THE BEAM March 2016
East Sussex Group of Advanced Motorists
Registered Charity (No1053344) 2nd February 1996
HEATHFIELD RYE HAILSHAM
BATTLE BEXHILL
EASTBOURNE HASTINGS UCKFIELD
CROWBOROUGH
OVER 50 YEARS OF ADVANCED DRIVING www.iamgroups.org.uk/eastsussex/
The Beam March 2016
Honorary Members President - Colin Waddell Vice President – Colin Angior Home:- 01323 845827 Email: [email protected] Mob:- 07745 251628 Life Members - Jean Crouch, Les Burrell
Chairman Paul Purdy Home:- 01323 501505 21 Wrestwood Ave., Eastbourne, Mob:-07548 986820 East Sussex, BN22 0HA
Email: [email protected]
Group Secretary Michael Norman Home:- 01435 865112 42 Broad View, Broad Oak,
East Sussex, TN21 8SB Email: [email protected] Local Secretary Margaret Fletcher, Home:- 01424 730522 45, Martyns Way, Bexhill on Sea, E. Sussex, TN40 2SE. Email: [email protected] Treasurer Alastair Guthrie, Home:- 01323 325479 9 Sturdee Close, Eastbourne, E. Sussex, BN23 6AZ. Email: [email protected]
Chris Fletcher Chief Observer Home:- 01424 730522 45 Martyns Way, Bexhill-on-Sea
East Sussex TN40 2SE
Email: [email protected]
Membership Jackie Lane Home:- 01825 714696 Secretary Fairwarp Farmhouse, Fairwarp Mob:- 07702 355394 East Sussex TN22 3BU
Email: [email protected]
Associates Kathryn Dixon Home:- 01323 740795
Co-ordinator 9 Culver Close, Langney, Eastbourne Mob:- 07771 851054 East Sussex BN23 8EA
Email: [email protected]
First Contact & Shannon Hall Home:- 01892 654921 Young Drivers 2B Beaconsfield House, Crowborough Mob:- 07854 064669 Contact East Sussex TN6 1AX
Email: [email protected]
Events Secretary Sally Berman, Home:- 01424 843541 21 Withyham Rd., Cooden, Bexhill-on-Sea,
E. Sussex, TN39 3BD.
Email: [email protected]
The Beam Derrick Hubbard Home:- 01323 505899 Editor 21 Rowan Ave., Eastbourne,BN22 0RX Email: [email protected]
Committee Members Louise Attfield Email: [email protected] Home:-01323 769420 Vic Funnell Email: [email protected] Home:-01323 891121
Andy Seviour Email: [email protected] Home:-01323 847774
Observers Hotline Run days only 07771 851054 or 07522 905286 2
The Beam March 2016
The Beam is the official organ of the East Sussex Group of Advanced Motorists .It is intended to produce at least four issues per year. Many opinions expressed herein are those of an individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the Group or the Editor. The assistance of the IAM Press Room website is also acknowledged.
