It's Christmas time, which means that it’s an important week for most people; it’s also been an important week for the Machen Miggly Moos. Not only have we had our award presentation evening, but the website, which has been running for about 2 months, has this week passed the milestone of obtaining 1000 ‘hits’, although I think that about 500 of these are down to Dez, who likes to log on regularly to look at the lovely pictures!! After enjoying the pictures, Dez was very excited, he has been telling everyone that his mother was going to buy him a dinosaur for Christmas, he kept on saying, ‘I heard my mother on the phone the other day and she was telling her friend that she had bought me a thesaurus for Christmas’!!! I hope you won’t be too disappointed Dez!

Wednesday’s ride was a quiet affair with most people ‘saving’ themselves for the following night’s awards, but it was a good ride with a lot of technical stuff thrown in, even though the trails were very muddy. When we eventually reached HQ, we found Ryan the Steam a bit worse for wear to say the least. In fact it was noted that we have never seen him in such a bad state before. Amongst other things, he led a one man charm offensive at Cunny and Quim, and then whilst trying to redeem himself, he proceeded to rearrange the Christmas decorations, one more strike and the ‘Steam’ is out! But if you’re going to be having a barbecue in the New Year, it is amazing what The Steam can do with a tin of Pledge and a lighter!

Thursday the 23rd has been in all the Moos minds for a long time, and the evening didn’t disappoint. It started early with myself and Ryan the Steam (with obligatory ‘tail between legs’) entering HQ to set up the awards. We were soon joined by the rest, in fact a cracking turn out of 18. There was however, one blot on the copy book (apart from Crock!) when it transpired that the rumours that have been circling of Kevin Gallon Harold Bishop’s cycling demise proved true. Although he has said for some time he was thinking about calling it a day, it was a disappointment that he didn’t turn up for the awards. The Gallon is an integral part of our club, and being the outgoing Vice Captain it was doubly disappointing that he wasn’t there. If we cannot persuade him to reverse his decision, I am sure you will all agree that we will miss the old Gallon swilling, carrot cake baking, peanut scoffing, sherry quaffing, uphill specialist that is Kev, but at the same time we wish him well in his new pastime of rambling……(from one pub to another!!!)

The Award ceremony got under way after the Captain was heard saying ‘let me get a few drinks down my neck first to settle my nerves’ I don’t know why because in what was his last act as Captain, he made an eloquent speech, and was applauded by all, not just for his address to the Moos, but for the superb job he has done all year.

There were a number of awards which are listed as follows;

• Rider of the Year - Anthony Ryan (Ryan the Steam)
• King of the Mountains - Gareth Williams (Gaz)
• Downhiller - Jon Greenhaf (Jock)
• Best Newcomer - Martyn Roberts (Marty)
• Worst Mechanic - Gordon Thornton (Scrippsy)
• Best Mechanic - Jonny Wright (Wrighty)
• Best Crash - Mark Howells (Owgie)
• Attendance - Owain Crockett (Crock)
• Victor Meldrew Award - Andrew Matthews (Dez)
• Plate Award - Kevin Piddington (Blip)

There was also Miggly Moo jerseys presented to Jeff Wherlock(Singlespeed), Kevin Piddington (Blip) and Nigel Bull (One Fork), with the Captain also receiving a shield in recognition of his work as our First Captain.

We also took the opportunity to appoint a new captain and vice captain. The voting was tight and in the end it was between Mark Owgie and Ryan the Steam, who finished level pegging. Scrippsy declared that it should be decided by a quick toss as it always seems to work for him, and after a quick flick of his wrist it was all over, with Mark ‘Owgie’ Howells declared captain for 2005, with Ant Ryan the Steam his able deputy. The Moos are now looking forward to having Captains Corner written with correct grammar and without spelling mistakes!!

After the formalities it was off to Cardiff for a night out and a curry. Jonny Wright looked the part having turned up looking like Will Young, but after Owgie had put his name up to sing Karaoke, he sounded more like Gareth Gates as he stuttered and stammered with fright at the prospect of having to sing!! Jeff Singlespeed did a good impression of a wino; he is now going to be drinking games secretary for next year!! And the Captain revelled in his last official engagement as leader. Time passes quickly when you’re having fun and it was soon time to return to HQ. As he lives in Cardiff, Marty wasn’t travelling the full distance back, but he was literally ‘dropped’ off on the way, for when the minibus stopped near his home, the door handle was broken on the inside, so he had to lean through the sliding window and open it from the outside, unlike his mind, quick as flash, Dez grabbed Marty’s legs and he was unceremoniously dumped on to the grass verge, but as the bus pulled away he seemed OK as he held up one finger to the departing Dez!!!

Back at HQ it was proving to be a night of 2 halves for ‘ poke in the eye boy’ Chrissie, for after being so excited in Cardiff, when he bumped into a look-alike of his father, (of which there is a photo in the gallery) he was know finding himself in a totally different frame of mind. He may like to think that he has film star looks, but he certainly wasn’t displaying any film star qualities when he decided to follow Ryan the Steam’s lead from the previous night, and give Cunny and Quim a hard time. He bit off more than he could chew with Cunny, who lashed him into submission with her acid tongue, until he was forced into a damage limitation exercise and under a barrage of abuse he decided to storm out. Although this didn’t go quite to plan either, as he chose the wrong door to ‘storm’ out of , and found that the door had been locked, he then had to do the walk of shame back past the boys and Cunny under a plethora of raucous laughter!! Well done Chrissie boy!

After this unforgettable performance most of the boys decided that it was time to bring a brilliant evening to a close, and led by the Captain we started to leave for home, but by the time he reached his house he only had Blip still in tow! Bit of a come down from the rabbit last week!!!