Thanks are due to Matt Wigley and Kevin Walker for their time and skill setting up the lighting rig !
Most recent stories appear first...
A tour of the Isle of Man is confirmed for early spring of 2009. Thanks to a healthy uptake from Isle of Man Primary schools, Inner Tuba will be pedalling extensively across the island. Once the remaining schools have confirmed bookings with Inner Tuba, an itinerary with dates will be posted on this site. Apologies for lack of updates in recent weeks - I've been up to my ears in building rubble at my house, ripping out walls, ceilings, floors kitchens and everything else ! The stripping out phase of the refurbishment is more or less complete, so thankfully I can concentrate once more on Inner Tuba. The Inner Tuba "rig" rolled back into Lancaster last Friday 20th May after 5 weeks of mostly fair weather cycling to perform 21 shows in venues as far apart as Leicester, Newcastle, Doncaster and Liverpool. Full report and photos to follow. In the meantime, thanks to all who helped me along the way, making this the best tour yet ! Inner Tuba To visit Leicester schools in May, and on 23rd will appear at the Phoenix Arts Centre, Leicester.
The centre will be showing cycle themed films to schoolchildren from Leicester, all of whom will "Mass ride" to the event. Inner Tuba will pedal South for the event,
extending the "Bike It" Northern England tour (see entry below) into the East Midland region. Click here for a detailed Itinerary. 
Inner Tuba will be on the road thanks to continued support from "Bike It", the
Sustrans
initiative which does much to encourage children to cycle to school. Setting off from Lancaster in early May, Inner Tuba will
be pedalling to "Bike It" schools in Liverpool, Bury, Rochdale, Doncaster and Gateshead.
Opportunities exist for your venue to be included in the itinerary - Contact Inner Tuba to find out more... Inner Tuba webhosts
morecambe.net internet services have generously offered to assist Inner Tuba in a major overhaul of this site.
The site will have a new look, and, with the latest text and audio uploading technology will be much easier to update regularly. Visit again soon !A major full colour article entitled Travels with a Tuba appeared in issue 27 of Velovision Magazine.
Visit www.velovision.co.uk to order your copy ! A tour from Kent to Lancaster started on 11th September 2007. Inner Tuba
visited schools in East and West Kent, Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and Lancashire - pedalling all the way ! Click here for a detailed Itinerary. Inspired Cycle Engineering generously extend sponsorhip. ICE, The premier recumbent trike (and bike too now !)
manufacturer continue their support of Inner Tuba. Their Trice Mini has been proven to be Inner Tuba's vehicle of choice, so its great news that
it will be out and about on forthcoming tours... Pavilion Insurance Management follow suit. Inner Tuba is delighted that the complex insurance needs of Inner Tuba are once
again secure, with generous cover from the company's Cycleguard, Musicguard and Photoguard insurance products. Carry Freedom Trailers to offer expertise to Inner Tuba. En route from Lancaster to the Western Isles in March, Inner Tuba
visited the Carry Freedom HQ in Ayrshire. The company manufacture the excellent "City" and "Y" cycle trailers, and custom models to order. Nick Lobnitz,
mechanical engineer and Director of Carry Freedom, has kindly offered to advise on possible improvements to the Inner Tuba trailer. A visit is planned in
a few weeks. Robin Goodhand, electronics expert, works on Inner Tuba renewable energy systems. On arrival in Stornoway, Robin enthusiastically set
to work analysing Inner Tuba's electronics systems. As a Renewable Energies lecturer and research scientist based at Lews Castle College
(a campus of The University of the Highlands and Islands) he is well qualified to offer his skills to Inner Tuba, and his input is very welcome. His Initial
assessment suggests that the existing system is working well. Improvements can be made by
increasing the size and electricity output from solar panels (Photovoltaic cells) and exploring alternatives to the lead acid battery currently in use. Beyond this,
he suggests that data logging of electrical power generation and consumption whilst
on the move would be good, along with with an easy to understand display of this to show to Primary school pupils during schools presentations. 
Island Hopping tour of Western Scotland completed...
Inner Tuba set off from Gretna (on the England Scotland border) on Sunday 4th March, and rolled in to Stornoway, Western Isles 19 days later. Between times 13 performances were given in 12 schools
along the way. For the most part the weather was challenging, and, sadly, due to ferry cancellations in force 11 gales, schools on the
Isle of Barra missed out on shows. Maybe another time !
A new Inner Tuba trailer has its first public appearance.
Special thanks to sheet metal man
Bob Lewney for the build of both trailer no 1 (back in the late 80's) and its replacement. 5 weeks "on the road" confirmed for early 2007...
