A Bedford Biker

Stella Alpina Rally

2011-05-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

I thought I’d write about this rally as it is coming up in the next couple of months, and it might be something that some of you are interested in.

The 'Stella Alpina Motociclistica Internazionale', known as the Stella Alpina Rally to most of us, is a motorcycling event held in Bardonecchia, Italy.
The main event is a ride up an off-road track to the Colle del Sommeiller, and this takes place on the Sunday morning. As everyone sets off in their own time, you find other motorcyclists coming past you in the other direction as you go up and down the track.

The idea of riding on an unsurfaced track can seem pretty daunting to some riders. However, the Stella Alpina’s original purpose was to give the average road rider an opportunity to take their road bikes off-road and experience a different kind of riding. I have even seen Goldwings and sidecar outfits heading up there. The track can be negotiated on most motorcycles, and it’s something that everyone should try at least once!

Another great part of the weekend is the social scene, and the chance to meet loads of like-minded people.

So as I mentioned above, the meeting takes place in the small town of Bardonecchia, which is near the Italian/French border at the end of the Frejus tunnel. The tunnel is the faster, more direct route to Bardonechhia, although you have to pay to use it and if you have some time on your hands then it’s definitely worth going up and over the top of the mountains instead of through them - you’ll find some beautiful scenery!

It’s easy to get over to Bardonecchia in one or two days riding from the UK. However, if you’re interested in touring a bit of Europe then it’s always nice to leave a week or so in advance and mooch around the surrounding countries for a bit.

For those of you considering going to the Stella Alpina, the date for your diaries is the second Sunday in July – every year!

Having attended this rally for the past two years, I can honestly say it’s a fantastic holiday if you enjoy riding abroad and taking a challenge.

Check out the YouTube videos below if you’d like to see a video of the Stella Alpina track, and some photographs from my previous trips to Bardonecchia.

If you know any mates that are interested in touring or off-roading, don’t forget to direct them to this page!

The dreaded swerve test - What do you think?

2011-05-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how many of you have heard about the swerve test or ‘hazard avoidance’ as they like to call it, but it’s a manoeuvre that was introduced last year into Module 1 of the motorcycle test over here in the UK.

The manoeuvre involves riding at a speed of 50kph (31mph) and then purposely swerving around some cones approximately 10 metres after the speed check. The idea of this is to simulate dodging around an obstacle/hazard in the road.

However, you have only two attempts to complete this successfully and given that your speed is electronically measured as the rider enters the first set of cones, it is quite possible to fail the test simply by not quite achieving the required speed. Consequently, a significant amount of practice is required beforehand (on both wet and dry roads since the test remains the same regardless of the weather) which presents many opportunities for mishap.

31mph doesn’t really seem that fast when you first consider it – so how bad can this swerve test be?

The manoeuvre was originally brought in to comply with European Union legislation, and it was designed with a view to improving road safety and making motorcyclists more prepared for a similar situation on the road.

When I researched into the swerve test on the Internet, I came across many news articles and accounts of learners’ experiences; there are very little positive comments about it.

It was even reported last year by the BBC that after less than one month of the manoeuvre being introduced, the UK Government was already under pressure to reconsider it after many crashes.

As I am soon to take my motorcycle test, I decided to have a go at this swerve test myself because it seems very daunting. I recently attended a training day with one of my local training organisations with the intention of practicing all of the manoeuvres presented in Module 1 of the test.

However, when we were being briefed on the swerve test, the instructor seemed very hesitant to have to students practice the manoeuvre at the full speed of 31mph and our speed was not monitored.

I decided to first have a go at the swerve manoeuvre at a speed of around 20mph. Even at this speed it took me a couple of attempts before I swerved smoothly without almost knocking over the cone. On each attempt I was trying to build my speed up a little and by 25mph I began feeling very unsafe.

It took me a lot of attempts to build up the confidence to reach 31mph, although I still felt it was very unsteady and unsafe. I felt as if on each attempt I was taking a huge risk of crashing my pride-and-joy motorcycle.

Furthermore, given that most speedometers read slow, I suspect that I will still be required to ride a little faster still to achieve the minimum speed required.

I honestly consider this part of the motorcycle test to be very dangerous. I think that no matter what speed you are travelling at, it is never safe to swerve on two wheels because there is simply not enough stability there. After experiencing this for myself, I really think it’s no wonder that so many learners have been crashing on this part of the test.

