Chair's Chatter

Hello fellow LAMKINS

It’s been a strange week, a week where we will always remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the sad news of the passing of our Majesty the Queen. It made me ponder some of the great things she did in her life. The Queen even rode a motorcycle! I’m not sure she did her advanced, but then again, she didn’t even have a driving licence, but she didn’t need one!

It looks from the photograph that she may have been able to give Special Escort Group a run for their money around the old Hendon training square.

I’m pretty sure she could also carry out an oil change and a spark plug check, which is more than I can say for most of us (okay, I’m just talking about me!).

I’m ever hopeful that the resurgence of this wonderful photo will encourage more young females to take up motorcycling and move away from the demographic that the average IAM member is a bearded 50-something.

If nothing else, we might be able to encourage clothing manufacturers that ladies ride motorcycles, and not everyone likes black as their preferred clothing colour choice.

Manufacturers have come a long way over the last eight years or so, and on a recent trip to Motolegends (other retailers are available) to replace my battered clothing, I was pleasantly surprised to find trousers and jackets that fit a lady in all the right places and aren’t exactly the same offering as those for a man but made appealing for the lady with some pink piping!

Perhaps if Queen Elizabeth had stayed on two wheels, who knows, we might have skipped the awful Oxford pink and yellow “pillion suits” from the eighties and, given her height, BMW or others may have cracked the lower motorcycle earlier for those who struggle with leg length!

The Queen wasn’t the only royal who chose two wheels. Both Prince William and Prince Harry ride bikes. Thinking about it, it’s a great way to get about London without being recognised and was their modern take on Prince Phillip’s London Taxi! Full set of leathers, dark visor, job done!

I have seen an assortment of photos of Prince William on a bike, a Triumph is just one of his favourites; I’ve also seen him on several different Ducatis.

In his youth, he once turned up at a polo match on his 1198 in a full set of leathers, completely incognito; the only (possible) giveaway was the George cross on his knee sliders! He hopped off his bike and onto a horse.

In 2008 Prince William and Prince Harry took part in the Enduro Africa Motorcycle Ride. They embarked on a 12-day trip riding across Africa on Honda CRF 230 enduro bikes to raise money for charity.

Surely if it’s good enough for the royal family, it’s good enough for us?  

Several events are coming up in the LAM calendar (can all be found on Tracker); in a couple of days, we’ve got the Wales training weekend; I’m sure I’ll have something to report back on in next month’s chairs chatter!

We’ve got Tatsfield coming up and then Banstead again. The attendance at the group meetings has dramatically increased, so we offer more ORs than before. We are still dependent upon Observers giving up their time, and where we cannot meet the demand, we have always got one Observer up our sleeve who is prepared to run an AOR with the excess. Not ideal, but at least everyone gets to go out.

As we bid farewell to our sovereign, we also say goodbye to one of LAM’s own, Peter Hase who is stepping down from Observing and staying mainly on the other side of the channel.

If anyone needs to know the French for Petrol and Diesel, Peter is your man (My husband told me to put that?)

Thank you, Peter, and don’t be a stranger and who knows, we may come and play with you in France.

Stay well all and see you at Banstead.

Jane Harle, Chair, LAM