Motorcycling deaths up in 2014 in Utah

PROVO — A Friday night car vs. motorcycle accident on northbound I-15 in Lehi left the cyclist being transported by helicopter to the hospital in critical condition.

While the circumstances surrounding the accident are still under investigation one thing is very clear, the Utah Highway Patrol is hoping this new year will bring fewer of these accidents to report than in 2014. 

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, fatalities among motorcyclists increased in 2014, while fatalities among motorists have declined. That is opposite of the national trend.

The Los Angeles Times reports motorcycle fatalities on U.S. roadways dropped dramatically in 2013 for the first time since 2009.

It also noted that, “Older motorcyclists, who increasingly make up the largest cohort of motorcycle riders, also scored significant improvements in safety. The 50-to-69-year-old riders showed a 60 percent decrease in motorcycle fatalities from 2012 to 2013.”

The average age of motorcycle riders killed in Utah in 2013 was 46.5 years old. The department is trying to educate motorists about sharing the road. Over the past three years, traffic fatalities have decreased 10 percent, but motorcycle fatalities have increased 10 percent.

This is due in part to motorists not checking for motorcycles while turning or changing lanes.

It takes about a year for the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration to release an annual survey that includes accident data, which means the 2013 figures are the latest available.

“The survey said 4,668 motorcyclists lost their lives on U.S. roads in 2013, down from 4,986 in 2012, a 6.4 percent decrease, compared to a 3.1 percent decrease in all U.S. traffic fatalities,” the Times reported.

In the spring of 2014, UHP launched a media campaign featuring billboards that read “Ride like there is no tomorrow, and there won’t be,” and radio spots that remind riders to “take responsibility for your ride as well as your life.”

“Riders love to be on their motorcycles — you hear a lot of them talk about how they ‘live to ride,’ ” said Colonel Daniel Fuhr, of the Utah Highway Patrol in a press release. “We also want them to ride to live — to make sure that every time they get on their motorcycles, they have the right gear, skills and mental strategies to get home safely.”

 

UHP has developed a map designed for riders that rates roads throughout Utah according to their difficulty; it is available at RideToLiveUtah.org.

 

“Utah has some of the most scenic and iconic motorcycle riding routes in the country,” Fuhr said. “A lot of them have technical features that require advanced riding skills. We hope this map will help riders ride within their skill level and possibly even encourage them to seek additional skills training so they can safely navigate the most technical routes.”

Motorcycling deaths up in 2014 in Utah

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Buying used: Luxurious 'land yachts' for under $12000

Comparing something with a luxury item usually denotes an equally high level of quality: “It’s like the Rolex of calculators” or “It’s the caviar of cream puffs.” You get the idea.

But when you compare a car to a yacht, that’s something altogether different. For a long while, North American-made luxury cars were just that: coddling and cavernous and full of plastic leather and plastic wood, but also floating, seasick-inducing rides with vague steering and the inabilities to turn without listing to the opposite direction – earning them the nickname “land yachts.” And while well-to-do pensioners and grey-haired executives might have appreciated moseying about in them, those who yearned for an exciting drive looked across the shores to the sharp luxury cars coming from Germany.

But times have changed. Domestic auto makers have realized that you can have comfort and control, even at high speed and in the corners. There’s been a resurgence at Lincoln, Cadillac and even Buick, which are all producing cars that, while they may not be better than the German juggernauts, are nipping at their heels.

So, there’s no need to feel bad about wanting a domestic luxury car any more. And there’s no need to feel bad about not wanting to pay more than $12,000, either.

Sensible

What better way to instantly make a brand more exciting than by bringing in a German car? The latest Buick Regal is based on architecture used by Opel, General Motors’ German outfit, and first appeared in this iteration in 2011, the same year you may find them for sale at this price, if you’re patient. While it still isn’t exactly considered exciting, especially with its base 2.4-litre, 182-horsepower engine, it’s worlds away from the last Buick to use the Regal name. In sporting fashion, they were even offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. Plus, there was only one recall for this model, for a seat adjuster, and it’s had a decent history of reliability.

Again, not exactly a barn-burner, but the MKZ has kicked away the “land yacht” status for Lincoln. Available in front-drive or all-wheel drive, you can find these anywhere from 2008-2011. You’ll enjoy a distinctive look, and the well-appointed cabin has high-quality materials, including real wood. The handling may not be as crisp as you might like, especially with its overboosted, vague steering, and it may not be the quickest pony in the stable, but it does have a firm yet forgiving ride and a quiet cabin. The MKZ also has just one recall – this one for floor mats – and it is considered a “good bet” by Consumer Reports.

