Travelling by Ferry from Dover to Calais on the morning of Friday the 9th of March and returning on the evening ferry on Sunday the 11th.

Places on this trip will be limited to just 10, and normally they sell out fast!

So don’t miss out.  Secure your place on the trip with me as soon as you can.

The cost is yet to be finalised but will be in the region of £300 – £350.  This will include the return Ferry crossing on the modern P & O fleet and two nights shared hotel accommodation on a Bed & Breakfast basis. You will also get a pre-trip information pack, with maps and advice on riding abroad.  Plus when the final rider list is known we arrange a pre-trip meeting, discussion and question/answer night to clear up any queries you may have and to get to know the other riders in the group

This trip will take in some of the best biking roads and some spectacular scenery all under the guided supervision of our experienced tour leader.

Don’t forget your DISCOUNT.  If you have traveled with us before, or if you passed your test with us then you will get 10% off the final cost of the trip.

Come on….. you know you want to…..

. Just a reminder about the Ride Out for this weekend.

The Teddy Bear & Toy Run to the Children’s Casualty Unit at The Heath Hospital in Cardiff.

As a Traffic Cop I spent a lot of time at the casualty unit dealing with the injured victims from road crashes, many of them being children. After discussions with the hospital staff, together with colleagues we set up a fund to buy toys for the kids taken in to the emergency room.

It was felt that if a child becomes attached to a toy whilst being treated in the hospital, it aids their recovery if they are allowed to keep the toy to take it home. Obviously there is no funding for this in the NHS. So we were allowed to adopt Superted as our mascot to raise these funds and over the years many Teddies and toys found new homes with these poor kids.

Since retiring the fund is no more but I wanted to keep then Teddies arriving at then hospital, but need your help to do this.

Please come along and support this event, and bring a Teddy, or bring his friends as well.

Small, ‘hand sized’ Teds are best as they won’t hinder the the staff as they treat the children, but any size will be gratefully received at the unit.

Ikea are selling soft toys and Teddies from as little as 49p so you can fill your panniers for just a few pounds.

Meeting at Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar, at the top of Caerphilly Mountain on the A469. Meeting 9.30-10am to be at the Heath Hospital for 10.30-11am.

Caerphilly Mountain Snack bar is the home of the Mountain Monster so why not try one before you leave! See the picture below!

If you can’t make it to the run yourself, please don’t let your Teds miss out. Let me know and I will arrange to collect them to take along for you.

Come on….. You know you want to……

Also, if you click on the Facebook link up on the right you can follow us on Facebook where daily up dates are posted. I have a page ‘Andy Smith’ but easier to find would be our page, ’1st Class Rider Training’. Click on the link and it takes you straight there.

Hope to see you Sunday.

MMMMMMM… Mountain Monster..mmmmmmm.

We’ve been away but now we are back!     I apologise for the missing ride outs lately but here we are!

We have been extremely busy with ‘Learner’ training through the last few months, (and we are still heavily booked up now) but I have been asked a few times when the ride outs will start again. So here we go.

To make up for the missing ones I will be running 2 in November.

Sunday the 6th of November.  Tintern Abbey, Wye Valley and the Banks of the Severn.

Starting from our new meeting point. 9.30am at the Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar, (which is a snack bar….on Caerphilly Mountain).  The snack bar has been revamped and now offers covered seating – and still has the same range of burgers, rolls and drinks etc. that we (I) have grown to love over the years. It is the home of the ‘Mountain Monster’ which is a massive breakfast roll – and not the woman who works there!

Sunday the 20th of November. Motorcycle Live 2011.  (The NEC Bike Show to you & me).

This is an old favourite taking a scenic route up to the M5 near Worcester and jumping on to the Motorway for the last run in to the NEC.  Starting at the ‘Mountain Monster’ for an early start at 8.30am. Tickets for the Show are £19 on the door or £16 if you buy them in advance from the ‘Motorcycle Live’ website.  If you don’t want to visit the ‘New’ bike show there will be an opportunity to visit the British Motorcycle Museum, which is just the other side of the NEC roundabout.  Either one is a great bike day out.

Sunday the 11th of December.  The Teddy Bear Christmas Run to the Children’s Casualty Unit at UHW.

We have done this before and we will do it again.  All I ask is that you bring along a New Teddy Bear or similar, (at least 1).  Please don’t bring along a massive bear as the idea is for the Bears to be given to the children who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in the Casualty Unit as Christmas approaches.  As an idea, IKEA sell small (pocket sized) soft toys for around 40p up wards. So for a couple of quid you could fill your panniers!

The reason is that it is believed that if a child becomes attached to the toy whilst they are being treated, it aids their recovery if the are allowed to take the toy home with them afterwards.  Obviously there is no funding for this in the NHS.  So please support this one and dig deep for your Teddies.  So remember it is better to buy a few small ones rather than one big one (which can become cumbersome in the confines of the Casualty Unit).

So I hope there is something here for you and you can join us on one or all of these.  As before these ride outs are free but all I ask is that you buy a ‘Full Stop’ badge in aid of the NSPCC.

Also, get your free copy of ‘Motorcycle Monthly’ plus discount vouchers for clothing at ‘Infinity Motorcycles’ and also ‘Bikegear’ at Bridgend.

If nothing else…. come and see the Mountain Monster!

Come on…… you know you want to.   We are back!

Follow us on Facebook.  Just search for ’1st Class Rider Training’ and see some things about some stuff and some pictures with things in….. 1st Class!