After my experience on my training day I am ever so grateful that I have had the opportunity to practice the swerve, because without practice I don’t think I will be able to swerve successfully in my test with only two attempts.

My question is this: If this is deemed an ‘essential’ manoeuvre for motorcycles, then why is it not essential for cars too?

Both cars and motorcycles are equally as likely to experience a situation on the road where they may need to swerve, yet motorcyclists are the only ones expected to do this during the test.

Thankfully, the UK Government came to their senses and recently decided to remove the swerve manoeuvre from the test completely. However, this is only happening at the end of 2011.

I did consider whether to wait until then to take my test, although I would like to have my full motorcycle licence sooner rather than later.

Time will tell whether I have made the right decision or not!

Image source: www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/7817034/Motorcycle-test-under-review.html

A Bloggers Centerline Day - My Photograph

2011-05-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Following my last blog post on 'A Bloggers Centerline Day' (ABCD), I came up with an idea for a photograph.

Admittedly, it might have been better to take and publish the photograph this morning, although I ended up going over to The Bedfordshire Classic Motor Show for the majority of the day.

Needless to say, I got right on taking my photograph as soon as I got home.

I chose this quite country road as a location for the photograph because it is where I have been practicing maneuvers for module 1 of my upcoming motorcycle test, and I know that barely any cars go down there. I also chose this location as the scenery is a lot more picturesque than other roads in my area!

So here we have it;

I'd love to see the photographs that other bloggers have taken!

A Bloggers Centerline Day

2011-04-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Gary France came up with this great idea! Check it out:

"Maybe you would like to join in with this...

A Bloggers Centerline Day, or ABCD, will take place on Sunday 1st May 2011.

The plan is to inspire as many bloggers as possible to go outside and take a photograph of themselves on this day, wherever they are in the world. The photo can be creative, arty, contain more than one person, be in any type of location and can contain anything else you like. It must however contain the centerline of a road and at least part of you, the blogger.

There are 5 rules....

Rule 1 - the picture must be taken on 1st May 2011.

Rule 2 - the picture must be of yourself, and you must be a person that publishes a blog. You can include whatever else you like in the picture, including other people if you wish.

Rule 3 - the picture must include the centerline of a road.

Rule 4 – you should publish the picture on your blog on 1st May 2011, along with a few words about the picture and why you chose that location or pose.

Rule 5 - when you have posted the picture on your own blog, put a comment on http://garysusatour.blogspot.com/2011/04/abcd-will-you-take-part.html and include in that comment the address of your own blog post containing your own picture.

Gary France will then pick his favourite photos and publish these as being the winners. There will be a prize of $100 awarded to the overall single winner, as chosen by Gary.

In order to get this event known as widely as possible, please copy and paste this posting onto your own blog, including the title. Please do that today!

As a reminder to yourself to take the photo and post it, put an entry into your diary for 1st May 2011.

Let’s see if we can get as many people to join in as possible."

Getting my motorcycle back on the road

2011-04-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Since my motorcycle accident a couple of weeks ago, my new tyres finally arrived so I got back on the road yesterday.

Even for a small bike like mine, 2 tyres, 2 inner tubes and 2 rim bands cost me over £100!

After taking my old tyres off, I finally saw what had punctured them in the first place. Not a small nail, not a tiny piece of metal, nothing I would normally expect. It was a 5 inch metal rod!
Oh the things that manage to get into our tyres at times...

Please note; those hairy arms are not mine! hahaa

It still baffles me as to how the entire thing got into my tyre since both ends are blunt!

My mascot looking very sad about the whole ordeal

Wheels off...

...Tyres on!

Thank God I'm finally back on the road.

I don't think I could handle sitting on the stuffy bus any longer. Especially when the weather is so perfect for motorcycling right now!

My first motorcycle accident!

2011-03-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ok so last Friday I was on my way home and I suddenly lost control of my bike. Before I had time to brake I was thrown off the road!

Thank God it turned out to be just a puncture and my bike was not too badly damaged. It's times like this I wish I had tubeless tyres!

Anyway, since I couldn't push the bloody thing home, I just waited and eventually a friend of mine happened to drive past and stopped to help me. Since my bike was too far from home, we managed to get my bike to my friend's house which luckily was quite close.