Indispensable

This car returned the name Cadillac to an adjective: the CTS is the Cadillac of domestic luxury cars, and it’s also a perennial addition to Car and Driver’s Top 10 lists and has twice won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. It really turned Cadillac around when it was introduced in 2002, but you can find it from its first redesign in 2008 up to around 2010 for our prices. Its sharp, aggressive exterior is like nothing else in its class, while the interior rivals the best of its generation for style, fit and finish. And the handling? Honed on the famed Nuerburgring, no less, which has delivered knife-edge steering, little understeer and overall predictable control. A series of powerful V-6 engines are available in either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Again, even a manual transmission was available. While relatively reliable, it does fall under that GM recall for ignition switches, as well as another for a heated windshield washer module. But get those sorted and you have a world-class luxury sport sedan. And in the unlikely event you find the CTS-V models in this price range – the ones with a 556 hp V-8 under the hood – then don’t hesitate.

Questionable

The Buick Lucerne is not so much the big brother of the Regal as it is its Geritol-popping grandfather, one who might rant on about the good old days of Detroit from a cushioned rocking chair. If you need a mushy ride, sloth-like acceleration and room for your walker, then this land yacht is for you.

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Buying used: Luxurious "land yachts" for under $12000

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American Iron Harley News: 19000 Dyna & Softail Motorcycles Recalled

Harley-Davidson is recalling just over 19,000 Dyna and Softail motorcycles from the 2012 model year because the threads for the brake line banjo bolt in the front brake master cylinder may corrode.

If the threads corrode, a sudden loss of brake fluid could result, causing a loss of the front brakes.

Models affected are the 2012 FXST103, FLSTC, FLSTC103, FLSTF, FLSTF103, FXDL, FXDWG, FXDWG103, FXDC, FXDB, FLSTN, FLSTN103, FLSTC103 Shrine, FLSTFB, FLSTFB103, FXS, FXS103, FLS, FLS103, FLD, FLD103, and FXDF and FXDF103 motorcycles manufactured from Aug. 22, 2011, through Feb. 24, 2012, for the United States and some world markets. This totals 19,015 units, Harley-Davidson told NHTSA.

The NHTSA recall campaign number is 14V794000.

Dealers are asked to flush and inspect the front brake master cylinder and, if necessary, replace the master cylinder. The recall is expected to begin Jan. 14.

“We have voluntarily declared this a defect related to motor vehicle safety (Campaign 0163 for the Softail model and Dyna model motorcycles and 0164 for the FXDF/FXDF103 model motorcycles) to allow us to formally recall all affected motorcycles. Two recalls are needed to cover all affected models because of the differences in the kit component content required for the two populations,” the Motor Co. informed dealers.

“Based on warranty information, the prediction for motorcycles requiring master cylinder replacements is extremely low,” Harley-Davidson said in its notification to dealers.

Dealers are permitted to sell but must not deliver any of the affected motorcycles until the remedy is complete, the OEM added.

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American Iron Harley News: 19000 Dyna & Softail Motorcycles Recalled

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A man's world more sophisticated than that of today

If a great art collection is something that inspires you every time you look at it; that makes a great talking point … then I have a wondrous art collection

• Peter Aspden

It is a question that penetrates the sturdiest of social defences. The response to it is an instant indicator of taste, education, social status, cultural sophistication, and of course, wealth. I used not to have an answer to it at all. But now, things have changed. When I am asked “Do you collect?”, I can look my questioner — more often than not a fellow sufferer — in the eye, and say, “Why, of course”.

Collecting is a psychological condition as much as a pastime. It frequently borders on obsession and takes us to dark places, such as jealousy, greed and unauthorised overdrafts. It is a world in which there is no sense of measure: Just the imperative to have more. It is where the eye for a bargain is traduced by lust for the best.

My collection is passionately pursued, but modest. I would love to talk to you about my Cycladic figurines, or my Constructivist porcelain teapots, but I have been priced out of those particular markets for some time. I collect magazine covers. Specifically, American Esquire magazine covers. More specifically still, those that adorned the newsstands between 1962 and 1972.

