#040 - 1953 - Trips and Holidays

I was still managing to race performing reasonably well in the two Track Leagues at Derby and Nottingham. But the business curtailed training time, although as a family we were going walking on Sundays mainly in the Peak District especially to the Kinder Scout area. On one particular Sunday we came to Hope and found a rough track going up Win Hill, the track on the map looked as though we could get to the Snake Pass, we opened several gates, the track getting ever narrower so nearly at the top the track was too rough to negotiate.

To turn round I had to put on full lock, drive to the edge of a precipice, then Carol, Jean and brother in law Keith pushed the van sideways as it skidded on the wet grass. We left the van there and walked up Crookstone Knoll then round Kinder downfall and so returning to the van for our lunch. Halfway thro lunch, a party of ramblers came up from the direction of the Snake Pass, on passing us one of them kept looking round at us in the van. After passing us about 100yds he came running back towards us, I opened the window to speak to him when he said “how the b……. hell have got up here in that” he could not envisage we had turned the van round because it did look as if we had come up from the Snake - what a laugh we had.

Easter that year found Carol, Keith, his son David and I staying in a farm in the vale of Llanberris. We did not leave Long Eaton until after 7 o’clock and so arrived at the farm late, the family were in bed and we had to exist in the car all night until the farmer’s wife luckily got up early and cooked us breakfast seemly to be upset that she had not waited up for us. We left after breakfast to Llanberris leaving the car near the mountain railway station, at that time it looked like a Swiss cottage in its natural wood (I was to visit here in 1990 and I saw to my regret that the building had been painted hideously in red and blue). We walked up Snowdon on the railway path, this was our first walk in the mountains and we had ordinary clothes, Sports coat and flannels and raincoats, it rained and blew all the way up, when we reached the top all was deserted - even the café looked closed and we were all about shattered. Anyway I tried the Café door and it opened what a sigh of relief there was. We were the first up there, we stripped off our wet clothes and hung them up to dry. Whist we were doing this in walked three “puka” climbers kitted out in all the latest gear - said to the Café owner “We are first up again then” and on seeing us they exclaimed “is the railway running ?” No, we chorused , we felt quite proud. On the descent it rained all way, the clouds were well down so we had no views at all. At the bottom the van was on the other side of the river so to miss about 1 mile detour we walked through the river - we could not get any wetter. On our return to the farm the wife fed us superbly and also lent us dry clothes. It was still early so we had a look at Snowdon Ranger youth hostel then on to Cricceith Castle, the sun came out and the scenery was super.

Later in 1953 we entered a road race at Esholt Park between Leeds and Bradford , the trusty Morris getting us there. The course was about 3 miles round with one fairly steep hill of 6oo yards, the back straight wended its way through a sewage farm, the huge flies and the smell was revolting, the race was won by Brian Haskell with his Huddersfield R.C. winning the team, we were well down vowing never to ride there ever again.

October 1953 saw us in the old Bedford Van having accepted an invitation by the Huddersfield R.C. to attend their annual dance, this was held in the Town Hall in Huddersfield, Bill Henshaw and Dennis Thomas and I were invited and we each stayed at various members homes, Bill with Tom Oldfield and Dennis Thomas and I with Gran Hayley. We were late getting there as going over the moors we had electrical trouble with the van. - no lights or ignition, luckily we had a coil of light wire which we connected to the positive terminal on the battery then to the positive on the HT coil, much to our amazement the van started. After a good night at the dance we remembered we had entered the Huddersfield R,C. hill climb that started at Holmfirth to finish near the T.V. mast at the top of Holme Moss, after the dance the night before we were in no shape to do a ride and it was no surprise that we all packed before the summit. The van behaved perfectly on the way home over Strines moor then past Derwent dams and so home. We finished 1953 by doing many long Sunday runs, two of them over the Snake Pass.

#039 Back to Work

On our return from Ireland (May 1953) the shop was very busy, We were appointed Main Agents for N.S.U . Motorcycles and the famous “Quickly” Mopeds, these were delivered in containers of 24, they were so popular, most were sold before the crates were open. After filling in licence forms etc it was off to Derby for the road fund license. We also had the Greeves and Lambretta Scooter Agency and had built up quite a good business for spares especially for the “goodies” for scooters, these were chrome leg guards/spot lights/ fairings/ carriers and other enhancements that took the youngsters fancy to personalise their machine.

We had to have a day when we collected parts from London. And we would leave Long Eaton about 9am, a ‘short cut’ had been sussed out through London - over the Vauxhall Bridge to Camberwell, on thro’ Dulwich, a toll road up to Crystal Palace, on to the A23 and so to Lambretta at Croydon in one of the old Airport buildings. Orders were left there for us to pick up before 5.30 p.m. the same day. Next stop was NSU at Hammersmith. Arriving there via Putney, past W.F. Holdsworth Cycle Shop and so over Hammersmith Bridge and to NSU, here we had to leave our spares order for collection later. Occasionally we had to go down to Southend to collect parts from Greeves Motorcycles at Thundersly just off the A3.

We had now acquired a new Ford Transit Van and this was a vast improvement on the Bedford van and the series E Morris 8. (We actually carried Lambretta frames in the Morris 8, all we had to do was remove the passenger front seat. With all the parts collected we came back in like Christmas trees, just enough room for the driver, luckily we had no mechanical trouble).