So now my poor bike is living at someone else's house until my new tyres and inner tubes arrive!

I have to say, I wasn't too impressed with the people of today's society that stood and watched me lying in the road with my bike on top of me and didn't come to help. What is this world coming to?

And the worst of it is; since I'm too much of a hardened biker to own a car, I'm now taking the bus everywhere for at least a couple of weeks!

Just when the weather is suddenly beautiful and warm too :(

I hope you're all taking advantage of the lovely weather and getting out on your bikes as much as possible!

I'm starting to experience the first of my motorcycle withdrawal symptoms already!

I never realised going cold turkey would be this hard! haha

Drive safe! :)

Hutch's Motorbike Forum

2011-02-21T06:01:00.001-08:00

First off, apologies for the late blog post this week. I've found myself ever so busy with work and what-not lately!

I thought it's about time I wrote a quick post about Hutch's Motorbike Forum, since I spend so much time on there these days.
Out of all the motorcycle forums I've been on, this one is certainly the best and there's a right friendly bunch on there!

If you're into rideouts and camping, you might also want to check out the forum's Annual Rideout and Camping Weekend on the 15th, 16th & 17th of July this year.

Photographs and more photographs

2011-01-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's not often that I write a blog post which is not totally about motorcycles or the subject of motorcycling. The truth is, there always seems to be so much less to write about in the winter.

Maybe it's because I don't go to so many rallies and bike-related events at this time of year -which is what I usually waffle on about.

Anyway, just for a quick update, I hope you're all back on your motorcycles now that the weather is not so icy - there's no excuses now! And that includes you, Banditmatty. Ditch the car and get back on the bike like a true hardened biker!

I should be getting a fresh new picture for the header of this blog soon, since I've never been too sure about the one I have at the moment.

In the meantime, here's a few photographs of me from a small photoshoot I did with Cat Lane yesterday;

80's pizza delivery girl :(

2010-12-29T02:24:00.000-08:00

Firstly, I hope you all had a great Christmas!

I've been spending much of my week visiting all the relatives and being given more and more chocolate to eat. I'm actually so full that I don't think I'll be able to eat another full meal for at least a month!

For Christmas I actually got a top box and carrier for my bike! I'm happy because now I can lock up my helmet and bags with my bike now, and not have to carry it around with me - despite a good friend of mine reminding me 'wahey, now you can look like an 80's pizza delivery girl!' :P

So on Boxing Day, I nipped down to Farningham for The Vintage Motorcycle Club's boxing day run. There seems to be less and less motorcycles there each year, but it's understandable because if I had such a beautiful vintage motorcycle, I certainly wouldn't be taking it out on salty and icy roads!
I've been needing to clean my bike more and more often recently. It's crazy how fast the salt gets to all the lovely chrome :(

Anyway, I probably won't write another post for a week or so because I have so much work to be getting on with.
Hope you all have an awesome and crazy New Year!

Dear Santa,

2010-12-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

Below I have carefully compiled a list of items which I hope you will consider acquiring for me this Christmas.

A late 1970's Honda 400/4 - preferably an F2 but I suppose I could settle for an F1 if it comes down to it.
A pair of motorbike slippers
Some money towards my future house in Belgium (around £200,000 should do)
A mini cupcake maker - makes cupcakes in 4 minutes? MUST HAVE
And some kind of robot to do all the housework for me

If I can only choose one then it'll be the 400/4. I understand it might be a little hard to fit under my Christmas tree, so you can just leave it outside my garage.

Alternatively, if you cannot aquire any of the above items, then I'll be happy if you just give my boyfriend a lift over to England in that sleigh of yours so I can be with him on Christmas Day.

Many thanks!

All-season diehard, perhaps?

2010-12-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

Throughout the last week or so I've been out conquering the icy and snowy roads! Considering it was the first time I've been on my bike in such conditions, and it was actually surprisingly easy.

Well, I say 'easy' although I actually fell off for the first time yesterday due to the snow. I was carefully going down my home street at around 4mph and I suddenly found myself on my side for no apparent reason. After brushing myself off, it turns out that my bike slipped on an icy drain cover that was hidden by the snow.

Anyway, I'm not hurt and the experience has made me a lot more careful and increased my awareness in these conditions.