This was the golden age of Esquire magazine covers. But let us not be too humble about it. This was the golden age of journalism. The team in charge of the magazine in that period, editor Harold Hayes and his art director George Lois, were both imaginative and fearless. Lois’s covers set new standards for the industry. The industry could not live up to them. I did not know any of this when I started what was to become my collection. I was keen only to track down one of Lois’s most famous covers, from April 1968, which featured a body-length portrait of Muhammad Ali with arrows sticking out of his bloodied torso, provocatively captioned ‘The Passion of Muhammad Ali’.

Christians and art lovers would immediately get the reference to Saint Sebastian. And boxing fans would get the metaphor: Ali was prevented from pursuing his career, at the prime of his life, because he refused to fight in Vietnam. He was another kind of religious martyr. When Ali first saw the proposed cover, he immediately phoned his religious leader Elijah Mohammad to ask if he should go through with it. When Lois first saw the finished result, he said to his photographer: “Jesus Christ, it’s a masterpiece.”

I found a good copy of the magazine on American eBay relatively easily. And then I became hooked on Lois’s other covers. They are, I freely confess, hardly obscure: New York’s Museum of Modern Art held a small exhibition of them in 2008. But they were new to me, and to others besides, I find. They richly deserve still greater exposure, because they are an art form in their own right.

My second purchase was Lois’s Christmas issue for December 1963. It was a photograph of the boxer Sonny Liston in a Santa Claus hat. There was no other text anywhere on the cover. The photograph was so closely cropped it could not help but look threatening. Hayes described it as “the perfect magazine cover”, its message potent. “The split in our culture was showing, the notion of racial equality was a bad joke, the felicitations of the season … carried irony more than sentiment,” he said. He also estimated that it cost Esquire $750,000 (Dh2.75 million) in cancelled advertising. It is the best piece of Christmas journalism ever.

The beauty of the Esquire covers is that they are matched, for the most part, by the quality of the writing inside the magazine. In a spooky montage from March 1963 — yes, 1963 — the head of Robert Kennedy is shown superimposed on a picture of his elder brother John. Inside, in a piece grim with irony when read with hindsight, Gore Vidal speculates that Bobby is the logical choice to win the 1968 presidential election.

In his waspish tone, Vidal describes the “splendid comedy” of Bobby and his wife Ethel receiving the logical positivist philosopher AJ Ayer as part of a regular study group they attended in Washington. Ayer proceeds to demolish most of the foundations of moral thinking before the befuddled couple. But Bobby won’t let it go. “But don’t you believe in right and wrong?’ he asks the finally exasperated philosopher. It was a stubbornness of vision that took Bobby a long way; but not as far as the 1968 presidential election.

Esquire was, and continues to be, a men’s magazine. But it was a man’s world that was in many ways more sophisticated than that of today. Of course we know that sexism was rife. But you wouldn’t divine that from Lois’s covers. Rarely would you see an exploitative image of a woman: The editorial team stood firm against an advertising department that was desperate for racier coverage of the incipient shift in the relationship between the sexes.

If a great art collection is something that inspires you every time you look at it; that makes a great talking point; that forces you to think of a more dynamic and creative time; that fills you with admiration for the vivid nonconformity of the artistic temperament, projecting worlds we dare not imagine: Then I have a wondrous art collection. And it has all been put together for less than the price of a decent suit.

My most recent cover comes from May 1969. It shows a prominent artist of the time, who appears to be drowning in a tin of tomato soup. It is captioned, ‘The final decline and total collapse of the American avant-garde’. But in truth, the art of Andy Warhol has fared pretty well since then. Well, you can’t be right all the time.

— Financial Times

A man"s world more sophisticated than that of today

VINTAGE CAR FESTIVAL: Stony Stratford kick off the New Year with vintage car gathering

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Car lovers came out in force today for Stony Stratford’s vintage festival, proud owners from across the country visited Market Square to show off their cars, meet other enthusiasts and soak in the revved up atmosphere.

Many of the cars, vans and motorcycles were from the 1920s, this is the first year the event has allowed motorcycles to enter.

Awards such as best vintage car, oldest car and most coveted motorcycle were up for grabs and as well as winning a fancy red and blue badge the lucky owners got a bottle of scotch.

Winner of the best vintage car award Howard Wilcox said: “I didn’t know there was a festival on today, me and my family came down for the drive.

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“I am a collector of cars and bicycles and brought my 1935 Brough Superior because I was looking for a nice family car.”

