Forward Vision Edition 99 April 2013

The Newsletter of Chelmsford Advanced Motorists

www.iamchelmsford.org.uk Issue 99 April & May 2013 IAM Group 7223 Registered Charity No 1059372

craft

Page 2 Chelmsford Advanced Motorists Issue 99


Associates, Full Members & Guests Welcome

Forthcoming Group Meetings These are usually held on the 2nd Monday of each month

at the Essex Police Sports and Social Club, Which is through the Police vehicle park at the very end of St. Margarets Road,

Chelmsford.

Group Meetings start promptly at 8pm, so please arrive at around 7.45pm.

Make a note in your diary and please be there!

http://www.essexexplorer.co.uk/cam.kmz

Date Topic Speaker

Monday May 13th

First Responder Gordon Wren

Monday June 10th

Manoeuvring test Scott Bannister

+ others

Disclaimer—Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the individual writers and they do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, nor those of the Chelmsford and District Group of Advanced Motorists. Their accuracy has not been verified.

Notice—Data Protection Act: records are held of members personal details submitted on their application form. The information will be used solely for the Group’s administration purposes and will not be passed to any third party.

CM2 6DS


to our new Associate and Full Members.

We look forward to seeing and talking to them at our monthly Group nights

We are a friendly bunch, so don’t be worried about coming to our Group nights if you are on your own.

Make yourself known to John who will greet you at the desk, he will find one of us to come and talk to you. John will also try to get you to part with some money for the raffle.

There will be Senior Observers, Observers and generally an Examiner at the evening and you will be able to get answers to any questions that you have.

Please come along, we’ll even give you tea or coffee and there is a bar - for light refreshments obviously!

Terry Joyce

Christopher Whiddon Chelmsford Helen Hall Maldon

Lisa Apthorp Maldon Alistair Barnwell Brentwood

Patricia McGrady Brentwood Ian Miller Stock

The ‘Other Danger’ sign warns that there may be a hazard and the plate below it indicates the nature of the hazard. I’ve seen a few of these. Do you know of any interesting signs? Send me a picture or location if you spot any unusual hazards.

Terry Joyce


Please remember: Do telephone both your Observer and Scott Bannister ( Associates Co-ordinator ) immediately after your test.

Congratulations to these latest Members of our Group who

have Passed

‘The Test’.

To all those people who have passed their test: It would be appreciated if you could write a few words thanking your Observer and maybe something about the process and your test, to give those New Associates an insight into the process of learning Advanced Driving.

Roll No Name Test Date Observer

986 Emma Cox 2nd February Gaynor Manthorpe

987 Patick Alexander 21st February Gaynor Manthorpe


From the Chairman Well it looks as if the long Winter is drawing to a close – or is that just wishful think-

ing? Yes, it’s made driving a bit interesting at times but you can have too much of a

good thing. With me being an occasional biker and a potentially roofless car person,

a bit of warmth wouldn’t go amiss about now. I give it a month before the television

news will be filled with reports of drought conditions and the farmers will be praying

for rain. It’s the same every year. The snow is shocking and the sun is too. Perhaps

I’ve just been around too long. Maybe young people are genuinely surprised that the

UK has weather.

You will read elsewhere in this fine publication about the 4x4 off-road day we had re-

cently, but I had so much fun I thought I’d mention it again. We now have four different

events and if you haven’t been on at least some of them, you have missed out. For a

start, they are all really good value. Try to replicate what we do yourself and you’ll

spend much more. Also, the reason we hold these events may be road safety, but if

I’m honest, the main reason is that they are fun to do. I don’t want to be sexist here -

but then, why break the habits of a lifetime…….getting men to take part is pretty easy,

but with women it’s like drawing teeth trying to get them to sign up, but when they do,

they get more out of it than the men do, so come on

ladies – have a go.

Largely by accident I seem to have become a recognised speaker on advanced

driving at various local groups. I can only assume they are pretty stuck for talent if

they are looking at me. However, regardless of their reasoning, it’s a good recruitment

tool so if any of you are part of other groups that have regular speakers I am available

for hire - very reasonable rates – approaching zero in fact.

