Not actually back to front

 

 

AS I've said before it's feast or famine in this game and I have never fully understood why some weeks there is scarcely a major event to crow about while the next top class events are ten a penny.

 

Last week the opening round of the exciting British Sprint Enduro Champs virtually had a clear run and rightly hogged the limelight. Fastest man Danny McCanney took the starring role and was featured on front page. For once it wasn't really a 

difficult choice. 

 

This week was of course one of those when there was almost a surplus of top class events. 

 

Just off the top of my head there was the final round of the British Supercross Champs from Birmingham, the opening round of the British Enduro Champs in Wales, there was top class International Motocross in both France and Italy, AMA Supercross from Texas, there was the Hell's Gate Extreme Enduro (also in Italy) and the British 

trials scene had a full house 

entry for the most popular trials series currently in the calendar, the S3 Parts Clubman Series. 

 

That's enough to be going on with.

 

This is cracking stuff for all concerned of course and, particularly so early in the season, we were spoiled for choice. It is always better to have too much to deal with than not enough. 

 

It can sometimes lead to a dilemma when it comes to selecting a picture for the front page though. And selecting a front page pic is not quite as easy as you might think. 

 

There are many points to consider. Before even looking for a pic we firstly do a check on the events and make a rough pecking order of possibilities. 

 

Then we see who has done what in each of these events. We will then draw up a shortlist of possible candidates. 

 

Out of these we then have to check if the person has recently featured on front as we try to ring the changes, or indeed if one make of machine has had more than a fair whack.

 

 We also try to ensure that MX, Enduro, trials, extreme gets a fair shot at being on front. 

 

Then, when we have narrowed things down further we will search our available pics from the chosen events for suitable covers. 

 

Often, the simple fact is we don't find a suitable image of our first choice for front. 

 

We may well want to feature, say, Graham Jarvis on front, but if we don't have an image that suits then unfortunately that's that. Back to the drawing board and the selection process continues. It could be that we come up with something totally off the wall when we simply discover a great image of someone or something we hadn't even previously thought of. 

 

Which is what happened this week with the SX pic from the LG Arena. It is a simply great racing shot with a really dynamic look. It won't suit everyone of course nor do we expect it to and we'll possibly field phone calls on Friday from irate customers who ask why we didn't use their sponsored rider on front or a pic from their event, etc, etc. 

 

I hope the above few words help show that all isn't perhaps as simple as you may think and that we do actually put some thought into what we produce...

 

AND finally, on a lighter note, and it doesn't get much lighter than this, I hope that you all watched Masterchef last week, you know the food programme that all your mums watch where a bunch of would-be cooks panic and flap round a kitchen while two blokes fuss about, make lots of caustic remarks and then greedily trough plateloads of grub they have just said look like sh*t.

 

Right, that's got the programme sorted, and explains why us blokes avoid it like the plague - so why on earth should you have watched it last week?

 

Well, only because my old mate Mick Wren, trials rider, club member, centre stalwart, ACU steward and Trials and Committeeman currently making strides towards Europe and World dominance (gasp) was to be seen as a member of an elite local panel entrusted with testing the latest culinary efforts of the contestants.

 

I should say at this point that Mick's (much) better half (I know what's good for me!) Judith had been involved in the production of the programme which was staged in the Lake District.

 

And the uber competent Judith had come-up with most, if not all, of the local produce to be used as well as sourcing a suitable barn for Masterchef to set-up their temporary kitchen. I think the venue she came up with exceeded all their expectations.

 

Anyway, fast forward to the big day, our would-be chefs duly knocked-up meals for an assembled hand-picked gathering of local farmers, food producers, land-owners – and Mick, who nailed an invite as Judith's husband. 

 

At the end of the feast the cameras rolled as each guest said what grand grub it all was as a caption appeared stating their name and occupation. As in, Fred Haddock Local Fisherman or Pudding Company Executive. 

 

So I hope they weren't making any subtle references to the quality of the food or possible eventual outcome when Mick's turn came and he heartily complimented the food there rolled across the screen the legend Mick Wren – Village Undertaker..

