The decision to change your motorcycle solicitor is never an easy one to make, but sometimes it’s for the best.

There can be many reasons for wanting to change to motorcycle compensation:

your emails are never returned
your calls are never returned
they don’t seem interested in your case
they don’t seem interested in your case
you feel your solicitor is not fighting your corner
your only point of contact is their secretary
your case gets passed around
your worried why your case isn’t settled yet
you think they are only interested in their costs
you doubt their expertise, they avoid technical questions
they are taking far too long to settle your case
you never fully understand what they’re doing
you are concerned that you could be getting better advice and a better overall service
you find out that they have never ridden a motorcycle and don't understand
you get the impression that you are just another number
you feel fobbed off…

The French Minister of Interior has announced an indefinite delay on the fines for motorists, including motorcyclists, who do not carry a breathalyser kit with them in their vehicle. Previously, it was decided that fines would be issued from 1 March 2013.  

Currently, all drivers in France, including motorcyclists, are required to carry a breathalyser kit and the €11 fine for not carrying a breathalyser would have been applicable to all road users, except for those on mopeds.  

Anyone driving in France is already required to carry a warning triangle and a fluorescent safety vest to use in an emergency. Additionally UK motorists and motorcyclists must display a GB plate.  

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “The law for carrying breathalysers will no longer be enforced through fines, but in order to comply with the law we still recommend that you keep a breathalyser kit in the car whenever you’re travelling to or through France.”

On the 5th June 2010, I lost my late husband very suddenly to a road traffic accident.

Leaving me a widow with two sons, one of whom is an adult with severe learning difficulties, uncontrolled epilepsy and autism. My youngest son just 11 years of age at the time.

My late husband was a Freemason and a member of the Widows Son, a masonic motorcycle organisation, founded by Carl Davenport from America, the organisation is worldwide. And was founded to aid and assist widows and orphans of Master Masons.

When I lost my late husband, I decided I wanted to try and make something positive out of my grief and founded an motorcycle awareness organisation. Naming it Dying to Ride, I contacted Carl Davenport and told him about my late husband, and how he was also a member of his Widows Son organisation.

He helped  to promote, through his masonic channels Dying to Ride. To try and cut a long story short, we kept on talking and Carl invited me out to Florida, so we could meet. We had already fallen in love with each other at this point.

And we married on the 24th March 2011. Carl, came to the UK to be with me and the boys in April 2011, but only on a visitors visa, as we were both unaware of immigration rules etc. He had to leave the country after 6 months, but returned again withina couple of weeks. This has been our situation up until 12th February this year.

When Carl last entered the country last August he was not informed by this same lady that he was limited as to how many times he could enter this country on a visitors visa nor was he informed  that when he leaves again after his visitors visa has expired he would not be allowed back in the country.

Before Carl left for America, I called the UK Border Helpline, to enquire  on any rules, that may stop Carl from re-entering England. I was told, it was up to the discretion of the airport's border control staff. And that in their opinion if Carl has been living by the rules and regulations of the United Kingdom, while here on his visitors visa, then there should not be a problem on him entering the UK on another visitors visa.

Carl has respected the rules and regulations of our country, he has shown to be a very loving supportive husband and step father, he has made many good friends here who like and respect him, and are shocked and saddened as to how are family have been torn apart.

If she had informed Carl when he last entered the country, that he would not be allowed back into  the UK, we would have taken steps to apply for the Spouse visa when it was time for Carl to leave the country and apply in his own country. Given us time to prepare the boys for Carl to be temporarily apart from us while his application was being assessed, therefore lessening the effect on the boys emotionally.

This is causing great heartache and hardship on our family, I am now left alone to care for my eldest son, and supporting my youngest son as he is feeling distraught at his step-father being sent back to America, as Carl helped to ease my son's grieving and has brought happiness back into his life, he has been helping me with all aspects of caring duties with  my eldest son. Which I am now having to take on the full caring duties again, which is very hard when you are on your own, given the level of care my son needs.