The impressive black car looked like it had come straight out of Great Gatsby with many of the car enthusiasts flocking to catch a glimpse.

The 58-year-old from Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire said: “We’ve taken it all around England, to the south of France and the Alps.

“I find I get invited to a lot of weddings because people like using it for their wedding day.”

John Wallis and his 1924 Brough Superior MR403 motorcycle won most coveted bike award.

He said: “I was brought up on bikes, my father brought this one in 1961 and it cost ten shilling which is about 50p in today’s money.

“The Brough Superior range was the Rolls Royce of motorcycles. My bike turned 91-years-old last year.”

VINTAGE CAR FESTIVAL: Stony Stratford kick off the New Year with vintage car gathering

MANGROOMER Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver

MANGROOMER is “the essential do-it-yourself electric back hair shaver” for men. The unique patent pending design enables a man to remove unwanted back hair by himself in the privacy of his own home or while traveling. Every man should have the option to remove unwanted back hair easily by himself, privately, quickly, painlessly and inexpensively. MANGROOMER has a sleek, lightweight, compact design that folds flat for storage and travel and when needed opens easily and quickly for instant use. When the shaver is operated its unique patent pending design enables you to reach all areas of your back with ease. The handle is fully extendable and adjustable and locks into place at various lengths to reach even the most difficult middle and lower portions of the back for men of all sizes. Operates on just 2 AA batteriesThe Mangroomer Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Shaver is absolutely the best way to get rid of unwanted back hair. This one-of-a-kind device features a large 1.5-inch blade that enables you to shave larger areas of your back with ease. The Mangroomer’s cutting-edge blade design delivers extremely close and smooth results without the potential of ingrown hairs that are commonly caused by straight edge and foil shavers. And with the unique patent-pending design, the Mangroomer opens to a staggering 135-degrees so you can reach all areas of your back from different angles with ease.

Rid yourself of unsightly, unwanted back hair without waxing, chemicals, laser, or electrolysis — all from the comfort and privacy of your own home.

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Chemicals are also another viable option for hair removal, but it too comes with it’s own set of cons. With chemical treatment there is a chance that skin irritation and scarring may occur, and similar to waxing, chemical treatment must be applied by someone else. Chemical treatments are also notorious for noxious fumes that make for an uncomfortable and embarrassing hair loss treatment.

The third treatment option, laser/electrolysis hair removal, is very expensive and, similar to the other treatment options, it cannot be done in the comfort and privacy of your own home. It requires multiple treatments and does not stop the growth of any new hair, plus it doesn’t even guarantee that it will stop the hair growth of treated follicles. Combine these embarrassing option with expensive costs and you’ll see why some many people are switching to the Mangroomer.

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Chris Spagnoli of Q Smokin' Good Food talks barbecue and Indian Motorcycles

Chris Spagnoli and his business partner and father, Craig, opened Q Smokin’ Good Food in June of 2014. Read about the inspiration for the restaurant, the menu chock full of hickory smoked Southern comfort food and the reason for the rotating display of Indian Motorcycles.

Chris Spagnoli, co-owner of Q Smokin’ Good Food in Springfield.Shaina Mishkin 

Q: Where did the idea for the restaurant come from?

A: My wife, Sarah Anne. She’s from South Carolina and worked as a sous chef and baker for a long time. She said we needed good barbecue in this area. It’s like daily food down South and, since she’s living up here with our family, we went with that.

Q: The history of Springfield has made for a unique interior design for this place. Why was that choice important?

A: People hardly ever talk about the history of Springfield and we wanted a comfortable, industrial feel to reflect what was built here. Craig and I have been invested in Springfield since 2006, developing residential and commercial properties, so we’re not in it to just do the same old thing. We wanted something that would benefit the neighborhood. The Indian Motorcycle factory is across the street so we decided to play off of that and we have been lucky enough to have different collectors bring their bikes here to show off.

Q: What kind of bikes have you had here so far?

A: We had an Indian Scout from the late 1930s. Before that, we had a 1946 Chief and a 1949 Arrow. We had a custom-built Chief from Mike Bear, a local collector, that was in boxes and totally had to be restored. It’s fun to see the different bikes that were once produced right across the street and the collectors are excited because they get to show off.

Preparing bacon in the kitchen of Q Smokin’ Good Food in Springfield.Shaina Mishkin 

Q: Are there any family recipes on the menu?