I remember one day with the new Ford “Thames” van loaded up to the roof when the bottom hose blew, although this hose is in a very awkward spot I did manage to get it off, I walked to the nearest emergency phone box, rang the A.A. and along came a breakdown truck, he had every bottom hose but the one we wanted! it was too late to do anything about it so there was no option but to stay the night until the local Ford stockist opened at 8am. I was away 10am and back at the shop by 12 noon where I was confronted with a queue of customers waiting for these parts and special Lambretta accessories. We did not have much trouble with transport, the only occasion apart from the blown hose was in 1960 when we bought a new Morris 1800 cc “Land Crab” .

I was driving towards Putney bridge when on changing down to negotiate the left hand turn to take me along side the south of the Thames, there was aloud bang a piece of metal came through the top of the bonnet. I got out of the car, crawled underneath and found that the clutch thrust plate bearing had crashed through its housing, also from underneath the car, I could see the long queue of traffic which I was holding up. As the car was still on the descent I let it roll down the hill towards Putney Bridge. I engaged top gear and it fired, I was then able to drive from there to Staples Corner at Hendon just prior to the M1, but the traffic lights stopped me and the car was on an up gradient. I rang the AA and out came an Irish lad with a Land Rover. After a technical discussion we suggested he drive the 1800, while I and his girlfriend who had accompanied him on the call-out, push started the car, then he drove the 1800 on to the M1 with me following in his Land Rover.

He negotiated on to the M1 stopping at a down gradient where we changed drivers and he and his girlfriend gave me a push. All he wanted was £5 tip. It was then more by luck than judgement that I was able to drive the 1800 to Long Eaton much to the amazement of the Morris dealer there. We had many trips of this sort down to London especially when we had a spray room built, this enabled our Lambretta specialist to buy earlier Lambretta scooters and do them up almost as new and being cheaper we could not get enough, this was the time of the “mods and rockers” We were one of the few shops who catered for both. Digressing again I have jumped forward a year or two.

#038 - 1953 - Tour of Ireland - Part 3

The next day was to be the mountain stage i.e. Cork via the Boggeragh mountains and so into Killarney to finish at Limerick. We bought food in a delicatessen in Cork, Brian Robinson and his Huddersfield team were also there and I overheard them saying they were going straight from the start gun in Cork. I relayed this information to Tom and the other members of our team and we made a plan to ‘go’ with them.

Sure enough from the start we “went” - Eric, Reg and I from our team, with Brian Robinson, Haskell, Gran Hayley and Tom Oldfield from Huddersfield R.C., Willy Long, Jack Ryan and Shay Elliot from the Dublin Wheelers. In seemingly no time at all we had 10 minutes lead on the main field. It took our manager Tom, miles to catch us as he could only obtain a 125cc Motor Cycle. We were expecting food and drink from him as we had ridden quite a few hard miles. Much to our surprise he was hopping mad with us for leaving Bren in the bunch (I.e. Race Leader) but we had known that Bren would not be “going” well as he had refused breakfast – as, we discovered the reason later - he was a devout Roman Catholic and the day was a fast day.

We, at that time on the race, were race leaders and all the information we got from Tom was to stop working, we like fools did this , much to the annoyance of the rest of the “breakaway group”. We did not stick this abuse long and we started to work again but on a mountain just before Killarney I was dropped. After about ten miles on my own I was caught by a chasing group which contained Dicky Bowes and his Solihull lads, I managed to stop with this group when we caught the leaders just short of the finish at Limerick. The stage was won by a lad from Liverpool, he was one of the McIntyre brothers the others being professional boxers, we finished well up but out of the prizes, we had also lost the purple jersey this going to Shay Elliot.

We again had good accommodation the evening meal being held at the Town Hall where we had at least three helpings of roast beef, none your modern pasta meals for us. Quite a few lads had saddle boils we were all walking like “cowboys” worst of all being a lad from Surrey named Don Ford , he was in real agony. We were up as usual for the last day of racing i.e. from Limerick via Naas to finish on Wood Key outside of the Guinness factory in Dublin. It was a fairly easy day, Eric and I did breakaway at Naas but were soon caught as we were close to the home of Joe McCormack; we had promised him we would let him lead the group through his home town.

We were soon in the city of Dublin and I have never seen so many people at it was estimated a quarter of a million people saw the sprint down Wood Key, every flat top building was packed with people; they were up lamp posts and down Wood Key thousands of kids were sat on the pavement kerbs and we were sprinting for the line down there, luckily there was no tip ups. The whole of the Ryan family was there to meet us and we were overjoyed to see them. In the evening the meal and prize giving was held in one of the best hotels in O’Connell Street, I think it was the Royal right opposite the Post Office of 1916 fame.

We obtained several photographs - some of which Bill Henshaw still possesses I hope he will lend us some to put in this story, we caught the boat next night and so drove home, we did stop once at an all night petrol station in Bangor, Tom had to put gallons in his Humber, then it was the turn of the Bedford, whereupon Lew Barker leapt out of the Humber shouting to the petrol attendant to put a fart in each tyre and two gallon in the tank as the van runs on air it certainly was economical. So ended a most successful tour we had nurtured many friendships in the Emerald Isle.

