Annual Review

Content Is King

Some websites are works of art that visitors gape at in raptured awe.
Not LPMCC.net

There are websites with brilliantly integrated multimedia experiences.
Nope, not us.

But we do excel at unique content, and content is king!

This year we added another 60 new pages and 200 updates and additions to existing pages. Stories, information and photos that you will not find anywhere else.

We added 1,788 more photographs to rally pages and photo gallery and are delighted when we hear from visitors who recognise a friend, bike or place.

We also added another 4,000 badges. Total at the end of 2022 stands at 15,838 rally, club, race, show, machine and training scheme badges, stickers, pennants and patches.

By the year's end we will have issued our 962nd News Update, and they continue to feature the famous Foz Spot. This year's jokes are collected in our 2022 Foz Annual released on Boxing Day.

We are always pleased to receive feedback on our content, whether it is a response to a message or photograph or to report an error or fault. Most feedback comes in the form of star ratings. In 2022 visitors sent 450 star ratings for 150 different pages. It all helps to guide us regarding what you want and what we must fix.

Contributors

We have benefitted from contributions by many people this year, some old friends and some new ones who stumbled upon LPMCC.net while searching for a rally or person. Everyone is acknowledged in our Bibliography, Whether it is for a single snap or a series of illustrated pages.

A few outstanding contributors in 2022 (and before) are better classified as website collaborators and co-owners. They are Hans Veenendaal (notably for his Rally Listing), Hans Mondorf (for his delicious English breakfasts) and Jean-Francois Helias (for his badges and eagle-eyed error reports)

Workings

Badges

Now a section of its own, the number of badges on each page continues to grow. So, as well as subdividing some pages into alphabetic groups (introduced in 2021), sometimes you can further refine your search to badge purpose. Few people require this, so we don't shove it in your face
(ie it is obscure)

Embers

Also obscure is where we have hidden the past members' (aka Embers) activity reports. They were previously directly in the Gallery section, and the entrance to them is still via the last report in the current year album. Once opened the left side menu includes an extra Embers section.
(Didn't I warn you it was obscure?)

Pub Reviews

An important part of the Embers' activities involves reviewing pub lunches, a feature introduced at the end of 2021 and dutifully continued through 2022. With a full year of data behind us, we can now present our Top Ten lunches.

In this year Embers sampled many different pubs at lunchtime. This table shows the Top Ten, taking account of all factors. Click a column heading to reorder by that single factor.

Muck and bullets

From May onwards there was a lot of tinkering under the bonnet, most of it you don't need to worry about (until you hear a clattering sound).

Same as every year, I more or less had to reinvent the NRR Matrix system. It's in my journal as "simplification". I will probably recognise that was a lie next year when it's time to do it all again.

Pie charts and graphs, mostly used on our Statistics page, received an overdue revamp. At about the same time the boss tightened up on our working practices by bringing in more accurate time recording (the bastard!) also added to that page.

All the rest of the development work was to check and automate routine tasks. I'll be replaced by a robot next year.

Highlights

Club Meetings

After the Covid restrictions of 2021, they said "things will never be the same again". Mostly they were quickly proved wrong. But the Leicester Phoenix MCC quite liked their summer system of meeting at different pubs each week and retained it through 2022. Now the winter is here, they have returned to their regular Tuesday meetings at the Elephant and Castle in Thringstone.

Founders Day

The Club again had a stand at the Taverners' Founders Day at Stanford Hall. They took the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the (successful!) world record attempt. Their stand featured the original record-breaking bike and stuffed copies of the three riders.
Correction: the riders are still alive, just looking pleased about it.

Left to right: Mick Ayriss with his Norton Commando, Eric Tindall with the Guinness Book of Records, Phil Freestone with his new teeth.

As a bonus, December 2022 Old Bike Mart had a two-page spread about the World Record. Mission accomplished, Eric!

Big End Rally

The Big End Rally was, once again, a huge success due to the effort and expertise of Nigel Woodthorpe in organising both venue and participants.

The raffle and a bake sale raised funds for Ukrainian Orphanages.

Embers Cycling

In a happier position this year, Embers enjoyed group riding and their Embers Annual Tour (aka EAT) at Morecambe, arranged by Mick Ayriss.

Grahame Billington, Peter Wright, Richard Clark, Mick Ayriss, Helen Ayriss, Nigel Lines, Kathy Lines, Ian Bower, Carol Homa, Dave Parry, Tim Wicks, Ian Jacques, Ben Crossley

The full year saw 19 riders cycling over 19,000 miles on 55 group rides.

Motorcycle Live

We didn't send the Embers in mob handed to ravage and plunder this year. We out-sourced the contact to the Winnett Gang. Rob Winnett and his three minors minders brought a fresh perspective to their photos of the bikes on display.

That's our Rob Winnett, heroically guarding the refreshments while his lads put another roll of Kodak 120 in their Brownies.

That gives us a bit longer to save up for next year's petrol and parking.

Sad Farewells

Let's not dwell on the people that we have lost in 2022, except to admit that things will continue until we are all gone. By all means drink a toast to absent friends, but do it with those who are still here!

Ever Onwards

That's enough reading about the past. The rest of your life lies ahead, so plunge into it headlong. You still have the teenager inside of you, full of curiosity and enthusiasm, but now guided by that wiser head that never fit on properly until now. Or maybe it still doesn't fit, who cares?