A: Many of the recipes come from my wife. She grew up and worked down South so she knows the food. A sauce called “Mom’s Red” is my mother’s sauce, it’s a tomato based barbecue sauce. We’re used to having red sauce on everything up here but I never knew there were others, like mustard-based sauce or a vinegar-based, until I lived down there.

Q: There are Southern staples on the menu, like hush puppies, baked sweet potato and collards. What are some customer favorites?

A: A novelty item that people like is the cornbread sundae with pulled pork, cheddar, sour cream and scallions. Brisket and fried chicken platters are popular as is the baked mac & cheese and biscuits and sausage gravy. There are salads for folks who want those and a kids’ menu. We wanted a simple menu instead of one with like 30 pages that you flip through and don’t know if what you’re getting is frozen.

Q: What type of drinks can customers enjoy here?

A: Craft beer is very big here and we currently have twelve taps with draft craft. We don’t serve hard alcohol so we’re a restaurant with really good beer and wine. We make in-house sangria. It all pairs well with the food.

Q: How do you make the hummingbird cake on the dessert menu?

A: Hummingbird cake is my wife’s recipe and the biggest sweets seller. It’s a spice cake with pineapple and bananas, cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans.

A pile of hickory wood that will be used for the smoker at Q Smokin’ Good Food in Springfield.Shaina Mishkin 

Q: Tell a little about the crew you have working with you.

A: We have close to twenty staff. Dylan Middleton is my kitchen manager. I used to work with him out in Albany. He created a couple of menu items and does the daily specials. The meats are primarily me. My wife bought me a smoker when we used to live in North Carolina. I really got into it, times, temperature, smoke, all that stuff. Most of the other recipes, the rubs, sauces and side dishes, are all my wife.

Q: Any final words on barbecue?

A: Barbecue works well with all different pockets of people. It’s something that takes a long time to cook. It can be a quick lunch or an upscale dinner. It’s big portions of comfort food and delicious!

For more information about Q Smokin’ Good Food, visit qsmokingoodfood.com.

Chris Spagnoli of Q Smokin" Good Food talks barbecue and Indian Motorcycles

Shelby introduces 50th Anniversary 427 Cobra

Shelby American is celebrating the 50th birthday of the iconic big block Cobra with a limited-edition model.
Appropriately dubbed 50th Anniversary 427 Cobra, the roadster adopts a discreet appearance and it only stands out from a regular Cobra thanks to gold badges all around and 15-inch Shelby spec wheels. Cars built out of carbon fiber can exclusively be ordered in Guardsman Blue with Wimbledon white stripes, while cars crafted out of aluminum are available blue or in polished aluminum.

The interior has been upgraded with a special three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel and 50th anniversary floor mats. Vinyl upholstery comes standard and leather is available at an extra cost.

Shelby explains that it chose to pay homage to the big block Cobra because it is one of the most significant American sports cars ever built.

“The big block Shelby Cobra changed the way the world viewed American manufacturers when Carroll Shelby introduced it in January of 1965,” explained Jon Conway, Shelby’s co-CEO.

Set to debut at the Barrett-Jackson auction that will take place in Arizona next month, the commemorative Cobra will be limited to just 50 examples. The car will cost $119,995 when equipped with a fiberglass body or $179,995 when fitted with an aluminum body. The engine bay will be empty regardless of which body material is chosen, meaning buyers will have to source and install an engine and a transmission at an extra cost.

Shelby introduces 50th Anniversary 427 Cobra

UP Health System Portage hosting men's health expo

HANCOCK — With 2014 winding down, many people will be setting their New Year’s resolutions soon, and for men who want to work on fitness, UP Health System Portage is holding a special event next month.

The sixth annual Men’s Health Tune-Up will take place on January 17th at Hancock High School. The event gives an opportunity for men of all ages to get expert advice in the form of two keynote speakers: physician Dr. Tim LaBonte and neurologist Dr. Christian Dinsmore.

Wellness Coordinator Joni Erkkila says the event offers a lot of insight into many men’s health issues.

“I think it’s just a good opportunity for people to learn where their health is at so they can come in for their screenings: cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, bone density,” Erkkila said. “Find out where their health is and then from the presentations, they can learn about ways that they might be able to improve their health status.”

The cost of the event is $30, but space is limited. Registration will end January 9th.

For more information, head to portagehealth.org/menshealth.

UP Health System Portage hosting men"s health expo

Of Mice and Men

A controversial tale of friendship and tragedy during the Great Depression
 
They are an unlikely pair: George is “small and quick and dark of face”; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation.