#037 - 1953 - Tour of Ireland - Part 2

The race started in Dublin on a Thursday morning, there where 140 starters. We rode down the 6 miles from Dun Laghaire to the ceremonial start on O’Connell Street in the centre of Dublin. The start proper was another19 miles very close to Bray. We all had a ‘pee’ then the lead car dropped to tricolour and we were off. Reg, Eric and I stayed near the front, just like we did on the track. There was a prime at Gorey which was won by Eric, he also won primes at Arklow and Enniscorthy, in no time at all we were on the outskirts of Wexford in sight of the “five mile to go” sign, there was a mass sprint all four of us were in the first twenty but not in the prizes.

Our digs were terrible, four small beds in a room you could hardly sling a cat round. The evening meal was held in the best hotel in town all competitors and officials eat together, the fare was first rate. We were soon in bed, woken by Tom early the next morning. We went down for breakfast the woman was cooking over an open fire , the porridge was awful all black sooty bits in it . The bacon and eggs were the same the eggs being blackened, We - Eric Reg and I ate ours but Bill, Bren and Tom would not touch theirs. We checked over our bikes had a quick rub down with embrocation, packed our bags for the luggage van and then donning track suits we went down to the headquarters hotel where Tom managed to get us another breakfast. Good job he did for we had a long way to go to finish at Waterford, we bought fruit etc for our feed during the long stage which took us inland to Kilkenny and then down into Waterford.

Again Reg, Eric and I were in the front group for quite a while. When on the way near Thomastown a donkey cart ran into the peleton , the damage done was unbelievable our team managed to avoid it but those at the back had a hell of a time. In fact quite a few were injured and packed. Ted Gerrard (later to tide in the Peace Race) smashed his bike so bad he managed to make one machine out of three and finished well inside the time limit. Dave Duffield who comments on this event in his Tour de France spiel with Eurosport may well recall this smash as he and Dave Keeler were involved. About twenty miles to go Eric and I went to the middle of the bunch to find Bill and Bren, we sent Bren up front, by the time we got back to the front of the peleton a break had occurred and we could not bridge the gap. We were elated at the finish as we learned that Bren had won the stage and was to wear the Purple race leader jersey.

Our “digs” in Cork were first class, we were in the “Headquarters Hotel” and were entertained by the De-Lacey family who at that time ran the Irish Dunlop Rubber Company, we had a most marvellous meal laced with the best wine and champagne, Reg Morton taking a real shine to Miss De-Lacey.

#036 - 1953 - Tour of Ireland - Part 1

March 1953 saw me early morning training with Les Thompson, we would start at 7am going to Borrowash –Shardlow –Sawley x-roads and then home. I rode the early season events to get fit for the two Track Leagues. Later that month we received an invitation from the Eire Cycle Federation to ride in their “Tour of Eire 4 day”. Tom Crowther received the invite and after a meeting of various riders he decided to pick a team representing Derby National Cyclists Union, the riders picked where Reg Morton Derby Ivanhoe, Eric Thompson Derby Mercury, Bill Henshaw, Bren Thorpe and myself (luckily) all of Long Eaton C.C. We trained fairly hard for this event but I don’t remember us training together. Reg Morton did fetch me out for “sprint” training - mostly in the dark - on the A52 from Risley down to finish at Borrowash 30 sign. Each one leading out in turn. We did manage a weekend training run to Stratford on Avon starting on a Saturday morning, I came home on Sunday. The rest went down to Chipping Norton on the A44 then back through Banbury and Coventry. The time soon came round for us to leave for the Tour it was at the end of April 1953.

You may wonder why I am singling this Tour from the many I was to go on in the future, but everyone who rode this and the 1954 Tour holds them in their memory. We left Derby on the Monday; I drove our 1938 Bedford Van with Bill Henshaw, taking the bikes and luggage. Tom took Reg, Eric and Bryn and Lew Barker who had entered solo, Tom had bought an ex-Army Humber. It was O.k. but it drank petrol - only doing about 15 mile per gallon whereas the Bedford did well in excess of 40 m.p.g. We had an uneventful drive to Holyhead, apart from Tom running down an escape road on one of the many bends between Uttoxeter and Stone. We unpacked the bikes etc, had a word with the harbour Master, he knew us well by now, and as usual he allowed us on the boat before the London Mail train came. We had a meal and retired in to pre-booked cabins to sleep before the mailmen dropped their bags in the cabin above, although the ship we were in was brand new i.e. the “Cambrian” we had the same trouble with the mailbag and newspaper drops as on the old “Princess Maud”

We had managed to leave the transport at the bus garage in Holyhead (no charge) they were much safer there, the head man there also left me a bottle of petrol in the van so I could start the model on our return later that week. The reason for the petrol was that on this long stroke pre-war van the petrol pipe ran close to then engine and after stopping the petrol evaporated from the pipe. We had to remove the top of the carb, pour in the petrol and so prime the pump, what a palaver. The van also had a nasty habit of sticking in top gear, which necessitated removing the top of the gearbox and then pushing the sliders in to a square, and then refitting, it would be O.K. for miles then.