Data Protection Act. All group membership records are held on computer by the Membership Secretary, who should be advised of any changes, e.g. Name, address, Telephone number etc. If you wish to check details of your records please send SAE to the Membership Secretary for a copy. ~.~.~.~.~ 1950’s MOTORING REMINISCES (The second part of a two part series from ESGAM President David Ribbons previously published in ‘The Beam’ December 1996 & January 1997) WE are now the proud possessor of a 'Bond Minicar' with car controls, Accelerator, Brake and Clutch Pedals, Column Gear Change, a Hand Brake and a Steering Wheel. But, the Government, being totally behind the times and out of touch with the real world (nothing alters does it) said; It's a three wheeled vehicle with no reverse gear; therefore it must be a Motor Cycle and Side Car. It follows, if you hold a licence to drive a Car you are, by law, NOT allowed to drive this 'Bond Minicar'. However, if you hold a licence to drive a Motor Cycle, then you are perfectly capable of getting off your Motor Cycle, getting into this 'Bond Minicar' with totally alien controls, and driving it anywhere you please, with absolutely no tuition what-so-ever. The salesman pointed out the important controls, took me round the block, total distance 600 yards, gave me the keys and that was it. I was now a fully qualified driver of the 'Bond' and could now hurl this velocipede into the maelstrom of London traffic. OK, there wasn't as much traffic as there is today but to a driver of a vehicle 3 times wider than he had driven before, totally different controls (so he was highly likely to tread on the wrong pedal,) had no instructor, and responsible for his wife's safety as well. It was rather frightening to say the least. Overall the whole set up gave a reasonable performance, on the road as it was then, but you could put the hood up, the windows in, thereby being in the dry and not have the wind chill factor of the motorcycle. There was one MINOR problem, there was no door on the
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The Beam March 2016 driver's side. You could overcome this if the hood was up and your passenger was already ensconced in his/her seat, by taking out the plastic window and then putting it back after you had climbed in. Remember the top of the vehicle side panel was only about 2ft off the ground. The vehicle did however have one MAJOR fault, THE BRAKES. These were diabolical and only with constant adjustment could you achieve even a mediocre performance but we didn't hit anything in the thousands of miles we covered, so I consider the 'Bond' probably taught me anticipation and this has probably stood me in good stead over the years. So here we are, one driver!, one vehicle!, one passenger (the wife)! with 2 gallons of petrol oil mixture put in by the garage for the extra payment of 8s 2d (yes 2 gallon [9 litres] for 41p in today's money). So, after some tentative plays with the controls, the engine was started. Then, after stalling once or twice, we were off, admittedly not in the direction we eventually wanted to go, but we were moving and providing we allowed the queue of traffic behind us to pass every now and then, we did not receive too many bad remarks, or perhaps we just did not hear them. We were heading south towards Crystal Palace, although we actually wanted to go east towards Blackheath but I decided that corners would come later and straight driving, whilst learning the foot throttle, foot clutch and hand gear change was best. Now corners had to be learned soon, otherwise we were going to end up in Brighton. The first was a little traumatic as, with a 90 degree lock in each direction, corners can be taken rather sharply and we nearly mounted the pavement the first time but I learned quickly and soon got the hang of it. We now found ourselves on the South Circular with rather more traffic than we had had previously but we fairly quickly got used to that. The fact that we could easily drive under a lorry trailer and that our heads were about level with the top of large lorry and bus wheels, took slightly longer to get used to. How we convinced ourselves that we were safer in this than on a Motor Bike, I shall never know. Anyhow, by now of course, I was beginning to feel like a qualified driver, as by law I was, and who was I to say the Law was an Ass. The South Circular went between Eltham & Blackheath and from there it was only a short way to my in-laws house, to which we wanted to show off our new possession. It must be said at this point, that the overall height of the 'Bond' from the road to the top of the roof I estimate was about 4ft, so that you looked up to almost any other road user, except probably a baby in a push chair but only then if he/she was not on the pavement. So we parked outside their house, dashed in and said come and look. The mood of the moment was slightly marred by the fact that they had a chest high hedge in their
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The Beam March 2016 front garden and the first comment made by my father-in-law at the front door was, “where is it?” Many happy hours of motoring followed and we had plenty of motor cycle clothing to keep us warm despite the no heater situation. Most vehicles in those days, Buses, Lorries and the average person's motor car did not have a heater. The 'Bond' however did everything we asked of it and providing you remembered the poor brakes, was a superb cheap covered in form of transport. There was one small incident that deserves reporting. We had driven into London and were somewhere in Soho, when we got stuck in a traffic jam. (Yes they had them in 1955 also) In front of us was a London Taxi, which in those days, as many will remember, only the passengers were completely protected from the elements; the driver had a roof, windscreen and a half height door but no window on his