Scott


Please contact me

by email at

[email protected]

~~~~~~~~ Editorial ~~~~~~~~

Terry Joyce

Hello,

I will continue to be Editor of this Newsletter for now but it is becoming

more and more difficult as the years pass (eight this year). Is there anyone

that is interested in taking over or producing regular material for it?

The notification of this years AGM and the minutes from last year’s are on

pages 10 and 11.

Please check out page 22 for our group nights next year.

Many Thanks to Sue Sweetland for her patient and educated

assistance in producing this Newsletter.

We are in need of a

Secretary & Events organiser

Can YOU help

or can you suggest speakers or relevant subjects for our group nights.


Our Group Enquiry number: - 07757 399897

Chairman Associates Co-ordinator & Chief Observer

Scott Bannister

Secretary Colin Snow

Treasurer John Johnston

Membership Secretary Ken Carrington

Website Editor Jon Ward

Newsletter Editor Terry Joyce

Events Organiser Ivor Date

Publicity John Stone

Group Contact Susan Sweetland

Committee Member Dr Clifford Murira

Committee Member Steve Wright

Committee Member John Ockmore

Committee Member Anthony Marchant

Hon. Committee Member Ken Howard

Committee Member Pat Clements

Committee

Honorary Life Members Mr Mike Corbett, Mr Glyn Jarrett, Mrs Ruth Jarrett, Mr Dave Travers

Observer Examiner Gaynor Manthorpe

Group contact information


Driver Experience Day Sunday 21st April

The Ford Motor Company allow us to use their test track so that we can offer a unique

experience for you, to explore the capabilities of yourself and your car in a safer than

usual environment, doing things that you can’t or shouldn’t try on the road. The test

track (not race track) has some interesting design features. It is also a lot of fun.

These days are a great opportunity

to complement the knowledge you

have gained through advanced

driving already. You will be guided

by our experienced Observers

through a variety of manoeuvres

designed to give you a thrilling but

safe experience.

The Essex Air Ambulance benefits

from the £10 each participant is

asked to donate.

Participants are known to suffer from aching jaws because they spend so much

time smiling. Contact Scott to book a place. Contact details on page 8


The Chelmsford & District Group of Advanced Motorists 17

th Annual General Meeting – Monday 10 June 2013.

The Group’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled to be held at the Essex Police Sports & Social Club on 10

th June 2013. The business will commence at 8pm and is expected to last for about 30

minutes. Agenda

1. Apologies for absence. – Colin Snow 2. Minutes of the last meeting (AGM on 11 June 2012). 3. Matters arising from the Minutes. 4. Reports from the Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary and Treasurer. 5. Adoption of the Accounts. 6. Election of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee members. Any Other Business. Election of Group Officers & Committee Members Under rule 3.3.4 the following Group Officers retire:- Scott Bannister – Chairman Colin Snow – Group Secretary John Johnston – Treasurer Colin Snow is NOT standing for re election either as Secretary or for the committee. Scott Bannister & John Johnston offer themselves for re-election. Nominations for the positions of Chairman, Group Secretary and Treasurer are invited. Also under Rule 3.3.4 the following Committee Member retires by rotation and offer themselves for re-election:- Terry Joyce, John Stone, Steve Wright & Ken Howard (Committee nomination form See Page 11) Nominations are invited from Full Members to stand for the Committee. The Nominee must be will-ing to stand for the Committee and sign the Nomination form. By signing the Nomination form, the Nominee is affirming his / her ability and intention, if elected, to attend Committee meetings regu-larly. All officers and one third of all other Committee Members must retire annually by rotation and may offer themselves for re-election by Group Full Members (Rule3.3). Please note: Those elected become Charity Trustees of the Group. You must not stand for Com-mittee if the law debars you from being a Charity Trustee. Only fully paid-up members of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and of the Group may nominate Committee Members or be nominated as Committee Members. The nomination form must be returned to the Group Secretary (Colin Snow, 109 Bramwoods Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 7LT) no later than 20 May 2013. Note: The number of Committee members including the officers must not exceed twenty.

PLEASE consider standing for the committee, we only meet 6 times a year. Colin Snow Group Secretary