We arrived in Dun Laoghaire at 7.30am first having to be sprayed with anti foot and mouth disease deterrent (there was an outbreak in England at the time). We had again booked accommodation at Mrs Ryan’s and breakfast was all ready for us, what a fabulous place Mrs Ryan’s was and how she looked after us and a family of seven we will never know. (I was to visit her some thirty years later with my step- son David)

As well as the boarding house they also ran a pub or at that time a “drinking shop”. Mr Ryan looked after this establishment; it was from him I learnt the reason why our name had two “T”s. He reached above the bar and brought down a huge dusty black book, this listed all people who where inside the pale fence built by the English years ago, and those people beyond the pale, i.e. Butler with one T inside and with two Ts “beyond the pale” - we learned different things every day. In an outhouse at the rear of the pub there was a bike, which six riders could ride on, it was used for pacing on the track - or had been in the early 1920,s. (This model was to be the subject of much laughter some 45 years later at a Golf dinner.

#035 Wolloway Farm

On the Sunday after Eire, Bill and I had entered a race in Derbyshire, it started in Macclesfield, I cannot remember the name of the event but it finished in Bollington. I had a practice run of the hill i.e. “Cat and Fiddle” and thought I’ve had it to day. The race started and “mountain goat” Brian Haskle jumped away and I did not see the break anymore that day, did I struggle. I vowed to finish though I was not going through the ignominy of Ireland again. I climbed at my own pace up the “Cat and Fiddle” then through Buxton where at Burbage my cousins gave me a cheer. Eric Thompson was on Taddington Hill cheering me on, then I caught one or two riders through Bakewell and then Baslow, up to Peak Forest, Mam Tor down to Whaley Bridge, then we seemed to go over a small river bridge and up in front on the left at top of a hill there was a huge crowd I thought they were watching a motor cycle hill climb. We turned left and there was the hill!! What a climb, I think they use this as the National hill climb sometime. The finish soon hove in sight I was in the car and off “buggered”.

In Whitsuntide of that year we decided to go to the Lake District. Bas Butler had given me an address near Penruddock just north of Ullswater. We left Long Eaton at 6.30pm going to Scotch Corner then over Bowes Moor to Appleby and so to Penrith (no M6 then). We rang Mrs Edmunds up to get to know just where we were and she said keep on the A66 until the second railway bridge then turn left to Wolloway Farm, we found the farm about midnight, Mrs Edmunds had waited up for us. We were in our Ford “Transit” van. Keith was camping in it with his two lads, Mrs Edmund had a fit as she had only room for three and had seen six get out the van. We soon put her mind at rest; we were made very welcome with supper soon provided - all home made food. Up next morning early we had a sumptuous breakfast in front of a lovely fire, we had found “Shangri-La”. We picked Keith up and travelled down to Ullswater, what a view of Ullswater one find the first time near to Aera Force we stopped and admired the view. We stopped at the side of Ullswater it was a lovely hot day. We left the children playing in the water, Keith and I planning to climb Hellvelyn, but it was too hot so we sunbathed all day instead. It was soon lunchtime, Keith was supposed be in charge of camping, I think we had one cup, one fork and one spoon between us - did we laugh.

Jean, Carol and I were lucky as we had an evening meal booked and what a meal, meat and potato pie, suet pudding - absolutely marvellous. Before that we had met Mrs Edmunds family, they had two boys and two girls all similar age to our families, their family was to increase to five boys. We played cricket on the grass at the front of the farm, tip and run all the family played, mums and dads a well. We had found a place where we were to go every chance we had for years hence, the whole family becoming close friends (John, one of their sons, and his new wife was to spend part of their honeymoon with Kathleen & I many years later) Bas who had given us the address could never get in again, we almost commandeered the place.

Late in 1952 the gymnasium was going through a rough time, the instructor, a new man was more interested in a student girl teacher than us and he had the sack. I decided to go to the education committee to see if I could run the class myself. Sure enough for three years it was run as a night school class at Bramcote Hills School, Beeston. We had a good turn out having Ian Hallam grace us at certain times. After three years we reverted back to Long Eaton where we ran two classes - one at Roper school and one at the Grammar school, we also formed a club called the Long Eaton Velo a multi sports club which was to continue until this year 2000. High fee, imposed by Derbyshire County Council being the root cause, it has now ceased, so a gym class formed in 1933 has gone the way of many other pre-war innovations.

#034 - 1952 - Tour of Wicklow

1952 dawned as Olympic year; this is when a lot pack up and new ones start. We rode in quite a few selection events, Eric Thompson narrowly missing track selection. Another mate of ours George Newberry, “made” the pursuit team finishing 3^rd in Helsinki. We decided to ride in events held in Eire and in June entered the “Tour of Wicklow” and the Dublin-Cavan-Dublin, plus an event in Phoenix Park. The riders were Tim Thomas, John Scholes, Bill Henshaw, Tom Crowther, Alan Prentice and myself. I did manage to get some long training rides in for these events, which was quite a change for me. I was supposed only to ride in the “Tour Wicklow” but as it transpired I stayed for the lot.