For those of you who don't have snow or ice, I found an great blog post called '10 tips for staying alive when its wet' by My Life on Two Wheels. Most of it is common sense, but it's a good reminder to keep us all aware of hazards we frequently find in winter weather.

I'm toughing out the weather like a true hardened biker ;)

MCM, you made my day!

2010-11-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

As of Thursday I decided to start riding my motorcycle again, regardless of the fractured rib. I understand that the doctor told me to stay off it for several weeks, although at the start of the week I was taking the bus and the prices are extortionate! Well maybe saying 'extortionate' is exaggerating a little, but I was paying £4 for a journey that would cost me 20p on the bike.

Now I'm putting a folded up sweater in front of my rib underneath my bike jacket, and toughing out the pain. Well worth the money I'm saving on bus fare!

So, to the subject of the title.
Earlier I was quite bored and I remembered I hadn't picked up this month's issue of Motorcycle Monthly yet, so I went onto their website to read it online. As I came to the letters page, I noticed one that was very familiar.
A couple of months ago, I wrote a short letter into them, just mentioning about rebuilding my motorcycle and this 'n' that... and they published it!
It might not be an amazing letter, but it certainly made my day. I had completely forgotten that I even wrote in to them

For a larger, more readable version, click here

My first broken bone!

2010-11-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

You've probably noticed I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks - it seems I've had way too much going on!

Firstly, I spent a weekend camping at the Twits motorcycle rally (can't seem to find a website about this one), and we sure were lucky with the weather! Nevertheless, we came along dressed in all our waterproofs, ready for the worst.
Unfortunately, no rain in the night meant minus temperatures, and by the morning everything (including the bikes) was all white with frost!
Here's a few pictures, but if you want to look at more, feel free to check out my newly created Flickr.

Straight after the Twits rally, I went over to Belgium for a week to see my partner - which is most of the reason that I haven't written a new blog post in a while :P
Anyway it was pretty good, and I visited Brussels, Antwerp and Gent this time, instead of the usual Kortrijk.

I was actually going to publish this post yesterday, but during the day I managed to break my rib, so I spent most of the afternoon in hospital!
This means I can't ride my motorcycle for several weeks, which will be a pain (literally) since I don't drive a car. I'm pretty sure I'll be experiencing motorcycle withdrawl symptoms quite soon.. :(

Stafford Classic Motorcycle Show

2010-10-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

So as I said in my last post, I've just spent the weekend in Stafford at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show! There's actually a similar show to this at the same venue in Stafford that happens in Spring/Summer time, and I was suprised to see just as many people turn up to this one - mainly because it's usually raining at this time of year haha

I was planning to go and see the Wall of Death because I heard Jaimi Tyrell was performing, and I thought that would be pretty cool to see, but I completely forgot about that as I was walking around all the halls, and it was closing time before I knew it. Oh, and apparently Eddie Lawson was the guest of honour - but I managed to miss that too!

Anyway, when I got home I realised I hadn't actually taken as many photos as I thought I had. It seems I must've spent more time drooling over bikes that I'll only ever own in my dreams. Nevermind, ay. Here's a few of them;

This was the main hall, although there were 3 other halls and a huge outdoor area too.

Mmmm a Laverda Jota - the motorcycle I'll buy for my Dad when I'm rich!

I love FS1Es, but I could never downgrade to a bike so small as 50cc haha

I'm not usually into bikes with fairings, but I actually wouldn't mind a CB 1100 R!

Anyway, all in all it was a great weekend and I'll certainly be looking forward to next year's show!

Getting my neatly polished nails dirty in the garage again

2010-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Aha, I'm joking there, I'm sadly not girly enough to care about what my nails look like >.<

But yes! I've been doing a little work on my bike; I replaced the main jet and needle jet to improve the performance a little, as it's been underjetted since it left the factory in 1985 - poor thing.
And the last person who owned my bike hacksawed the centre stand off, so I've bought myself a new one that I've been repainting this week!

Anyway, on a different note entirely, I'm heading up to the 17th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show this weekend at the Stafford County Show Ground! Sounds quite geeky, doesn't it? I just hope the weather stays dry, because a lot of the show is outside!

I'll be sure to post my pictures from the weekend when I get back.

My failure of a 400/4 pie.