side. Adjacent to the driver it was completely open for passenger luggage. This meant that in the cold and wet weather, as this was, (& remember, no heaters) Taxi Drivers used to wear at least two overcoats, on top of three woollies and three pairs of trousers so that even the smallest of them looked strong enough to lift a ton weight. Anyhow, this driver got out of his cab looking like a small King Kong, came up to me and bending down very low, spoke to me through the window hand signal flap; "If you back up a little Guv. I'11 turn down that side street and, if you follow, we'll get out of this". My reply was "OK but one problem, I don't have a reverse gear" "How do you get it to go backwards" he said, and I replied "you push it". His expression told me that he didn't believe me but would humour me by doing as requested. My reaction was, 'the 'Bond' is very light (You could actually lift one rear wheel off the ground with one hand) and this guy looks strong. He probably thinks he is going to push a Taxi'. So I kept the brakes on, and he still pushed it back a couple of feet. He then returned to his cab shaking his head and we followed him out of the jam. Finally my friend 'John', having seen mine and been driven in it, also decided he would get one and his first inexperienced, unaccompanied drive was, down the Edgware Road to go round Marble Arch but that's another story. We both eventually transferred our allegiance to 4 wheeled Motor Cars, but we had to pass a test to drive them. D. F. Ribbons ~.~.~.~.~
Checkout the East Sussex Group of Advanced Motorists website on http: //www.iamgroups.org.uk/eastsussexam COMMON DRIVING
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The Beam March 2016 Sussex Search and Rescue Sussex Search & Rescue (SusSAR) is the primary voluntary resource used by Sussex Police to search for, and rescue, vulnerable missing people. They are on call 24 hours every day throughout the year. As a 100% voluntary organisation, members give their time free of charge and expect nothing in return but satisfaction from a job well done. SusSAR exists to serve the community of Sussex through the goodwill of its members and charitable donations from local businesses and members of the public. The team can be called out by Sussex Police or by other Search & Rescue Teams in neighbouring counties requesting assistance at any time. They are all highly trained in first aid and searching competencies. SusSAR receives no government funding and relies solely on its members to raise funds through a variety of means ranging from collections at supermarkets, to providing marshals for events such as marathons and triathlons around Sussex, or representing the unit at public events such as emergency services shows during the summer, as well as donations from members of the public, companies and grants. The charity is always looking for people to join as a fully operational team member and join the men and women that dedicate their time to help the people of Sussex that need them the most when their loved ones go missing. Fully operational membership of SusSAR involves quite a considerable commitment in terms of time, effort and money. Operational team members are also required to fulfil fundraising commitments to continue to help the team remain operational. The support of local businesses is vital to Sussex Search and Rescue. Support can vary from a one-off grant or contribution, to regular financial donations or the gifting of equipment that will assist the team in their roles. Additionally, the team is looking for a ‘home’ in the central Sussex area. Ideally this would be somewhere that can hold 40-50 people for indoor meetings, plus a small office area.
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The Beam March 2016
At the end of 2015, SusSAR Search Technician John Simcock became the first member of the team to take Skill for Life with East Sussex Group of Advanced Motorists, and came away with an impressive first. To find out more information about Sussex Search and Rescue, visit http://www.sussar.org. ~.~.~.~.~ Car tax – top five myths dispelled We take a closer look at the common misconceptions with road tax Get it wrong and you could get in trouble with the law Here's the top five vehicle tax myths and the truth behind them Car tax - it's a subject many of us would like to avoid thinking about when it comes to buying a new car. However 2014 was a very busy year for car tax. We said goodbye to the paper disc, tax became non- transferable between buyers, plus there were big changes to the way we can pay. These changes have meant several owners falling foul of the law. To make sure you don't, here are our top five tax myths dispelled. 1. Dealers can no longer tax your car for you Dealers can still tax the car for you by using your name and address and the V5C/2 registration - sometimes called a New Keeper Supplement, and applying either online, over the phone or at the local post office. It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure the car is taxed though so if you'd rather do it yourself, you could haggle to have the cost of the tax knocked off the car price. 2. You can drive away without taxing your new car from an auction Once the seller at the auction informs the DVLA that the car is sold, you will need to tax it immediately before you drive away. You can do this either online or by phone and the service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DVLA advises that vehicles should not be purchased without sight of the Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C) and you should insist on having the New Keeper Supplement given to you at the point of sale as you need the 12-digit reference number on it to be able to tax the car immediately. 3. You get a full refund in car tax when you sell your car This isn’t true either as there are instances when you may be a little out of pocket. Once you inform the DVLA that you have sold your car an automatic refund will be processed. You will only get a refund for each complete calendar month that the tax is paid for. For
