Saabfan's Blog

SOC 50th Anniversary News and Events

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:14:00 +0000

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SOC 50th Anniversary News and Events

The SOC celebrates 50 years

The SOC Celebrates 50 years!

This year we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our Club. It is hard to believe that it has been half a century since a small number of totally dedicated Saab enthusiasts met in Ye Old Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street, London, to form what has become one of the largest and most influential Saab Clubs in the world. We all owe a lot to these pioneers of the early Saabing days.

We have developed a number of ideas and initiatives to celebrate our big birthday in style, which you will read about throughout this year on the website and in Driver.

The first is a series of runs & meetings in four different locations around the country. We all have the opportunity of joining at least one of them within reasonable travelling time and distances. You will also see that you have the opportunity of making it a full weekend break in some very nice hotels or just the run if you want to make your own accommodation arrangements.

Please read on for more details of each location and we look forward to seeing you on one or more of the events near you.

Saabs go Roman

10th to 12th May 2013

Behind every stone, secrets and tales can be found when Scandinavia met Anglo-Saxon England, the Normans raged against the Vikings and the Scots clashed with the Romans, Normans and English. Could there be a more fitting place for a Saab?

After meeting up on the Friday night for dinner, we will be bedding down for the night then spending Saturday travelling through the Northumberland National Park to Alnwick Castle (the real Hogwarts). You can admire the splendour of the largest, inhabited castle in Europe or fight an imaginary battle against he-who-must-not-be-named. We will then journey through the splendour of the North-East, back towards Rothbury. Another evening of food and drink awaits, along with an opportunity to give your cars a quick spruce up in preparation for Sunday.

The Sunday will be slightly different with a visit to Kielder Castle and their classic car parade, celebrating 40 years of the Kielder Forest Drive. As a special treat, we have been invited to lead the parade along the Forest Drive of12 miles of authentic rally scenery with Saab leading the way. A fitting end.

We have now finalised the accommodation details and we will be staying at Coquetvale, in Rothbury (www.coquetvale.co.uk). We were aiming to keep the package below £100 each, based on two people sharing, but we went slightly over at £110. The reason we went over is that we found a small, private hotel with its own Italian restaurant in a perfect location with experience of car club events. The package we have negotiated includes:

· Two nights dinner (2-course), bed, and breakfast

· Entry to Kielder Forest Drive

· A tour pack of interesting places to visit

· A souvenir Rally Plate to commemorate the event

Alternatively you may wish to join us for the tours only at a cost of £20 per car to include Kielder Forest entry, the commemorative rally plate, and route instructions.

For more information and a booking form please contact Rich Bone at webmaster@saabclub.co.uk or on 0121 288 2663. Alternatively you can download the booking form here and post to: 160 Ardath Road, Birmingham, B38 9PE

Deposits will be required no later than the end of February so please do not delay.

http://www.visitnortheastengland.com/

Where it all began…Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street, London

Friday May 17th 2013

An informal dinner meeting of Saab Owners Club members at the actual venue used for the inaugural meeting of our founder members which took place on May 17 1963.

To celebrate 50 years of the SOC we have arranged dinner at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It has a very long history and the present building dates from its rebuild shortly after the Great Fire of 1666 but there has been an inn on the site since 1538.

Ye Old Cheshire Cheese is a traditional City pub in what was once the heart of journalism for London and, indeed, the rest of Great Britain. We have kept this event informal to reflect the original meeting held in the wine cellar bar of the pub.

Food at this traditional "spit & sawdust" pub is simple but excellent, as befits a place that has hosted Samuel Johnson and Mark Twain. A set three-course menu will be available for £27.50.

Unlike the other regional 50^th Anniversary events, we have not arranged a tour as we expect most people will travel by public transport. Nor have we arranged any accommodation for this event. There is so much variety and choice of accommodation in London that we felt for those wishing to stay, it was easier for you to book a hotel to suit your budget and preference. For those who are local you can return home easily. For those wishing to stay over but who are unsure about accommodation in London, we have prepared some suggestions. Please contact Alistair Philpott for details.

Those staying in London are free to enjoy the many attractions our capital city has to offer. There is no need to do things as a group if you do not wish to but feel free to make plans with your friends if you wish.

However, we would recommend a visit to the Science Museum to see the 1956 Saab 93B in their display of small European cars from the 50s and 60s!

We very much hope to see as many of you there as possible. Numbers are strictly limited to a maximum of 50 so please be sure to book early or risk disappointment!

For more details and a booking form please contact Alistair Philpott at registers@saabclub.co.uk or on 01845 587176. Alternatively, you can download the booking form here and post to: The Granary, Manor Farm, Newsham, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4DJ

Deposits will be required no later than the end of February so please do not delay.

Peaks and Dales

Saturday June 1^st 2013

This is the 10^th run in the Peak District area organised by the North West group. The run is around 120 miles and will start as usual at Windy Harbour Hotel in Glossop, Derbyshire and cars will start leaving at 8-30am.

A route that will be provided will take you on a mystery tour of Derbyshire and will visit some local places of interest with stunning scenery on the way.

Some people will stay at the Windy Harbour where camping/caravanning is also available or you are welcome to just come for the day. There is an evening meal arranged on Saturday evening which costs £16 per person.

For those staying Friday evening we will have the usual optional trip to Compos Fish restaurant in Holmfirth which is a 20 min drive away.