“Tour of Wicklow” was on the Sunday and in the pouring rain we departed from Dun Laoghaire. The start was at Blessington and we arrived a little later than we ought. We booked a room with a bath so we could luxuriate at the finish. Looking out the window I noted that all the riders in the event were lined up on the Square outside, to my surprise they had started, we dashed downstairs grabbed our bikes whereupon the judges made us go round a big tree first- the reason for which defeated us! We did a “pursuit team” to catch up, and it was a blessing in disguise we were late, there had been a massive pile-up on a bad bend and by the time we had caught up there were bodies everywhere. (I particularly remember rounding a blind bend in top gear and faced with a “house side” of a hill in the wrong gear, we climbed this hill with Blessington Lake in the mist to our right). Then we seemed to descend and at the foot of the hill we turned sharp left along a 4 mile, sandy rough path. Riders gradually went away from me - I counted six - I was then caught by Alan Prentice who was suddenly seen to be balancing on a big boulder on his bottom bracket, he got off to examine the damage, I waited for him and at the same time we were caught by Tim Thomas, he was on his first tour - what an eye opener, Alan Prentice sprinted off and left us who had stopped to assist him. I was furious at this and told Tim to go and catch him and knock him off! Two miles further on, we caught and dropped Alan, we then caught Joe McCormack who was in a very sad state, we gave him some food and he rode along with us.

At the end of the sandy stretch there was a left turn and a steep step to the main road. The organisers had stationed three big Irishmen to lift each rider bodily round the corner - bike and all, what a race. Bill was third, Tim, Joe and I 6th, 7^th and eighth.Tim and I were in the bath together after Bill, the water was hot but black, we wouldn’t let Alan in and he was to suffer a cold bath. We rode home in the rain to Mrs Ryan’s where we had our usual large hot meal. This was the evening prior to return home on the 9am boat next morning, but I again won that much at “Pontoon” that I stayed for the long event on the Wednesday.

The race started in Phoenix Park on the Wednesday morning, we lined up walking behind the band, being honoured guests, however the starter seemed to jump from the crowd firing his gun, we were jammed behind the band and had another race to catch the leaders. 140 started so we had quite a task. The plan was (or rather Toms) was to endeavour to get John Scholes away on his own, he was a good time triallist, and, as he was going in the Army the following week, and Tom wanted a good result for him so he could be in the Army Cycling Corps. The first half of the race to Cavan, which is just south of Northern Ireland, was uneventful although I did have a go with Joe Joe McCormack but we were caught after few miles. When we were 50 odd miles from the finish all our crowd rode to the front and we managed after a few attempts to get John Scholes away, he seemed to go so slowly and of course on those long straight roads we never thought he would make it, meanwhile we were blocking like mad and in a quite spell I went looking for Tim Thomas to help, I seemed to be going back for ever, just as I was thinking he had packed I espied him, he was sitting up on top of the bars eating bananas, he shouted “if this is road racing I’m all for it”. I soon read him the facts of life and had him up at the front “blocking” with us. All seemed to be going well when some 10 mls from Dublin on those long straight roads we could see John, we were “shot” having been blocking for seemingly miles, we had nothing left and he was caught. Still we had tried, Kit O’Rourke won the race, Shay Elliot was there on an old bike and Willy Long, Jack Ryan and Jim McQuaid all riding fixed gear. We all became really good mates.

Friday night saw us riding in the Grand Prix of Dublin in Phoenix Park, we were now classed as Internationals and we again got caught behind the band and had to chase to catch the group, after several laps Bill and I jumped away on the back straight. We had quite a lead with one Irish lad on a old bike sitting in, I said to Bill on the last lap we ought to make him work, ‘he’s no good’ said Bill ‘he’s had it’, what a mistake we both made because on the last time up ‘Khyber Pass’ this lad jumped us, I managed to get his wheel but he dropped me just yards from the line, I thought I would be second but almost on the line I was passed by about 8O riders. The young lad was none other than “Shay” Elliot riding and winning his first event; never underestimate anyone especially in Eire.

#033 1952 - Dublin Galway Dublin

1951 was Festival of Britain year, there were many special cycling events, I can’t recall any apart from the Notts Centre 5 mile grass champs where I finished third to “Cis” Crisp and “Hervy” Turner. I did a Norman Casswell type kick over the line I thought I had won but - no.

We again rode the Dublin - Galway held on August Bank holiday; a Sturmey Archer expert from Raleigh (he designed the Trigger control) decided to come with us. Tommy Clough was his name, he was 65 but he kept up with us O.k. Well, that is until we climbed over Nant Francon pass, he took a real hammering and could not continue, Bill and Bren Thorpe stayed with him at Bethesda, Bert Humphries, Alan Prentice and I continuing to Holyhead, it was a hard ride, head wind and rain. We were to be in Dun Laoghaire some 12 hours before being joined by the others.

On buying food in Dublin and just before the start, I overheard Brian Robinson and his team saying they were going from the start. I conveyed this information to the other riders in our team but only Bert and I were able to make the breakaway. The group worked very well, we were minutes up at Athlone and then calamity - I punctured, I changed tyres and the “bunch” caught me, meanwhile Bert was still there but with 2 miles to go he touched a wheel and came down, he was taken to hospital. We finished some minutes behind the leading group still unaware that Bert had been taken to hospital. In those early days a big van took all the baggage and it emptied the whole lot piecemeal in the middle of Galway Square, whereupon we would rummage through the collection, find our property and then seek out the ‘accommodation man’ who told us where we were to stay.