2010-10-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's gonna be a quick post today I'm afraid - I've had piles and piles of work to do, which unfortunately seems to be taking up all of my free time :(

Anyway, I've been meaning to put these pictures on my blog of the most delicious apple pie I baked the other day. I decided to try and make a little Honda 400/4 out of some spare pastry I had, to go on top of the pie, but it turned out looking pretty ridiculous.
I swear it looked perfect before I put it in the oven!

Is this not the most retarded 400/4 you've ever seen?

Damn.
But hey, at least it tasted great!

Anyone got a tank I can borrow?

2010-09-29T08:38:00.001-07:00

Ever get sick of other drivers pulling out on you? Check out Devon's latest road safety film: A Day Out In Devon.
I promise it's not quite as boring as it sounds!

It's good to see media taking a more humorous approach to road safety. Most other videos I have seen so far are cringeworthy crashes like this one that don't ever bear thinking about. Oooft.

I suppose there isn't actually a lot we can do to make ourselves more visible to others waiting to pull out. Personally, I'm not one for the high visability jackets - all I can really do is expect everyone to pull out on me just so I'm always prepared for it if they do.

I've been lucky enough not to have been involved in a road accident yet (despite a few close calls), and I hope to keep it that way for as long as possible!

One week, five breakdowns - a Triumph or a disaster?

2010-09-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Interested in travelling abroad on your motorcycle?
Read a great online story HERE of one biker's trip over to the Stella Alpina Rally in Italy.

After deciding to take a 1972 Triumph 650 Tiger (which hadn't had a proper long distance run since it's rebuild), it's no wonder he experienced more than a few breakdowns!

Click here for more on the Stella Alpina Rally

Motorcycles in Bedford Bus Lanes

2010-09-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

I was browsing some local forums today and by chance came across an interesting post about Bedford Bus Lanes.
Bedford Borough Council are starting a trial which allows motorcycles (also taxis, bicycles and private hire vehicles) in the bus lanes. This will commence on the 16th September - actually in 2 days from now and last 18 months, and they'll monitor the effects on congestion and safety etc.
Hopefully they'll decide to make it permanent after the trial ends. It would sure help me beat the traffic a lot quicker than filtering!

A Crashproof Bike?

2010-09-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

I recieved a link to this video in an e-mail sent to me by a friend.

"This is an incredible video demonstration of the latest and greatest motorcycle crash avoidance system."

haha

Take us seriously!

2010-09-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

After reading this recent blog post from 'Helmet or Heels?' it got me started on the subject of sexism in the marketing of motorcycles.

A regular issue I hear female bikers talking about is the way that they are very often treated at motorcycle dealerships and shops. For as long as the motorcycle industry has been up and running, the majority of riders have been men, and I believe this fact has contributed to the common stereotype that women know nothing when it comes to motorcycles.

With a lot of first-hand experience, I can say it’s partly true. Even without realising it, a lot of dealerships usually seem to think that women don’t know what they’re talking about. In a lot of cases, yes it’s true. It is typically men that know a lot more about motorcycles. Alternatively, there are women such as myself who know mechanics reasonably well, and funnily enough, a lot of the male bikers that I’ve met don’t even do their own basic bike maintenance.

One female biker that I discussed this with said;
“I think that another issue within this subject is advertising. I don’t often see women used in adverts for motorcycles, unless they are pillion passengers, or just simply posing in lingerie.”

I think this could be another reason why women aren’t always taken seriously. I have also noticed myself that women in adverts rarely seem to be portrayed as the average biker.

On further research, I saw Davida (a well-known helmet brand) actually use a lot of ‘women bikers’ to advertise their products. Admittedly, they are more likely to be models instead of actual everyday bikers, but it’s still nice to see that companies are starting to use women for advertising in a more realistic manner.

In recent times, more and more women are becoming motorcyclists and I think it would be excellent to see women accepted and treated just as seriously as men in the motorcycle industry.

Is the GS in Fashion?!

2010-09-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Recently, I’ve seen a noticeable increase in the amount of BMW GS motorcycles on the road. Especially being here up in Lake District, there’s been a considerable amount of them whizzing around the area.

It’s not surprising, considering the GS series have a reputation to be excellent travelling bikes, both off-road and on-road. But is it just their reputation that seems to have suddenly taken the interest of so many bikers? A motorcyclist from my local area says;
“I believe that the GS models only became so popular after Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman went around the world with them.”