Chelmsford & District Group of Advanced Motorists Minutes of the 16th Annual General Meeting 2012 held on 11 June

At the Essex Police Sports & Social Club, Chelmsford, Essex The meeting commenced at 20:20.

Name Position Nominated by Seconded by Signature of Nominee

Apologies for absence - John Johnston, Clifford Murira, Jon Ward, Susan Sweetland

Adoption of the Minutes. Minutes of the previous AGM were accepted with no matters arising – motion to accept the Minutes was proposed by Scott Bannister & seconded by Colin Snow and was passed unanimously.

Matters Arising There were no matters arising from the Minutes.

Reports from the Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary & Treasurer These were published in the June/July edition of For-ward Vision and the motion to accept the reports was proposed by Pat Clements & seconded by Eric Jones and was passed unanimously.

Financial Report for year ended 31 March 2011 The accounts were published in the June / July edi-tion of Forward Vision Acceptance of Accounts The motion to accept the accounts was proposed by Scott Bannister and seconded by John Stone and was passed unanimously..

Election of Officers Graham Lowe stood down as Chairman, in accor-dance with the rules, and didn’t seek re election. Both Colin Snow & John Johnston stood down and offered themselves for re election.

Chairman – Scott Bannister Proposed by Graham Lowe & seconded by David Travers and passed unanimously.

Secretary – Colin Snow. Proposed by Scott Bannister & seconded by Graham Lowe and passed unanimously.

Treasurer – John Johnston. Proposed by John Ock-more & seconded by Graham Lowe and passed unanimously.

Election of Committee Members

Ken Carrington offered to stand as Membership Sec-retary. Proposed by Graham Lowe and seconded by Pat Clements and passed unanimously.

Pat Clements offered to stand for committee. Proposed by Graham Lowe and seconded by Scott Bannister

As dictated by the rules, one third of the Committee retire each year by rotation. Only two retired this year and Jon Ward (Webmaster) and Clifford Murira of-fered themselves for re-election. The motion was proposed by Graham Lowe & seconded by Pat Clements and was passed unanimously.

Special resolution.

As explained in the AGM agenda published in the preceding issue of Forward Vision it was proposed to raise the group membership subscription for those members who renew but refuse, for whatever reason, to pay by standing order but insist on paying by cheque. This causes a disproportionate amount of work & expense for the Treasurer & Membership Sec-retary and for the Group in printing annual renewal notices & posting them out especially now that 2nd class postage has now increased by 60%. It was pro-posed to raise the subscription from the existing £12.50 to £15. The membership fee for those paying by standing order would remain at it’s existing level of £10. Proposed by Graham Lowe and seconded by Terry Joyce. 20 members voted for the resolution, none against with one abstention.

Any Other Business

Various discussions took place with regards to pro-posals by the IAM to allow IAM membership to those who didn’t want to take the Advanced test. It was generally felt that this would devalue the membership status for those that had taken the effort to take & pass their advanced test.

A discussion also explored other possibilities for addi-tional training to expand on the existing Driver Experi-ence Days, Skidpan & 4x4 off road training

Steve Wright proposed a vote of thanks to Graham Lowe to thank him for his 3 years stint as Group Chairman & was endorsed by the meeting with a round of applause.

There were no further questions


Changes in the New Highway Code (2007)

© Crown copyright 2007

Highway Code

302

Tramways

This rule has been expanded

305 Always give priority to trams, especially when they signal to pull away from stops, unless it would be unsafe to do so. Remember that they may be carrying large numbers of standing passengers who could be injured if the tram had to make an emergency stop. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road.

This is a new rule

You MUST NOT park your vehicle where it would get in the way of trams or where it would force other drivers to do so. Do not stop on any part of a tram track, except in a designated bay where this has been provided alongside and clear of the track. When doing so, ensure that all parts of your vehicle are outside the delineated tram path. Remember that a tram cannot steer round an obstruction.

Law RTRA sects 5 & 8

303


