Join the Tandem Club today. We are the club for all tandemists and would-be tandemists. Benefits:
- Three rallies a year
- Bi-monthly 48-page magazine on everything to do with tandems (spoken-word edition for VI members)
- Local groups for day and weekend group rides
- For Sale and Wanted boards
- Database of GPS and route sheet rides
- Advice and help
The TC website group along with our Journals editor have been busy modernising the style of the TC website. We hope you like the new style ! There is on-going work to improve this style and to improve the websites functionality. To login please use the "User/Login" top menu item of the "User" quick link icon at the top of the webpage. Some of the webpage content still needs editing, GPS files need adding and we need additional articles and content for the website, so we are looking for TC member volunteers to help out. If you can spare a bit of time to help the club, please contact us at: internetgroup@tandem-club.org.uk
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/bicycle-made-two-tandem-use-surges-during-lockdown
Article currently on the front page of Cycling UK website and will be featured in Cycle Clips 14 August. Should create interest in the Tandem Club and attract new members
The Club is in the Daily Mail Online:
The 48th Annual General Meeting of the Tandem Club was scheduled to take place on Saturday 11 April 2020 at the Easter rally. The Agenda was published in the Tandem Club Journal (vol 288). We said in the TCJ (vol 289) that the 2020 AGM was postponed indefinitely, but of course we don’t know if and when we will be able to hold an AGM in 2020. It may be that we cannot meet together until 2021. In these exceptional circumstances the business usually transacted at the AGM has had to be done elsewhere:
- Club Accounts – the accounts for the year ended 31 October 2019 were published in the April/May Tandem Club Journal (vol 289). The Treasurer has received no comments or queries from members on the accounts.
- Membership fees - As stated in the April/May Tandem Club Journal (vol 289) the annual subscription has been raised from £10 per year to £15 per year.
- Election of Officers – Club Officers are elected at the AGM. Committee members and ex-offico officers have been assumed to continue in role unless they have indicated otherwise. Barry Wilson has served as Chairman since 2015 and has been on the committee since 2011. He had indicated a wish to stand down. Further information about this is given below. Janet Wilson has been on the committee since 2011 and has stood down as an Ordinary Member. If anyone is interested in joining the committee as an ordinary member please contact the Secretary. Our thanks go to Barry and Janet for serving the Club diligently over this period.
Barry Wilson wished to stand down at the AGM so the Committee considered how to deal with this in the absence of an AGM. The outcome was that Peter Weeks, Club Publicity Officer, was willing to stand as Tandem Club Chairman. On 26 April 2020 the Secretary contacted the Committee and Regional Officers to conduct an election.
Nomination of Peter Weeks as Tandem Club Chairman
- Proposed by Pauline Fox, Club Secretary
- Seconded by Eifion Francis, a former Club Chairman and who, with his partner Jill, is a Regional Officer and oversees the Club’s Talking Journal service.
- 49 individuals (TC Committee members and Regional Officers) invited to vote in lieu of the AGM
- 2 abstentions, the current Chairman, Barry Wilson and one Ordinary Member, Janet Wilson.
- 29 votes received, all were in favour of Peter Weeks being the Chairman of the Tandem Club.
- No other votes, objections or comments received.
Peter Weeks was therefore elected as Tandem Club Chairman with effect from 1 May 2020. This will be subject to formal discussion and election by members at the next Annual General Meeting.
Our congratulations and thanks go to Peter as he takes up the role of Chairman. He has also, fortunately, agreed to continue as the Club’s Publicity Officer for the time being.
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/high-winds-damage-harwich-foot-ferry-1-6857318
26 Sept 2020. Harwich - Felixstowe ferry sadly damaged in today's high winds and heavy seas. Hope it's back in action soon.
19th July – socially distanced group tandem ride!
This was our first group ride since the beginning of the New Year and with some restrictions lifted we decided to try out something new.
We would need to socially distance, only 6 people in a group, this meant putting cyclists into pods and sending them off at intervals – no catching up and chatting! A maximum of 12 tandem places were offered for our trial ride.
Maps were issued and leaders for each pod were sure they knew the route which took riders through nature reserves and moors on the Somerset levels.
It was a beautiful day and the reserves and moors looked their summer best. Some riders were pleased with the flat ride, there were wildlife photo opportunities and time to walk the bumpy bits and share news.
The pods worked well, thanks to our guides Malcolm, Isaac and Alex.
We used the Avalon Marshes Centre as our base where we could park, use the facilities and enjoy the café which was well set up with a one way system and tables spread out in the open air to accommodate our social distancing.
Though our group has been in contact on Zoom doing quizzes and Bingo it was refreshing to catch up in person finding out how we spent our time in lock down and speculate on the future. We had 9 tandems and three solos and welcomed new members Nic and Jane.
We enjoyed showing off our corner of Somerset – ‘the north levels’ recently featured on the One Show. There was plenty of information on the area available from the Avalon Marshes representative which may encourage some of us back for a spot of bird watching. In the mean time we were treated to a bee swarm at the information point!
As a trial ride the pods worked well, looking to the future we will need to brush up on our map reading skills as we set the pattern for further meetings.
Rex and Hannah Whitcombe
On July 26th 4 tandem crews had a 32 mile pootle through some Worcestershire lanes, lunch was taken at The Galton Arms in Himbleton.