BATH YFC

(Part of FOSSE Group)

Meet at - The Crown Inn, Bathford

Time & Day - Tuesdays at 8.00 pm. (9pm in the summer).

 CHAIRMAN:                               MATT "ROY" JAMES

Juniper Lodge, Nimlet, Cold Ashton, Chippenham SN14 8JX

SECRETARY: CLAIRE TAYLOR

Orchard Spring, Church Lane, Batheaston, Bath BA1 7EF

Further information about Bath YFC

Bath YFC Year Book Report 2007

Well we have all had an interesting year and enjoyed quite a few trips both in the UK and Europe.

We think everyone enjoyed our 2007 meetings with visits ranging from the Roman Baths, Beaufort Hunt Kennels seeing the hairy Welsh hound was funny!) and Halloween celebrations at Cumberwell Park (thanks to everyone who helped with the pumpkin cutting for the Dinner Dance!). Dismantling the Halloween Grotto the next morning was not easy!!

Hey and who could forget the carol singing - think that was what it was anyway or was it carol shouting?! Don't give up the day job folks!

The Christmas meal was good and Clare decided after to have a go around the pub on a ride-on kid's toy - very amusing!

Our latest excursion packed with "highs" and "lows" was a journey from Bath to Torquay. Unfortunately due to a decision to purchase a cheap map our scenic route took us via Lands End! The highs were at the top of Porlock Hill and the lows were definitely felt on landing on the bank at the bottom!

Yes folks you've guessed it, we took to bicycle transport yet again! I can hear you saying "You crazy fools!" and you would be right but anyway we all made it back in one piece. How, I will never know!

However, despite this small "inconvenience" of risking life and limb, we took this task very seriously and followed safety procedures at all times. This involved the compulsory wearing of a safety helmet, regular brake checks and most improtantly, ensuring that old shoes with thick rubber soles were worn at all times. Roy can vouch for this "slowing down" feature when your own brakes have failed, and you are travelling down a 1 in 4 hill! Hence, the only way we could then stop was to crash into the bank at the bottom of said hill!

We also ensured that all forms of lubrication were fully appreciated during these moments of exertion. The fragrance of Deep Heat was very evident throughout Torquay that weekend and our campsite also enjoyed our airhorns alarm call to Donk, who had fallen asleep in the Land Rover after enjoying a few too many of our "energy drinks"!

During this eventful weekend it was also Matt's birthday. There was a general consensus that he should therefore be wearing his birthday suit and not his Sailor's suit. However, he decided he should still keep his shoes on so he could make a quick exit back to the hotel.

Roy also cut quite a dash with his own unusual variation on a military theme by adding a yellow gnome's hat to his Sailor's outfit.

Tignes was this year's destination for our skiing trip and yet again Roy broke his skis and had to ski back "mono style".

During this trip you may also be surprised to hear that as opposed to having an early evening "snifter" before enjoying a night-out as most people would, we had to enjoy a taster of at least one episode of...guess what?!...

"In 1972 a crack Commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they did not commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles Underground. Today they are still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem (you should know it by now!) if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire - THE A TEAM!" (you can hear the theme music now can't you...don't deny it!)

Luckily Lucy J and I managed to make our escape from those "crazy fools" to a nearby bar and joined company with some Polish lads.

If we had thought about it maybe we should have asked the A-Team to help us build our raft for the raft race. Should have been a doddle, seeing as they can make a tank from a standard pipe and the odd matchstick! Anyway some of us (no names, no pack-drill) thought we were staging an apple-dunking competition instead. This meant that Lucy V lost her glasses and was unable to see anything that was going on! It's the taking part that counts though so they say!

Our Canal Trip proved just as entertaining when ten of us set off for the weekend. Canal rules are simple, maximum speed is 4 knots per hour, only travel between the hours of 8am - dusk and don't upset the fishermen.

Not us, due to Roy's insomnia we were well on our travels by 7am, taking well-earned "refreshments" by 11am and Matt caused a commotion by putting the boat into reverse which stirred up the sediment on the canal during a fishing competition! He was far from popular and the rest of us disappeared below decks.

One of our group is also considering a career change into Snail Farming - Steve seems to be living life according to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall!

The Cider Festival at Bath Races obviously appealed to some of our members despite cider supplies running out as early as 7pm that night. Some of the lads adding their beer spitting prowess to the Wurzel entertainment.

Just remind me how many adults you can fit in a Toyota Yaris?