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The Beam March 2016 example; if you sell your car on the November 2, you will only receive the money back for tax paid after December 1. It is important that you tell the DVLA of any change of name or address as any refund will be paid to the details they have saved on record. 4. Paying by monthly direct debit costs no more than paying for 12 months up front As of October last year, car tax can finally be paid by monthly direct debit. It does however, cost you five percent more than if you decided to pay annually. The same five percent increase is charged for six monthly payments too, however, this has been reduced from ten percent as of October 2014. 5. I will no longer get a reminder when the tax is due to expire You will still get a Renewal Reminder (the forms are called V11s and V85/1s) like before, if at any point you want to check the tax status of your car you can use the DVLA’s ‘Vehicle Enquiry System’ on the DVLA website but make sure you have your V5C registration certificate to hand. Want to know how much your tax will be? Unfortunately we cannot help make tax more fun, but we can make it easier to calculate. By using our road tax guide on htto://www.co.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/road-tax-guide/ you can find out how much tax you will need to pay for the car you are interested in buying. What’s happening in 2017? From April 1, 2017, if you buy a new car your tax will be based on a combination of CO2 emissions, a ‘Standard Rate’, and the list price with an introductory cap of £40,000. For the first year of ownership only, the rate will be based on CO2 emissions similar to the current system, After that all cars emitting 1g/km or more will be subjected to £140 ‘Standard Rate’ duty each year, while those costing £40,000 or more will pay an additional £310 per year for the first five years of Standard Rate payment. Debbie Wood, Senior Staff Writer, Parkers Guide Nov. 2015 ~.~.~.~.~ Forthcoming Events :- Skid Pan at Goodwood. Half-Day, Sunday 24th April Members £50.00 Non-Members £55.00 Off-Roading, Ashdown Forest. Full-Day including 2 course Lunch. Saturday 25th June. Members £155.00 Non-Members £160.00 Volunteers wanted to help man the ESGAM stall at :- Eastbourne Magnificent Motors. Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May Cuckoo Fayre. Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th and Monday 30th May Contact Sally Berman, Email: [email protected] Phone: 01424 843541 ~.~.~.~.~ 8
The Beam March 2016 IPSGA reminder Information. What’s going on around you? Check your mirrors to work out the movements of other road users and signal before changing course. If there is a lot of traffic or someone is following close behind, do this as early as possible. Position. After confirming it’s safe, take the best position for dealing with the bend. On a left-hand bend move closer to the centre line and on a right-hand bend closer to the kerb. This will improve your view around the corner. Speed. Adjust your speed to prepare for the corner. Gears. Once you’re at the right speed, select the right gear. Adjust your speed early so that you have time to separate changing speed from changing gear. Accelerate. Once you can see through the bend, accelerate smoothly if it is safe, bearing in mind the road conditions. Gently accelerating through a corner balances the car. ~.~.~.~.~ Are there valuable rare toys in your attic? Could this little car make you big bucks? "Star Wars figures, in particular, are a goldmine, as the recent sale of a 35-year-old Empire Strikes Back model of Boba Fett for £18,000, shows. This beauty originally cost £1.50, so that's some mark up" What Christmas presents from the past are worth a pretty penny today? Most family homes have a hoard of old toys consigned to a big dusty box up in the attic. But did you know that some of these toys are worth a fortune? Let's take a look at a selection of the most noteworthy playthings which are now worth a packet The name's Bond (Image by Schrocat via Wikimedia) In the mid-1960s it seemed Britannia ruled the world, let alone the waves. Beatlemania had wiped the floor with Elvis, England won the football World Cup, while James Bond managed to trump From Russia with Love with Goldfinger and, in the process, introduced to the
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The Beam March 2016 mainstream a car to die for – the Aston Martin DB5. When it came to cool cars, this one had all a spy could want. There was an ejector seat for getting shot of baddies, revolving number plates for avoiding parking tickets and a bullet-proof rear windshield for dealing with the pigeons. Even better, a toy DB5 James Bond edition car hit the streets. Back in 1965, you or your parents would pay nine shillings 11 pence – that's £9 in today's money – for one of these model cars. That was probably a fair sum back then, but it pales compared to what you'd expect to pay for one now, as six unopened boxes of the toy were snapped up for £8,000 earlier this year. Tie-ups between films and products are commonplace these days, but they were less so back in the swinging sixties. Yet unlike many relationships that started back then, this is one that's still going strong. An Aston Martin spokesman told us: "Aston Martin and James Bond are intrinsically linked and the public view Aston Martin as James Bond's car. We are extremely comfortable with this status." All dolled up (Image by SpeckledOwl via Flickr) If you think the Bond car probably took its fair share of knocks, spare a thought for Sindy. The doll was named Toy of the Year 1970 and from day one it seemed the future was bright for the plastic babe that made her