16th February - 2nd March: Visits to 10 Lancaster "Bike It" schools. 2nd - 15th March - Jon to cycle the Inner Tuba Rig 400 miles from Lancaster to Western Isles... 16th to 23rd March - Part2 of
The Western Isles Tour. Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE) sponsor Inner Tuba
Following friendly and fruitful discussions Chris and Neil at the Cyclists Touring Club York Rally,
ICE are now preparing an example of their world class recumbent
trikes for use on Inner Tuba tours.
Ideally suited to Inner Tuba, ICE's Trice Mini is the perfect model to
showcase to audiences, the press and media - the ultimate human powered vehicle for the job...
Inner Tuba to tour to Western Isles.
Teachers have given Inner Tuba the green light to pedal to schools the length and breadth
of the beautiful and challenging Outer Hebrides. With generous financial support from the Department
of Education, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Inner Tuba
will visit 15 Western Isles schools, 28th August - 8th September 2006. The exact itinerary is
still at planning stage, but will take a more or
less circular route beginning and ending in Stornoway. Keep visiting this site to learn
of developments. Inner Tuba wins grant funding to visit schools.
Readers from a "Cycling" background may well be aware that Lancaster has been nominated as one
of 6 Cycling Demonstration Towns across England. With the award confirmed, pupils from 10 "Bike It"
schools in the Lancaster district will benefit from visits from Inner Tuba over the coming winter.
For more information about Lancaster's initiatives to celebrate an encourage cycling by people of
all ages visit
www.celebratingcycling.org Inner Tuba well received in schools in Northern Ireland and Lancashire
- see previous entry for itinerary, dates and venues. Inner Tuba was blessed with great weather for
crossing the beautiful Mourne Mountains en route to Belfast. Jon was made very welcome at all venues,
and newspaper and radio coverage was high both in N Ireland and at home, thanks to interest from BBC Radios Ulster
and lancashire. Thanks to the many who helped "Make it happen". Full report and photos to follow...
Inner Tuba to play Schools In Lancashire and Northern
Ireland 12th - 16th September. With support from Seatruck Ferries
Inner Tuba will set sail from Heysham to
Warrenpoint in time to arrive at Kilbroney Integrated Primary School, (9.30AM) Rostrevor, for
morning assembly, Monday 12th September. An Invitation to Inner Tuba from Newcastle upon Tyne...
Hot on the heels of "2Move", Inner Tuba will set off to pedal the challenging route
across the North Pennines to Newcastle. On arrival he will be in the City Centre to promote and
participate in the Newcastle "In Town without my Car" event on Saturday 24th September.
Look out for Inner Tuba at the 2Move Festival. Sept 18th
Jon Hodkin will cycle the Inner Tuba "Rig" to Avenham Park, Preston, where it will be exhibited
throughout the day ! Don't miss Jon performing with Boclown in Bo and
Blow's Music Show - a cycling act with a difference !
Pendle Bike Show, Lancashire. July 24th. The InnerTuba
recumbent trike and trailer attracted lots of interest from visitors to the exhibition
marquee at Pendle Bike Show. Jon Hodkin was on hand to answer questions - when not
performing with Boclown in Bo and Blow's Pirate Show.
Pavilion Insurance Management Ltd sponsors
performances in schools. Inner Tuba pedalled 200 plus miles to play at Tyneside and Warwickshire junior and
secondary schools. The tour attracted press and media attention, as well as super feedback from pupils and teachers.
A full webpage all about Inner Tuba Touring, Summer 05, is being built.
Visit now to see work in progress...
En route from York, Inner Tuba performed at Botton Village, North Yorkshire, 29th June.
The village is one
of an international network of Camphill Communities in which people with
and without disabilities live together in mutual support. At Botton Village,
Inner Tuba performed to a select and attentive group of older residents and children. It was a testing climb across the North York Moors
to get there - but well worth it !!
Cyclists' Touring club of Great Britain Annual Rally, York. June 26th. Jon Hodkin pedalled
the Inner Tuba rig from Lancaster to York, exhibited the Inner Tuba Rig and gave performances of the "Bo and Blow" show with Boclown.
He then continued cycling
to Newcastle on Tyne for further performances with Boclown.
15th June: Inner Tuba performed at
Bleasedale House School, Silverdale, Lancashire. After a successful presentation about 3 years ago, this centre of excellence
for children with special needs invited Inner Tuba to return... Seatruck Ferries
is welcomed as new sponsors to Inner Tuba. In association with Seatruck, Inner Tuba to give performances
at schools in England and Northern Ireland in September. Inner Tuba teams up for joint performances with Bo the Clown...
.... Inner Tuba is back on the road
again ....