Pooter Down

GBC's main pooter is currently down and out and not working, apologies to anyone waiting for a response to Cub Mag enquiries or waiting for a magazine. Don't let that stop you emailing her tho if you would like to subscribe to the mag = gbc AT thecubmag.com, but don't expect an instant reply! She should be getting a bit to fix it today or tomorrow but you know how these things go. After dealing with Cub Mag things when she's back online I'm sure she'll get those pics and vids up on the blog!!! Mrs BC.

An(other) Announcement.

I really can't be doing with this new Blogger software. Can't upload pics, can't see them when I do and can't sort the layout properly, all because I won't be bullied into making Googley Chromey my main browser. To ease the pain and difficulty of keeping two blogs running, what I've decided to do is to keep www.thecubmag.com as the front page to the online home of the only magazine you'll need for all things Cub and Terrier. That page will be used for notifications of where you can meet The Cub Mag team, how to get your paws on a mag, and any news of what we're up to in relation to promotions, advertising, sponsors and special offers. This Gorgeous Biker Chick blog will carry on being my own personal blog with tales of all things that happen at Cubbie Towers - both bike and sheep stuff, travels, events and shows and VMCC Area Rep tales, plus full reports on activities that running The Cub Mag gets me involved in. First though, we need to have a little catch up....the Launch of The Cub Mag, complete with pics, is coming right up....

Digi projector wanted...

As you might be aware, The Scottish Cub Fest stall is going to be at the new Lanark bike show this coming weekend - but we urgently, desperately, end of the worldly need to borrow a digi projector to complete the set up for the stall. Can anyone out there help out? It can be collected and returned to and from the show so you'll only be without it for a couple of days...please...anyone...help...? Email gbc AT thecubmag.com if or leave a comment if you can help. Free top of the range Cub Mag pen up for grabs....

VMCC AGM 2012 There I Went.

It was up bright and early last Saturday, helped Mrs BC bottle feed the triplet lambs and Sprout, no doubt put a few rings on tails and bits too so that Mrs BC would be able to get some more ewes and lambs out of the steading if the weather improved sufficiently. By the time I'd finished a few last minute jobs indoors, I was the traditional hour late in leaving. Leaving? I hear you cry! But why? Where to go? Ahhh, I was off down to the big city of Birmingham. Not just for a jaunt, but for the Vintage Motorcycle Club Annual General Meeting. The Man from Muckle Flugga kindly came with me to share the drive; its 450+ miles from Cubbie Towers and it had to be done in a 'wunner'. (How does one spell 'wunner'?). So we finally got away at about 10am, then there was the suspected run away antics of Finn the working sheep pup, but it turned out he hadn't done a runner at all, he was just stuck between some gates in the back field. The miles munched by, the weather was showery and chilly, although with every southern mile on the clock, the temperature did get a little warmer. TO cut a very long and very boring journey short, we decided to call it day at Stoke on Trent, only about an hours drive from Brum, but by the time we'd found a Travelodge and somewhere to eat it was getting on for late enough. So, up bright and early again on Sunday and on the way to meet Pilot Rae at the National Motorcycle Museum for lunch, I suddenly thought it would be a good idea to take the Cub Mag car magnet on the back of the car, to pay homage at the site of the old Triumph factory. Using my wonderful magical device that is a Blackberry (its wonderful when it works, which is less and less often these days!) we found the street named Bonneville Close. A quick Google on the old BB informed us that there should have been a plaque located in that street to mark the old factory site. Well, could we find it? Could we 'eck. It isn't a big or long street, in fact, its a dead end but we drove up and down and round and round for a while before parking up for a shot of the Bonneville sign. I apprehended a couple of joggers and asked them if they knew where the plaque was and they pointed it out right in front of us, just on the side of the main road. Ah well... Just as we were taking a couple of photos a lady approached and asked whether we were bikers. We got chatting and it transpired that she lives in one of the houses in the Close and often meets like-minded motorcyclists who park up for photo shoots at the site. Photos over we whizzed along to meet Pilot Rae, only a ten minute trip from the Triumph site. Luncheon was consumed along with a good catch up chat before Pilot had to fly...literally... And so it was to the AGM. Nothing unusual to report, in fact, not much to say about it at all really, oh, other than some person by the name of Gorgeous Biker Chick won an award. Yesirreeee, I sure did. I would like to thank the nominator/s for nominating me, and my mum, and my horse, and my dawg and my Cub...oh you get the idea! After the clattering of flash photography had finally died down I could return to my seat, embarrassed as you like but proud as punch to have been recongnised for the "EE Thompson Award of Merit", given to those who go to great lengths to promote the activies of the VMCC. With the AGM over it was time for the Management Committee to take their places at the top table for a meeting. I'm terribly sorry but I had to be excused a little early as with a 10hr drive ahead I needed to get on the road. Another long, even longer if thats possible, drive north and we were finally in Aberdeen. I like driving in the city at that time of night (musta been after 1am) because generally speaking, you get both lanes to yourself and can swing around the roundabouts without a care in the world. That is, until you spot the very suspicious headlights of a white Rangerover in your mirrors. I behaved myself perfectly but still the Rangie stuck close, then it pulled half way alongside, then back in behind us, and then with a flurry of blueness, the flashing lights came on. Darn you officer, I'm not going to pull into the bus stop that you obviously thought I would, I'm going to stop right here in the middle of the road. I quickly pulled on my shoes as the copper approached my window. Evening folks, he said sweetly, evening officer, we replied, equally sweetly. Just stopping you for a routine check, he said, with a smile, and then proceeded to have a look round the vehicle and ask about insurance. All was well but we could have done without the delay. The main guys chum seemed quite interested in the Cub Mag door magnet on the back, as he peered at it in the torchlight. Probably pulled up the website on his Blackberry. So with only a light snow flurry as we neared our destination, the trip to Brum and Back had been completed for another year, and hey, whats 900+ miles in 20hrs, piece of cake! And no, sorry, you can't have a picture of me being presented with the trophy. You can have a pic of the trophy but that'll have to do. And apologies if there are mountains of speeling mestikes but this new fangled Googley Chromey thing really isn't working on my computer.

