October 2016

News to Hang Your Hat On

October 2016

BedPosts Breakaway 2017 (B6) when available, to make a choice if you can only
manage one day.
By Roy McGregor
The B&B Show's website as yet has no information
The Club is pleased to announce our plans to be on the Bristol Show. We will advise on the forum
involved with, and have our next (6th) Breakaway when seminar, exhibitor and booking information is
at, the B&B Show in Bristol next year. There has available online. As before, we will research and
been some delay due to the unavailability of the list accommodation options locally for those in
premises previously used, at the University of the need. Advance registration for the Show
West of England to the north of Bristol centre. The should mean that attendance is at no cost.
new location is Thornbury Leisure and Conference
Centre in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire. It is worth mentioning that we hope to repeat,
possibly on both days, a star turn from the last
The dates for our Breakaway will be the same as for Breakaway. Yes, broadband permitting, we hope to
the B&B Show, Wednesday and Thursday 22nd and have an all-day two-way link with Kathleen Panek,
23rd February. The one definite plan to date is that innkeeper in West Virginia. Kathleen is our hard-
we will be hosting Tea with BedPosts on both working Secretary anyway and wants to attend, it's
afternoons. This will allow visitors to the show to just a tad far to come. Personally, I will be waiting
find out all about the Club and Forum in a relaxed for her views and update on their new President.
fashion. The Show attracts a number of people new She hails from one of the less advantaged states (in
to the trade as well as people considering B&B for their opinion) so has strong views on what central
the first time, so we would hope to interest them in government does and does not achieve for them.
our offering. Three committee members - Mary Actually, she tends to have strong views on most
Marrow, Gené Jeffrey and Miv Hughes - have things, well worth attending for those alone!
already offered to supply homemade cake to go with
the tea! B5 - Harrogate

The B&B Show does arrange a number of seminars
throughout both days. The content of these is the
same sort of mix that we have sought to achieve at
our previous Breakaways, and more, so there will be
a great benefit in attending on at least one of the
days. At some point on the first day the Club will
have its own meeting and AGM. The seminar
programme has different topics on both days, so it
will be a case of checking the programme online,

KOP HILL CLIMB – Princes The Boundary Commission
Risborough, Buckinghamshire
The Boundary Commission has published its
By Miv Hughes latest findings, and will be making the
changes to Parliamentary Constituency
Kop Hill update Boundaries in 2018.

In spite of the rain on Saturday 17th, which This procedure is used now and again in
kept many people away -(don’t people use order to try and ensure Parliamentary
an umbrella any more??), Sunday dawned Constituencies have roughly the same
bright and clear and the sun shone on a number of Electors in each Constituency.
record number of people turning up to watch
and drool over hundreds of classic and This is more difficult than it seems, as rural
vintage cars and motorbikes. areas are much larger in area than the
The crowds enjoyed a wonderful day, and constituencies that have cities and large
emptied their pockets in the usual generous conurbations at their heart. In addition, this
way, so much so they are still counting and time there is to be a reduction in the number
accounting the costs and charges before they of Constituencies from 650 to 600 and a
can make an announcement of the amount of commensurate reduction in the total number
money raised this year for local charities. of MPs. Many rural areas will find
The hopes are that it will exceed last year’s themselves being stuck onto adjacent urban
total of £78,000-watch this space to find out areas, in order to even up the numbers.
in a later issue!
Have a look at the Boundary Commission
website and find out what is planned for
your area-and have your say if you disagree!
https://www.bce2018.org.uk

