2017   /   Blog posts  

It is with great sadness that I have to advise members that Geoff Smith passed away recently.  Geoff was a true stalwart of the Club, being a tireless editor of the magazine, and an enthusiast in all that he did – whether that was  cycling, swimming, or indeed anything else to which he turned his hand.  He was very much his own man, and after he moved down to Devon we missed his cheerful presence on our rides, and now we shall miss him even more.

A personal recollection from Rico Signore is attached, together with some wonderful photographs of Geoff

John Murdoch

 

Rico Signore writes:

I was very sorry to hear of the death of my good friend Geoff Smith. Having heard of his illness (leukemia) I spoke to him on the phone not that long ago and he seemed very cheerful and upbeat. So it came as quite a shock to hear he had died.

Most of our members remember him as the very capable editor of our West Surrey CTC magazine, a post which he held for several years, until he moved to the Exmouth area.

Together we organised three trips abroad which, luckily, were very successful and are apparently fondly remembered by those who took part, many of whom were Geoffs friends who attended his cycling weekends:

– June 2001 to Switzerland to Morat/Murten – Meiringen – Andermatt
– June/July 2003: Buriet (Lake Constance) – Lavin (Engadine Valley)
– 04 to 15 June 2005: Twinning trip to Rastatt And Freiburg (Woking & Guildford)

This was our most ambitious and daring trip, by chartering the Bike Express double-decker coach and trailer for the bikes – 3 nights in Bouillon (Belgian Ardennes), 4 nights in Rastatt (Woking) and 4 nights in Freiburg (Guildford). We had over 40 participants – not all cyclists, some were members of the Twinning Associations.

Returning from this last trip Geoff and I were asked: “Where are we going next year?” We just looked at each other, shook our heads and declared that we were lucky enough to have organised three successful trips  – so anybody else was welcome to carry on – which sadly never happened.

Geoff’s other great passion was of course “Jazz”. He was lucky enough, as a young journalist, to be granted an interview with Duke Ellington and became one of the great admirers of this Giant of Jazz.

These are just some of my personal and fond memories I have of Geoff.

Our thoughts are of course with Debbie and Geoff’s family at this very sad time.
Christine & Rico Signore, Jeff Banks, Bob & Pauline Mcleod, John Murdoch and all members of CTC West Surrey.

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