Our sport and pastime has lost some great practitioners of late and all will be greatly missed. For me most of these pioneers and characters were only known to me through the sport and their achievements. Alas not having enjoyed their friendship and company on a personal level leaves me a little poorer. Nonetheless since joining this forum and a few selective others I have learnt more and more of these people and about their exploits, for which I'm grateful to you all. Many of them have shaped the motorcycling world to one degree or another but all of them deserve to be remebered fondly. I just wish that I'd met them and had the chance to learn something of them for myself. But I feel whilst remembering them we should also give thanks and celebrate that they were amongst us. It seems to me that our sport is blessed with a disproportionate number of greats from humble fans through to magnificent champions or just simply wonderful human beings. This richness, in my view, prospers. Just this season we have witnessed some of the most brilliant tackling inumerous challenges often through adversity or against seemingly impossible odds to emerge victorious. To witness and be part of this community is hugely rewarding and certainly focuses oneself on the important and usually pleasurable aspects of life.

I look forward and see alot to be optimistic about. The new season is not far away now and I'm sure there will be difficulties along the way but I'm just looking forward to it so much. Occasionally we have to lift our heads, even when it's hard to do, and say "Bring it on, I'm ready". Please remember our friends with fondness and with a sense of happiness. We're not in a position to judge them or critique their person, they're only human after all, just like us. alf