SCUNTHORPE AND GRIMSBY NEWSLETTER Group No. 7080 Charity No. 106312 May 2020 Summer Issue 1 Contents Hello & Welcome 3 Ad Lad Advertising in our Newsletter Dates for the Diary 4 Newsletter Distribution Social Nights MDU Committee Meetings Observer Meetings Support Family & Friends to Become an Advanced Driver Just for Fun SAGAM Team Members 5 Group Composition Chairman’s Chatter 6 Treasurers Report 6 Annual Balance Sheet 7 Rich’s Experiences in Thailand 8 Songran – Welcoming in the Thai New Year 9 Congratulations 10 Discount information 11 Editor’s Choice - Caught My Eye 11 Kia History RAC Review of Kia Venga Review of Social Night 16 How to Keep Your Car Healthy 18 Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss 19 IAM RoadSmart ADSM Group Audit 20 We Got Mail 23 Local Group Subscriptions Spot the Difference Keep Your Details Up To Date And Finally….. 2 Hello, welcome to the Summer edition of your newsletter! Well…. we are in May already – hasn’t the time flown by? Like me, I bet everyone is looking forward to the Summer being here properly, with some really nice weather and not much rain so we can enjoy our gardens to the full. We’ve put up a small greenhouse, have built a vegetable plot and are looking forward to having our home-grown vegetables for dinner. We will be planting/have planted various vegetables and plan on having a really good selection of herbs as well, so we can cook fresh for every meal. Actually, I don’t do much cooking myself as my husband is a professional chef – I just do the washing up and believe it or not there’s only the two of us!! So, less of the chit chat and on with the business of our Quarterly IAM magazine. As always, I do hope you enjoy this edition which is packed with interesting articles, fun and SAGAM news. I would be grateful for any of stories, even short stories or articles for the next edition and indeed anything else you would like to see included. Please email any articles by 15th July to [email protected] Did you find the Ad Lad in the last newsletter? He was in the V60 Plug-in hybrid charging box on the wall on page 11. Have a good look through this edition for him……. Advertising in our Newsletter If anyone would like to advertise in our newsletters please contact Jan Burditt on 07834 170678 or email [email protected] The cost of advertising is: Full page - £40.00 Half page - £20.00 Costs are per annum and will there will be four quarterly issues 3 Dates for the Diary For 2020, your newsletters will be distributed as follows: August (Please make sure any articles are submitted before 15th July 2020), and November. If there is anything you like (or dislike) about your newsletter, or if there are any articles you think our members may enjoy reading, please feel free to email me at [email protected] The dates for our social nights this year have been put on hold for now but we will let you know as soon as we are able to reinstate them Proposed dates for the MDU have also been put on hold with those in the near future being cancelled Committee Meeting dates for this year via video link are: 13th May, 10th June, 8th July, 12th August, 9th September, 14th October, 11th November and 9th December. Observer Meetings for this year hosted by Paul Cassell are also on hold but we will let you know as soon as they are up and running again SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO BECOME AN ADVANCED DRIVER We currently have an offer on whereby after completing the test successfully, you will receive £25 back. To receive your application form please send your name and contact details along with your payment to: Mr M Gothard Cheques should be made payable to: 7, West Green The Institute of Advanced Motorists Messingham For more information contact: Terry Heath on: North Lincs 01652 655601 or visit our website DN17 3QT www.scunthorpegrimsbyadvancedmotorists.org Just for Fun…….. Just renewed my car insurance over the phone and as I was about to hang up, the operator, obviously touting for more business asked if I had a pet?, "Yes, I've got a dog", I said. "Would you like to insure him too?", she went on. "Er, stupid question", I replied….He can’t even drive a blooming car! I didn't realize how bad of a driver I was until my sat nav said, "In 400 feet, do a slight right, stop, and let me out"!! I always adjust the seat and mirrors when I drive my husband's car so he doesn't forget he's married!!! 