A change of direction

A lot has happened since our last blog and, although it may appear that we have been quiet for a while, a whole lot of things have been happening behind the scenes.

Let’s rewind a few months and start in April this year.

Unfortunately, Gareth had (another) major motorcycle accident. Just like his first one, which you may not know about (that’ll be another blog!), we want to make it clear that Gareth was not at fault here at all.

He was doing a mileage job for Honda, whereby brand-new bikes need some miles clocking up on them to make sure they run well and to get them prepared for forthcoming press rides. He was with a team of other riders, clocking up some miles around the UK. Luckily, and thankfully, that team included his dad, who is also a hugely experienced and advanced rider.

We won’t go into the detail of what happened however the outcome is that Gareth has received (again) what could be life changing injuries. He shattered his right wrist and broke his left thumb, plus fractured his back in two places. Boston Hospital, in Lincolnshire, have done a great job of putting him back together. His wrist is plated, and his thumb has been fixed back to its normal place. His back is still painful, but we understand it will eventually heal. Only time will tell us if his wrist can regain full flexibility, enough for him to ride a motorcycle again. This summer, at least, we will be cruising around on 4 wheels instead of 2!

Gareth a couple of days after the accident, with both hands in plaster.

There is a lot of irony in how things have panned out. Gareth has clocked up thousands and thousands of miles on bikes, in many different countries. It just so happens that his two only and very major accidents have happened right here in the UK. The roads abroad seem to always be so much more inviting for motorcyclists. Here, it seems, everyone is always in a rush (and therefore not seeing motorcyclists until it’s too late).

There have been many things stacked against us, as we have attempted to get our new business off the ground, including this unfortunate setback, however these things are not going to dissuade us. We have learnt a big lesson over the past year, that being able to adapt will be what keeps us going. For that reason, we are taking the business in a different direction. Fundamentally our core skills lie in creating and delivering amazing events. So, we’re going to focus on doing this in a business-to-business context for the automotive sector. We have such a transferable set of skills that we can, and already have, produced events for a variety of industries.  

For fans of tours and track experiences, the good news is that we can still create amazing premium motorcycle experiences for those who want something bespoke, however this won’t be the primary focus of our business any longer. We will also be looking to create our own motorcycle related events that are much closer to home (think “An evening with….” talks and dinners). Motorcycling is in our blood, so we won’t be giving up on that in a hurry! Make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter to be the first to find out about these upcoming ticketed events.

In the meantime, we’ve made some big changes to our website, to reflect the change in direction. Have a look around and see what you think.

Gareth after his plaster casts came off (thank goodness!)

Gareth, Jo and Biscuit the dog. We're still smiling!