Hi All,
Well, we are just 14 days away from the launch of my new adventure travel book, Tortillas to Totems, at the Ace Cafe in London. We are kicking off at 11am on Saturday the 18th of September.

I'm posting here though because it occurred to us that getting a bunch of overland enthusiasts together in one place is a really good opportunity to do some good. So we decided to organise a raffle in aid of Motorcycle Outreach. If you've been at the HU Ripley Meets over the last couple of years then you'll already know something about them. If not, then please do click on the link to find out more. Its a very worthwhile charity for anyone with motorcycles and travel in mind.

When you get to the book launch you'll find a table stacked high with raffle prizes. You can buy your tickets there from Road Kill Danny, or out and about from Nikki, Robyn, Lisa and Cogs - they will be easy to find as they will all be wearing Tortillas to Totems launch T-Shirts.

To encourage you to come prepared, this is the list of prizes we have on offer to date. And I have to comment on how amazed we are at the generosity of all the people and companies who have stumped up prizes. Thanks to all of you. Here goes with the list so far:








Voucher for a set of AVON tyres – you choose! Come and talk to Avon on their stand at the Tortillas to Totems launch.
Camera from Robert White Photographic – A fantastic bit of travel kit. Come and talk to Robert White Photographic staff on their stand at the launch.
Metal Mule voucher redeemable against Metal Mule product – great deal. Come and talk to Metal Mule on their stand at the launch.
Function 2 BMW backpack – waterproof and decidedly rugged.
Motorcycle Jacket – warm, safe and dry
Full length Rain suit – yup, winters coming
Orkney Winter Glove from Held – a pair of the best gloves I’ve ever tried
Voucher for 50% off any Stahlkoffer products & accessories - excellent
Rugged Roads Voucher for £50.00 for use at their online shop – really handy.
U TAG ICE (memory stick) – something a biker shouldn’t be without
Bike 2 Bike Intercom for open face helmets – ready for next summer
Top Gear signed and framed photo – the guys couldn’t make it so…
3 x Riders Digest Subscriptions
5 x Adventure Bike Rider Subscriptions
DVD Moto Siberia
DVD Mondo Enduro
DVD Terra Circa
DVDs 3 from Touratech
Travel Book - Tea with Bin Laden’s Brother by Simon Roberts
Travel Book - Sorebums by Simon and Georgie McCarthy
Travel Book - Lois on the Loose by Lois Pryce
Travel Book - Red Tape and White Knuckles by Lois Pryce
Travel Book - Timbuktu by Nick Sanders
Travel Book - Biker Britain by Nick Sanders
Travel Book - Parallel World by Nick Sanders
Travel Book - Parallel Coast by Nick Sanders
Travel Book - Biker Billy’s Cookbook
Travel Book - Building the ultimate Adventure Motorcycle by Robert Wicks
Travel Book - Adventure Motorcycling by Robert Wicks
Travel Book - Adventure Riding Techniques by Robert Wicks
Travel Book - The Hunt for Puerto del Fagiloli by Paddy Tyson
Travel Set of Books by Iain Mutch
Travel Set of books - Into Africa, Under Asian Skies, Distant Suns, Tortillas to Totems by Sam
And much, much more…

And now, the new prizes for the Motorcycle Outreach Raffle at the Tortillas to Totems launch at the Ace Café, which have arrived with us or pledged today:

10 x Horizons Unlimited DVD's - two each from the series "The Achievable Dream - the Motorcycle Adventure Travel Guide"
4 Metal screw-top “Stahlkoffer” fluid container with fitting to fix it onto metal pannier, one silver, one blue, one black, one red
2 Cotswold outdoor fold-up “Frisbee”/ flying disc in little bags
1 x “Source” brand hydration pack with side pockets and extra small zipped pouch, similar to this one: Donated by Traveldri-Plus
2 x boxes 333g/11.7 oz Thorntons Milk Chocolate Selection
1 x box Thorntons 430g / 15.15 oz premium collection
1 x certificate entitling the holder to one night/two people at Moto Camp Bulgaria, “a motel with cosy rooms”: Moto Camp Bulgaria | MotoSapiense
1 x copy “Long Way Down”
1 x copy “Visions of Wanderlust – the world of travel photography”
1 x copy “Ride Guide to America Vol.2” – the AMA’s guide to favorite [sic] motorcycle tours in the USA”
1 x tyre, Michelin Sirac 120/80 18*








I hope you can make it to the launch.
All the best,
Sam

Sam Manicom : Adventure Motorcycle Travel Books for more info

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Am off that day yipee I intend to be there!
I see Susan & Grant will be there look forward to meeting them as well.

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

Terrific! Looking forward to seeing you.
Cheers for now,
Sam

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Sam have emaild the Assoc to see if we can get a bit more intrest
My freind told me nothing on Ace web site?

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

Morning : )
That's great news. I'm chuffed that you are up for helping out.

Hmm, the Ace? Not sure where your friend was looking. The Ace have got the info here Welcome to the Ace Cafe London Home Page Viewers scroll down the date - the 18th - and then click on the link for more info.

Thanks again.
Catch you soon.
Cheers,
Sam

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must admit did not looked myself just done so, it say's 12pm you will know it's me dont worry lol
looking forward to meeting Susan & Grant as well.

btw how much are the raffle tickets?

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

Morning Selous,
Yup, I saw that they had 12 marked as the signing. Long story, but as they say, we will be kicking off around 11am. Got to be there at 7.30 to set up - that'll be fun - so we might as well go for it earlier than originally planned. There's plenty going on...