Tram stops. Where the tram stops at a platform, either in the middle or at the side of the road, you MUST follow the route shown by the road signs and markings. At stops without platforms you MUST NOT drive between a tram and the left-hand kerb when a tram has stopped to pick up passen-gers. If there is no alternative route signed, do not overtake the tram - wait until it moves off.

Law RTRA sects 5 & 8


306


All road users, but particularly cyclists and motorcyclists, should take extra care when driving or riding close to or crossing the tracks, especially if the rails are wet. You should take particular care when crossing the rails at shallow angles, on bends and at junctions. It is safest to cross the tracks directly at right angles. Other road users should be aware that cyclists and motorcyclists may need more space to cross the tracks safely.

Changes in the New Highway Code (2007) continued

307

Overhead electric lines. Tramway overhead wires are normally 5.8 metres above any carriageway, but can be lower. You should ensure that you have sufficient clearance between the wire and your vehicle (including any load you are carrying) before driving under an overhead wire. Drivers of vehicles with extending cranes, booms, tipping apparatus or other types of variable height equipment should ensure that the equipment is fully lowered. Where overhead wires are set lower than 5.8 me-tres, these will be indicated by height clearance markings - similar to ‘low bridge’ signs. The height clearances on these plates should be carefully noted and observed. If you are in any doubt as to whether your vehicle will pass safely under the wires, you should always contact the local police or the tramway operator. Never take a chance as this can be extremely hazardous.

This is a new rule


Continued on page 15

Advanced Driving is based on the ‘system’ of driving that the Police use and as you

can see from the title, the ‘Roadcraft’ book has the information to assist in the process

of learning advanced driving techniques. The current edition was approved by the

Association of Chief Police Officers and updated in 2007. ‘Roadcraft’ aims to help

people become better drivers by increasing awareness of all factors that affect

driving such as the capability of the driver, characteristics of the vehicle, and road and

traffic conditions.

When you join the IAM you get the ‘How to be a better driver’ handbook, most of

which comes from ‘Roadcraft’. I would recommend anyone who wishes to improve

their driving buy a copy of ‘Roadcraft’ as well. It is available from various websites and

shops; here are a couple of websites to compare:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ or http://www.desktopdriving.co.uk/

One of the items from the appendices in ‘Roadcraft’ is the pre-driving check known as

‘Cockpit Drill’. This is designed for Police Drivers who often get into a strange car

each time they drive. Most of the time we probably only drive one car, so do we really

need to do it? I believe the answer is YES. When I first passed the advanced test, I

wasn’t totally sure but after I started training to be an Observer it became clear that it

is a useful addition to the skills required to be a better driver.

Passing the test isn’t the end of the story, it is a starting point. Being aware of your

shortcomings and developing self assessment skills is the key to improvement. The

reason I think that the cockpit drill is essential is that a high percentage of the skills

needed to be a good driver are mental skills and developing these doesn’t come

easily to us because when we passed our test this was not even considered. Once

we had passed, for most of us no further training was considered. We developed as

drivers purely on experience with little or no self assessment skill. We drove for many

years this way until at some stage and for various reasons we decided that we

wanted to become advanced drivers. Trying to change the way we think in a relatively

short time is a difficult thing to do but obviously we did enough to pass our Advanced

test. Realising that we need to carry on developing to become better is the next key

step. Chapter 1 in Roadcraft is titled ‘Mental Skills for better driving’. It recognises

that this is the foundation of a good driver. So why is the cockpit drill so essential?

Firstly It prepares us mentally for driving. When we first start driving it takes a while to

get our brain in gear. It is recognised that on a long motorway drive the

Roadcraft the Police Driver’s Handbook


Roadcraft the Police Driver’s Handbook continued

most dangerous time is getting back onto the motorway after stopping at a motorway

service area for petrol or a break. This is because it takes us a while to get back into

the focused concentration needed. That is also why it is recommended that you