Reflections on the EU Referendum should identify the complete list of EU impositions
and get complaining.
It’s more than 100 days since the British people
voted for Brexit and the sky has not fallen in ....yet. What of our big competitors in the hotel industry?
The Remainers warned last February that there Whilst they will share in the expected tourist
would be severe consequences of Brexit, one of bonanza they also may have a big headache. They
which would be a 15%-20% fall in the value of the employ loads of foreign staff. Early indications are
Pound and this has come to pass. It has fallen 18% that the government will stop open door
against the US Dollar and 15% against the Euro. immigration from EU in favour of allowing in only
Is this bad news for our industry? Not for us small workers with work permits. The government might
independent operators I would say. Indications are say (with justification) that the industry does not
that foreign tourists are spending more in UK in July need hundreds of thousands of foreigners workers –
than they did in the same month last year. Of course all hotels & restaurants need to do is pay better
most travellers had already made their travel plans wages to attract UK workers. Heck, the hotels might
for the rest of the 2016 summer and were not going even have to dust off those training manuals I
to change them. Surely, from now on: helped to create whilst working as a Training
Adviser in the 1970s with the Hotel & Catering
 Foreign visitors will come in greater Industry Training Board.
numbers (as well as spending more)
Of course not everything will be smelling of roses.
 More UK nationals will holiday in UK as Marmitegate has this week flagged up the pressure
foreign travel becomes more expensive on prices as so many of our groceries are sourced
abroad. Unilever wanted to increase the price of all
The government is planning to incorporate the its products to Tesco by 10% across-the-board
40,000 EU law, regulations & directives into UK whether the products, or ingredients for them, were
law to begin with and then repeal the stuff we don’t sourced abroad or not. After joining what was then
want. Here’s our opportunity to lobby our MPs to the EEC in 1973, the following year inflation soared
repeal such time and money wasters as fire to 17.2%. As we start trading with the rest of the
regulation, allergens and website cookies. We world prices should go down or at least stay the
same as the effect of increased competition
counteracts our devalued currency. However
companies like Unilever will use Brexit as an excuse
to put up prices to make extra profit. The same
happened when UK’s currency went decimal in
1971 and when Germany joined the Euro in 2002.
When wholesale prices of energy go up, our energy
bills go up too but not vice versa.

Former Bank of England governor, Mervyn King
said that the collapse in the value of the pound was a
“welcome change”. Be sure that when inflation
caused by the Bank gets out of hand those who
voted for Brexit will get the blame.

Our government is blaming Brexit for the currency
devaluation. But hang on a minute. When your

currency is under pressure you put interest rates UP Bedposts Business club is taking a stand
not down, don’t you? On 4th August Sterling fell by
1.6% when the Bank rate was reduced a quarter Bedposts Business club is taking a stand at the Bed
percentage point. The Bank took the opportunity to & Breakfast show 2017, which is being held near
announce another £60bn of money printing - £435bn Bristol.
to-date. Excessive money printing causes It will be called Tea with Bedposts, and the plan is
hyperinflation as the Weimar Republic proved in to have tables and chairs and some yummy cakes for
1923. Hyperinflation is just what the government people to sample whilst enjoying a cup of tea or
needs – it has no hope of ever paying off its debt of coffee from the show’s caterers, and learn more
£1.6trn, and can only dream of inflating it away. about Bedposts and the Business Club and hopefully
sign up on the spot!
Meanwhile our MPs and Lords are conspiring in the There will be seminars to attend again, as last year,
Houses of Parliament to frustrate the Brexit process. and a chance to meet other AP’s and put faces to
Ed Milliband & Co are trying to say the people did names.
not know what they were voting for. What bit of this Make a date in your diary for Wed 22nd and/or
ballot question was not clear? "Should the United Thur23rd February, and come and meet up.
Kingdom remain a member of the European
Union?". The campaign “Vote Leave Take Control” Time is running out – have you joined us?
argued in favour of taking control of our laws our
money and our borders. We can’t do any of these 3 Go here to see the current list to be seen by the
things if we stay in the single market. Voters were Forces: http://www.bedposts.org.uk/Thanking-our-
told this. Forces-accommodation-list.pdf

Now that the people have decided, our country
needs a swift and clean exit from EU in order to give
everyone some direction and certainty. Let us hope
that the wisest heads amongst our mediocre bunch
of elected and unelected politicians prevail.

John Gooding
Webmaster & armchair politician/economist.

To Join the List, Click JOIN HERE at
http://www.bedposts.org.uk/thanking-our-forces.htm
to get the e-mail to complete and send.