Finally congratulations to our Skittle team members who, along with Wells & Glastonbury YFC, showed yet again that our ball skills were 2nd to none!

Thanks to everybody and let us look forward to new exploits in 2008!

BATH YFC YEARBOOK REPORT 2006 ~ Clare Tayler

There have been many memorable times this year for Bath Young Farmers. From downing a pint of wine (Clare), to going back to our natural roots.

There are plenty of embarrassing stories and photographs, which show a different side of each one of us.

At the start of the year, Cumberwell Park Golf Club allowed us back for our annual ball. But with a more grown up approach; a dinner dance, where the evening went smoothly, not too much food was thrown and much alcohol was consumed by all.

A group of us went skiing to Les Arcs in early January, where in just a week Steve learnt to ski, take out a few French instructors and then managed to ski/fall down a black run. A week of skiing would not be complete with out a snowball fight and in true style, a snow shovel ended up inside the chalets were snow was thrown with the help of the chalets lads.

After the socialising of Christmas, came a shock, I think the alcohol got to a few of us as we decided one night in the pub to cycle to the AGM, but the best of all it would be on tandems and dressed as cows. All the other members said. "Well you all must be mad cows………."

As the SWA was just around the corner we thought to see if our legs would cope with all the cycling and drinking so we cycled to Weston-Super-Mare as a practice for the big one. We all made it in one-piece even though we played with the traffic on the way.

Whilst we were there Lucy V showed us some new dirty dancing moves on the dance floor with partner Dom.

Before we all knew it, it was time to leave for the big adventure to Blackpool, would we all make it in one piece, would the bike's hold out or would we hop into the cattle box around the corner? As while training each week a different bit of Roy's bike would fall apart.

Despite the hangovers and the punctures (Lucy J and Donk had one while going down hill) 300 miles later, a few bumpy roads and some funny looks on the way we arrived in Blackpool. This was a fantastic experience that we all will never forget and we raised £3000 for CLIC as a result.

The AGM was great fun and we even saw Ruth with birthday vodka in hand, not being the Bath YFC taxi service that night, which made a change. Donk went out au-naturelle, or was he just too drunk to put all his clothes on?

In true colours we all turned out to support Britain in beating the world record in the Tractor Challenge - most working tractors in one field at one time. We were there for the weekend as we seldom miss a social drinking event close to home. Bath YFC has become famous since this weekend, being filmed for the DVD now being sold worldwide. We also able to utter those magic words; 'I was there, I was among the 2141 tractors all working at the same time'.

Many of us are busy working now but we still manage to meet up for a drink or too, before the season starts up again.

We are busy planning our programme for the forthcoming year and the Halloween Dinner Dance.

Keep an eye out on the roads to the AGM next year as the madness may continue towards the South…

BATH YFC REPORT ~ Clare Tayler (August 2006)

Other than the usual YFC meetings and activities Bath YFC has been rather obsessed by cycling this year! A mad idea in the pub one night led to eight of us cycling tandems dressed as cows to the AGM in Blackpool.

Just after Christmas the training started on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Each week a different bit of Roy's bike would fall apart.

However, we made it Blackpool in one piece despite playing with traffic on a dual carriageway and Lucy and Donk having a puncture downhill.

It was a fantastic experience that we all will never forget, with many resulting stories, photographs and blackmail now! It was a trip of just over 300 miles (avoiding motorways) and we raised £3000 for CLIC as a result. Thank you to all those who made this possible.

The AGM was great fun and we even saw Ruth with birthday vodka in hand, not being the Bath YFC Taxi Service that night which made a change!

For one of our practice runs, 4 of us cycled from Bath to Weston-Super-Mare to the SWA, the rain held out for us and fun was had by the seaside while we were there.

A small group of us recently entered the Tractor Challenge 2006, it was Ruth and Clare's first time driving a tractor and to be involved in a big event like that was amazing. Looking from the tractor over the field full of tractors was a sight that we will never forget (and the boys' dreams had come true!). Seeing all the fumes and dust coming from the tractor was a picture, there were a few clever people with facemasks to keep out the dirt. We'll be able to utter those magic words; "I was there" among the 2141 tractors all working at the same time.

Many of us are busy working now but are also planning our Halloween Dinner Dance in October and looking forward to that. We hope to see you there, if not before!

BATH YFC GALLERY!!

Bath YFC's "Mad Cows" in Blackpool for the 2006 AGM

Worrying...very worrying!!