Laborers in California’s dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie’s unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.

“A thriller, a gripping tale . . . that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick.” —The New York Times

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Stronger regulations for loud motorcycles needed

Qualicum Beach – Last summer I spent working along the beach in Qualicum Beach.The motorcycle traffic was huge and many without mufflers. I witnessed small children in strollers have their ear drums maybe blown up. The people with total disregard for others need to be stopped, yet after many complaints to the RCMP nothing was done. I suggest mayor and council in all towns contact Suzanne Anton to start regulating this serious problem.An easy fix would be to have all motorcycles go to ICBC claim centres for inspection of sound levels prior to having their insurance renewed and a stiff fine if any alterations to the mufflers are done after each inspection.Robert BerryQualicum Beach

© Nanaimo Daily News

Stronger regulations for loud motorcycles needed

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Norfolk man's First World War prison camp escape – with spoons!

Tim Luscombe has been researching his grandfather who was the last of 29 men who attempted to escape from Holzminden by means of a tunnel using spoons. Lieutenant Bernard Porter Luscombe served for the 9th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment with the Royal Field Artillery. Picture: Ian Burt

Rosa McMahon Monday, December 29, 2014
9:55 AM

It was certainly a Great Escape, even if it didn’t get the Hollywood treatment.

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Bernard Porter Luscombe with Mrs Henry (Ann) Harrison. Lieutenant Luscombe was one of 29 officers who escaped through tunnels they had built at the prisoner of war camp in Holzminden during the First World War. He was a cellist and very much behind the plan to set up a PoW orchestra to help disguise the sound of tunnelling. He was oringally form Hull, but lived in later years in Reepham and became a Reverend.

Wrapped in barbed wire, patrolled by ferocious dogs and guards, Holzminden was one the most notorious Prisoner of War camps in the First World War.

Yet a Norfolk man’s love of music and a determination to get home helped 29 prisoners scramble through the 54 metre-long tunnel, dug with spoons and mugs, to freedom.

Lieutenant Bernard Porter Luscombe was one of the last through the so-called ‘tunnel of freedom’ before it collapsed.

And although he and some others were re-captured days later, it is a tale which reads more like a film script than a family’s history.

Sketch of the escape

Tim Luscombe inherited a sketch from his grandfather called ‘Raging through the Rye’.

It was drawn by friend James Whale, of the Worcester Regiment, and later Hollywood director of Frankenstein, depicting the escape.

The pair had been in the Holzminden Camp together.

Now relatives are researching Lieutenant Luscombe’s part in the brave break-out. His builder grandson Tim Luscombe, 56, from Beeston Regis near Sheringham, said: “I was always told the story growing up. I would have loved to have known him, but he died when I was young so I never got a chance.

“Lately there’s been a lot of talk about the centenary of the First World War and we realised that our family’s story was fascinating.”

In his 20s and serving with the 9th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment with the Royal Field Artillery, Lieutenant Luscombe was captured and sent to the notorious German camp.

He had studied at the University of Cambridge before the First World War broke out and had honed his skills as an accomplished musician.

Notorious Holzminden Camp

Holzminden Camp was near Hanover opened in September 1917 and was the biggest camp for officers – it held about 550 officers and 150 orderlies.

There were 17 escape attempts in the first month alone, but all were unsuccessful.

The tunnellers of 1918 worked in three-hour shifts, in teams of three, using trowels, chisels, cutlery and anything else they could dig with.

The earth was moved in basins by a pulley system then hidden in the cellar roof.

About 60 prisoners were due to leave, but the tunnel collapsed stopping some of their runaway.

19 were caught and 10 made their way to Holland safely on foot.

During the months leading up to July 23, 1918, an escape committee was formed, maps, civilian clothes and digging tools were smuggled in and, under Lieutenant Luscombe’s direction, a camp orchestra was created to disguise the sound of tonnes of earth being moved.

It was an ingenious plan which saw friendships forged with Germans who helped them break free.

The tunnellers worked in three-hour shifts in teams of three for nine months, moving the mud in basins by a pulley system before hiding them in the cellar roof.

Cello player Lieutenant Luscombe formed the Holzminden Camp Orchestra and a network was created to track senior German officers’ movements in preparation for the escape.

A mailman became known to the soldiers as ‘the letter boy’, a man who supplied torches and was dubbed ‘the electric light boy’, and a female typist passed on information because she was infatuated with an airman.