We look forward to seeing you in June for what will be an interesting day with all our Saab friends. Our thanks go to Mike and Veronica who, as usual, will plan the route during the Winter for our enjoyment.

The booking form for this run is not currently available on the website. For a booking form please call Richard Elliott 01457 852944 or email technical@saabclub.co.uk

http://www.peakdistrict-hotel.co.uk/

Saabs on the Marches!

28th to 30th June 2013

Come and join us for a weekends driving tour taking in the beautiful Welsh countryside of the Brecon Beacons and Wye Valley. Designated a National Park in 1957, the Brecon Beacons is situated in mid-Wales and contains some of the most spectacular and distinctive upland formations in southern Britain, The park occupies 519 sq miles of mountains, moors, forests, pastureland, lakes and the broad Usk valley. The easternmost highlands in the park, lying between Abergavenny and Hay-on-Wye, are the Black Mountains (old red sandstone) the highest point being Waun Fach at 2,660 ft.

Our tour will be based at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel on the outskirts of Newport. This new modern four-star luxury hotel serves a complimentary hot and cold buffet breakfast to start your day and there's a friendly bar where you can end your evening.

Recreational amenities include a fitness facility, there's complimentary wireless Internet access in the hotel's public areas, and the guest rooms come with desks, sofa beds, LCD televisions and blackout drapes.

Our package for the weekend will include:

Two nights dinner, bed and breakfast
Dedicated free secure parking area for Saabs only
A tour pack of interesting places and rest stops along the way
A souvenir Rally Plate to commemorate the event

The cost will be £90 per person based on two people sharing. If you wish to make it a longer break by extending your stay, we have negotiated a B&B rate of £25 per person with an additional £20 single supplement for the Sunday night.

Alternatively, you may wish to join us for the tours only at a cost of £20 per car to include the commemorative rally plate and route instructions.

For more information and a booking form please contact, Alex Rankin at therankins565@btinternet.com or on 01935 431196. Alternatively you can download the booking form here and post to: 14 Southwoods, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2QG

http://www.visit-brecon-beacons.co.uk/places-to-visit.shtml

Deposits will be required no later than 28^th February 2013 with full payment by 18^th May 2013 so please do not delay.

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BBC reveals F1 line-up for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:23:00 +0000

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BBC reveals F1 line-up for 2012

via BBC Sport - Formula 1 on 1/11/12

Jake Humphrey, Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard are joined by commentator Ben Edwards.

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SOC on Top Gear?

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:55:00 +0000

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SOC on Top Gear?

via Latest News on 1/30/12

SOC on Top Gear?

Not quite true but some of our member's cars will feature in a film covering the history of Saab later in the current series.

We were not able to make this public until the series started last night due to agreements that we had with the Top Gear team.

Following the their approach to us a few weeks back we have now supplied almost all of the cars for 2 days of location filming. However, although some of us were present even we do not know the full content of the film so it will be a bit of a surprise to all of us. It will, we are sure, contain some of the normal Top Gear humour so we don't all expect to escape unscathed! We are assured that, overall, Saab will come out looking good.

Sorry but we are still not in a position to list all of the actual cars but I can tell you that they cover over 50 years of Saab production. You may already have seen two or three of the cars in the trailer at the start of the show, including my 9-5.

We do not know for sure when the Saab film will feature but our friends in Top Gear have indicated that it will be mid to end of February. Even they do not know yet as they tweak each episode right up to a few days before filming the show.

This was a great opportunity for our Club and some of our members to be involved in such an exciting and long awaited project. Although it has been an enormous amount of work there have been few opportunities for such a level of publicity for both the Club and the Saab brand.

I will post updates here as I hear more from them.

Thanks

Mike Philpott

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Rollapaluza - Eastbourne 24th Feb

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Saabs on way to crusher

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Saabs on way to crusher: Unconfirmed, but local, reports from Saab’s Trollhattan HQ say that up to 100 cars will be crushed over the next 48 hours as part of the receivership process.

SKY start making moves with launch of dedicated F1 channel

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:39:00 +0000

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SKY start making moves with launch of dedicated F1 channel

via James Allen on F1 – The official James Allen website on F1 by James Allen on 11/25/11

This is the last F1 race before Sky come into the sport and start their blanket pay TV coverage which will run until at least 2018. It will be a big change in the way F1 fans in the UK watch the sport.

Sky wants to appeal to F1 fans, giving existing subscribers another reason to continue paying, avoiding the dreaded "churn" as it is called when subscribers cancel.

And it hopes to attract at least 150,000 new subscribers, which would be roughly the break-even point against the rights fee and production budget spend.

And as part of their offering they have, as predicted, announced a dedicated F1 channel which will be available to subscribers who have Sky Sports package, which costs around £45 per month, or an HD package, which costs an additional £15 a month on top of a basic subscription. It will be found at channel 408 in Sky's on-screen guide. It will carry all the F1 practice sessions as well as interactive features which allow fans to access on board cameras and as much data as Sky can get out of FOM.

All the live coverage will also be available via internet on Sky Go, through online, mobile or tablet devices, accessible by those with a Sky subscription.

Sky Sport boss Barney Francis said, "We have big plans for live shows and a rich line-up of Formula 1 programmes; getting to the drivers, exploring the technology and lapping up the drama.

"With a dedicated channel for Formula 1 we can also give all sports fans the depth and breadth of sports they demand every weekend, right through the year."