debut in 1963 for 22 shillings and six pence. All was going well, until someone decided the British beauty should break America. She failed, largely thanks to dominance on that side of the pond by the irrepressible Barbie. Decades on and someone at Sindy HQ was clearly still rankled, so in the 1980s the model went under the knife to make her more 'American'. As facelifts go, it was a disaster and Sindy's star waned.If you have an original 1970 Sindy in pristine condition, expect to pass it on for around £1,000, which is not to be sniffed at. Easily board? The dominance of traditional toys and board games was swept away in 1980 when a science project, hatched by a Hungarian architect called Erno Rubik, became one of the must-have toys of the early 1980s. This toy is unusual in one regard – that you can tell whether someone has played with it and failed to solve the puzzle. Sure, you can take it apart and
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The Beam March 2016 attempt to rebuild it, but from experience I can tell you this isn't easy, although it's more dignified than slapping paint on a used cube. This is not a rare or valuable item, as the market was flooded with these riddles. It's estimated that 350 million cubes were sold throughout the '80s – so don't expect to earn much more than face value for this toy. Unless you have your hands on the £1 million diamond encrusted cube produced in the '80s, that is. Reflecting on its success, Erno Rubik told us: "When the cube was born it was obvious to attach signage to all the little 'cubelets' so one could follow what happens in the process. He continued: "I applied the primary colours and it became evident that the cube functioned as a magical toy or puzzle, albeit one so difficult that it took much longer for the toy market to accept it." Stars of the screen (Image by Iain Farrell via Flickr) First-edition toys from the '70s to the '90s and beyond are definitely worth keeping your eagle eyes on. Star Wars figures, in particular, are a goldmine, as the recent sale of a 35-year-old Empire Strikes Back model of Boba Fett for £18,000, shows. This beauty originally cost £1.50, so that's some mark up. Other movie-related toys can also be worth a pretty penny. Original Jaws shark toys, Evel Knieval's wind-up bike and Pokemons all frequently sell for over £100 on eBay – if they are in good nick. The big problem with these toys is establishing whether they're the real deal, fakes or newer models. The present day (Image by Amy via Flickr) So what of the current generation of toys? Well, no one knows what will be worth a fortune in years to come, and which ones will find homes in the nation's charity shops. If nothing else, take some consolation from the fact that if your kids never even take a pricey toy out of its box at Christmas, it could end up being part of their inheritance many years from now. Go-Compare by Dan Moore ~.~.~.~.~ 11
The Beam March 2016
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has welcomed the Department for Transport today (26-01-16) opening up a public consultation on stricter penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving. The DfT’s consultation is looking for feedback on proposals for increasing the fixed penalty notice level from £100 to £150 for all drivers. It also invites views on increasing the penalty points from three to four points for non- HGV drivers, and three to six points for those that hold a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) licence and commit the offence whilst driving an HGV. Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and research said: “Forcing all drivers caught using a hand-held mobile for the first time to attend a re-education course would be a really positive step. For many, smartphone use has become an addiction that we can only start to cure through some form of therapy. The IAM does not object to tougher penalties but we do believe that the real deterrent is fear of being caught. That fear can only be increased by increasing the numbers of traffic police on our roads.” The DfT’s report launching the consultation cites the IAM’s survey in July 2015 on drivers taking selfies at the wheel. The IAM found that 9% of drivers surveyed admitted taking a selfie whilst driving within the previous month – a figure that increases to 19% of 25 – 35 year olds. The survey also discovered 8% of drivers admitted to driving while using a video-calling application such as Face Time and Skype to make and receive video calls, rising to 16% among 18 to 24 year olds. Neil added: “Technology has caused this issue and technology offers one route towards reducing the distraction effect of mobile phone use. It will not be easy to retrofit many of these solutions but the IAM is supportive of trials and pilots to show whether automatically switching off phones when moving can deliver safer roads.” ~.~.~.~.~ They Walk Among Us - BE VERY WARY (1) I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask. (Happened at Luton Airport )
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the Highways Department to request the removal of the 'DEER CROSSING' sign from our road. The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars on this stretch of road! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing, anymore. (Story from Potters Bar)
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The Beam March 2016 New Observers. Update from Chief Observers report dated 27th December 2015 1) Today, we had 3 successful NO (National Observer) passes. These were Peter Craig, Ed Shorttle and Jim Foster. Well done all. Shaun (the Assessor) was very complimentary about all of our candidates so a huge thanks from me to their Mentors, Sally, Ralph, Vic and Alastair. For those that did not know, Ralph passed his a few weeks back. We now have 15 NO’s in the Group which I believe is still more than anyone else.