When he reached the end of the tunnel he faced a guard, asleep with a rifle in hand.

“Leading up to the escape they must have been living on their nerves”, Mr Luscombe said. “At the end of the tunnel was a rye field, and they had to go through all of that rye to get out, just finding their way through. The feeling must have been euphoric.

“Once he had escaped, we know he was then out for two days and a night before he was re-captured.

“The story goes he was with his colleague walking down the road when a German soldier coming the other way said good morning to them in English. His friend said good morning back – and that’s when he was captured again.”

Lieutenant Luscombe’s daughter Margaret Rowe, 79, of Upton Road, Norwich, the youngest of three children, has also been researching her father’s life.

She believes he was one of the last of the 29 who attempted to flee Holzminden. About 10 of those managed to reach England.

As punishment Lieutenant Luscombe spent time in solitary confinement. He and the others who were re-captured spent only another month or two in the camp before the war was declared over.

He later moved to Norfolk to become a rector, starting in Reepham in 1933, then on to New Catton, Rackheath and Salhouse.

During the Second World War he served as a chaplain and even had several of his toes blown off at Dunkirk.

His final post as a rector was at Pulham Market, where he died aged 69 in 1960.

Do you have a fascinating story about your family? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk

Norfolk man"s First World War prison camp escape – with spoons!

Documentary shows dogs hitting the road as sidecar buddies

LOS ANGELES—Some silken-haired beauties are eager sidekicks to motorcycle riders, wind whipping their thick locks as passers-by watch the wild ride with envy. That is until the slobber starts.

These passengers are pooches—mastiffs, Labradors and Chihuahuas often clad in goggles and tiny leather jackets that fly along in blimp-shaped buckets attached to the side of motorcycles. They are set apart from other pets by speed instead of breed.

They are also the stars of “Sit Stay Ride: The Story of America’s Sidecar Dogs,” a documentary that was largely funded by an online crowdfunding campaign and gives a quarter of its proceeds to shelters and rescues. The movie is also available for free to any animal welfare agency wanting to screen it as a fundraiser.

The documentary by filmmaking couple Eric and Geneva Ristau is the unique story of 15 dogs and 18 riders who spend all the time they can on three wheels.

Ian Roper, 43, of Snohomish, Wash., and his bull mastiff, Bruce, love to take it easy on a slow ride. It’s a departure for Roper, who said he raced cars and motorcycles for years in Detroit and Snohomish, a city northeast of Seattle, to enjoy the speed and feel of the open air.

“It is much slower than a motorcycle, but it is a much more relaxed ride,” Roper said.

Bruce, who’s nearly 4 and weighs 135 pounds, keeps it interesting on the road. When they are in the forest, the dog will react if he detects a deer or other wildlife.

“He is tied in so he can’t run off, but he’ll stand up if he smells something interesting,” Roper said.

If tree branches hang over the road, “he will grab at leaves as they go by. When we get where we are going, the sidecar is half-full of leaves. It’s a game to him.”

Things get really fun when they come to a stop sign or park at a store and a crowd gathers around. Everyone is laughing and pointing at Bruce in his sweet ride. Then, the dog will start shaking his head, splattering slobber on the crowd or their cars. Smiles fade, people move away and cars drive off.

“I never really thought about a sidecar until I got a dog, but I will never be without one again,” Roper said.

They started their travels when Roper got Bruce as a puppy and decided it would be fun to hit the road with his dog. So the mechanical design engineer took classes and bought a $14,000 customized motorcycle–sidecar.

Don’t let the price tag scare you off, he says, anyone can get started for $6,000.

Roper has a stable of seven motorcycles—fast ones for his own use and the sidecar for Bruce, which has racked up 10,000 miles.

Riding with a dog is a different experience, he said. They can’t move around a lot or they will tip.

“Bruce leans into corners when we turn, and I would love to think he was doing that to help out, but I think he does it because he doesn’t want to fall over,” he said.

The Ristaus, of Missoula, Mont., spent nine months filming Roper and Bruce and the other riders in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington state.

They condensed about 50 hours of interviews into the finished film of 84 minutes.

When they started, the couple didn’t know they would get so hooked on the unique rides that they would get their own sidecar, too.

“The journey is the goal rather than the destination,” Eric Ristau said.

sidecardogs.com

© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Documentary shows dogs hitting the road as sidecar buddies

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