I believe Sky's rugby presenter Simon Lazenby will front the coverage and it doesn't take much imagination to guess what their commentary line up is going to be. It should be announced in the next week.

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Lotus, Renault and Virgin F1 teams change names

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:32:00 +0000

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Lotus, Renault and Virgin F1 teams change names

via - James Allen on F1 - The official website by James Allen on 11/3/11

"And so it came to pass that in Milton Keynes in the shire of Buckingham, Stewart GP begat Jaguar, which begat Red Bull, which smote everyone into submission.

While Tyrrell begat BAR, which begat Honda which begat Brawn which begat Mercedes which chased furiously after the Red Bulls."

Name changes in Formula 1 are as old as the hills; it's a business and takeovers are an essential part of business life.

They aren't always allowed, as Tom Walkinshaw found when he tried to turn Arrows into TWR, but generally where it's in most people's interests to see strong brands with staying power in F1 the powerbrokers don't stand in the way.

Today in Geneva the F1 commission met and sources confirm that the three teams seeking to change names have been allowed to do so, without any loss of earned income under the Concorde Agreement rules.

Virgin's ill starred two year adventure has come to an end. The brand has gradually reduced its presence as Marrussia's presence has increased and the now the small volume Russian car company is the brand which billionaire scientist Andrei Cheglikov has decided to use for the team which he now controls. It's a smart move to get it done now, while Team Lotus was looking for approvals to make its changes.

Meanwhile the Lotus vs Lotus battle has ended with Tony Fernandes also rebranding his team around a sports car brand. Caterham F1 Team, probably with Air Asia tacked on the front as title sponsor next year, will be the platform for an ambitious strategy of marketing low cost sports cars to Asia and linking in with Fernandes' other sporting asset; Queens Park Rangers football club.

The Lotus Renault GP team meanwhile also has the right to change its chassis name away from Renault to Lotus, should it choose to do so. Group Lotus is a sponsor at present, but the agreement with Genii has clauses under which it could become an equity partner.

Renault sold its interest in the team to Gerard Lopez' Genii concern at the end of 2009 and since then has moved to focus solely on engine supply.

The new five year deal signed with Red Bull makes it clear that RBR is Renault's "works" team from now on, which makes them effectively a manufacturer backed team as far as engines go at least.

The net cost to Renault of taking this route and supplying other customer teams, is less than a third of what it was when it ran its own team. Like other manufacturers who pulled out in 2008/9, Renault found that owning an F1 team means you have to win or lose funding when economic times get tight.

Ironically now they are engine suppliers to Red Bull Racing they are winning everything, as they did when they were engine suppliers to Williams and Benetton in the mid 1990s.

Times change, names come and go, but some things remain the same..

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Nokia trials free wifi for London

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:42:00 +0000

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Nokia trials free wifi for London

via News - Latest breaking news by Matt Warman on 11/1/11

Nokia has launched an initial trial of 26 central London hotspots to offer free wifi to any device.

Dan Wheldon dies in Las Vegas IndyCar crash [Video]

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:26:00 +0000

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Dan Wheldon dies in Las Vegas IndyCar crash [Video]

via Jalopnik by Mike Spinelli on 10/16/11

Two-time Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon has died of injuries he sustained in a massive 15-car crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300 earlier today. More »

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Predict gap between Hamilton and Button and win a signed Senna Poster and DVD

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:31:00 +0000

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Predict gap between Hamilton and Button and win a signed Senna Poster and DVD

via - James Allen on F1 - The official website by James Allen on 10/14/11

I've got a fantastic competition this weekend for JA on F1 readers around the world; we have four signed Senna movie posters and DVDs of the film, released this week, to give away. All you have to do is predict the time gap between the two McLaren drivers at the finish of Sunday's Korean Grand Prix and in whose favour.

So for example if you think that Jenson Button will finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton by 4 seconds use the comments box below and write "Button by 4 secs". Or you could predict that one will finish and the other won't. It's up to you.

Button has finished ahead of Hamilton in the last five Grands Prix. But will this be the weekend when Hamilton gets back the supremacy? The McLaren has been pretty competitive lately, as it was in Senna's day!

The first four registered entries which are correct or nearest to the actual time gap between the pair at the end of Sunday's race, will win a fantastic package of a Senna movie poster, signed and personalised by the film's writer Manish Pandey and a copy of the DVD. Note: The DVDs are UK format.

The Senna DVD has been a smash hit since its launch on Monday and has sold more than 100,000 copies over the counter already. It is also at the top of the charts on both Itunes and Amazon. The figures are way ahead of expectations, to the point where it is up there with the best DVD sales records seen in the UK in recent years, according to the producers.

If you miss out on the prize or if you want to be sure to get a copy of the DVD, you can always buy one from our store at Senna DVD

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If I Could Have Sex With a Car

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:35:00 +0000

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If I Could Have Sex With a Car

via Yanko Design by Troy Turner on 10/11/11

Set aside all your humility for just a moment and imagine yourself behind the wheel of this sexy beast! Designer Aldo Schurmann imagines the Ferrari Celeritas concept as not only a performance power-horse, but a red carpet-ready luxury toy for the unapologetic millionaire. Its style is quite shameless… and I love it. Simply put- it will always look hotter than the other guy's. I'll take the red one, of course.

But looks aren't everything- the Celeritas also features an uber-cool "shark skin" surface to enhance aerodynamics and dual rear spoilers that move independently to improve down force.

