British Driving Society
Scottish Branch
February 2008 Newsletter
Notes From The Chairman
As we set out on other years driving it is important that we are well prepared. While the weather is not yet suitable for any serious horse training, we can at least get the ‘indoor’ preparations sorted out. All the vehicles that you intend to use require checking for serviceability with the axles greased and the security of the wheels and seats an important consideration. Harness should be checked for any wear that may have taken place particularly where any buckles may have been in the same holes for some time or where straps may have rubbed together or against parts of the vehicle. Breeching straps are very susceptible to this.
Check that your insurance is in order. You may have read in the national news letter that NFU are going to be charging a £250 excess on claims after 1st June to those of us who are insured through the BDS so if you rely on your house insurance to cover you or any other insurance company it is as well to make sure that you will be amply covered.
Much has been published about the Welfare of Animals in Transport but as it stands at the moment you will not need a certificate if you are just taking your turnout to a show or even taking a friends horse along for ‘petrol money’. If you want to get a certificate to ‘be on the safe side’ you can contact Alex Hogg or Jan McInnes who are organizing tests on our behalf. Road Driving Tests are another of the initiatives being tackled by the BDS in Scotland and I would recommend these to all our members.
Finally, I wish you all a safe and happy year of driving in 2008.
John Cowdery
Committee News
At the meeting prior to the AGM, Alex Hogg resigned as AC for the Borders and Lothian group. We have to thank both him and Maureen for all their work for this area and for BDS Scotland. Alex and Maureen are continuing his work as Assessors and as Judges so we will fortunately be seeing they both pretty regularly.
As you already know, Jackie Brittain, AC of Dumfries also resigned earlier in the year. We were now looking for 2 new ACs. Catriona Murrary has taken over the Dumfries Area and Yvonne Anderson has take over Borders and Lothian. We wish you both well and know that the members will give you their full support.
We were also sorry to accept the resignation of Alex Lanni who is going to work abroad. We thank Alex and Sandy for all their work, particularly for the Dinner Dance.
We send out nomination forms so that we could have an election for new committee members but unfortunately nobody put their name forward. With Alex leaving us and Catriona becoming an AC, we needed some new committee members.
The BDS Web site and our Scottish link have been managed for some time by Vic Kusin. With his pressure of work this is something that he needs to give up and we thanked him by inviting Vic and Mary to be our guests at the Dinner Dance. Thank you again Vic.
We now needed somebody to take over this increasingly important role and we are fortunate that Alan Miller has offered to do this for us. He has only just taken over the web site and he will eventually be making a few changes. All our ACs have a page on the site and they will be keeping this up to date with local information and details of their activities. We welcome Alan on the committee.
We still have empty seats and we would like members consider if they would like to put their name forward for next year’s election.
WATO
WATOs are ‘hot news’. You will be delighted to hear that for at least 95% of our members, you can ignore it! WATOs only means ‘you’ if there is some element business involved. Members involved in business activities involving horses will know who they are well enough. There is quite a wide grey area which could involve people who receive payment for driving horses to competitions and those who travel with horses to competitions voluntarily. If you think you could be in the grey area, you either need to find out about your position or get on with it and take the test.
BDS is an authorised assessment body and as the legal requirements come along in early April, courses are being organised which you can attend if you need this certificate.
Jane and Ewan MacInnes are running courses in Aberdeen starting in February. There is a pilot course in Dumfries in March. Once we know what is involved, further courses will be run in Dumfries. Clive Rushton Green is organising a course(s) ‘somewhere in the middle’.
For further WATO details please look at the BDS website. There is far too much information for us to circulate. You must have completed the application form and paid the fee before you come for the test. You will be given a registration number from the BDS Office and you need to bring this with you on test day. On the test day you will be given some training prior to your assessment.
For WATO information contact:
Ewan and Jane MacInnes Tel: 01224 732310
Alex Hogg Tel: 01620 829818
To book in for a test date:
North – Ewan and Jane as above
South – Millar Paterson Tel: 01387 750224
Central/Borders – Clive Rushton Green Tel: 01450 372677
Forthcoming BDS Activities
Road Driving Test opportunities are available for every member for £5. These are supported by the Salisbury Trust. This support will not last for ever. Eventually it is anticipated that you will not be able to get insurance cover without some measure of your competence and therefore you will not be able to drive on the roads. Let’s try to have EVERY Scottish BDS driving member to hold this qualification in 2008.
Some members have their old Test 2 and no Road Driving. The old Test 2 was more advanced than the Road Driving Test but the road driving experience today cannot be compared with that of the road driving experience found in the days of the old Test 2. Some members with this qualification are coming forward and upgrading their qualifications. Others are relying on the old Test 2. This decision is up to you.
There is a test day planned in early May at Aberdeen and another at North Berwick on May Day Monday. Other test days can be put on anywhere where there is a suitable place to run it. If you want your Area to run a Road Driving Test please contact your AC. We will keep the web site up to date with test dates but members who want to take a test should contact either their AC, Ann Varley or a Test Centre. Then we know the numbers involved.
Balmoral Drive Drive The Aberdeen group has managed to organise a Drive at Balmoral Castle in June. This is an opportunity not to be missed. However, numbers are limited and you will need to apply for an application form from Campbell Bosenquet Tel: 01224 742838
Hopetoun Sunday 25 May Following the success of the Strathallan Birthday Party last year, there have been numerous requests for us ‘to do it again’. With such good support at Hopetoun last year we thought that developing this show into something that is more of a club show might be of interest to lots of members who do not usually show. You could come and enjoy the show and see something of the Driving Trials.
This is the Borders and Lothian Show and members of this area are particularly welcome. We will also need helpers. Yvonne is organising training for her members and there will be something for everyone.
This show will be a qualifier for the Osbourne Championships and the Whitehall/Chairman’s Cups. The Secretary is in negotiation with the BDS central office to get more qualifiers and we are hoping for the full range.
The schedule will be on the web site along with an entry form. If you cannot access this please contact Ann Varley enclosing a SAE and she will send you details.
Shows The Drivers’ Diary will be with you with this mailing. For those interested in the shows, you will see that there are a few more qualifiers in distant parts. Last year both the Whitehall Cup and the Chairman’s Cup had a large participation and many members enjoyed their first experience of Private Driving. It is important that everyone makes the effort to do their ‘bit’ to keep these classes going at our shows. You may not have the smartest turnout or the best pony in the world but when the public see your turnout as something that they could achieve, you might just be the person that inspires them to come driving.