2) We have three new trainee Observers started. Paul Crane and Paul Dayrell who will be doing normal run days, Peter will be starting Paul Dayrell before run day (all being well) and Colin Shippey who will be (predominately) a mid week Observer. Alastair has taken him under his wing. ~.~.~.~.~ Fears about residential parking The AA recently commissioned research about parking in residential areas. The results revealed that competition for parking spaces outside homes is becoming more fierce as motorists reveal concerns about finding parking spots. One in ten drivers (12%) are now putting off making journeys in their car for fear of losing parking spots. The AA polled 24,739 motorists and the survey revealed: 19% of drivers “always worry” about being able to park as they approach home. Londoners feel the most affected with 36% anxious about parking and 24% abandon or postpone journeys. In the North East, South East and Wales 20% drivers are concerned about the availability of parking spaces outside their homes. The poll revealed that 12-13% of motorists in these areas put off making journeys in their car for this reason. So, where in the UK are people most relaxed about parking outside their homes? The answer is East Anglia where only 13% of drivers were concerned and only 7% delayed journeys. This helps to reveal an underlying relationship between parking concerns and car ownership. People in London have the fewest cars or vans per household (0.8) while those in East Anglia have the joint most (1.3) according to the Department for Transport. A while ago the AA conducted a different poll which found that 47% of drivers reported a large number of vehicles parking on pavements near their homes. At least 12% of these people have witnessed arguments between neighbours over this issue. The AA believe that rising house prices are forcing people to live further from their workplaces so they need cars in order to commute. This means that some homes which have several adults may mean that there are two or more cars parked nearby. Densely populated areas where buildings or houses have been converted into flats also leads to more cars parked in a constricted area.
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The Beam March 2016
The AA state that the problem could be eased if local authorities reviewed parking restrictions in residential areas. Some councils have been helpful and allow parking on both sides of the road. However, many others create parking permit zones which infuriate residents who don’t want to have to pay to park outside their own homes. The AA think that councils should review the use of yellow lines in residential areas as these parking restrictions may no longer be necessary and could alleviate parking issues. The Local Government Association (LGA) claim that they are “on the side of motorists”. They also bemoan the difficulties of balancing the needs of commuters and residents and say that there just isn’t enough space to meet the growing demand for parking. Of course, the solution is to get a driveway put in so you can park on that. Converting gardens into driveways in urban areas has lead to an increase in flooding as the amount of water going into storm drains is increased. New regulations put in place in 2008 mean that you will need planning permission to put in a driveway if you are not using a permeable material. Using permeable materials or directing water to a lawn enables rainwater to slowly seep into the drainage system rather than flood in. The more driveways installed the more pressure on an archaic drainage system. Hard surfaces like driveways can increase surface water run off two fold. If your driveway crosses the pavement or verge outside your home then you will need to obtain permission from the Highways Department at the local council. The kerb will need to be dropped to the road level so that it doesn’t become damaged as you drive over it. Councils vary in their approach to this, some will do the work themselves and others will expect you to do it and they will insist you use contractors that they approve of. Whoever does the work, you will have to pay for it. Costs are determined by the local council and depend on the area of footpath used to access the driveway. Many councils do offer a scheme for elderly and disabled people to apply for a dropped kerb grant. However, this grant usually applies only to the cost of the footway crossing and not making the driveway hard standing. So just as you find the solution to one problem, another can of worms opens up. The life of a motorist! Breakeryard .com by Margaret Daly ~.~.~.~.~ As the coffin is being lowered into the ground at a Traffic Warden’s funeral, a voice from inside screams, “I’m not dead, I’m not dead~.~.~.~.~ - Let me out!!! The Vicar smiles, leans forward sucking air through his teeth and mutters, They"Too bloodyWalk late Among pal - I've Us already - BE VERYdone the WARYpaperwork" (1) ~.~.~.~.~ 14
