Here are some news items about recent events and other interesting happenings.
The accompanying photographs were apparently taken while our esteemed chairman Dave Folland was on holiday in Scotland and have been sent in anonymously.
Before
After - or was it the other way around !!
For our first Winter Talk held on 14th October, BANDAM group members visited ‘Adaptacar Ltd’ in South Molton. They are one of the few Motability specialists nationwide who undertake adaptations of vehicles so that they can be driven by disabled drivers.
After a brief introduction, two of their staff showed us around their workshop where a wide range of adaptations had been carried out or were still in progress to cars and vans.
Ranging from a beginning 32 years ago with a Ford Escort into which a hand operated vacuum driven brake and accelerator system had been fitted, the latest adaptations are now often electronically controlled.
Demonstrations of completed adaptations showed that wheelchair and scooter access into and out of vehicles can be readily achieved together with primary and secondary driving controls designed and installed to suit the individual driver.
Less complicated solutions were shown, such as extension levers which can release the button on standard hand-brakes or gear levers, and remote controlled wheelchair boot hoists.
It was agreed by all present that it was a fascinating and stimulating evening, being able to see at close quarters how ‘Adaptacar Ltd’ are helping the disabled driver keep moving.
Thanks were given to Mr Courtney and Mr Alexander who provided such an interesting talk.
If you would like to obtain more information and contact , go to the Adaptacar website by clicking on the following link: Adaptacar - South Molton.
We were recently invited to attend the National Sheepdog Trials held at Castle Hill Filleigh Barnstaple, to have a display in conjunction with Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, Devon County Council and RoSPA to help promote the Country Mile project.
The Country Mile Project is a government funded initiative to improve road safety on the roads in part of our area, that is the A377, the A 361 and the A396.
Tony Abbott and I arrived on site on the evening before the event started, after sometime looking around we found the area we were given to set up in. 20 minutes later and our Easi-up shelter was in place. The site security were laughing as the wind started blowing, I think they were expecting to see the tent go blowing across the display area. However, Tony and I were prepared for the wind and quickly secured the corners of the tent and then attached the guy ropes to stop any chance of the tent going for a trip around the field with us in pursuit.
I was unable to attend on the Friday as I was at work. Tony told me that the tent was well used as the weather was shall we say unkind in the morning, i.e. heavy rain.
It was like a meeting of the United Nations with all the different people ducking in out of the rain.
Several of our Members came along at different times throughout the day to man the display and help promote the Group.
The weather was much improved on the Saturday. There was a large crowd of people attending there was a lot of interest in the new Fire and Rescue vehicle there. It is a VW T5 Van that has been lowered and fitted with a nice set of alloy wheels. Inside it has large wraparound bench seats and a video screen to play games on. Once the back door was opened it revealed a fantastic sound system and a 37 inch LCD TV also linked to a games system. It has been resprayed Fire Engine Red, with a touch of flake to make it glisten. The headlight and tail-light assemblies were custom made with small blue led lights in them. It is going to be used to travel around the area where it is known younger drivers congregate and have some games and play some music that they may like before addressing the issue of safer driving.
Tony was not impressed with some of the music being played!
Saturday was a busy day, but I think Sunday was even busier. We seemed to be constantly talking to people about the Group and handing out literature. I can only hope that a lot of the people we spoke to follow up on their interest in the 'DriveCheck' or 'Skill for Life' courses.
The Police stand was busy with a constant flow of young people having their fingerprints taken. The parents were being given information on safer driving along the A361.
Things finally wound up at 5-00pm, so we packed the remaining literature away and packed the Easi-up into its carrying bag. Then the fun started, getting the car back onto the site a persuading everything to fit into the back of my Rover. Still it all fitted in the old Metro so I should have plenty of room.
The above picture shows our Easi-up in place, the tent into the background is the main entrance, so we were well placed to see people as they came onto the site.
It was an eventful 3 days, and hopefully we have influenced some people into doing something becoming safer drives and riders.
I hope we have made some useful contacts and can look forward to future projects.
I would like to offer my thanks to ALL the BANDAM Members who gave their time freely to assist us on the 3 days and with all the arrangements beforehand.
For more details on the Country Mile project have a look at: -
www.devon.gov.uk/index/transportroads/roads/road_safety/countrymile.htm