Designer: Aldo H. Schumann

----------

Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store - We are about more than just concepts. See what's hot at the YD Store!
(If I Could Have Sex With a Car was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Gran Turismo 5 Update 2.0 Live & DLC Packs Confirmed

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:04:00 +0000

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Gran Turismo 5 Update 2.0 Live & DLC Packs Confirmed

via PlayStation.Blog.Europe by Penrose Tackie on 10/11/11

Last week I made a post that outlined all the great new content incoming for GT5, well today is the day for the first wave of that new content – Functionality Update 2.0 is out now, so make sure you are online with your PS3, load up GT5 and it should update automatically.

As you know, you can always check which version of the game you are running by pressing the "Manual" button at the bottom of the main menu screen. The version number will be located on the upper left of the index page in this manual. If the number starts with Ver. 2.00, you know you're up to date.

If not, press the PS button and quit the game. The game will be updated automatically when you restart it with your PS3 system connected to the Internet.

Update 2.0 is a fairly major enhancement for GT5 with some great new features and free content, as well as some popular improvements and fixes. Enjoy it!

In my last post I also promised to give you more details of the DLC that will be released on PlayStation Store on 18th October. There are four new packs plus a 'complete pack' that bundles them altogether at a discounted price.

The 'Racing Car Pack' (€7.99) adds 12 new vehicles from Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Dodge, as well as three new bespoke karts. As fantastic as these rides are what will hopefully really excite amongst the car line up is a never seen before Red Bull X2011 Prototype. As some of you may already know, this is the pinnacle vehicle from the game and the most difficult to attain.

For me, one of the most exciting inclusions in the DLC is the Spa track that comes as part of the 'Course Pack' (€3.99). Spa is an awesome circuit recreated with Yamauchi-san's customary attention to detail. Out of La Source hairpin, downhill to cross the Eau Rouge stream and then uphill through the Eau Rouge left-right-left combination, flat out with a blind summit, always ranks right up there as one of, if not THE, best racing experience of any driver. And now, we'll all be able to get a feeling of what it's like to drive it in some of the world's best cars. I have a sneaking suspicion it'll be a massively popular addition to Gran Turismo.

This pack also contains a couple of layouts in a pretty impressive new indoor karting arena. A bit different to Spa, but still a great, fun racing experience.

A new 100-colour set of paints, that include new matte, chrome and aluminium colours, makes up the 'Special Paint Pack' (€1.99).

The 'Racing Gear Pack' (also €1.99) includes special racing gear with 25 new Gran Turismo design helmets and 15 race suits as well as new Simpson helmets and Alpinestars GP1 overalls. You also get a famous driver pack that includes race gear for some of the top Nascar and WRC drivers.

The 'Complete Pack' bundle is priced at €11.99, but there is also a special PlayStation Plus Bundle Price for one month (from 18th October) of only €8.99.

So there you go, as well as the new changes provided by Functionality Update 2.0 there are plenty of other exciting changes coming. Yamauchi-san promised some evolution along the way in GT5 and I reckon this is a good start.

One final note for this post, don't forget that the GT Academy: Road to Dubai series is currently airing on Eurosport and the full, four-part GT Academy 2011 series will be making its debut soon on various European channels. Keep an eye on www.facebook.com/gtacademy for broadcast times.

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8 stone lost

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:39:00 +0000

When I weighed myself this morning I've officially lost over 8 stone. I now weigh 79.6kg (12st 7lb) which means I've lost 52.2kg (8st 3lb). Although I'm no longer using weight as my goal, it's good to see when I hit these traditional milestones. This week I'll be getting my body fat measured. I hope that it's gone down by about 1% but with the amount it's dropped in recent months I won't be disappointed if it doesn't.

I'm still cycling to work and still cycling for pleasure. I have a cold at the moment so decided to give cycling last weekend a miss. I rode to work this morning with a tail wind. I knew this meant I'd have a headwind for the ride home. However it was really windy and there was driving rain! I got soaked but it took me 55 mins to ride the 9 miles :-(

I'm still running, using the NHS Choices Couch to 5K programme. It's going well having completed week 5 and running for a continuous 20 mins. It's hard but not impossible.

I'm still getting the swimming coaching for my triathlon. Boy, it's hard! I'm having to relearn how to swim and it's so tiring. I hope I'll get the hang of it soon.

Here's a before and after picture for you. The before picture was taken at work two years ago. The after picture was taken at my brother's wedding recently.

The London to Hastings is only a month away

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

The first London to Hastings bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation is only a month away.

I got the bug for events like these after completing the London to Brighton on 20th June. Three days later I signed up for the London to Hastings.

This event is slightly longer than the London to Brighton - 61 miles vs 54 miles. There is also 50% more hills. I'm already a faster and stronger rider than I was back in June and can't wait for the event.

The ride starts at Crystal Palace at 8am (although you can start later) and goes through Knockholt, Tunbridge Wells and Wadhurst finishing at Grosvenor Gardens in Hastings.

Just like the London to Brighton, this ride is supporting the British Heart Foundation. I'd encourage everyone to put their hands in their pocket and donate something to this great cause and show your support for me doing this ride. This will be my longest ride so far. Even if you can only spare a couple of quid, it will make a big difference. This charity means a lot to me.

London to Brighton bike ride preparation

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:24:00 +0000

As some of you will know, I'm taking part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride on Sunday 20th June, one year earlier than planned.