reverse into a parking space when you reach a destination.

The cockpit drill helps us to get our brain into

gear and gives us the confidence to produce a

good drive.

We know by carrying out POWDER checks our

car is up to scratch (roadworthy), no pun

intended.

What do we need to include in a cockpit drill?

I think that you need to include the safety check

of ‘handbrake on, gear is in neutral’.

Once you have established this you know the

car isn’t going to move unless you do some-

thing else. There is quite a list in ‘Roadcraft’,

you probably don’t need to include it all but make sure that you are confident in what

you say so that it gets your brain in gear for the drive ahead.

Just to go over POWDER:

Petrol, or perhaps it should be diesel but then the acronym wouldn’t work. You should

have adequate fuel for the planned drive.

Oil, Ensure the engine oil and other reservoirs (power steering, brake fluid) are at the

correct level.

Water, Check the engine and windscreen wash levels.

Damage, Check the car for any visible damage.

Electrics, Check lights are in working order.

Rubber, Check tyres for damage, wear and correct operating pressure. Efficiency of

wiper blades should be checked and it is recommended that they are changed after

six months. Belt checks could be included but it is not possible on some

modern cars.

There are other checks recommended in ‘Roadcraft’, on pages 164 and 165.

A Cockpit Drill is not a requirement for passing the Advanced Driving Test but I’d

advise you to practise one.

Terry Joyce

On all cars there are a number of what are considered blind spots. The roof support on either side of a vehicle's windshield, otherwise known as the A pillar, is one of them. The A pillar is the engineering term for the area dividing the windscreen and the windows. In recent years the A pillars have become sturdier in a bid to improve the structure of the car as a whole. But because the A pillar has become thicker, it has created a blind spot which obstructs the vision of drivers. More than 90 per cent of the information from the car’s external environment is viewed by the driver through the windscreen and windows. You should be aware of the potential restriction the A pillar may cause in your ability to scan the road ahead. It is vital to check that nothing is hidden from view by the A pillar before making a manoeuvre. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and as I found recently cars, are easy to “lose” in the space behind a pillar. Make sure you take time to look around the pillar, not just take a quick “snap-shot” look which could allow almost anything to be hidden from view.

The view in the picture on the left looks clear. The picture on the right has changed as I’ve moved my head a few inches back. This high-lights what it is possible to miss if you do not look around the pillar. If the car and I had matching speeds it could be hidden for a few seconds, enough time for me to run into it. As you are driving towards a junc-tion, look further ahead,

and scan to the left and right on your approach. That way you will see things through the windscreen before they become “lost” behind the pillars. Moving your head is a double check before crossing the give way lines. Remember, good all - round vision is vital. It is our responsibility to see what is there.

Terry Joyce


Blind Spots


Our Observers Ron Adams

Scott Bannister

Pat Clements

Philip Cooper

Paul Crosby

Jamie Drummond

Max Ford

Tony Hawes

Helen Jeffries

Terry Joyce

Rob Laird

George Locker

Graham Lowe

Gaynor Manthorpe

Janet Miller

Dr Clifford Murira

John Ockmore

Roger Spall

Lawrence Tattersall

John Tullett

Brian Williams

Rob Wise

Mark Warbey

We are wondering whether to organise more skidpan and 4x4

events this year. If you are interested in either please let us

know. Contact Scott. His contact information is on Page 8.

Subsidised Events


Notification of Events

There has been a lot of positive feedback from events organised by the Group. If you would like to be kept informed of any up and coming events please make sure that l has your current email address.

Young Driver Scheme

Do you know of anyone who is not 17 years of age, but wants to learn how to drive?

Chelmsford IAM group supports a road safety scheme to give people the opportunity to learn basic car control skills in Driving School Dual Controlled cars on private land before they go on the public Highway.

getting behind the wheel (again, or for the first time).

Full details of the scheme, a letter from Essex Police and a map may be viewed, and the application Form can be downloaded, from

www.youngdriverscheme.org