The Beam March 2016
They Walk Among Us - BE VERY WARY (2) My daughter went to a local Kentucky Fried Chicken and ordered a Taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had Iceberg Lettuce. (From South Oxhey , Hertfordshire.) ~.~.~.~.~ TEN MINUTE QUIZ – GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. Do you know ….. 1. Where is the National Motor Museum? 2. In which year was the Automobile Association founded? 3. Which manufacturer makes the 458 Spider? 4. What first appeared in Parliament Square, London in the C19? 5. Who invented the Jet Engine? 6. Which British scientist invented the World Wide Web? 7. In which decade did the Wembley Stadium first open? 8. From which bridge does the Boat Race start? 9. What year was the Lockerbie Disaster? 10. In what year was the first flight over the North Pole? 11. What line is depicted in blue on an Underground Map? 12. From which station does the Hogwarts Express depart? 13. When yeast is used to make bread rise, what gas is produced? 14. Cows have four, humans have one. What? 15. Where is Fort Knox? 16. What was the Roman name for Ireland? 17. Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? 18. What metal is the main constituent of Pewter? 19. What American state does not have a straight line in its borders?
20. Which planet lies between Venus and Mars?
Earth. 20. Hawaii. 19. Tin. 18. President. American The 17. Hibernia.
13. Carbon Dioxide.14. Stomachs. 15 Kentucky. 16. 16. Kentucky. 15 Stomachs. Dioxide.14. Carbon 13. Cross. King’s Line.12. Victoria
Lee. 7. 1920’s. 8. Putney Bridge.9. 1988. 10. 1926. 11. 11. 1926. 10. 1988. Bridge.9. Putney 8. 1920’s. 7. Lee. - s Berner Tim 6. Whittle. Frank 5.
lights. traffic first The 4. Ferrari. 3. 1905. 2. Hants. Beaulieu, 1. - Answers:
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NEW MEMBERS Hearty Congratulations to the following Associates who have passed the Advanced Driving Test and are now full members of the Group.. Alan Court, Peter Palmer, Maralyn Wilson, Harvey Ryall. .
NEW ASSOCIATES A warm welcome to the new Associates who have recently joined the Group. We wish you an enjoyable time during your preparation for your Advanced Driving test and that you like many others will benefit from the Groups’ high success rate. Heather Adams, Richard Tickner, Peter Knatchbull-Hugessen, Rufus Shaw, Alan Taylor, George Pritchard, William Straub, David Awcock, David Moxom, Kevin Barton,
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY OBSERVED RUNS are usually held on the second Sunday of the month except when that Sunday coincides with Easter or another Bank Holiday 2016: 10th April, May 8th, June 12th, July 10th (all 13.30 – 16.30) OBSERVERS TRAINING / ASSESSMENTS DAY 2016: 20th Mar., (13.30 – 17.00) NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING 11th May, 2016 (19.45 – 21.45) Annual General Meeting 6th July (19.45 – 21.45) All above at Union Corner Hall Hailsham. Magazine Press Date for June issue of ‘The Beam’ 12th May 2016 When you have finished with this publication Please pass it to another motorist
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Peter Craig Peter Craig
Born 12/06/1943 Born 12/06/1943 Died 07/02/2016 Died 07/02/2016
IAM Member since 1985 IAM Member since 1985 Peter has been a good Peter has been a good observer and a great friend to observer and a great friend to all of us. He was always all of us. He was always happy and always free to help happy and always free to help should you need it. It is with should you need it. It is with great sadness that we lose great sadness that we lose him. We thank you for him. We thank you for everything you have done. everything you have done.
May he rest in Peace May he rest in Peace
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