For some time TIMBER and the FC have been nurturing the chairmanship skills of Graham "Berm" Bandit with lessons in how to combat disorganisation, incompetence and inactivity. Our efforts have finally been recognised with a night of celebration at British Cycling on 4th February. So Graham's award for "outstanding work as a club official" must surely be seen as an award for us all - although Graham's name is on it, and he'll be keeping hold of it. Graham (probably) received special recognition for alfresco bacon & egg bappage, outstanding contribution to the science of the double entendre (rear end section), and maybe even his work for British Cycling in the eastern region. You can see a photo of him receiving his (I mean our) award on Flickr – he’s 4th from the right in case you don’t recognize him wearing a suit!

See this thread on the forum: Found - cycling computer

The FC have blocked part of Squirrel Scamper pit, due to the frequency and severity of injuries that have occurred there.

Out of interest, generally TIMBER oppose such closures as a matter of course, on the following basis:-

1. Physical objects are inanimate and do not cause accidents, people riding things they aren’t competent to ride is what causes accidents, therefore if the idea is to achieve an accident free environment ban people.
2. We challenge the statistics. One serious accident amongst say 500,000 visitors makes the forest a safer place than the road to get to it, and no one is suggesting that the road be closed.
3. If the policy is to close the most dangerous place in the forest, closure just makes somewhere else the most dangerous place. If the policy is to close the most dangerous place constantly, pretty soon we will have a flat space with no features.
4. The removal of the features in the Tightrope section was for the same reasons. The fact that severe injuries have been incurred elsewhere tends to prove how invalid that policy is.

If anyone has any comments either in favour of or against the closure please post them on the forum and I will ensure they are passed on to the FC.