As I only found out I was taking part last Friday, I haven't got long to plan for it. OK, it's not a completely daunting task but it is my longest ride yet, by far. I want to make sure I'm prepared. I have a fuelling strategy from my triathlete colleague and now have SPDs and slicks to help me.

Although my bike is running well in most gears, I'm not totally happy with doing the ride with it not being perfect. After phoning several local bike shops I found one that can look at the bike before the weekend. Result.

My day will start at 4.30am with the ride starting at 8am. I have compiled a list of things to take on the day. Any feedback welcome.

London to Brighton Checklist

Bike
Heart rate monitor
Heart rate strap
Starting Pack
Pump
Puncture repair patches (in pump)
Tyre levers
Sun cream
Hand wipes
Drinks bottle x 2
Hydration bladder (filled)
Energy sweets
Energy gels x 3
Energy bars x 4
Energy drinks x 4
Recovery drink x 1
Lock
Sun glasses
Waterproof jacket
High-viz jacket
Multi-tool
Helmet
Gloves
Saddle Pack
SPD Shoes
Spare socks
Phone
Emergency charger
Car charger (to charge the phone on the way)
AA Batteries

For those of you interested in the route, I've plotted it on RideWithGPS.com

If anyone wants to track my progress on the day they can courtesy of Google Latitude.

Just a final note about sponsorship. The ride is in aid of the British Heart Foundation. A charity devoted to the biggest killer in the UK - heart disease. My dad died from heart disease at the age of 55 so this ride is important to me. Please dig deep and sponsor me if you can at http://bit.ly/bD5eUb

My New Bike

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:54:00 +0000

I've not posted anything on here for a while because I've been busy with my new toy.

At the beginning of March I ordered an new bike through my employer's cycle to work scheme. I've got myself a Specialized P1 All Mountain.

I've not ridden a bike since I was 17. As a non-cyclist I found it hard to ride any distance at first. I’m now riding up to 15 miles in a day and a minimum of 50 miles a week. I’ve also lost over a stone in weight. Without the Cycle to Work Scheme I doubt I would of got the kick up the arse I needed.

I have big plans for cycling but at the moment I'm taking it one step at a time.

Below are details of my mileage so far.

Commuting 92.40 miles
Recretational 81.25 miles
Total 173.65 miles

Average Speed 7.35 mph

Top 10 Dunking Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:57:00 +0000

What's The Best Biscuit for Dunking?

During February me and my colleagues challenged ourselves to find the best dunking biscuits. Here's the results:

1	Chocolate Hob Nob (25 Sec's)
2	Caramel Digestive (20 Sec's)
3	Hob Nob (20 Sec's)
4	Oreo Cookie (17 Sec's)
5	Plain Chocolate Digestive (17 Sec's)
6	Jammie Dodger (13 Sec's)
7	The Ginger Nut (12 Sec's)
8	Chocolate Chip Cookie (9 Sec's)
9	Chocolate Bourbon (7 Sec's)
10	Custard Cream (6 Sec's)

Other Biscuits Tested

Malted Milk (3 sec's) Rich Tea (4 Sec's) Shortcake (6 Sec's)

Special Mention Biscuits (Biscuits that are not typical dunking biscuits)

The Shortbread Finger (1 min 40 Sec's) Jaffa Cake (4 Sec's) The Pink Wafer (1 Min)

Embrace Life - always wear your seat belt

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:46:00 +0000

www.embracethis.co.uk

Saab 9-5 EuroNCAP Crash Test

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:49:00 +0000

The 2010 Saab 9-5 looks to go into production soon so it's great to see that it's the latest vehicle from the Swedish manufacturer to attain the coveted 5star maximum for safety.

Spyker Buys Saab

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:44:00 +0000

ZEEWOLDE, The Netherlands (26 January, 2010) - General Motors Company and Spyker Cars N.V, today confirmed the details of a binding agreement over the transfer of ownership of Saab Automobile AB of Trollhättan, Sweden. The transaction is expected to close in February and Saab Automobile will exit the orderly wind down process in line with that timetable.

The transaction will be accomplished as follows:
Spyker acquires from Saab Automobile Investering AB, a subsidiary of General Motors ("GM"), all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares in the capital of Saab Automobile A.B. ("Saab") for a consideration of USD 74 million ("Purchase Price").

The Purchase Price will be paid in two instalments. The first instalment of USD 50 million will be paid on the date of completion of the transaction, expected to take place on or before February 15, 2010 ("the Closing"). The second instalment of USD 24 million will be paid on July 15, 2010.

The Share Purchase Agreement is subject to the execution of a EUR 400 million loan agreement between Saab and the European Investment Bank ("EIB"), guaranteed by the Swedish Government. Today, the Swedish government announced approval of this guarantee. The guarantee is subject to approval by the European Commission, which is expected shortly.

Upon completion of the transaction GM will retain redeemable preference shares of USD 326 million. The preference shares represent less than 1% of the voting rights in the capital of Saab. The mandatory redemption date is 31 December 2016 and Saab has the right to request voluntary redemption at any time prior to this date. The preference shares carry a dividend entitlement of 6% starting from January 2012, increasing to 12% as from July 1, 2014. The dividend over 2012 will be added to the principal, but as from January 1, 2013 the dividend is payable in cash. Should Saab have insufficient distributable reserves to pay the cash dividend it will be added to principal increased with a penalty factor.