And its great that Grant and Susan are going to be there. Phew have they had a busy summer bouncing around doing Meets all over the place. Have you seen any of the HU DVDs yet - really good!

Which reminds me:
New prizes in today!
Pacsafe 120 luggage security cage from Traveldri-Plus
£50 gift voucher from Motorworks
Puncture repair kit from Two Wheel Trekkers
That list of prizes just gets bigger and bigger doesn't it. Brilliant eh

But you asked about the ticket price. With prizes like we have on the full list, we think a pound a ticket is about right. I shall be buying a heap of tickets but I shall have to find someone to hold the tickets for me, and to pick up any winnings. Otherwise the Ace Cafe is going to ring with the sounds of 'FIX' Can't have that eh.

Catch you soon.
Cheers,
Sam

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Hi Sam
Hope you're getting better. What time will you finish? I'm at Mallory Park for the Triumph 20th Aniversary thing earlier in the day. Depending on if I can sort friends to visit in the Smoke on Sat night, I could try to make it to the Ace too.

cheers
Chris

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TBS.com

Im supposed to be at the BMF show but I am seeing if I can arrange to go to the ACE first, hope you are well Sam.
What else do you have planned for the day the Ace site is, shall we say, not very helpful.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

Raised my First Namibian Windhoek to you Sam, as promised at the BMF, and it tasted great!!. Hoping to do the same as Trix, come down to the Ace before going to the BMF Tailend Show. Looking forward to getting the next installment 'Tortillas to Totems'.

Hi Sam,
Yes did wonder, 11 might be a bit too early for me as i finish shift at 04 in the morning & I need my beuty sleep! lol
I look forward to meeting Susan & Grant, I should think they would know me as yes I have the full set of DVD's really good, even better for me as I am Mild Dyslexic so it takes a while to type or read anything as Spell checker is a good thing but not correct for grammar & if I just accept some words if spell wrong.

And trying to get talking books on this sort of subject is nil! as most are published privately & work out quite expensive, so sometimes dvd's are just as good.
Yes a £ is cool only asked as I was at one event wanted £5 per raffle!

As i said am intending to come have sent e-mails out to all the UK Chapters of the Bike Assoc. I belong too & the HU communalitys I am in.

See you there.

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

Hi Chris, Great to hear from you. I wondered if you'd be heading down to Mallory. Should be a good day there. But what time are we finishing? About 4pm. I think we will have run out of steam by then and I'm guessing that people will be wanting to head off home at that sort of time. Especially the people who have travelled a long way. Did you hear that a couple of guys rode all the way from the Lake District to the launch of Distant Suns at the Ace. Brilliant eh.

Anyway, I hope you can make it to the launch. It'll be great to see you. Shame I didn't make it to the Meet at Lumb Farm this year but great excuse eh. Oh, and yes, I'm dong really well thanks. Just made it through the first 3 months which is the major risk period for rejection. G&T tonight methinks - just a small one though. Don't want to get the new plumbing too excited

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Hi Trix,
Good to hear from you It'll be great to see you at the Ace if you can make it on the way to Tail End.

What's happening? If people get there early enough they can treat themselves to one of the Ace Cafe's famous breakfasts! I shall be indulging that's for sure. Of course the Ace will be serving up their usual high standard of nosh right the way through the day.

Kick off at 11am. Steve McGill with be up on stage for a session. Have you heard him play and sing yet? The first time I saw him was at a Moto Guzzi rally where I was doing a presentation. Steve was so good that the actually had people dancing on the tables - not something that Ace would be happy about mind Nuff to say that Steve works magic with an acoustic guitar and has a superb voice.

I'll be doing a bit of a natter around 12. It'll be short though as I don't want to bore people too much

We'll be book signing right the way through, oh and we have 2 completely unique t-shirt designs that I think people are going to like.

During this time the guys are going to be selling raffle tickets. We have even more prizes in now. Well over 60.

Mike Carter and Elspeth Beard will draw the raffle around 2pm. Really interesting those two. They will be around much earlier so people can grab them for a natter.

There will be several other well known travelly people around but I'm not spilling the beans yet. Well, they are travelling types so who knows it they will have decided to escape during the week

The team who have worked to put the book together, Paul (Editor) Fil (Designer) Nikki (Proofreader) Iain (master of the dark arts - websitey stuff I mean) and Birgit (amazing travel companion, and hugely patient supportive person - how many versions of T2T did she have to listen through?) will all be there for people to snag and natter to. It's a great chance to find out what goes on with bringing a book to launch stage.

There are going to be several people from the bike press there too, including the editor for the new mag Adventure Bike Rider.

Oh and as a comlete bonus, the UK Dune Buggie club are going to be there. I can't wait to see those cars. It's a real California connection eh.

Grant and Susan, Avon Tyres, Robert White Photographic and Metal Mule will be there with stands and there will be several other companies around for people to chat to. These guys will be there right through the day.

Steve McGill will do several more sessions durng the course of the day.

Hmmm, Sam has been his usual long winded self when answering a streight forward question. Sorry about that. But it is lining up to be a really buzzy day Hope you can make it!
Cheers,
Sam

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Brilliant Jaydub
Glad you made it, and that you remembered the 'Winhoek' bit chug
It'll be great to see you at the lanuch - looking forward to hearing how the trip went! I did promise you the lot for that didn't I - don't forget to snag it from me
Catch you soon.
Cheers,
Sam

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Cheers for now,
Sam

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