Some of you will know me already. I've been around for quite a while.
I'll be 44 next month. I'm married with two sons aged 11 and 9. My hobbies are cycling, sailing, skiing and rugby. I drive a Galaxy Ghia and have a garage that contains the family fleet of 8 cycles and a BOB Ibex cycle trailer. The trailer is great for taking stuff to the tip on bank holidays - as I can ride past all of the stationary cars.
A Galaxy Ghia is a bit dull; I know. In the past I've had quite nice cars. In 83 I had an Astra GTe. Since then I've had loads of Golf GTi's, including one with a GTI Engineering head conversion, an Audi 90 2.3 20V Sport, a few A6 Avants and some rally cars. I used to be actively involved in motorsport. I competed 'on the maps' back in the 80's in the Welsh road rally series against the likes of Nicky Grist. I moved on through Astra Challenge, Nova Junior Cup and on to the Open Championship when rallies were proper. The Circuit of Ireland was 600 stage miles then, and the RAC lasted 5 days without sleep.
I co-drove for Simon Stubbings in one of the first Mazda 323 Turbo's, Sean Lockyear in the British Junior Rally Team Golf GTI, and Kevin Furber in the factory supported Peugeot 205. I was honoured to have known and competed with Richard Burns.
After a break from the sport I made a comeback as a driver - but only for a cheap play. I reshelled a standard F plate Nova GTE and dominated the BTRDA Gold Star series in Class N2. What fun it was thrashing the likes of group A Astra GTE's, Sierra Cosworths, et al, in my standard one wheel drive shopping car.
For may years I was a committee member of the ABD, but I resigned a couple of years ago as I started to question the sense of some of the arguments. Having been instrumental in the push for bright gatsos, and having taken the IAM test I really stopped seeing a problem. Cameras became visible and I was driving to a higher standard - so there was nothing to worry about anymore. I was cycling more and more, and began to see more sense in what cyclists were saying about persecution by motorists. I stopped feeling persecuted as a driver.
I've grown up. I now see cars as a means for getting from A to B if I can't find a better way. Yes, I'd rather not waste my life driving. I like to walk and cycle when I can - it's free!! I get to meet people and see more of the locality and countryside. I've realised that there's no need to rush around if you plan your life better. I'm campainging for cycling now, and I feel no sympathy for any driver that gets a speeding ticket. If you cant see a camera then you're not paying attention to the road ahead. Tough! I'm embarassed to think that I've been on national TV calling cameras revenue generating. I don't think they are any more. They don't cost me anything because I'm driving better and at the right speed. Life's too short to lose sleep over them.
However, I think Paul is right in his campaign against cameras for this reason - I don't think that cameras make the roads any safer. I want to see police back on the roads and a fear that makes drivers drive safer and take fewer risks.
I suppose I used to be a bit like the Raging Bull before I grew up. One day I hope he will realise that life is not about getting from A to B in the shortest time and f**k everyone else. I don't want to have to listen to the 'big bore, small brain' idiots racing down my street. I'd rather see them caught by real coppers and banned.
In the meantime I'll carry on driving safely, campaigning for real road safety, and enjoy thousands of miles of cycling with my family.