We found our place - five beds in one room, one bed being a camp bed so of course this was left for Bert. We had our evening meal then – Bert still missing - decided we had better make some enquires of his whereabouts. We found him wandering round Galway still in his racing kit but wrapped in a hospital blanket. We took him back to the digs, he had a bath and a meal after which it was then time for bed, Berty played hell about the bed we had allocated him, then we heard him saying “22 - still a virgin and lost my manhood”, he had fallen heavily on across his crossbar. We were to rag him for years over these remarks and others.

We all finished the next day but out of the prizes. A breakaway that occurred just about 20 mile from Dublin was caught, all those who were in the chasing group have never ridden so fast - before or since - it was terrific. My wife Jean and Carol were at the finish so we had a nice weekend, I electing to go back with them on the train. We still won the Nottingham Track League but I was still hopeless in the sprints. I did win all of the Club track championships and so had Trophies presented at the dinner.

#032 1951 - Dublin - Galway - Dublin 2 Day

July was a busy month for us (no August 1st rush then) Tom rang me to say we had a invitation to ride in Ireland in the Dublin-Galway-Dublin coast to coast race to be held that August Bank Holiday, although I was not fit I elected to go. Although accepting Tom’s invitation was a bit rash on my part I still hoped to train for the event. Owing to business being hectic I only managed a ride to Tamworth and back - 6o miles - no good for a 268 mile event. However I did manage to get Thursday to Tuesday off work. The ride to Holyhead did me the world of good, we again carried our best wheels and had mudguards and saddle bags, quite a weight to carry. Tom had given me a new frame of his own make i.e. Mercian, he was trying to sell frames in Dublin to the Rutland Cycle Co and Jack Hannan’s shop - both near St Stephens Green. Bill Henshaw bought a Stronglight Chainset and a Campag front and rear gear from Jack Hannan at a very good price, he also bought some Super Vittoria tyres from Jack’s shop, these were unobtainable in England. We also bought nylon stockings from a “posh “ shop in O’Connell St, I hit a model and knocked it over pushing at least twenty more down domino style, I caught the first model whilst leaning over the counter to see the assistant pull her skirt up to her mid thigh to show off the 50 denier nylons, nothing was rationed in Ireland whereas everything in England still was.

We collected our numbers and programmes etc from the race headquarters then had lunch at Fortes on O’Connell Street, in there we met Alan Salt and some mates of his from Rolls Royce who were Youth Hostelling in Ireland, when they heard I was riding in the Dublin-Galway-Dublin event they roared with laughter - a Track man in a two day road race and with very little training to boot. Undeterred by their banter, we returned to our Irish mum Mrs Ryan and got the bikes ready, I removed my mudguards and as the enamel was still in the fork ends I left the mudguard bolt in situation (I was to suffer dire consequents for this error).

We should have been in bed early the night before the event, but Mrs Ryan had family about our age i.e. Jimmy, Jack, Joseph and Noel and two girls Mona and Trixie, we started playing Pontoon after dinner and at 2am in the morning we were still at it. Every time we stayed at Mrs Ryan’s we played cards. On one evening later in the decade I was losing so much money I had only my boat ticket for the journey home, on the last hand I turned up the “Bank” and in a hour I won enough to stay three more days and buy some very sorely needed sun glasses.

We rode down to Dublin, I felt in fine form until realising I had only one bottle for the event, this was to prove fatal as the first day was very hot. The race started at 11am, going via the big Catholic college at Maynooth, then turning right at Kinegad to Mullingar, left on a minor road to Athlone, I was still there at Athlone and the “bunch” was toute assemble. After Athlone I took a “packet” and at Ballanisloe where we turned right on another by-road towards Athenry I lost contact. Meanwhile the other three were doing very well finishing in the leading group on the first day being won by “Tiny” Thomas of Yorkshire R.C. with the Robinson brothers and Bob Maitland not far behind; also up there was Peter Proctor of Bradford R.C.C. (later to be a star rally driver with Sunbeam Talbot, winning the Monte Carlo Rally, he also rode the Tour de France in 1955 with the B.S.A. team) At Athenry I espied the village pump and promptly filled my bottle with water, and in so doing collapsed with cramp, I was helped on my bike by two young women, (more about these two some years later in Long Eaton). I struggled on to Galway now so far behind that all the officials had gone, I found my saddlebag and Ethel Crowther had come looking for me and took me to the “digs”. We had a big meal and I felt much better. Still felt O.K the next morning and was rearing to start the next stage. At the pre stage meeting in our bedroom we decided to go from the “gun”. We set off at a great pace our four together with a couple of Irish lads, it is slightly up hill out of Galway for some miles, I felt great. Then on a long downhill stretch thro Athenry I changed in to top gear and the big ring, when to my horror the chain jammed on one of the mudguard bolts I had left in. Later, on reflection by Tom, before the start he had gone round all the bikes checking them over and had tightened these mudguard bolts up a notch, still it was my own fault for leaving them in. I struggled on in about 82” gear cursing myself, then at Athlone it started raining and I punctured. I changed tyres but I was on my own with the “Sag” wagon right up my backside, wet through and completely demoralised I “packed” climbed in to the “broom wagon” and there found my saddle bag, the van being used as the luggage van as well, I felt a little better after putting on dry clothes.

