ASB Members did not have an organised ride during August due the extreme high temperatures. Instead a well attended social lunch was organised my Mike Sanders on the shaded terrace at the Moto Clube de Faro.

The next events will be the Sept 14/15/16 World Superbike Championship Racing at the Autodromo do Algarve, in Portimão and Sept 20th ride through the hills, starting from Sao Bras de Alportel, finishing with a BBQ lunch at the Cooperative at Montes Novas.

Although no lives were lost during the Monchique fires, there were injuries, houses and other properties destroyed or damaged; considerable destruction to the environment; death and injury of animals; people who have lost their homes and were displaced, and livelihoods destroyed, writes David Thomas of Safe Communities Portugal.

Not only physical damage, but also psychological damage to those who lived through this terrifying ordeal.

ASB riders turned up at our new meeting point “A Choupana” restaurant on the N125 near Odiáxere for our July rideout. The first part of the ride was to Sao Teotónio via Casais and Marmelete. We parked on the main square with the beautiful white and blue church at the side and enjoyed coffee (and cake) at the cafe on the square whilst the locals had a good look at all the bikes.

Rotary Club Estoi Palace International (RCEPI) held its Presidential Handover in Faro on Friday, 29th June with almost 100 guests including representatives from other Algarve Rotary Clubs listened to Manuela Robinson as outgoing President reflect on her year in office. The Club raised 27.000 euros of which the majority was spent on improving the lives of the local community.

Those of us who know and love the television comedy The Vicar of Dibley might have had some reservations about a stage play with the same loved characters. Well, those of you who missed it, missed it! This was something unexpectedly wonderful!

Who would have thought that here in the Algarve we would meet such carefully studied representations of those beloved folk – Thank you The Algarveans Experimental Theatre - the casting was excellent. I felt that I was at home watching an episode on the television!

The Algarve Senior Bikers group was founded in June 2010 as a result of an idea of David Shirley. To celebrate the 8th anniversary one group of riders set out to ride through the eastern Algarve and a second group started in the west. Both groups arrived in the central Algarve at Benafim for a celebratory lunch at Restaurant O Hamburgo on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far.

At Porches Pottery on Tuesday 29th May, the outgoing chairman of the St.Patrick's Society, Jim Brownlow and his wife Deirdre, were presented with a gift of a plant pot and matching pair of lanterns in honour of many years of excellent service to the society.

On Friday 18th of May and Monday 21st of  May, the Algarve Senior Bikers put on two special rides for a group of visiting riders from Scotland.
On Friday the ride started in Paderne and after a long tour through the mountains into the lower Alentejo finished with a superb BBQ lunch including a marvellous selection of desserts at the Cooperativa in Montes Novas near to Baranco Velho.
Stops were made along the way at various viewpoints and for refreshments.