In our recent competition to win tickets to The Farmyard Party 2014, Alistair was our lucky 1st prize winner.

He won 4 VIP tickets, for free entry, t-shirts (as worn!), beer and food vouchers, along with free camping provided by Carry Now. 

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is launching its Mature Driver’s Assessment – a way for older drivers to gain a trusted second opinion on their driving and is available for motorists aged over 70. It consists of a 60 minute driving assessment that includes advice on what action to take.

The assessment is not a formal test, it is a 60 minute drive with an IAM-approved assessor. Candidates drive in their own vehicle taking routes that they are familiar with. At the end of the assessment, they are given immediate feedback and a confidential written report. A certificate is given to those judged ‘Excellent’ or ‘Competent’ or there is advice that their driving needs to improve and what needs to be done about it.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “This assessment helps keep older people driving for as long as it is safe to do so. It’s worth remembering that many older people actually give up too early, simply because they lack confidence. It also gives elderly drivers and their families the information they need so that they can choose the right time to give up driving.”

In March this year, IAM research showed that 42 forty-two per cent of the population is worried about an elderly relative driving, yet they are unlikely to do anything about it.

The Expedition hit a major snag last week when the only border between Georgia and Russia was closed due to a major landslide which killed 8 truck drivers from the region. What this meant for our expeditioners who arrived later was that they had a few options. They could:

1.Try and find another way around through Azerbaijan or through Abkhazia
2.Return back to the Black Sea and hope they could find a boat running across to Russia
3.Return all the way back to Europe and then travel up through to Lithuania and Latvia adding weeks onto the trip and costing a huge amount.

In the end they decided on the third option as the visas would not be possible for the first two countries and no ferries were running across the Black Sea. However they just made it back into Turkey when they received confirmation that the border had reopened and they could return and cross from Georgia into Russia as originally planned.

Read the blog post from Mick McDonald of Compass Expeditions and see the photos from week 4 at the link below.

Motorcyclists with their own vintage style clothing and vintage style bikes are being sought as 'extras' for a fashion shoot for Italian Vogue Magazine fashion story.

A fun day being shot with a fashion model, shooting on location in Surrey on the 6th July.

Fee to be discussed, please send pictures to [email protected]

We had a great weekend at The Farmyard Party, and it was all thanks to you guys at THE BIKER GUIDE...

Thanks again!