Hi.

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Vine!

What's that then?

Hello and welcome. You certainly keep yourself busy, and are probably sick of jokes about being a bionic man, what with all the metalwork inside you

Welcome to the Vine!

Personally, I love the Minor Rant Thread on here to let off a little steam. Although from what you say, there may be times when you wouldn't find that quite sufficient (I find that occasionally, and I don't have your bad days!).

Anyway, hope you enjoy it here, and good luck with the gardening. Sounds like you're well prepped for the new season.

PS I second TS on the 1% patch club - I looked up back patch clubs, but couldn't see 1%.

Hello Chopper (don't suppose you have one do you ) and welcome to the Vine

Sounds as if you have good reason to be a bit grumpy from time to time. Gardening is great therapy though and sometimes it can make you get out if only to water the plants.

TS - re back patch, at first I thought back patch as in garden but I was wrong - think motorbike instead.

Welcome What are you hoping to grow this year?

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse! Happy growing!

Hi TS

Not many jokes about being bionic that I haven't heard mate. I am used to it. Got a plate and a clamp in my head, my left knee is metal as well. Great fun at the airports. Last time they had me down to my underpants before I got a tad annoyed, then the guy says he can see all the scars so that will be enough!

Brief explanation about bike clubs.

Bottom of th epile is the social groups that are just a bunch of guys that meet up whenever to go for a ride.

Then you get the Owners clubs that ll ride the same make or model of bike. No commitment or formality required.

Next up is the Rally or Riders clubs. Just guys that meet up for a ride or get together to go to rallies. Sometimes they have a club name and wear a small club patch on the front of thier coats. Very little commitment, if any. Very loose organisation.

Next in line is the Motorcycle Clubs or MCC. More formal and organised. Usually some structure to the club, rgular meeting point or possibly a clubhouse. They normally have a club colour and wear a patch on the front of thier coats with the club name and where they are based.

There are a few back patch clubs that are NOT 1% clubs. Clubs such as the National Chopper Club or NCC. They are a Europe wide organisation. Thier members are dedicated custom bike builders. They have a chapter in most UK counties. Quite formal organisation, degree of commitment required to be a member.

Top of the food chain is the 1% Back Patch Clubs. For those of you not familiar with the biker scene, think "Hells Angels". I am not a member of the Hells Angels, but my club is based on the same principles. We are very closely affiliated to the Hells Angels and are very good friends with them.

To be a member of a 1% club takes a hell of a lot of commitment, time and hard work. To become a member you have to make yourself know to the club, turn up often to open events and show that you are interested in joining. If enough members like the look of you, you MIGHT be invited to become an official "Hangaround". Most clubs give thier Hangarounds a small flash to show that they have started on the long road to joining.

After an indefinate period as a "Hangaround", if a majority of the members think you may have what it takes and think you will fit in, you may be invited to "Prospect" for the club. Prospects usually wear a "Prospect" patch on the front of thier waistcoats and on the back they will have what is called a Bottom Rocker. A patch with the name of the county or area they are based in. Above and to the right of the Bottom Rocker will be a small square patch with the letters MC (Motorcycle Club). Thesepatches will be in the clubs colours.

A prospect will have to work very hard, running errands, looking after full patch members, cleaning the clubhouse etc etc. A lot of hard work, lots of very late nights often being away at events for two or three days. Prospects are at the beck and call of full patch members. Any refusal or non attendance without very good reason and your out. Prospecting can last as long as it takes to prove your commitment and loyalty to the club. Normally more than a year. IF a prospect doesn't crack and IF the members get on well enough with him, a vote is taken and a prospect may be made up to full patch member. He then has to continue to justify his patch.

Being a member of a 1% club is a lifestyle choice. We have more rules and protocols to follow than any other civilian organisation. The rules are cast on stone, break them at your peril. We do not tolerate idiots or freeloaders. The club comes first above all else. We will crawl over broken glass to help a brother and never back down from a challenge.

The 1% symbol comes from a statement made by the American Motorcycle Association in the mid 60's. Who said that 99% of bikers were good law abiding citizens, it was only 1% that are "Bad boys"!.

We are not criminals, one or two are what you might call colourful characters. It is a very close knit community. We stick together as if we were joined at the hip. Intruders are not welcome at all. Basic rule of thumb is treat us as you would like us to treat you and we will get along fine. Pickon one member and you take on the whole club. Very simple really.

I am not the most friendly looking person you could meet, covered in scars and tattoos, big lad, long hair and beard. Might surprise you to know, looking at me now you might not believe it, but I have an Exemplary Military record after serving 8 and a half years with The Life Guards, Household Cavalry. Medically discharged with a broken neck. Most members have done some sort of military service.

Hope that gives you an idea of what its about. Feel free to ask questions, worst I will say is that I am not prepared to answer that question.

Regards

Chopper.

Thankyou for your welcome.

I am planning to grow enough veg to feed the family. Not into fancy stuff. Just good old fashioned British veg. Working it all out at the moment. This will be my first fulll season as a serious gardener, so I am doing a lot of reading and planning.

Doubtless I will make mistakes, but that is how we learn. I suppose the clever bit would be to learn from other peoples mistakes! We shall see.

My polytunnel has produced some good results so far and fewer failures than I expected. I built it in September last year. Lots of pernnial flowers and a few veg plants already on the go.

Chopper.

Hi scarey

Yes I do have a chopper. It has an Ultima El Bruto high compression 2.0ltr race engine. 6 speed transmission, 3.5inch open belt primary, wide rear wheel, long forks, lots of shiny bits and very fancy paintwork. Pulls like a steam train and is quite a handfull to ride. Not for a novice or faint hearted riders.

I also own 3 Harleys, 2 Hondas, 3 Kawasakis, one Yamaha and four Suzukis.

I have posted a bit of information about 1% back patch clubs. I can post a picture of my chop if anybody is interested.

Chopper.

You forgot to tell us what colour it is!!!!

Hi there- and welcome to the Vine...you'll find there are lots of other interesting characters on here too!..piccie of bike??...yup- why not!

I bet this time next year you'll be tempted to try out some of the more 'unusual' types of veg!!...oh and maybe a few chooks!!!!

Welcome to the vine Chopper, hope you have a great season. There is nothing like the vine for inspiration.

Yea.. welcome to Vine Chopper.

I have got a badly dissabled hand from a accident in my late teens and chronic back pain from an accident when i was 6 and suffer neck and head pain from another accident at work 12 years ago that forced me on to jobs scap heap.

I share a lottie with my old pal who along with me spent a life managing supermarkets until his eyes got too bad. He is now 100% blind and has also been forced on to the scap heap.
There are many jobs i cant do and many he cant do, so we share tasks around the plot.
I could write a book about some of our exploits and those on the plots close to ours always know when we are down for we are always laughing and joking when doing things, or sat supping tea talking about the old days.

When either of us is feeling low a phone call to the other is real tonic for we take the er... mick, out of each other all the time and have done so for almost 40 years

Our Lottie may not be the smartest (hahaha) on the site, but we do grow enough veg to keep his not and my lot fed for half the year.
Keep plodding away pal and enjoy your growing and DLTBGYD
Roger (yes my real name)

hiya and welcome chopper.

So, Freemasons for motorcyclists?

Oh no!
No tomatoes, chillies, sweetcorn, squash, French or runner beans (they're S.American)
Just cabbage, carrots and leeks then.
Even spuds are foreign