A New Beginning

[Dave Parry]

The LMA website as we know it is coming to an end. This site has served us well over the years and has been a wealth of information to many from all over the world, and although we will be sad to see it go, we will also be rejoicing in the fact it is being replaced with a modern slick new look and feel to the LMA’s window on the world.

This has been twelve months in the planning, and of course not everything will be running at full capacity just yet. You might call it a beta version to test it is fit for purpose.

Let’s just go back to the current site for a minute. This website was created by Chris Bland back in the 90’s and was very popular for many years, but as time has moved on the website hasn’t and it has become more and more difficult to maintain. Posting up an event is a mammoth task, as you have to create tables to house the pictures and text which doesn’t always line up these days with the choice of browsers you can now use. Couple that with the limited access to update anything when away at a show if an event changes for whatever reason, and we have a site not fit for purpose anymore in this modern age of technology, where most people have internet access 24/7 at their finger tips.

So I hope you will join me in thanking Chris for creating this website that has kept us on the World Wide Web for all these years, and thanks must also go to Robin Woodhead who took the reins from Chris and continued the running of the website, and also created the forum we are using today. I of course am the current keeper of our beloved website and forum, and am responsible for the creation of our new website to come in the next week or two.
Although I haven’t built the site as the workload would have been too much, I have been directly involved in the setting up and features the new site will have, with input and approval of the committee at each stage.

Team Valley Printers, who publish and distribute our Journal are the ones who have built our new site. They will also be hosting it for us and have promised to have hands on in every step of developing the new site.

Some new feature to look forward to:

- Forum login and latest posts shown live on the website home page
- Larger clearer monthly pictures
- Live feeds to our Facebook and Twitter pages
- Up and coming event calendar
- Member’s videos posted by you
- Online pilots and public camping forms
- Online membership and renewal

Please bear in mind not all of these will be up and running yet, but it all should be done in time for 2014.

PS... My last ever monthly website update on our current website has just been uploaded.

[Paul Savage 1568]

I think I speak for everyone Dave when I say a job very well done and thank you for all your efforts. I have had a few years of administrating a complex and comprehensive website and can therefore fully appreciate the number of hours and the determination it takes to keep a website both up to date and looking fresh.

Time for you to sit back and enjoy a well earned rest.

Paul.

[Alan Cantwell 1131]

Dave, i hope new site will give you more time off, to actually ENJOY this hobby, many thanks for all the past efforts, and if the new site is anything like the superb journal, then we are in for a REET TREET , cheers bud, i will shake your hand when i see you at our secret location,

[Dave Parry]

Hi all, I have been informed Team Valley printers (our new server providers) that we will have some downtime of around 24 hours as we move over to them, this is planned for next Tuesday 8th October, once complete the new site should be up and running. I will keep you update, we apologise for this inconvenience but it is unavoidable.

Paul, Alan thankyou for you kind words and support, I really do appreciate it.

I will be fully involved with the day to day running of the new site until I feel it is time to pass it over and take a less active role. I want to concentrate my efforts on the running of the Journal, I will however still do a monthly website update for the time being as I feel it has been well received over the last couple of years and is something like an online newsletter keeping everybody up to date with what is going on.

Please keep checking back for updates on the progress of the up and coming website.

[paul needham]

Dave, would like to say thanks to yourself, Chris and Robin for building and running this website and forum. Heres looking forward to the future with the new site.

[Dave Parry]

Hi all,
The final tweaks and updates are being done to the new website today. As mentioned in an earlier post not all the site and its functions will be running at full strength yet and new thing will be added over the coming months. To say we are all nervous is an understatement, this has been twelve months in the planning and of course it is replacing a well known and trusted site.

The reason for launching it now instead of when it is completed is down to timing, our current sever provides contract is due for renewal, so we see no reason to renew the contract when our new site would have been live in another month or two.

So I ask you all to be a little tolerant with the new site as I am sure there will be some hiccups and bloomers somewhere. This is a massive site and a lot of work has gone into recreating it on a modern format. We have already experienced compatibility problems with the likes of windows 8 touch screens; the team are working around the clock to resolve these issues before the launch tomorrow.

Tomorrow 8th October, when the transfer begins there will be a holding page transmitted on our domain name, when you see this, you will have no access to the LMA Website/ Forum, this could take up to 24 hours to complete, we can only apologise for this inconvenience, we hope you will all be patience.

[barrie burton]

Like it

Barrie B

[RichardVaughanDavies]

So do I, nice one guys.

Richard

[James Stewart]

Very nice lads, a job well done. Very well laid out and professional indeed. I like alot haha.

[Dave Smith]

Ditto on a job well done chaps - crisp, clean and fast to download.

[richard armstrong]

outstanding dave

what a nice job done,

cleaner and easier to navigate, looking Sharpe

by the way i work in IT, from one pro to another a BIG WELL DONE FROM ME

[andywynn]

Nice
Great job Diggers

[Dave Parry]

Thanks:

It just remains for me to say a big thank you to all the team at Team Valley Group for making this fantastic website a reality. Their hard work and dedication in getting this mammoth task done before time is a credit to the company that also produce our wonderful Journal and now has produced this website for us all to enjoy.

[chris willis]

Well done to all involved, looks very smart the front page, can we have an update on things like gallery, I'm sure most members have a nice picture of themselves with their plane, it would be nice to put a face and model together.
Chris

[Dave Parry]

Chris, I am hoping members will submit some new material for the website to bring it bang up to date. Fingers Crossed.

[chris willis]

Yes well done Dave, I will send you one and hope many will follow.

[Ken Bones]

Wow! Nice one and Thankyou for all the effort put into this for all of us.

Bonzey

[Alan Cantwell 1131]

Well, arnt WE posh, looking good very good,

[paul needham]

Looks good mate, well done to all involved.

[Phil Clark]

Nice job......looks good

Phil