Lessons, lasting for one hour, are run on the third Sunday of most months at Earls Colne (near Coggeshall). There is an initial Registration Fee of £30 which covers registration and the first one hour lesson. Subsequent lessons cost £25. Lessons must be booked in advance.

The scheme is intended primarily for 16 year-olds but, if vacancies permit, places may be offered to 15 year-olds or even to older people who are nervous about

Alternatively, forms may be obtained from the YDS Organiser.

Nicola Hyland, 67 Main Road,

St Lawrence Bay, Southminster,

CM0 7NA

Dedicated Mobile number

07847 645632 or

[email protected]



JACKSON ENGINEERING

STATION GARAGE HIGH STREET. ONGAR. CM5 9HH

Telephone: 01277 363707

SERVICING & REPAIRS

EXHAUSTS

MoT TESTING OF PETROL & DIESEL VEHICLES

WE NOW TEST MOTORCYCLES AND 3 WHEELERS

JAPANESE 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES SERVICED

AND REPAIRED

FREE COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

I know, we’re all fed up to the back teeth with Winter, especially the endless cold, grey days, and this one seems to have been here for far too long. Even the weather men and girls are beginning to apologise (as if they could do anything about it) and there was snow on the car yesterday morning.

Now I certainly wouldn’t want to frighten you, so, if you’re of a nervous disposition, I suggest you sit down with a comforting cup of something, because I’ve just seen a big yellow thing in the sky and most of the clouds seem to be taking a day off! I could get quite emotional….!

At last, we might need to wear our sunglasses when we’re driving and we’ll have to get a tube of sunscreen to replace the one that’s been lurking somewhere since goodness knows when – hooray!!

Susan Sweetland


Motoring Milestones

1932 Mirrors It was compulsory for rear-view mirrors to be fitted to cars from 1st January 1932. Some years earlier lady motorists were advised to carry a mirror with a handle to help with their make-up and occasionally hold up to see what is behind.

1934 Cat’s Eyes Percy Shaw, the inventor of ‘Cat’s Eyes’, came up with the idea after the headlights of his car were reflected in a cat’s eyes one foggy night in 1933. He overcome the prob-lem of cleaning the reflectors by mounting them on springs so the weight of passing traffic pushed them down, an eyelid type device then providing the cleaning action.

1934 Pedestrian Crossings Pedestrian crossings with yellow flashing lights were introduced by Leslie Hore-Belisha, the Minister of Transport. The only road markings used were metal studs, to mark out the crossing area. The public soon adopted the Minister’s name for these new lights: Belisha Beacon. The Zebra markings on the crossing did not appear till 1951. See Page 28 for more info.

1935 First Driving Test Prior to 1935 driving licences were simply purchased from the post offices. Acquiring a licence became a much tougher proposi-tion with the arrival of the driving test. The first person to take the new test was called Mr Bean.

1937 Speedometers Complying with the new 30mph speed limit was made easier when it became compul-sory for all cars to be fitted with a speedometer. Although their fitting had been optional, speedometers had been available since 1901.

Selected by Terry Joyce, Courtesy of Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. .

National Archives


Group Nights & Events 2013

Please make a note in your diary

Sunday April 21st

Driver Experience Day - Dunton

Monday May 13th

First responder Gordon Wren

Monday June 10th

Manoeuvring test Scott Bannister

+ others

Monday July 8th

How the police identify body parts Gary Silver

Monday August 12th

Up the Revs (Why a car purrs rather than roars)

Chris Christodolou

Monday September 9th

Stow Maries WW1 Aerodrome Roger

Monday October 14th

Medical things Dr Clifford Murira

Monday November 11th

TBA

Monday December 9th

Christmas Quiz Night & Buffet


CHELMSFORD ADVANCED MOTORISTS

LIBRARY LIST

DVDs

Drive Smarter, Essential know-how for your driving career (2 copies) By Gem Motoring Assist

Roadcraft, The Police Driver’s Course on Advanced Driving By The Police Foundation

PC CD-ROMs

The Interactive Highway Code HMSO/ Interactive Driving Systems

Hazard Perception Test HMSO/Oasis

BOOKS

Roadcraft TSO Human Aspects of Police Driving Scottish Police College The Tyre Digest (2 copies) Michelin

Driving Abroad Robert Davies

The Official Highway Code Rev. 2007 Edition HMSO

The Official Guide to Accompanying L-Drivers DSA

Sideways to Victory Roger Clark

The Myway Code Ian Vince/Dan Kieran

Paul Ripley’s Expert Driving Daily Telegraph

The Inner Game of Tennis W Timothy Gallwey

Mind Driving Stephen Haley

Older Drivers – Safe or Unsafe? IAM Traffic– Why we drive the way we do Tom Vanderbilt

CDs