Hows this for a natty little Norton...

I don't normally go in for just posting links to outside sites, but this is too good not to share... http://youtu.be/iKqpvriKZuA Or if that doesn't work, what about this...

New bike show in Scotland

It isn't often that Scotland gets a huge new bike show starting up. In fact, there aren't a lot of new shows happening anywhere really. So we're a bit lucky on that score. Have you heard about the new one at Lanark? Scheduled for the 12th/13th May 2012 at the Lanark agricultural mart, it's gonna be a showcase for all kinds of bikes and biking. Open to everything from veteran, vintage and classic through to sports bikes, tourers and customs. Competition machines are welcome too, both from road and off road disciplines; it is going to be HUGE. GBC will be there with a couple of Tiger Cubs, and hopefully the Grampian Classic MCC will be taking a stand, but I'm led to believe that there is still a bit more space for both private entries and club stands. Oh, and there's a big pot of cash to be won too - £100 for the best bike and up to £750 for the best club stand. What's all that about???? So if the cash isn't enough to tempt you, here's a sample of the attractions over the weekend.... SCOTLAND'S 300MPH SPEED MACHINE JOINS SHOW LINE-UP Among the attractions already lined up is the Flower of Scotland streamliner, which has been built to achieve more than 300mph on a one litre Kawasaki ZX-11 motorcycle engine, and a rally car once driven in competition by Colin McRae. Also confirmed as appearing are Scots road racing greats Donnie McLeod and Jim Moodie. McLeod was a star performer on the Tarmac during the 1980s while multiple TT winner Moodie enjoyed massive success during the 1990s, including becoming the first rider to lap the Island course at over 120mph on a production bike. Dozens of clubs and trade exhibitors are already booked and visitors can experience the sights, sounds and smells of classic racing bikes in the event’s GP paddock. There will also be a scrambles track with demonstrations by the riders of the Scottish Classic Racing Motorcycle Club. Anyone who’s wondered whether they’ve got what it takes to be a trials rider can find out at the show’s trials area and firefighters from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue will be demonstrating their ‘jaws of life’ equipment on a couple of unsuspecting car roofs. You can get more info on taking a stand or showing your bike off at www.classicbikeshows.com or on the good old fashioned telling phone - 01507 529430

Sorry Cubbie!

It's a sad, sad day, so it is. I got a nasty letter from the Government telling me that, shock horror, my Triumph Tiger Cub, aka Cubbie (they didn't say the aka...bit) is not showing on the vehicle insurance database. My options were to purchase some insurance for it ASAP or SORN it. Or I would be fined! Well I didn't fancy the fine and seeing as I've just had to tax the car, and last month saw me shucking out tax and insurance for the snow-busting-4x4 (which, incidentally, is a bit redundant in these bizarre March weather conditions; 18degrees C here today), I opted for the free option, to SORN my beloved little Cubbie. And that came just after I'd told Ex-Pressy Bill that Cubbie would soon be out on the roads for a spin in this lovely Scottish sunshine.

I feel a little ashamed but all the time and effort I'm putting into The Cub Mag at the moment means I don't have much free time to actually ride my bikes. And besides, it's better to spread the cost of these things, don't want all the motoring bills landing on the door mat in the winter.

Talking of The Cub Mag....issue one is looking good, just waiting for the Editor to write her few bits then it'll ready for a proper proof read. Still a little bit of room if anyone wants to pop an advert in the first issue - preferably something Cub related - know of a good Cub parts supplier? Someone you can recommend? Let me know. gbc AT thecubmag.com