4 The IAM Scunthorpe & Grimsby Team Members CHAIRMAN and CHIEF OBSERVER Terry Heath Tel: 01652 655601 Email – [email protected] VICE-CHAIRMAN Tel: 01724 764237 Paul Johnson Tel: 01724 721156 The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual TREASURER writers and not necessarily of the IAM, Malcolm Gothard nor the Scunthorpe and Grimsby group. 01724 764237 SECRETARY The current composition of our group is as Dawn Kitching follows: Tel: 01724 875276 Full Members 108 Mick Harris GDPR Tel: 01724 531625 Associate Members 8 TOTAL 116 Paul Johnson MDU/EVENTS/GROUP CONTACT Please note these numbers can change on a weekly basis. Tel: 01724 721156 Allen Hardman CH. OBS Have a look at our web page which includes lots of useful Tel: 01472 813231 information: www.scunthorpegrimsbyadvancedmotorists.org ASSOCIATE COORDNATOR John Wigmore Facebook: @SGAMG1 Tel: 07751608127 Twitter: @ANDGRIMSBY MAGAZINE EDITOR/PUBLISHER Jan Burditt Tel: 07834170678 email: [email protected] WEBMASTER Ian Greenbeck Email: [email protected] OBSERVER TRAINING OFFICER Sue Harris Tel: 01469 531625 AREA MANAGER Peter Serhatlic Tel: 07703 718907 [email protected] 5 Chairman’s Chatter Hi folks, I hope you’re all managing to soldier on in these days of uncertainty. My contribution to this mag is rather small this time as I’ve been very busy with all the other committee members, helping to keep the group afloat. One thing that is worthy of note, is the results of the national audit for the IAM which can be found on page 20. Several months ago, members of the committee embarked on the arduous task of filling in a questionnaire from head office, about everything to do with the group. Unfortunately, when they first asked us all to do it, we were right in the middle of the merger with the Grimsby side, so it got put on the back burner. Then some months later it came in, a bit like a final demand from someone you owed money to. So, eventually we completed it and did it as true and accurate as we could. We were all supposed to meet up with our area services delivery manager, for a meeting to tell us just how we are doing but the current situation has put a stop to that. So, we now communicate using Zoom conference calling. Very recently we received the results and as you will see, I think they are quite favorable which means all the hours of work your committee has put in, have not been wasted. Our manager appears pleased with most things we do. There is, as always, room for improvement and in due course you will hear of the progress. Please take the time to have a read and feel free to make any comments on the group website. Lastly, I’d like to say that we are very proud of our achievements and will continue to strive to maintain and improve these standards, overcome any issues, promote the group along with advanced driving continuously. Thank you! for your continued help and support without which, we simply couldn’t exist. I just wish each and every one of you a safe passage though these troubled times and hope to see you on the other side of this. Kind regards, Terry Heath. Chairman. TREASURERS REPORT The annual balance sheet showing details of income and expenditure is published on page 7 of this newsletter. The striking difference between the 2018/2019 and the 2019/20 figures is due to the 2018/2019 figures only referring to the nine months after the formation of the Scunthorpe and Grimsby Group. The 2018/2019 figures show just how reliant we are on members’ subscriptions and the associated Gift Aid – so thank you to all who have already paid. Please see the separate article “2020 Local Group Subscriptions” on page 10. Expenditure on newsletters has been reduced since the move to on-line publication for which we have Jan Burditt to thank. If there is anyone else who could now move from paper copies to e-mail please let us know. When access to Scunthorpe precinct was free that was our main way of advertising but now North Lincolnshire Council have put us in the £180/week category that is not really a viable option. The committee are busy trying to find suitable alternatives but they often also come with a fee. The insurance fee, shown as zero, tends to get paid every two years due to the way the IAM deducts the money from our account, so next year will probably be about £300. Thanks go to Vivian Mitwanwari again for running the social evening raffles. At the year end we had 116 members including 7 associates. Finally, we are looking forward to seeing you all again and getting the show, literally, back on the road – which we will.