Training Update
We are approaching the end of the biking season and we have some noteworthy successes to celebrate.
Congratulations go to Jack Butler and Owen Hargreaves who both received very credible Silver passes on their first RoSPA Advanced Tests in April and July respectively and Chris Townsend achieved a well-deserved GOLD in October. A Gold on your first attempt is no mean feat so kudos to Chris and to his Observer, Richard Brown.
We also have another RoSPA Advanced Tutor now with Rob Wilkie passing his test in July.
And last but not least, Mike Molloy sat and passed the Level 3 Award in Advanced Motorcycle Instructor Training in July. This is particularly praiseworthy as it requires a week of intensive training at some substantial cost, so hats off to Mike.
We’ve also run one day courses in Slow Riding, Overtaking, Cornering and Roundabouts which were very well received by all who attended. Courses for 2026 are now being planned so look out for those in the calendar.
On the downside, we have had a couple of Observers stand down from training in the past few months for personal reasons. This is putting increased pressure on the remaining Observers but so far we are coping fine. We are planning to run an Observer Training course in early spring next year so if you are already qualified (at Gold) and would like to take your riding to the next level by becoming a Group Tutor, then inform Rob and we will let you know when the course is scheduled.
Lastly a reminder for all you Associates still training, to get on the backs of your Observer to schedule your next training session. It might be winter but your Observers are a hardy lot and will happily continue training in the cold and wet!
Events
- 8th December: Christmas meal, White Swan, 19:30
- 21st December: no monthly ride out
- 12th January: AGM, White Swan, 19:30
- 18th January: Monthly ride out (it will be warm & sunny, you’ll see)
SWAR Committee Nomination Invitation 2026
Nominations are invited for the SWAR Committee for 2026.
Nominations must be received before the end of our next monthly meeting on 8th December 2025.
Nominations can be submitted using this online form.
Once you have submitted your nomination(s) you will be sent an email with a confirmation link that you must click on before the nomination is registered.
Note that the following 2025 Committee members have been nominated to continue in their post if no other nominations are received for that post:
| Chairman | Andy Meechan |
| Secretary | Richard Taylor |
| Treasurer | Adam Franklin |
| Training Officer | Rob Wilkie |
| Membership Officer | David Cooke |
| Media Officer | Iñigo Ayesa |
| Member without Portfolio | David Gomez Gonzalez (David G) |
The above nominations do not preclude you from being nominated for the same role.
Please note the following rules from our Constitution:
10. Election of Committee Members
10.1 All Nominees must be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members of the Group.
10.2 All nomination forms must be submitted to the Group Secretary by the end of the monthly Group meeting preceding the AGM.
10.3 If only one Nomination for any Committee post is received that Nominee will be elected unopposed.
10.4 If more than 1 Nomination for any Committee Post is received then there will be an election vote by show of hands at the AGM.
SWAR Membership Subscription 2026
Membership subscriptions are due on 1st January 2026.
The cost is a very reasonable £25 per annum if you pay by Standing Order, or £30 for a one-off payment.
For this you get many benefits:
- One-to-one training/ refresher check rides with an Observer
- 4 hands-on training sessions every year (slow riding, cornering, overtaking, roundabouts)
- Monthly social evening meetings
- Monthly rideouts
- Fabulous tours
- Fortnightly evening rides through the summer
- Christmas meal
- Summer BBQ
- Camaraderie!
Please arrange your standing order/payment to go to:
- Name: SWAR
- Sort: 30 91 91
- Account: 51124868
- Reference: SUB26 + your name
Roundabouts Hands-on Training – 25th October
Held on a dull but mainly dry Saturday in October. We started with a presentation from Gordon with some really good graphics and video footage that enabled us to understand that roundabouts are not a precise science. It’s all about assimilating all the information on the approach to plan the most progressive way to enter and exit the roundabout safely.