Awake, Driver Reviver THINK

Advanced Road Craft Bespoke Driving Training

The Driving Test – Your Licence to Drive IAM/Safety on the Move


Three accounts of the events on a murky wet March day

I don't know if anybody had noticed but there has been a fair amount of

dampness around this winter. Unless it actually accumulates on the road, it

mostly passes me by and I don't really care that much. Even then, with

reasonable tarmac underneath it's got to be pretty deep to affect me.

Saturday March 16th changed my perspective though.

It was the day of 4x4 off-road driving at Stubbers. Now, I can't remember

whose bright idea it was and I accept it might even have been mine, but

my view on the water situation changed. The Stubbers course, challenging

at the best of times, had turned into an impression of the Battle of the

Somme. To say wellies were a good

idea was to understate things more

than a little. You can say what you

like about Essex, but it does brilliant

mud and there was certainly no

shortage.

Having done the Part 1 course twice

now and enjoyed it, I was fairly well

prepared for this event and looking

forward to it. I was not disap-

pointed. Whilst the Part 1 course covers the basics, this time we were into

rescuing each other with very large elastic bands and going through some

very testing exercises. Walking parts of the route beforehand, I couldn't

help but feel “no way is a car going go manage to go there...” and some-

times I was right, but it was very amusing trying. It's all about how to en-

joy being in a car at 2mph.

I'm not sure whether there is any road safety aspect to doing this, but it's

really huge fun. This event, being a first for us, was a bit of an experi-

ment. I can report that the experiment worked and I'll be running another

one later in the year, so keep your eyes on the newsletter of when to ap-

ply.

Scott Bannister

Continued on Page 25

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud – A Trilogy


Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud – A Trilogy continued

You wouldn't believe what I did to a Land Rover Discovery today. You cer-

tainly wouldn't believe it didn't roll over, given the angles it and I achieved.

I have also become an expert on mud: its viscosity, skid resistance, its

penetrating power, plus its ability, providing it's gloopy and deep enough,

to almost remove one's footwear! I can also drive sideways in a straight

line and undertake a dynamic vehicle recovery…..in deep black and

gooey brown mud!

So what did I do after lunch – nothing, I was knackered! All courtesy of

Bob and Ben (that's Bob not Bill) at Stubbers Activity Centre. This outing

was the long awaited Part 2 of the Introductory 4x4 course which I

completed a while ago – and it was worth waiting for. Ok, so the weather

wasn't perfect but to have the choice of 4 off-road vehicles to use – two

Daihatsu 4tracks (manual) and two Discoverys (one auto, one manual),

acres of ground and expert off-road tuition. What could go wrong?

If you think it's expensive, you're wrong; if you think it sounds fun, you're

right. Bill (sorry, Bob) and Ben at Stubbers can also provide the wellies

and waterproofs.

Go on – you know it makes no sense!!

Graham Lowe - Group Mudologist

In the interest of reporting to the readers of Forward Vision, I signed up for the inaugural session of the 4x4 Experience, Part 2.

I was told to bring wellingtons, which I did, but when I arrived at Stub-

bers Bob informed me that I would need waterproofs as well. Luckily Gra-

ham had a spare pair of bright yellow waterproof trousers. I looked a pic-ture.

You may now be thinking why on earth would you need wellingtons and

waterproof trousers to drive a car. Let me explain.

I was given the key to a Land Rover Discovery (the automatic one) and

told to follow Ben. I wasn't impressed with the Discovery – I put my foot

on the throttle and little seemed to happen. It was set on low ratio, so it

needed a lot of revs to make it move. In a very short space of time I would be thankful for that.

Ben joined Graham and me and took the driver's seat to demonstrate

some of the techniques we would be using, especially the manual options

Continued on Page 26


Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud – A Trilogy continued

of the automatic gearbox. Then it was my turn. I was to drive the course

that Ben had demonstrated - first through mud which was almost impossi-

ble to walk through but which the Discovery didn't even notice, then into a puddle which I'd be able to use my kayak on and if that wasn't enough, up

a steep, yes very steep, incline, remembering to use the horn because as I

was looking at the sky I didn't have a clue whether there was anything in

