Thirty five year old motorcycle celebrates the golden era of the motorcycle courier

Courier bike CX500 - Carl Lomas IOC, Lord Falkland, Alderman Fiona Woolf & the Carmen Master  

The Institute of Couriers entered a seventies courier bike into the ancient taxation ceremony of the city of London. The annual event attracted 650 guests, IOC fellows were out in force to watch the spectacle and in particular the 1978 Honda CX 500 V twin courier bike. Commercial vehicles from a steam Foden truck to horse drawn pantechnicans, hand carts and modern trucks representing vehicles supporting commerce in the city.

The CX 500 was dressed for work, colours of the seventies, an orange Mercury top box, nearside pannier was Delta by Keith Gold, an original green Pony Express pannier offside and SD Security despatch colours on the rear. Elastic bungee cord on the tank for the London AtoZ and another over the rear top box to be sure the City documents were safe. IOC President, Lord Falkland was on hand to check the bike over, the CX 500 was comfortable with a hundred thousand mile reliability, shaft drive, heavy but very strong, this bike was the very one unveiled for the IOC by motorcycle World Champion Geoff Duke at the tenth anniversary of the National Courier Awards. A series one model, round master cylinder, rubber covers on the comstar wheels. IOC chairman ridding the bike, Carl Lomas, commented, �it feels very heavy compared to a modern bike, the seats comfy but you forget how hot the heat coming up of the big V twin made for warm days in the summer sunshine.

The bike was brand marked by Alderman Fiona Woolf, tipped to be the Lord Mayor in November, the Master Carmen Neil Coles placed the taxation year mark of V on a branding plate strapped to the nearside engine water pipes of the trusty v twin. Restarting the bike in the heatwave sunshine it fired first push of the button and blurbled across Guild hall yard with perfect reliability at the young age of thirty five years old. IOC fellows on hand were doing the maths to guess the number of deliveries the bike may have done, hundred city miles a day, say twenty drops in the central postcodes, that's a few pobs by any controllers numbers.

Viscount Falkland sees Classic Courier Bike in Cartmarking July 17th

Honda CX 500 Classic 1980's Courier motorcycle
   

Cartmarking July 17th   - CX at the garage awaits its livery of eighties memories

An ancient ceremony of vehicle taxation, the Institute of Couriers has entered a traditional early eighties working courier bike. The Honda Cx500 series one is the first model of the v twin shaft drive range that warmly became known as the 'plastic maggot'. The bike was used in its thousands during the eighties, had a reputation for reliability and strength.

The bike for cartmarking will be dressed in the colours of the early eighties courier companies, Delta, Mercury Despatch, Pony Express and Security Despatch.

IOC President Lord Falkland will welcome the bike into Guildhall yard where it will be branded with a year stamp of taxation to ply for commercial trade in the 2013 yard by the Lord Mayor of London.

July 10th. - National Logistics sector training forum Manchester.

Energetic vision on funded routes of training, PET, traineeship direction, employer vision from DHL and DWP sector focus at ministerial level.

Chaired by James Billingham, TLE Learndirect, a big turnout , training providers, NSAL, S4L, Pearsons, SQA, national DWP head for logistics Alex Farkas. Employer speaking was Pierre de Carteret DHL head of vocational training. key topics -  Declining apprenticeship numbers in logistics while PET grows, traineeships under twenty five and funding focus. Pierre brought a new focus of funding, candidate focused, the new Guild and S4L credit Union. Alex Farkas talked about DWP links with Bibby, Stobart and UK Mail.

Manchester Conference Centre -AELP Logistics event DWP Alex Farkas, James Billingham TLE Learn direct, Tony Higgins System training & Pierre de Carteret DHL

James Billingham opened, 'apprenticeship numbers in logistics are down'

Pierre de Carteret, DHL , head of vocational learning, Job focused route for training, 'certificate to work' CTW a progression from car to van and then heavy truck. CTW is close to sign of with Pearsons as the awarding body. Pierre talked about Ben Marsden, Princess Trust organising candidates entering logistics. 'Under 25s today have less aspiration for licence acquisition' we need employer led programs with candidate funded focus,  'the candidate must have a job to engage the training, DWP, Alex Farkas has been a great funding visionary, also the S4L, The new Guild and the S4L credit union.