Well, it made my day!This week's editorial column takes a quick look at how we choose a front page pic - and then it gets really interesting 

 

AS I've said before it's feast or famine in this game and I have never fully understood why some weeks there is scarcely a major event to crow about while the next top class events are ten a penny.

 

Last week the opening round of the exciting British Sprint Enduro Champs virtually had a clear run and rightly hogged the limelight. Fastest man Danny McCanney took the starring role and was featured on front page. For once it wasn't really a 

difficult choice. 

 

This week was of course one of those when there was almost a surplus of top class events. 

 

Just off the top of my head there was the final round of the British Supercross Champs from Birmingham, the opening round of the British Enduro Champs in Wales, there was top class International Motocross in both France and Italy, AMA Supercross from Texas, there was the Hell's Gate Extreme Enduro (also in Italy) and the British 

trials scene had a full house 

entry for the most popular trials series currently in the calendar, the S3 Parts Clubman Series. 

 

That's enough to be going on with.

 

This is cracking stuff for all concerned of course and, particularly so early in the season, we were spoiled for choice. It is always better to have too much to deal with than not enough. 

 

It can sometimes lead to a dilemma when it comes to selecting a picture for the front page though. And selecting a front page pic is not quite as easy as you might think. 

 

There are many points to consider. Before even looking for a pic we firstly do a check on the events and make a rough pecking order of possibilities. 

 

Then we see who has done what in each of these events. We will then draw up a shortlist of possible candidates. 

 

Out of these we then have to check if the person has recently featured on front as we try to ring the changes, or indeed if one make of machine has had more than a fair whack.

 

 We also try to ensure that MX, Enduro, trials, extreme gets a fair shot at being on front. 

 

Then, when we have narrowed things down further we will search our available pics from the chosen events for suitable covers. 

 

Often, the simple fact is we don't find a suitable image of our first choice for front. 

 

We may well want to feature, say, Graham Jarvis on front, but if we don't have an image that suits then unfortunately that's that. Back to the drawing board and the selection process continues. It could be that we come up with something totally off the wall when we simply discover a great image of someone or something we hadn't even previously thought of. 

 

Which is what happened this week with the SX pic from the LG Arena. It is a simply great racing shot with a really dynamic look. It won't suit everyone of course nor do we expect it to and we'll possibly field phone calls on Friday from irate customers who ask why we didn't use their sponsored rider on front or a pic from their event, etc, etc. 

 

I hope the above few words help show that all isn't perhaps as simple as you may think and that we do actually put some thought into what we produce...

 

AND finally, on a lighter note, and it doesn't get much lighter than this, I hope that you all watched Masterchef last week, you know the food programme that all your mums watch where a bunch of would-be cooks panic and flap round a kitchen while two blokes fuss about, make lots of caustic remarks and then greedily trough plateloads of grub they have just said look like sh*t.

 

Right, that's got the programme sorted, and explains why us blokes avoid it like the plague - so why on earth should you have watched it last week?

 

Well, only because my old mate Mick Wren, trials rider, club member, centre stalwart, ACU steward and Trials and Committeeman currently making strides towards Europe and World dominance (gasp) was to be seen as a member of an elite local panel entrusted with testing the latest culinary efforts of the contestants.

 

I should say at this point that Mick's (much) better half (I know what's good for me!) Judith had been involved in the production of the programme which was staged in the Lake District.

 

And the uber competent Judith had come-up with most, if not all, of the local produce to be used as well as sourcing a suitable barn for Masterchef to set-up their temporary kitchen. I think the venue she came up with exceeded all their expectations.

 

Anyway, fast forward to the big day, our would-be chefs duly knocked-up meals for an assembled hand-picked gathering of local farmers, food producers, land-owners – and Mick, who nailed an invite as Judith's husband. 

 

At the end of the feast the cameras rolled as each guest said what grand grub it all was as a caption appeared stating their name and occupation. As in, Fred Haddock Local Fisherman or Pudding Company Executive. 

 

So I hope they weren't making any subtle references to the quality of the food or possible eventual outcome when Mick's turn came and he heartily complimented the food there rolled across the screen the legend Mick Wren – Village Undertaker...

 

Well, it made my day!