What he refers to are the recent television documentaries called ‘Long Way Round’ and ‘Long Way Down’, in which Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman do tours across various different countries on these modern GSs.
Is it really true? Have these documentaries (and now books) popularised the BMW GS motorcycles?
I think could be a real possibility since the documentary follows their adventures on the bikes, showing the reliability, comfort and performance, when using it for long distance travelling – that’s if you want to believe everything you see on television.

Say Hello to Parking Charges

2010-09-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

In my last blog post 'Boris Johnson Threatens Bikers', I mentioned the motorcycle protests that were happening in return to the idea of charging motorcycles to park in London. Well unfortunately, Westminster Council has won and the £1 a day parking charge is now legal.

Personally, I think it’s ridiculous. Where are they going to stop? Will the council eventually start charging bicycles to park? Let’s face it - motorcycles don’t really take up much more room than bicycles anyway.
If motorcycles parking for free was really such an issue, they would have introduced the charge a long, long time ago.

Considering it costs Westminster Council £430,000 every year to run this scheme, it makes me wonder why they think it’s actually worth it. You’d never guess our country is running out of money right now when they spend so much on something so pointless.

However, there is hope yet! Campaign groups are still appealing to change the recent decision by the courts. To help out, or join in the action, go to:

www.notobikeparkingtax.com

Boris Johnson Threatens Bikers

2010-08-27T01:53:00.000-07:00

So it was in the recent news that Boris Johnson threatened bikers that were protesting in London about parking charges for motorcycles. For any of you that haven’t actually heard about this, here’s the actual video of it.

Boris: “Do you want to stay in the bus lanes or not?”
Biker: “What do you mean? Of course we do!”
Boris: “Well stop this protest!”

I love how Boris Johnson himself didn’t say anything about the threat, but instead City Hall issued a statement saying ‘He was pointing out to the protesters that they were inconveniencing Londoners...’ – Well if that how the Mayor thinks it’s appropriate to ‘point out’ things to people on the street, he sure has some rethinking to do!

Fortunately, bikers will still be allowed to use London’s bus lanes for now. And yes, when I say ‘for now’, it’s true. A new 18 month trial called ‘Motorcyclists in Bus Lanes’ has started in July.
Let’s just hope after the 18 months is over, they’ll decide we can continue to use the bus lanes for a more permanent usage.

MAAS Polish

2010-07-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Well if any of you haven't heard of MAAS polish, I'll be damned.
The story goes that a housewife called Donna Maas was sick of polishing her metals when they didn't even stay shiny for very long. She formulated a metal cleaner which people everywhere are praising it's ability to clean up even the most badly tarnished items! All over the internet and in many magazines, I have seen articles referring to it as a 'miracle polish'.
Apparently, this amazing creme not only cleans up your metals, but also applies a glowing shine that won't fade for months.

As you can imagine, a lot of bikers have jumped at this product to use it on their motorcycles. Personally, I thought this polish sounded far too good to be true, so I had a look at online forums to see what the public have to say about this so-called miracle worker; and actually, it's hard to come to a conclusion.
There are some saying that it's no better than regular polish that they buy at the supermarket, yet some say it does a great job and truly is amazing. I would happily buy some and give it a go myself if it wasn't for the price of it. It's not insanely expensive, but let's just say it's more than I would be willing to pay for polish - and I wouldn't be best pleased after spending that money, to find that it isn't as awesome as I have been told.

So, who knows the true verdict of this polish. It'll just have to be a mystery to me until I get around to trying to out for myself.

The Big Society

2010-07-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

So in the news recently, we hear that David Cameron wants to build a 'big society'.
Basically, he's talking about getting volunteers to run services such as libraries, post offices and transport services.

To me, this actually sounds like quite a good idea, and there are already many successful voluntary-run services out there, such as charity shops, missionaries and sunday schools - and, I do agree that voluntary work for a lot of people is alright on a few weekends here and there. But everyday? Does the average person really have the time to run services such as libraries?
Alongside coping with feeding the family and paying the bills, for many of us, that doesn't actually leave us with a lot of spare time.

Nice idea, Mr Cameron, but I'm not sure there'll be as many people stepping forward for this as planned.