The stage was won by Bill Henshaw with Peter Proctor second. Peter won the event and Long Eaton C.C. the team award. The dejection of “packing” cannot be described - you don’t belong; you have done nothing towards the team, the others being ecstatic. To sum up the race, Des Robinson said it had been a good even race, same for everybody but harder for some than others. Managed to ride home without mishap from Holyhead, and apart from occasional track meetings I can’t recall any major events that year. I lost the Hillclimb at Monsal Head to Ron Minton who broke our club record with 1m36secs - I did a hopeless 1min55secs !

#031 1950 - Dun Laughaire Gran Prix

Late in June Tom Crowther and Ethel asked if we would like to go to Dun Laughaire, Eire for a holiday, it was actually a cycle racing week, we decided to go along. The event was early in July and the arrangment was that Jean, Carol and Ethel and I go in the trusty Morris 8 and Tom, Bill Henshaw and "Nip” Underwood would ride to Holyhead. Llittle did I know how many times in the future we would make this journey. We left in the car on Saturday morning, Tom and "Nip" and Bill the day before. We called at Mercian for Ethel and with a good send off by Eric Thompson and Joe Buxton we were off. We were soon on the way thro Wales knowing the road to Bangor like the back of our hands. We stayed at a nice bungalow near Bettwys-coed for a meal then on to Holyhead arriving at 7 p.m. we left the car outside the station all week (things are a bit different now).

The stately L.M.S mail boat the "Priness Maud", was in the harbour and we were allowed to board ship before the "trains came", (very few passengers arrived by car in 1950) although we were not due to sail till 3.45 a.m. We had a meal and then went to our cabins. We were able to sleep for about 4 hours – then the trains arrived from London, packed with Irishmen. That was the last sleep we were able to have - above our cabins was the hold where the newspapers and Royal Mail were loaded and stevedores were bringing these and dumping them with a loud bang right up to sailing time. We arrived in Dun Lagaire at 7.30 a.m. what a lovely landfall that is with the white and pastel shaded houses and mountains in the background. We negotiated customs and then only had a short walk to our hotel "Crofton House". It was a lovely morning, we had breakfast on the front lawn with the Royal Yacht Club just over the wall and Howth Head just across the bay. Dun Laghaire (Kingstown) harbour could hold the whole of the British fleet (which it had in the first world war) but now the Mail Boat was the largest vessel there - myriads of yachts scattered about the harbour.

In the afternoon we explored the surrounding area especially the round tower of James Joyce "Ullysees" where once he had lived. We also found a bathing spot nearby ideal for diving i.e. 40 foot deep. It was for men only and seemed full with young priests from the local college. Sunday morning saw us on the tram to Dublin, quite a adventure then, we walked up the top of Nelsons column, (blown up by the IRA 1970s) I had to carry Carol but rewarded with a magnificant view at the top. Later in the day we found Killeney Beach just a small tram ride away and not far from Bray Head. Monday saw us at the race headquarters. The details of the events were Roller contest, 25 mile Time Trial. a track meeting on Landsdown Road Rugby International ground, finishing up in a 100km road race round Dun Laghaire on the Sunday.

The only one of our party to be married and with a child, it was difficult for me to train, Jean wanting me to be with her and Carol. Anyway we managed and with the weather good we had many beach days together. I rode in the Roller Contest and was hopeless, the following night we were at Landsdowne Road Rugby Football Ground for the track meeting - I found out I had come without my special sprockets 1" pitch so had to ride a high gear. Was as usual hopeless in the sprints but thought I might ride O.K. in the 5 mile handicap, I was placed on scratch mark. I caught what I thought was the leading group going by them all in fine style on the last lap, coming over the line jubilant. That was soon gone as three riders who had started just behind me i.e a lap in front, took the first three places.Bill, Tom and Nip rode well in the time trial on the Navan Rd.

Day of the Dun Laghaire Grand Prix and out came my road bike. The race duly started I would think with 110 field, the course leaves Dun Laghaire harbour front, then turns left up a long hill with a mountain prime taken every lap i.e. 6 laps of just over ten miles, I seemed to be going well, I won four mountain primes then on the fifth lap my rear tyre blew, no service - I was out of the race, I stopped near Jean and Carol just as the heavens opened the rain there is terrific, luckily we were near a monastry, the nuns took us in and lent us towels. Meanwhile the race was still proceeding, Tom Crowther won the other primes on the hill and so won the large trophy. On the last lap Brian Robinson (18 at the time) jumped away with that wily Irish rider "Dicky” Comerford, all the way down the long finish straight "Dicky" was shouting to Brian to leave him as he had had it. "Dicky" won by a length!! Brian was hopping mad. As before Tom won the Mountain trophy and with Bill and Nip they won the team. We managed to catch the early boat back to Holyhead, it was a rough crossing and I was not feeling my best but Carol was running up on deck feeding the seagulls oblivious to the rolling ship. Customs soon negotiated, we made it to our night stop in Llangollen by relaying the bikes and riders.