front of me. On reaching the top, I dropped into first gear for the descent,

my cheeks clenched firmly on the seat. The Discovery, unlike me, didn't flinch. After a number of sharp turns, ascents and descents, I found my-

self driving along the side of a hill at an angle a lot steeper than I thought

a vehicle could achieve. (We had been instructed on how to recover

should the vehicle start to, shall I say diplomatically, lean further than you

wanted it to.)

I hope I'm not putting you off, because it was absolutely fantastic: adrena-

line was flowing through my veins and I wanted more.

I wasn't to be disappointed - we got the opportunity to drive all four

vehicles. Bob and Ben the Mud Men set us some challenging courses and

helped us through them. I remember one particular incident vividly

because I was driving the Daihatsu, which incidentally didn't have a roof.

The object was to drive through a short course which included a small bank. I found myself stuck on the bank at an angle I didn't think a car

could reach and not be on its side. As I was staring through what should

have been a window into the mud and water below, Bob shouted “give it

more welly next time”. I took his advice and managed to get over the

bank and although the landing wasn't pretty, I was delighted at the achievement. I could go on and on and on using a lot of adjectives to

describe how much fun it is playing in mud.

Now let's get a little serious and explain how driving in the mud at rela-tively low speeds relates to Advanced Driving. Driving along the road, we

take the road surface into account but probably not as much as we should.

Driving through large ruts, deep water, steep inclines and potholes you

could lose a Discovery in (ask Scott about that one) teaches you to appre-

ciate the surface you're driving on and to plan your route with incredible detail. Serious bit over.

At the end I was covered in mud, mildly moist, had cold feet and a smile

that made my jaw ache. Many thanks go to Bob, Ben and my fellow mud

explorers for a wonderful experience.

Terry Joyce

Pictures on the following pages


Congratulations

Here are some of our successful members receiving their certificate from our Chairman Scott Bannister

The course was enjoyable and I owe my pass to the effort and time Gaynor put into helping me reach the required standard. I never realised that there were so many quiet bendy roads in Essex. I was surprised that talking (commentary) to my-self would focus my attention and make me more aware of the road ahead. I must also thank my examiner Paula Fells for making me feel relaxed throughout the test. I found the whole experience most enjoyable. Patrick Alexander.


The pictures

More pictures on the next page

Here, the aim is to

get stuck and then carry out a dynamic

vehicle recovery

with what Scott

calls a large elastic

band. The rope on the front of this ve-

hicle is elasticated,

so you attach it to

another vehicle which is then

driven away. The

rope stretches, the

energy is released

and lo and behold, out of the mud

comes the vehicle

which was stuck.

Photo sent in by Don Abernathy


More pictures

Oops! The aim of this exercise was to drive through a series of deep holes without damaging the underside of the vehicle. The idea was to put one set of wheels slightly up the verge. Scott was slightly wayward on the last hole but he managed to drive out from this position.

This was a tricky exercise. Driving over a small bank. Getting the angle right with the correct amount of throttle was the key to it but easier said then done as we found out.

These pictures give you a brief glimpse into The 4 x 4 experience, Part 2.

Terry Joyce


The links below are to websites that you may have an interest in. Please let me know if

any of them are not working. Email me if you think of any websites that may be of interest.

IAM DrivingAdvice & Tips

http://www.iam.org.uk/media-and-research/media-centre/driving-and-riding-tips

Online Highway Code

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/index.htm

Know your traffic signs

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_191955.pdf

Tyresafe

http://www.tyresafe.org

Drive Alive

http://www.drive-alive.co.uk

Heritage Motor Centre http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/

London Cyclist http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/

Pedestrian Crossings Link to National Archive website including a humorous film about the early

Pedestrian Crossings and other and pictures.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/films/1945to1951/filmpage_pc.htm

www.iamchelmsford.org.uk

Documents

Forward Vision Edition 99 April 2013