We then broke into groups of 2 or 3 with an experienced observer to practice, firstly with a series of busy single lane roundabouts in Wellesbourne followed with some faster multi lane roundabouts at Alcester.
All agreed irrespective of experience this intensive practice was excellent in improving skills, and through repetition we all felt that we had improved skills and gained confidence. The observers as usual constructively challenged lane choices, observations, positioning, and signalling as well as berated us for missed overtaking opportunities!
A very enjoyable day of riding, discussing and improving – Thanks to Gordon, Rich T and Andy M.
Ardennes Tour
Rob, our esteemed tour maestro, laid plans for an Ardennes and Luxembourg trip many months ago. 10 places were available, and by the time I managed to work out if I could go, they had all gone. Argghhh. But I grovelled, and Rob kindly let me join as the eleventh person, and did the extra booking – whoo!
The Ardennes is in south Belgium & Luxembourg, with a smattering of France and Germany thrown in. It’s hilly, wooded, and riddled with fabulous roads, the best of which seem to follow the winding rivers between the hills. It’s probably the closest place to the UK for real hairpin bends – OK, not Alpine extreme, but they’re still good fun:
The Ardennes are just out of comfortable reach from the Midlands in a day, so the pre-trip afternoon leg for most participants was to enjoy the M40/M25/M20 to Ashford, Kent for an overnight stay at The Premier Inn.
Very early the next morning…
…it was onto into the Eurotunnel – with David C full of smiles:
And hey presto out the other side for a delicious French snack at the petrol station a full 1Km beyond the tunnel. And who should we find but our very own Rex! Not on a motorbike, unfortunately, but still pleasant surprise.
Owen, having gently dropped his bike (as everyone does) at a standstill, dropped it again. Hang on – you don’t do it twice! The problem was the first drop had bent his crashbars – (better than snapping the frame/bolt) which introduced some unexpected steering lock! Several minutes later the best mechanical minds decided a good kicking would sort the crash bars out. Sorted.
After snacks it was an hour and a half thrash down the A26 autoroute to our first café. A definite step up from the Premier Inn, even if the décor vibe is a bit grey:
Then we were off into the countryside, heading for our Belgian hotel. Which way though?
“You looking at me?”
We ate at the hotel, with some strong beer to hand, as in wine strength – the type that normal Belgians (and David C) drink:
The night after, in the bar across the road, we found what normal Belgians don’t drink:
The next day roads were littered with leaves, but with little/no rain, they weren’t a ‘hazard’ (got to shoehorn a key RoSPA phrase in somewhere, right?):
Saint Hubert the dog. I mean, why? For photo ops, obvs:
The next day was a visit to Bastogne, centre of the Battle of the Bulge, where the car park had a tank memorial, and someone had to climb it. There’s always one:
Bastogne cafe:
The small 101st Airborne Museum was excellent and completely absorbing, if accurately gory with a makeshift field hospital in the basement. Very sobering.
Channelling Madame Tussauds – which is the real one?
Their nod to ‘Allo ‘allo was also spot on:
Rob contemplating how on earth he was going to get them to speed up a bit:
Next day was a visit to the beautiful Luxembourg-German border town of Vianden. The only complication was that their annual walnut festival (no really) was being held. The town was near-impassable. In the end we managed to squeeze some parking at the far end of the town and walked back to be greeted with blokes showing off their nuts:
A visit to Spa-Francorchamps race circuit was next day’s excuse to take to the curves again. We couldn’t get in, but you can walk down to the fencing and watch the cars playing.
David needed a little lie down after all the Spa nadgery:
One more coffee:
And another:
And another – just one? I think so:
Coffee stop again, but a bit tight: Tree ßà Rizla ß àHonda. Ah, no space for the Rizla, sorry:
We’ll not be invited back to this café, not after the strawberry jam incident:
Thanks go to Rob for the excellent arrangements, hotel choices, the routes, and of course for waiting patiently every 20 minutes for us to catch up.
Also thanks to Steve for many of the photos – the rest of us mostly forgot!