In order to allow Saab to operate on a stand-alone basis outside GM, Saab and GM will enter into a number of ancillary agreements. As part of the transaction, Spyker intends to negotiate the acquisition of all the outstanding shares in Saab Great Britain Limited, the UK distribution, marketing and sales company for Saab from General Motors UK Limited.

Spyker will issue a corporate guarantee not exceeding USD 10 million for Saab's obligations to and for the benefit of the financing company GMAC.

Spyker will as soon as practically possible convene a general meeting of shareholders to approve the transaction. Spyker obtained irrevocable voting undertakings to vote in favour of the transaction representing the voting majority of its current shareholders.

It is the intention to change the name of Spyker Cars N.V. at that general meeting of shareholders to Saab Spyker Automobiles N.V.

As back-up financing, Spyker entered into a EUR 150 million Equity Credit Line Facility with GEM Global Yield Fund Limited ("GEM") for a term of 3 years. According to this facility, Spyker may issue shares to GEM at 90 per cent of the volume weighted average price of the shares over a period of 15 trading days following a draw down notice sent to GEM by Spyker. In relation to the GEM facility, Spyker has issued to GEM share warrants in respect of 1,570,000 ordinary shares at an exercise price of EUR 4 per ordinary share. The warrants have a 5 year term.

The object of acquisition

In spite of media reports that certain parts have already been sold off, the object is Saab as a complete entity and going concern with all IP rights, trademarks, facilities and other
infrastructures. The sale of pre 2003 Saab 9-3 and current Saab 9-5 technology to BAIC in December 2009 did not result in any part of Saab's business being divested or devalued. On the contrary, Saab has already started the production of the new generation Saab 9-5 in Trollhättan.

Both Saab management and Saab GB management prepared an estimated balance sheet as at 31 December 2009 for the purpose of this transaction. These estimated balance sheets are still subject to final account closing and audit procedures.

Spyker Cars does not yet have a balance sheet as at 31 December 2009 ready for reporting purposes. As such, it would be premature to show a pro-forma combined balance sheet for Spyker, Saab and Saab GB as at 31 December 2009.

Therefore Spyker only disclose an indicative combined balance sheet of Saab and Saab GB as at Closing date based on the estimated balance sheets for both entities as at 31 December 2009, adjusted for the impact of the transaction items as at Closing date.

It should be noted that the indicative closing balance sheet is based on the latest estimated balance sheets of both entities by Saab and Saab GB management which are subject to final closing and audit procedures and therefore subject to change, and does not reflect any potential fair value or purchase price allocation adjustments. The indicative closing balance sheet should therefore not be considered as the actual closing balance sheet, but only as an indication for the assets and liabilities to be acquired at closing date.

Saab's and Saab GB's combined revenue amounted to some EUR 1.0 billion in 2009 (2008: EUR 1.6 billion). Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation amounted to EUR 0.4 billion negative in 2009 (2008: EUR 0.3 billion negative). In 2009 Saab sold 39.903 cars and produced 20.791 cars versus selling 94.751 cars in 2008 and producing 89.086 cars.

RESTRUCTURING AND MANAGEMENT BUY-OUT

As from Closing of the Saab acquisition, the ownership structure of Spyker will change as follows:

Tenaci Capital B.V. ("Tenaci"), a company wholly owned by Mr. V.R. Muller has made a successful bid on Mr. V. Antonov's current shareholding in Spyker consisting of 4.6 million ordinary shares. As agreed in 2007, when Mr V. Antonov acquired his shares in Spyker, Mr. V. Antonov will cause the transfer of the priority share to Spyker if and when he would dispose of his shareholding. A resolution to cancel the priority share will be proposed at the upcoming EGM.

Messrs. N. Stancikas, M. Bondars and Mr. V. Antonov will retire as members of Spyker's Supervisory Board effective as per the date of Closing.

Tenaci will grant to Spyker two loans. One for an amount of USD 25 million towards payment of part of the Purchase Price for Saab upon completion of the transaction. A second loan for an amount of EUR 57 million for repayment of all of Spyker's current outstanding loans to banks and other financial institutions controlled directly, or indirectly by Mr. V. Antonov. This loan mirrors the existing terms (including the lender's right to convert EUR 9.5 million into ordinary shares at a conversion price of EUR 4.00 per share).

The sale will be subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory, governmental and court approvals. Other terms and conditions specific to the sale are not being disclosed at this time.

Victor R. Muller, Spyker's CEO, stated: "We are very much looking forward to being part of the next chapter in Saab's illustrious history. Saab is an iconic brand that we are honoured to shepherd. We are delighted to have secured the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of loyal Saab employees, suppliers and dealers and to have given reassurance to the 1.5 million Saab drivers and enthusiasts around the world. It was breathtaking to see so much support from the global Saab community over the last months which not only shows the strength of the brand but also helped us in our relentless determination to get the deal done."

"Spyker Cars will provide Saab with the backing required to compete as a competitive global brand along with an entrepreneurial leadership team sensitive to the uniqueness, heritage and individuality of the Saab brand. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Vladimir Antonov for his formidable support during the past two years. His contribution has allowed Spyker to get to the point that this transaction was made possible. I also want to extend my gratitude to Messrs. Stancikas and Bondars as Members of the Supervisory Board. They have made very valuable contributions to our company during their respective terms."