Cannonball Run 2016 and the UK “Do you want to go?” and I replied, “Heck yes.” So
we saw them twice.
In 1918, Carl Neracher designed a motorcycle that Kevin Waters of Norwich riding a 1915 Sunbeam 3
came to be known as the Ner-A-Car Between 1921 ½ G.P. Motor Bicycle placed highest of the 90 who
and 1926 about 10,000 of them were manufactured started. He came in at 21st place and rode 3294 miles
in Syracuse, New York. Soon after production of the course.
started in the USA, it was licensed to Sheffield- Coming in the 38th place was Peter Reeves who just
Simplex in the UK. listed as United Kingdom. He rode a 1915 Harley
Davidson model F. He rode 2,763 miles.
On 24 October 1922 a Ner-A-Car was delivered to Stu Surr who also just listed United Kingdom, riding
Erwin “Cannonball” Baker. He added a crossbar a 1915 Harley Davidson model F came in #40 riding
between the handlebars to stiffen the steering – the 2,634 miles. Pictured below - #110 Stu Sur
only modification. He then set out from Staten
Island, New York to ride cross-country to prove it Steve Norton of Horndon on the Hill, Essex, riding a
could be done on a motorcycle and done cheaply. 1904 Rex came in #78. Although he did not finish,
he rode 452 miles of the 3,306 miles of the
Before he left, he had cards printed to track: Cannonball 2016.
mileage, gas, oil, repairs, start/stop time. They Mike Wild, on a 1910 Triumph, who listed England
would be filled out induplicate and signed by as his home was in #90 with a Did Not Finish. He
whoever checked him in at his stops. These cards rode 120 miles before mechanical problems stopped
were then sent, one to the factory in Syracuse and him.
one to the editor of Western Motorcyclist and Harry Verkuil of Aberdeen, Scotland was listed as a
Bicyclist in Los Angeles. It was stipulated that rider, but I have been unable to find where he placed
Baker would ride only in daylight hours. On 18 or if he started.
November he arrived in Los Angeles. Chris Knoop of Australia rode a 1915 J.A.P. to 45th
place riding 2.483 miles.
Cannonball Baker crossed the United States on a
motorcycle 143 times.

Riders came from all over the world to ride the
Cannonball Runs, in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. In
2016, there were 6 entrants listing a UK country as
home and 1 from Australia. ALL machines ridden in
this Cannonball had to be manufactured 1916 or
earlier. The route crossed 3,306 miles of the United
States. Only the first 16 places rode the entire 3,306
miles. Many had troubles and had to be trailered to
the next stop for repairs.

Two of the stops were in West Virginia. The first
night was a stop in Morgantown, WV, just 40 miles
from Gillum House – yes we were there to greet
them. Then the next day they had a lunch stop in
Williamstown, WV – just 80 miles from Gillum
House. That morning when we woke up, hubs said,

Recipes From the Kitchens Marrow, Pineapple and Ginger Jam

Lemon and Lime curd. From the Kitchen of:
(may also be called 'cheese') Miv Hughes
Ridgeway Lodge
From the kitchen of: Saunderton
Mary Marrow
Firs Cottage B&B, 6lbs/2.7kgs marrow, prepared weight
North Wales, 8 oz/225g stem ginger,chopped
1lb/450g fresh pineapple, prepared
Ingredients: 6lbs/2.7kgs sugar

4 lemons or a mix of lemons and limes, makes 10lb/4/5kgs
grated and squeezed.
1 pound/ half kilo white sugar, Skin, deseed and dice the marrow into
4 ounces/100 grams butter or margarine, 1/4inch/6mm cubes (that’s the hard part!)
4 standard eggs, well beaten.
Prepare the pineapple, cut into small chunks
Put the juice, rind, sugar and butter onto a
large microwave bowl. Chop the ginger into small pieces

Heat on full power for 4 minutes until the Mix the marrow and pineapple together and
butter is melted. (650 oven) make alternate layers of fruit and sugar in a
preserving pan. Cover and leave overnight to
Add the eggs, whisking them well as you do extract the juice.
with a balloon whisk.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 15-20
Cook on full heat for 6 minutes, stirring after minutes to reduce the liquid.
each minute.
Add the ginger and boil again for 10 minutes
Strain through a sieve and put into pots. until setting point is reached-test in your
usual way.
This makes 2 large pots and will keep for
weeks in a fridge. Pot into warm clean jars and cover straight
away.
It can be made in a bowl over boiling water
and you keep stirring until the mixture is Lovely over ice cream or sponge pudding,
thick---but be warned!! This takes forever!! spread on toast, crumpets, muffins etc.

Lime and courgette cake The Committee welcomes articles,
photos, and recipes for future
From the Kitchen of:
Miv Hughes News to Hang Your Hat On
Ridgeway Lodge
Saunderton This is YOUR Club and we hope to give you
information about what is pertinant to
1 large courgette Accommodation Providers. Please give us
6oz butter Feedback if you liked this Newsletter OR if
6oz caster sugar you did not like it – Why. What would you
2 large eggs like to read about?
7 1/2 oz plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp bicarb
3oz ground almonds
zest and juice 2 limes
icing sugar to dust

2lb loaf tin, lined
180C

Grate courgette and squeeze out as much
moisture as possible.

Cream butter and sugar until pale then beat in
the eggs

Separately, mix flour baking powder, bicarb,
and ground almonds. Fold into creamed
mixture with courgettes and lime zest and
juice until just blended. Place in prepared tin
and bake for 1 hour until golden and cooked
through.

Turn out onto wire rack until cool.