Please be aware that Membership subscriptions are due on 1st January 2025. In order that you receive your copy of the Club magazine without delay please send your cheque, for £10.00, made payable to Avondale Caravan Club, to the Secretary as soon as possible.

Thankyou.

CHECK YOUR NUTS

Regular checking of wheel nuts (caravan and car) is essential to keep the wheels on your wagon. They should be ‘torqued’ to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This is especially important following any wheel removal and a few miles have been travelled. Because the studs and nuts on the nearside of the vehicle are right hand thread, forward motion of the vehicle has the tendency to loosen any nut that is not tight. Once a nut is not completely tight it will unscrew at a faster rate. If all nuts are loose then the inevitable will happen. Don’t let it happen to you!

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

They say caravanning is in the blood. But what happens when it is time to ‘hang up the tow ball’? For most of us, I am sure, it will be a decision we put off as long as possible – in most cases until we are forced too. Not only do we have to give up our caravan but we will miss the friendships we have made on the rally field and the chance to natter about ‘old times’ and ‘what if’.

Well, our Club is a bit different to most. We may not be caravanning anymore but that doesn’t mean we have to give up our friendships as well and lose contact with a Club that many of us have been associated with for many years. Associate Membership was introduced in the early days of the Club to prevent this happening.

When a member ceases caravanning, but wishes to continue their association with the Club they may attend the Annual General Meeting (but will not be eligible to vote) and will continue to receive the Club Magazine. This keeps alive an interest in Club matters and how their friends are getting on. Many great friendships, kindled on the rally field, continue well after a member has given up their caravan.

Many members take an active role in the running of the Club, such as sitting on the Committee or undertaking to run numerous rallies during the year. There are a few others that the Committee and the membership in general, recognize as going far beyond this level of commitment and wish to acknowledge their work.

Honorary Membership is bestowed on behalf of Avondale Caravan Club in recognition of their long and outstanding service to the Club and its members. This honour remains for the lifetime of the recipient.

Although not a long list each of the below have contributed greatly to the wellbeing and future of the Club over many years

Margaret & Jim Preston September 1980

Kathleen & Dick Wright September 1980

Sheila & Alan King September 1994

Kay & Wilf Blackwell September 1999

Doreen & Eric Lockney September 2000

Betty & Phil Claridge September 2006

Joan & Peter Lagden September  2006

Heather & John Doncom September  2012

Primrose & Jim Morrison September 2014

Sheila & Roland Hill September 2016

Joan & Tony Brennan September 2022

Betty & Phil, Joan & Peter receiving their honorary membership certificates from Chairman John at the 2006 AGM

Some Avondalers have gone green.

The new 'All Electric' section of the Club. At the start of the first race of the season!

Highway Code – Important New Rules from 29th January 2022

The Highway Code was first published in 1931 and cost 1p (old money), but there were only 21 pages. The 2022 updated version of the Code Book will be available in High Street Bookshops from April 2022 (cover price £4.99) or is available free of charge, on GOV.UK. This will be updated on 29 January 2022

There has been much hype in the press, with what can only be described as misleading statements, in relation to the power that pedestrians and cyclists now have. Yes, there have been adjustments to wordings in the form of clarification of some existing guidance, and, some new rules have also been introduced. Altogether 9 sections of the Code will be updated with 50 rules being added or updated.

Priorities for the various classes of road users have been introduced with a more defined ‘hierarchy’ for the improvement of general road safety.

Rule H1 of the Highway Code establishes a hierarchy of road users which ensures that the road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to other road users.

The hierarchy places vulnerable road users before motorised vehicles so the top of the hierarchy would therefore be:

• Pedestrians, in particular children, older adults and disabled people
• Cyclists
• Horse riders
• Motorcyclists

The objective of Rule H1 is not to give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders in every situation, but rather to ensure a more mutually respectful and considerate culture of safe and effective road use that benefits all users. This does not detract from the requirement for everyone to behave responsibly.

Rule H2 – Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists

At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.

(The above is only an extract from Rule 2 and for the full wording you will need to consult the Highway Code Manual).

If you have difficulty answering the following questions, then I would advise the time has come to invest in the latest revised publication.

1. What does a sign with a round red circle mean?
2. What does a sign with a red triangle mean?
3. We all know a ‘Zebra’ crossing – what about Toucan and Puffin crossings?
4. Do you understand what ‘Dutch Reach’ is?

Finally, if you are not convinced to brush up on your Highway Code just go to the ‘Penalty Section’ to find out what your indiscretions may cost.

Happy motoring

John

John is neat and tidy

As everyone can see

Everything is neatly stored

Especially his key

********

Alas one day disaster struck

While emptying the loo

He heard a rattle and a clang

His keys had gone down too

********

So let this be a lesson

To all you careless folk

Disaster can strike anyone

And it really is no joke

SAH

LOCKDOWN

The spring of twenty twenty

Was sunny, bright and warm

The flowers put on a spectacular show

And blue skies were the norm

******

The caravan stood in the drive

All packed and ready to tow

The car was polished and serviced

We were already to go

******

And then the Corona virus came

From a certain Chinese town

The deadly virus spread far and wide

And all the world shut down

******

All holidays were cancelled

People had to stay at home

And the friends we should have met

We had to speak to on the phone

******

We had cleaned the house and car

The garden was next on the list

With grass to cut and borders to dig

Not a single weed had been missed

******

So how should we relax

Now we’re at home every day?

We can have a picnic in the van

And pretend that we’re away

Sheila Hill

Proof, if indeed proof is needed, that the Avondale Club Rallies are popular, was celebrated at the 2017 Annual General Meeting with a presentation to Betty and Phil Claridge marking their 400th Avondale Rally with the Club.

Betty and Phil joined the Club in 1985 and were rally officers at many venues over the years.  From 1991, Phil was rally secretary and organised over 470 rallies during his fifteen years in post.

During their busiest years they attended eighteen to twenty one Club rallies a year and said that attending rallies “unlocked the beauty of the British Isles” to them.

Betty and Phil have given sterling service to the Club over the past thirty-two years and all members wished them many more years of happiness.

I’ve made a resolution

Not to carry in the van

Every tool and gadget

That’s known to mortal man

…

I’ll also leave the ‘just in case’

You know the things I mean

In case of sun, snow, wind or rain

In case not one shop can be seen

…

Out will go the tins and boxes

That we never ever need

The library of heavy books

We will never ever read

…

It will be light and airy

The car will tow a treat

We will be a good example

To everyone we meet

…

But what if it should snow in June

We would need our hats and boots

And if it rains for days on end

We’ll want to read some books

…

And we must take all the tools

We needed them last year

What if the shops all go on strike

Oh! Just put it all in dear

Sheila Hill