"Finally I would like to thank the Swedish Government for its constant support for our efforts culminating in granting the Guarantee in favour of the European Investment Bank today for an EUR 400 Million loan to Saab which we hope to secure in the coming weeks."

Jan Åke Jonsson, CEO of Saab Automobile AB said: "It has been a challenging 15 months for Saab but our global organization has shown a fighting spirit that will serve us well going forward. The agreement with Spyker Cars has secured Saab's future and will enable us to maximize the brand's potential through an exciting new product line-up with a distinctly Saab character."

"Today's news is great for Saab's customers, dealers, suppliers and employees around the globe. The level of passion and support shown to Saab over recent months has been remarkable and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those people who continued to believe that Saab deserved a future. Now we aim to get back to the execution of our business plan and with the continued support of our employees and business partners I am confident we will succeed."

Nick Reilly, President GM Europe, added: "As a responsible corporate citizen in Europe, and throughout the entire period, GM has always had the hope to find a positive solution for Saab that would avoid a wind-down of the brand. We have worked very hard with many parties, including governments and investors, and I'm very pleased that we could come to such a positive conclusion that preserves jobs in Sweden and elsewhere. GM will continue to support Saab and Spyker Cars on their way forward."

Playstation Network looking to better Xbox Live?

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:30:00 +0000

I recently took part in a survey from Sony on the future developments of their Playstation Network (PSN).

They are looking at possible subscription models, trying to gauge what services users might want, and how much they are prepared to pay. With potential costs aside, some of the suggested features are actually quite good. Take a look below at what Sony might offer in future.

Customer Service Priority Access
Priority access to PlayStation's customer service both online and via phone should you need technical help or have questions about your products. This feature gives you support with little to no waiting.

Exclusive Experiences with Sony Brands
Get member-only access to attend exclusive Sony events and experiences throughout the year, including those offered by PlayStation, Sony Pictures, and Sony Music.

Extended Console Warranty 3 Years
Get your PS3 warranty extended to 3 years as part of your overall subscription (requires you to keep your subscription active). The standard warranty on your PS3 is 1 year.

Access to Beta Games
Get access to Betas of popular games not yet released at retail (Betas offer bigger experiences than typical game demos). You will have the ability to play these games before others do.

Early Access to Store Game Demos
Get member-exclusive early access to PlayStation Store game demos. You will have the ability to play these game demos before others do.

Early Access to All Store Content
Get early access to select free and purchasable game related content on the PlayStation Store before it's available to everyone else. This includes games, add-ons, themes, avatars, as well as free game demos.

Member Demo Sharing of Full Game
Share a level of a game that you just purchased for your PS3 with a subscriber who doesn't own the game. Your friends could do the same. This would be an exclusive demo not available otherwise to those who haven't purchased the game.

Cross-game Voice Chat Access
Get exclusive member-only access to cross-game voice chat. This is the ability to use your headset to voice chat with friends on your PS3 regardless of what they are doing on the PS3.

Full Title Trial - 1st Hour Is Free
Download full versions of select Blu-ray and PSN game titles and have the chance to play the entire game (single or multiplayer) for free for the first hour. After that time you will have the option of purchasing the game to continue playing.

Token Wagering
Get a fixed number of tokens per month you can wager with other players in competitive online games. These tokens could then be built up and redeemed for free PlayStation Network games and other content.

User-to-user Challenges
Unlock developer-created challenges while playing games. Compete with your friends to see who can be the first to complete these challenges. The PS3 will automatically offer and track challenges and winners and would post results. An example of a challenge is 'first to get 10 trophies' in a particular game.

Free Access to PSOne Classics, PSP Minis, and PS3/PSP Themes
Get a fixed number of PSOne Classic games, PSP Minis (bite-sized games), and PS3/PSP themes per month to keep for free for as long as you are a subscriber. The PlayStation Store offers these types of content for £1.25-3.70 each.

Discounts on Store Content
Get weekly member-exclusive discounts on specific games, game add-ons and themes on the PlayStation Store. Discounts may range from 20-50% off regular retail prices.

Member Only In-game Content
Get exclusive member-only in-game content for your PS3 or PSP such as new game play options, unlocked in-game weapons or player slots, exclusive levels, costumes/skins, and PlayStation Home spaces.

Trophy Alerts
Get automated alerts on your PlayStation XrossMedia Bar, PlayStation.co.uk, and via text message (if you so choose) that alert you when your friends get any trophy or a specific one. This feature is customisable - you can choose which friends to receive alerts from and what kinds of alerts.

Cloud Storage Space for Games
Store your game saves on a virtual secure saver. This would allow you to access your game saves at any point in time, and from any PlayStation 3 or PSP console you are logged in on.

Online Music Service
Get a streaming music service that allows you to choose your channel based on music style, artist type, etc. and listen to an unlimited number of tracks. This service would be for use outside of playing a game and similar to Pandora or a Last.fm.

Automatic Downloads and Updates
Customise the types of updates you want your PS3 to download automatically. These include game updates (patches) for games that you own, firmware updates, and game demos downloaded on your PS3 without manually having to select them and wait for them to finish downloading. Your PS3 can be set to automatically turn on for updates and turn off after completion.

Loyalty Programme Rewards
Get rewards the longer you are a subscriber and also earn rewards by engaging with PlayStation such as buying games, downloading films, and rating products. Rewards can include full versions of PlayStation Network games and digital movie rentals from the PlayStation Store.

