Before I hand you over to Glovebox for this months instalment, I have to announce that at this months General Council Meeting held at Meriden. Yorkshire Rose once again retained the Meriden Trophy.

Well done to all concerned with a special mention to Dennis (winner of oldest combined age of bike and rider) for his efforts to keep the Trophy in South Yorkshire.

Now over to Glovebox

I’ll start the report by wishing, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, to everyone.

The first and most important event of the New Year is the Annual General Meeting, which will take place on the 19th January 2005 at the Carbrook Hall pub, Attercliffe Road Sheffield, at 8-00pm sharp

( please note, earlier than usual!). The agenda will include, Election of officers, (all posts to be re-elected, so get nominations in please), distribution of trophies, and any other business (proposals to Chairman Pete please). Sandwiches will be provided. Please make sure you all come along and vote in the committee of your choice and add your proposals to how you want your branch run! It’s up to you!

Anyone who has been following the forum on the Yorkshire Rose web site, www.yorkshirerosetomcc.co.uk will know about Operation Willie the Waiter (Willie is the unofficial mascot of the Waikato Chapter of the New Zealand TOMCC) so for people who have yet to visit the forum, here’s a run down of the story.

The story began about 2 years ago in conversations between John Mannion (Y.R.) and members of the N.Z.TOMCC. mainly, Ray and Trevor (Grumpy) who wanted a new project to work on, the requirements for this project were a Triumph Tigress (supposedly for Ray’s son) and a Tiger Cub (supposedly for Trevor’s wife). After being Gazzumped on e-bay several times by people with more money than brains (Grumpies words), finally a Tigress was purchased via e-bay and a Cub came from a Yorkshire Rose member Neil. It then became the job for John Mannion to, pick up the said machines, dismantle them, scrupulously clean all parts, make a packing case (lid fastened on by Trident head bolts!), and ship them off to Godzone (New Zealand). No description in this account can do credit to the logistics of this task, but true to his word John got the crate (all 400kgs of it), complete with a caricature of Willie on the side, despatched off to a shipping agent and onto the Charlotte Maersk for it’s epic journey to New Zealand. Regular updates of the journey were entered onto the web site. Finally after 5 weeks sailing half way round the world the shipment arrived in Auckland, safe and sound, (nice carpentry John!) and awaited being picked up by its eager recipients. By the look of their faces on the photographs on the web site, when they stripped open the case, it seems that the arrival was met with great approval. As I have said no account can do justice to the effort put into this venture by those concerned, especially John, so a very hearty congratulations to all concerned! A very satisfactory conclusion for all involved. Anyone interested in the story has only to go onto the web site forum and follow the “further adventures of Willie the Waiter. I myself look forward to seeing the finished products in the not too distant future! I don’t think it will be in the colour I suggested when a name for the Tiger Cub was called for. My suggestion of painting it PINK and calling it YORKSHIRE ROSIE was greeted with hoots of derision and questions about my sexuality!

This story shows that with a lot of hard work and determination the hands across the world maxim really works.

The impossible is done immediately, miracles take a little longer.

GLOVEBOX.