From: newsnet@CTCnews.org.uk

Sent: 29 January 2010 14:40

To: timmyers@tiscali.co.uk

Subject: CTC Newsletter

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IN THIS ISSUE OF NEWSNET ^ Record numbers report potholes| ^ Video: Get Gorge-ous | ^ Too drunk to walk | ^ Friday night rides to the coast | ^ Renew or update your CTC details online
Dear Tim
	Record numbers report potholes Following the freezing conditions this month, record numbers of potholes are appearing on roads across the UK. The extreme damage means CTC’s www.fillthathole.org.uk has seen its highest ever monthly total of hazard reports this January: pothole reports usually peak in February and March, when there is more rain, but the freeze-thaw process caused by the snow and ice this winter has caused thousands of new road defects. CTC expects the state of the roads will therefore deteriorate further in the next few months and is calling on authorities to take action quickly.
	£200,000 for cycling five miles Last week, seven-year-old Charlie Simpson decided to do a sponsored bike ride to raise £500 for Haiti; this week, after cycling five miles round his local park in Fulham, he’s raised a whopping £200,000 for UNICEF. His bike ride attracted lots of media coverage, so on Wednesday he was invited to No.10 to meet Sarah Brown. True to form, he took his bike with him. He said: “I cycled my bike down Downing Street and even a bit inside”.
	Get Gorge-ous Cycle Bristol CTC is organising another Get Gorge-ous, a 50-mile bike ride through Cheddar Gorge. Members from the CTC group help new cyclists to build up to the challenge and even ride alongside to encourage less experienced cyclists. To find out more, watch this great video of Get Gorge-ous 2009 or sign up to take part or to help with this year’s ride.
	Dangerous not careless A 19-year-old motorist who hit and killed a cyclist on the A1 has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. As part of CTC’s campaign Stop SMIDSY, the Campaigns team is looking closely at whether motorists involved in crashes with cyclists are charged with careless or dangerous driving. CTC’s Campaigns Director Roger Geffen said: “This driver admitted causing the cyclist’s death by careless driving and deserves some credit for not attempting to invent a story blaming the deceased victim. However, it is clear that the way she was driving was dangerous, and for once, the prosecutors and the courts rightly refused to dismiss this as ‘carelessness’.  CTC would not advocate a long prison term in this case, as there is no evidence that her actions were intentionally dangerous or reckless. Drivers who fail to pay attention should face long driving bans to prevent any further danger to the public.”
	Fines for pavement cycling down 25% Over the last 5 years, fines handed out for cycling on the pavement have fallen by a quarter across England and Wales. In London, fines for pavement cycling have fallen by almost 80% - from 577 in 2003 to just 123. Are there fewer cyclists riding on pavements or is it just a case of this not being a high priority for police?
	Too drunk to walk If you are too drunk to even walk, what do you do? Well, 20-year-old Sandy Wales needed to get home from a party in Edinburgh, so he stole a bike because he thought it would be easier and safer than walking! Two police officers spotted him as he fell off the bike. The case went to court this week and he was fined £360.
	Improving Everyday Transport  This week, CTC joined Campaign for Better Transport, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth and Living Streets to launch a manifesto calling for the next Government to change its transport priorities. Improving Everyday Transport sets out proposals that would radically improve the way people travel. It draws on successful initiatives, which would: save money and help the environment; help create jobs and tackle social exclusion; encourage people out of their cars and back onto safe and friendly streets; and create more choices for how people get around every day.
	Take action on lorries Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) pose a disproportionate risk to cyclists: although only 5% of traffic, they are involved in 20% of cyclist fatalities.  In London, they were involved in seven out of twelve cycling deaths last year. Early Day Motion 600 calls for a concerted national effort to protect cyclists from lorries.  It calls for increased education and awareness training for cyclists and lorry drivers; the imposition of certain technological changes to make HGVs less likely to collide with cyclists in the first place; and the creation of conditions of access for lorries entering city centres. Please take a few moments to email your MP and ask them to support measures to increase the safety of cyclists around lorries.
	Friday night rides to the coast Fed up waiting for summer to arrive so you can ride to the beach?  If so, why not join CTC South West London’s regular Friday Night Ride to the Coast? Places are limited, but you can book a place for the next ride, which takes place on 26 February, by registering on the FNRttC Blog. Oh and don’t put it off till next month as in March many of the 100 riders will be raising money for Martlets Hospice, so there are even fewer places up for grabs. This year’s programme also includes rides to Harwich, Whitstable, Bognor Regis, Southend-on-Sea, Cleethorpes and even abroad to Dieppe via Newhaven. If you want a glimpse of what happens on the ride you can watch this video.
	The literature of cycling Looking for a good read? Check out the Guardian’s Books Podcast as it features an item on the literature of cycling. Twenty-three minutes in, you can listen to Claire Armitstead and Guardian sports writer Richard Williams discuss their favourite bike books, including William Fotheringham’s biographies of Tom Simpson and Fausto Coppi; ‘The Rider’ by Dutch novelist Tim Krabbé; and Graham Robb’s ‘The Discovery of France’.
	Volunteer of the Year Awards for 2009 Nominations are needed now for the Volunteer of the Year Awards for 2009. The awards recognise the efforts of individuals and groups who have done something special for cycling during the last year. Perhaps they’ve organised a great event, campaigned effectively for cycling, or promoted cycling for children. Nominations are required for each of CTC’s 12 regions. If you have an individual or group in mind, all you need to do is complete the online application form and email it to Sue Cherry at National Office. Alternatively, call 01483 238302 to request a paper copy. The deadline for nominations is 15 February, so don’t delay.
	CTC/Cyclenation Spring Conference 2010 Portsmouth Cycle Forum will be hosting the next CTC/Cyclenation Conference on Saturday 17 April 2010. The conference will take place at Portland Building at the University of Portsmouth. The theme will be ‘Future Cycling Cities’, focusing on how to put cycling at the heart of town and city life. Bookings will open on 1 February. For more information, visit the Conference 2010 website.
	Spend Easter in Calvados Take the overnight ferry and cycle to a quiet 2-star hotel in the ancient town of Bayeux. Then explore the surrounding network of lanes, passing chateâux, abbeys and early spring flowers. The Normandy landing beaches are within riding distance and several museums, including the home of the famous tapestry, are within a short walking distance. Easter in Calvados is a 6-day holiday from 1 to 6 April. CTC holidays are not-for-profit and are exclusive to CTC members. For more information or to book your place see the CTC Holidays website.
	Renew or update your CTC details online Did you know you can now renew your CTC membership, update some of your contact details and even subscribe to Newsnet online?  Just visit our website then login to your CTC account using your CTC membership number and surname.  Renewals can only be done online using a credit or debit card when the renewal date is due – otherwise you can renew by post or, even better, set up a direct debit. For all membership enquiries, contact our Membership Department on 0844 736 8451 or email membership@ctc.org.uk.
	Newsnet If you have something to share with over 28,000 CTC members please email links to websites, videos and images to publicity@ctc.org.uk .
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