Well, I'm back with batteries fully recharged and raring to go.

Firstly, can I say a huge thanks to both my Committee colleagues, Thierry Muller for deputising the WMBC / WESC meets during my absence, and to Pepsi & his gang of MIB Marshalls who co-ordinated the clearly success Nth Circular Run last Saturday.

To avoid information overload, may I take this opportunity to remind all of you of the importance of the WMBC / WESC as publicity for our cause, and thus, rather than send a separate mass mail reminder, for any that don't know, the clubs meet at Villiers Street, London WC2 every Wednesday at 07.30 for a 08.00 depart, and 17.30 for a 18.00 depart. Please try and join one if you can, as both have a social aspect afterwards with WMBC having coffees at Millbank Tower, whilst WESC has drinks at the Sherlock Holmes Pub in Northumberland Ave.

Other Events for your diary

1) The Brighton Run

Scheduled for this coming Sunday 12th leaving from Ace Cafe AT 10.30am to Madiera Drive in Brighton, we are delighted to have been offered a free stand in Brighton. Please come and join the ride or us there in Brighton to help spread the word about the campaign and the next M25 run on Sep 25. The more campaign Hi-viz vests around in Brighton that day, the better exposure for us all. For more details, please visit the Ace Cafe website www.ace-cafe-london.com.

Can anyone willing to help man the stand please contact us asap.

2) the BMF Tail-end Show

The following weekend after Brighton Burn-up, the BMF Tail-end Show have also offered us a free, and prominently positioned stand for which we are extremely grateful. This promises to be an extraordinary event this year with the show itself now under the directorship of one of our firm supporters, Martin Chick & his team at Mulberry Events. For details please visit www.bmf.co.uk/Events/pages/tail_end.php?content_id=470

Again, can anyone willing to help man the stand please contact us asap.

3) M25 on Sep 25

The Big One - for those who still don't know, we are planning to re-run the Great Lap of London demo, but this time going anti-clockwise from South Mimms Services at 10am. The run will be taken at a far more gentle speed, and we are allowing 7 hours to complete it, which should facilitate longer stops at both Clacket Lane & Thurrock. For more details & timings, visit www.notobikeparkingtax.com.

Following the ride, there will be an unofficial ride back into London via the A1/A41 - both roads accessible to lower cc machines. So, all are welcome on that last element.

4) Sprouting to Brussels

The date for the big ride to Brussels is still unconfirmed, but the most likely candidates are either Wednesday 20th or Friday 22nd October 2010. Again, for those unaware, we are planning to file an official complaint against Westminster Council for its failure to re-tender the parking enforcement contract "assumed" by a new company formed by ex-employees of National Car Parks Limited when it disposed of its parking enforcement department as a requirement of its sale to the Macquarie Group in march 2007. Under EU legislation, once National Car Parks Ltd had vacated these contracts with over 40 UK Local Authorities, there became the immediate requirement for all of them to re-tender them.

Where this becomes all the more advantageous for us is the fact that, when bringing a complaint to the EU Commissioners, the complaint has to be against the Member State in which the local authority operates - ie the UK, and thus the action is brought against the British Government!!

Planned as a day-trip, the most efficient transport will be the channel tunnel for which we will be seeking a group discount. However, as it is unlikely that we could all use the same train, we are planning to leave Trafalgar Sq en masse at around 7.30am with an estimated eta at Folkstone of 9.00 - 9.15. With the train journey lasting 35 minutes, we hope to be in Calais by 11.00 local time. We will then wait until 12.30 local time for any others who may have caught later trains before heading to Brussels.

As many of you may want to hang around, we will not publish a departure time for the group save to say that you are all welcome to leave when everyone else does!

We want to start booking the main group in asap, so can any of you planning to join us let us know immediately so we can ascertain numbers.

Once we have "confirmed" numbers comprising the minimum required by Eurotunnel for group discounts, we can give you an idea of the cost. Initial costs would appear to be about £30 return.

In summary, for all of you who have complained about not being able to attend one of our London-based, weekday demos, you now have no excuse other than to come and say hello on a weekend at either Brighton or Lincoln, or join the 1,700+ who will return to complete the M25 on Sep 25 "Other Way Round" ride-out.

Lastly, can we ask that any of you planning to attend these events, even if you don't get to assist in handing out leaflets or fliers, please help by collecting any discarded ones. This is not part of some penny-pinching policy, more one of protecting the image of the campaign. If others attending these show see our fliers littering the floor, they will be less inclined to take note of the content.

Hopefully see the usual gang and new supporters on what may well prove to be a very soggy WMBC & WESC tomorrow. To the rest of you - we need you more than ever to physically get involved if we are to clearly show the depth of revulsion against this blatant attack on our community.

Best

Warren & the Committee