Facebook Connectivity
Access to member-exclusive Facebook features on your PlayStation 3, such as viewing and linking your Facebook accounts with their PSN ID's, updating your status, editing, uploading and sharing photos, and viewing photo albums of your friends on your TV.

Catch-up TV
Get access to popular TV programmes and films through service providers such as Hulu, simply by clicking an icon on your PS3 XrossMedia navigation bar.

Online Video Subscription Service
Access a video streaming service on your PS3 without the need to insert a special disc into the drive each time to access the service. A separate subscription would also be needed with the third party streaming service provider to enjoy the service. Enjoy thousands of popular films and TV programmes for streaming on your PS3.

Playstation Network Portable ID

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:51:00 +0000

In anticipation of getting my PS3 back tomorrow, after suffering from the Yellow Light of Death, I've updated my PSN account and created a Portable ID.

Find Road & Map Errors On Google Maps?

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:01:00 +0000

I was discussing the unusual naming of some streets near where I live with a colleague and decided to bring up Google Maps find them. I noticed that Google Maps had some of the street names missing and some where incorrect. So, I thought I'd do my bit and report them. I thought this was going to be a difficult task, but surprisingly it was fairly easy. Google use TeleAtlas and Navteq for their mapping data and because of this, you can report the issues directly to them. To find out which one to report it to, just look for their company name in the bottom right-hand corner of the Google's maps.

Find Road & Map Errors On Google Maps? How To Report Them

Save Saab - Owners Convoy on 17th Jan 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:39:00 +0000

Details at a glance:

Participants list: Click here to add your name

 Individual Saab owners from various areas meet at :

From Midlands, Northern areas -  8.30am-9.00am M1 Jct 15a - Northampton Services (Rotherthorpe)
From London, Kent and Essex areas -  9.00am-9.30am M25 Jct 23 - South Mimms Services
From West, South-West areas -  8.00am-8.30am M4 between Jct 12 and 11 - Reading Services
Proceed to Luton via M1, Jct 10
10.00 - 11.00 - Meeting of Saab owner convoys CAR PARKING and line up of cars at Stockwood Park, Discovery Centre London Road LU1 4LX Luton
11.00 - 12.00 - Time for meet and greet, Car Show, photo shoots, etc.
12.00 - > - Depart of Cavalcade for Drive by to the Saab UK Headquarters,  Griffin House Osborne Road Luton Bedfordshire, LU1 3YT
Proceed via A505 to Imperial War Museum, Duxford
13.00 onwards - Arrival at Duxford Museum and line-up of 50 cars
Best examples of 62 years Saab car history in front of Wing Co Joe's Café
Raffle of Saab memorabilia

------

The Worldwide community of Saab owners is not only following the news concerning the proceedings of the negotiations of GM with prospect buyers of Saab, but is trying to have their voice heard as well!

Where, with the sale of other parts of GM operating companies, the main concerns were about employment of the local staff, in the case of Saab the loyal fans and proud owners of cars of this iconic marque want to keep this unique Brand alive.

Of course, we also want to support the thousands of people who work in this business in Sweden and the UK.

Throughout more than 60 years of the existence of Saab cars, the dedicated engineers in Sweden have developed many technical innovative solutions, benchmarking the industry and leading the way in safety and fuel efficient technology.

We don't want to see this legacy split up, the teams of dedicated engineers being torn apart and State of the Art production lines being dismantled and sold as scrap!
Our fear is that GM Is reluctant to sell Saab as a functioning entity for fear of creating a possible future competitor.

In our opinion this risk is non-existent as Saab owners are a species in their own right. Saab used to build unique cars, appealing to it's own group of admirers.
Cars with character, stubborn and firm. Cars for people who enjoy the driving experience, not floating smoothly suspended over a US highway, but to be out there on the twisty narrow European roads, with fog and rain and snow and ice.

Unfortunately GM appear not to be aware that it was it's specific character that made Saab such an appealing car. This large car manufacturer tried to re-brand it as a more luxurious brand, for middle class, middle of the road clients in an attempt to pump up the production volumes. This did not work out.

Like good food and wine, smaller production volumes can give the best quality because of the attention, quality control and specific taste. Something that you love or hate, but not a product you swallow without giving it a second thought.

Despite the cool Scandinavian image of the brand, Saab drivers are passionate and emotional about their brand. Don't let it die, but give it back to the people who love and will care for it, and who like to drink their Aquavit without Coke.

To further improve the awareness of our Appeal, the worldwide Saab community is organising Save Our Saab Support Convoys on 17th January 2010 in many countries.

The UK Convoy will head for the Saab UK headquarters in Luton, from where a cavalcade will commence to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford as a tribute to the aerospace legacy of Saab.

We kindly ask the Media to give as much coverage as possible to this subject to prevent the silent dismantling and death of a unique brand that has already given so much regarding safety and technical innovation to the car industry and can continue to give us so much more!

You can contact us via email:
josephine.gatsonides@laposte.net
07738470117

More information can be found on:
http://www.saabsunited.com/
http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/
http://www.rescue-saab.com/en/index.html

NEWS // SCHUMACHER BEGINS THREE DAY GP2 TEST

noreply@blogger.com (Toby Field) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:09:00 +0000

NEWS // SCHUMACHER BEGINS THREE DAY GP2 TEST, originally uploaded by ColdTrackDays.com.