As my son also has autism, this is having a detrimental effect on his behavior. As his routine with Carl and I, has been thrown into disarray. With a knock on effect of him taken more seizures than he would normally suffer.

When I tried to explain to the lady at Border Control, about my son, she cut me off coldly and abruptly not wanting to hear what I had to say. Telling me my personal family life with my son was not an issue.The only thing she was interested in doing was sending Carl back to America.

I am appealing to you, to sign this petition and help re-unite a family, what this lady at Border Control has coldly and abruptly torn apart, all because we have not yet applied for a spouse visa.

Teresa Mills-Davenport

Sign the petition

After a couple of false starts, mainly due to the weather, our events at Donington Park have really started to pick up in recent months and are looking as though they will once again become a staple part of our programme for many years to come. 

The winter restoration show at the end of December was a great success with 2,000 plus visitors full of Christmas cheer poured through the gate to see around 70 trade and autojumble stands plus an excellent selection of classic cars and bikes on display.   

The Japanese and Modern Classic Motorcycle Event in February this year was a major success after the snow halted proceedings on the Sunday in 2012 . 

The building was full to capacity of stalls, club displays and private entries with 3,000 happy visitors attending from all points on the compass. Bike of the show and winner of £100 was Dave Yates with his 1980 Yamaha LC, and winner of best club display and a £100 cheque was The UK two Stroke Club. Traditionally the season opener this event will now have a twin event at the end of the season with a new one day Classic Japanese event being launched on Sunday 15th September at Donington Park. This replaces the car and bike autojumble originally announced for Sunday 22nd September 2013.   

This coming weekend, Sunday 24th February, we will be back at Donington for a general classic car and bike autojumble, at the time of writing the hall is over two thirds full and with indoor stalls at just £25 (pre paid), not to mention the BOGOF offer on stalls for autojumblers, Donington represents a perfect opportunity for enthusiasts to clear their garages and get unwanted parts back into circulation.

We are so confident that this event will prove to be equally as successful as the Classic Japanese bike show we will be doing a re run on Sunday 14th April, again on a BOGOF basis on indoor stalls. At both the February and April events there will be a dedicated classic car and bike park right next to the exhibition hall with adult admission being £5 instead of the normal £6.50 so come in your classic, save money and you can even put a sale sign on your vehicle too! 

We will be running Donington on exactly the same format at the end of the year on Sunday 3rd November and Sunday 29th December so put these dates in your diary.  Donington Park is ideally located right next to East Midlands airport just two miles along the A453 at J23a and J24 of the M1 motorway right in the centre of the country.      

Riders for Health are launching their most exciting raffle yet to give away a free place on their Experience Africa off-road adventure ride to Zambia in 2014. The raffle, which will be launched at MCN Motorcycle Show 15th-17thFebruary, will raise money for the organisations’ life-saving work in Africa.

Experience Africa is more than an off-road motorcycle ride. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the inspiring work being done in Zambia by Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP™, and see how motorcycles are saving lives in Africa.

For your chance to win this incredible prize worth £4,800, visit Riders for Health’s stand A225 at Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show at Excel, London to buy a ticket for just £1. Riders will also be selling raffle tickets at all of the events they are attending in 2013, including British Superbikes races, British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) shows, Day of Champions and the British MotoGP and World Superbike races at Silverstone.

The raffle will be drawn at the BMF Tailend show,14th- 15th September,at the Peterborough Arena (formally the East of England Showground). The lucky winner will join a small group of participants on either the May or November 2014 Experience Africaride. Riders of all experience levels enjoy Experience Africa and there is lotsof off-road training and support available.

Find out more at www.riders-experience.org or speak to one of the team by calling 01604 889569.

The money raised from the sale of the raffle tickets will directly support Riders for Health’s programmes in Africa. Riders ensures health workers in Africa always have access to a vehicle which never breaks down, no matter how harsh the conditions. By training health workers to ride safely and carry out daily checks on their vehicle, Riders for Health makes sure they can deliver health care, reliably, to even the remotest community.

Find out more about the Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show and book your tickets at www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com

Find out more about the BMF Shows and book your tickets at www.thebmfshow.co.uk