Memories of a more Proactive Age.

[Legolas]

...and useful for researching historic details:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com

Someone posted the link on the NTBPT Facebook page.

It's interesting reading back through the impassioned views of so many people. You forget, as time goes on, just how many things this council did wrong and just how appalling their conduct was.

Truly it is a crime against decency that the tax remains in place.

For my part the fight continues. Yesterday I lodged another complaint with the Information Commissioner and I'm in the middle of a heated email argument with Leith Penny on social exclusion. And the alleged Hayley Regan Bribery Scandal is also still rumbling.

It's just a crying shame that support has dwindled so drastically. Though it's hardly surprising. Warren managed keep a lot of momentum and a lot of people on the streets for over three years. That is a hell of an achievement and one which does both those who actively supported this campaign and the Chairman himself proud.

[R-dubya]

+1, particularly in terms of the comments about Warren.

I might as well say it now, but on one of the times I saw a pretty senior member of the BMF on one of the rides, I spoke with them to ask whether the BMF had any type of, say, 'award' that they had [or could create] to recognise people who had given particular effort and dedication for, if you like, the benefit of motorcyclists in general.

I wish I could say I was surprised to learn that nothing ever actually happened

[the gibbo]

all very true now can i add my four pennys worth , towards the end of things as we knew them warren i and many of the members had to put up with the constant lectures from dr leon manning on how we should give up the street demos and leave it all up to "experts in the field " like himself to deal with the authorities because he was oh so good buddies with people in boris's team and if we were all good boys and girls they would do us the honor of helping because leon was sooo important , well what happened ? manning and his sicophants .......... we all know who they are .......... have done bugger all exept buddy up to a bunch of politicos who have shafted him and our cause !!! in all the campaigns i have ever been involved in the authorities have always found a way to split the opposition , normally by boosting the ego of some within the group then dumping on them later , sound familliar ? there were those who were mugs , some who were nieve and some who behaved disgracfully breaking up this group ............ i think mr john lennon was right when he wrote " a working class hero is somthing to be but your still fucking peasents as far as i can see " manning , b/eagle, knobsville . g jones you are the worst kind of peasent desperate to suck up to fat cats while trampling on your own people, and worse still by letting down the hard working dedicated family we all became .

[mickie]

I read your post several times Gibbo, & have to say that I think you spot on.


Sad innit?

[Quiet-Flight]

All so very true Gibbo, you are bang on the money with your assesment mate.

Another place, another time, maybe we will ride again - hope so, and would be proud to ride with all the old guys from the NTBPT campaign. Solid!

Keep the faith....

[shaman]

[TT]

Yeah, damn shame but we did all we could and hats off to Warren for keeping it going so long.

If we knew at the start what we know now things might have been different I guess but that's water under the bridge.

There was a Panorama on recently about councils taking the piss to raise money via motorists. We never get a mention but we were fighting this battle a long time ago. It's the same principle of illegal revenue raising under the guise of traffic management. It f*cking sucks but no one in a position to do something seems to give a shit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b02xcnpr/Panorama_Traffic_Fines_Highway_Robbery/

[Phil Randome]

An excellent synopsis by Gibbo. I would also like to include in Gibbo's list the organization called  MAG & the other groups that claim to represent motorcyclists. I seem to recall that Leon Manning was associated with MAG so no surprise there then. The Motorcycle (In)Action Group did absolutely nothing for us & didn't even send a representative to address thousands of us after our 1st M25 run. The french FFMC however, did send a representative over. Can anyone imagine the reverse happening ?
We were, in my opinion, also shafted by the casino & restaurant proprietors who were quick to approach us & accept our support, but as soon as their needs were met by Boris, they abandoned us.
I think the group should be, and always remain, a single issue one.
Warren was a charismatic chairman & held us together through some very difficult times & members like the erudite & tenacious Legolas are worthy of much respect.

[DastardlyDick]

I seem to remember that MAG dropped NTBPT solely on the instructions of Mannings, who appears to exert an unhealthy influence on them.

As for the casino and restaurant owners, I wasn't even slightly surprised when they refused to help us.

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