#030 Work and Racing

Our business was still prospering and we enlarged the shop, sales of bikes and motorcycles and parts were increasing all the time. I personally had to change my riding habits from track to road racing. Training for me was difficult often going out in my "boiler suit" and work boots. I was still competing in the Nottingham Track League but not riding well at all due to the lack of training. During these early post-war years two more local clubs appeared - one is still going strong i.e. Long Eaton "Paragon" C.C. this club was formed by a group of cyclists who all had "Paragon" bikes made by that great frame builder Andy Bone of Arkwright Street, Nottingham, I can’t at this stage remember these riders, boys and girls but if I eventually do I’ll append them.

Early one season when Tommy Crowther was in charge of the road team, the club were running a 50 mile Time Trial and Tom was using the peformances in this as a yard stick for the forthcoming event to be held on Nottingham Forest, Norman Casswell and I decided to have a private time trial starting 5mins behind the "field". We rode our track bikes Norman rode 82" fixed and I had on 92". We were (for us) on real top form and finished in the event well under two hours. We, with Bill Henshaw, Alan Prentice, Norman, Alan Salt and Ken Minski formed the team. Early stages seemed great to me it was like riding on the track, that hill came round a few times to many though. On one of the sprints to the top of the hill , I saw Ken Minski sprint to the front, he rounded the bend at the top then for some unknown reason he missed the turn and ran straight in to a wooden form breaking his front forks, luckily he wasn’t to badly hurt. The tale goes that he had bought the frame from Mercian Cycles (Tom Crowther then) the day before. He took his frame back on the Monday to get it replaced under Guarantee!.

The Concorde lads wiped this event up winning all four first places. Norman and I finished well down but Bill Henshaw was fifth, Alan Salt and Alan Prentice also finished but we missed out on the Team award. Also riding well at the time and also to represent England and be top class proffessionals came the Huddersfield R.C. if my memory is correct they had Brian and Des Robinson,Ted Penvose, Brian Haskell, Gran Hayley and Tom Oldfield. 1950 eventually came round, by this time my daughter was two so I fitted a rear seat on my track bike and with her in it we did many miles, we also been talked into walking, going up Kinderscout most weekends taking Carol in a Carradice kiddy haversack.

Still trying to race and run the business, there was very little free time, but we did manage a week in Great Yarmouth in August, we got fixed in a house near the docks the arrangements which were quite common in the late "forties" the idium was rooms and service i.e. one paid for the rooms, bought your own food as required which the landlady cooked and did the washing up and cleaning, I do not remember the cost but it was "peanuts".

#029 1950 Track Leage

We had a good season in 1950 winning the Nottingham Track League again; I was still hopeless in the sprints but ok in the fives. At Grantham in July we won every event Dave Holmes, Blos Catchpole, Norman Casswell my brother Ernie and I. We had a job to load the car. On August Bank Holiday we again rode at Grantham this time on the football field and all our Lincolnshire relations came, Reg Morton and Jim Turner both of Derby Ivanhoe C.C. were competing, they were really going well, they beat us in the 1/4 and 1/2 mile events and before the 5 mile event for the large Granta Cup, they shook hands to say they would be 1st and second. They had reckoned without my wily old mate Norman Casswell, he said “When we start, let them go on the front then you Alf, sit on their wheels and I’ll follow you”, he had noticed that both Jim and Reg went slightly wide on the last corner before the finishing straight.

The track was six laps to a mile and it was late at night and the dew was just forming. After 3 laps remained there were only the four of us left going like hell down the back straight and on the last bend they left a small gap, I was through like a dose of salts thinking I had won the Trophy and the prize, when up the inside of me came Norman to pip me by a tyres width, I had been watching for him on the outside.

What a time we had in the Football Club tavern, the trophy was filled time and time again! We arrived home in the early hours of the morning. After Grantham we rode at Rainworth Colliery Sports, Ernie won the 1/4 but I was soundly beaten by Olympic bronze medal winner George Newberry (1952 Helsinki). George was another member of Benny Fosters "equipe" who took all before them. We also rode at Ollerton Colliery Sports, where we came up against that prolific winner from the Potteries Roy Swinnerton; I was determined to beat him in the "five" sitting on his wheel up till the last lap and still could not get by him. He was one of the best "grassman" in our area. Edwinstowe was another place where Athletic and grass track cycling took part. We have had some good hard events with Bill Flinders and all the other Thurcroft lads; Jack Atkinson was another all rounder on road or Track, Brodsworth lads with "Bill Brown and Arthur Maxfield, Sheffield Phoenix with Laurie Dodd, Ron Moore Jim Postlewaite, were also part of this "circus". In the Birmingham area we had the great Tommy Godwin and N.W. Brown of the Rover C.C. they had a terrific pursuit team, we rode against them in a round of the British pursuit championship, the venue being that great little "Velodrome" the Butts at Coventry.

The meeting was part of their track league and we rode in all the events, got lapped in the pursuit, then Norman & I finished 1st and 2nd in the five mile only to be disqualified because we did not come from Midlands centre, this was the second time this had happened. Also coming on the scene especially in circuit races like Nottingham Forest and Esholt Park (Bradford), Dartmouth Park (West Brom) and Sutton Park where there was a compulsory 6am start. Bill Henshaw, Alan Prentice and I rode there. We had to be up well before 5am then a quick dash to Sutton Coldfield in the trusty Morris Eight

This car was a marvel; the spare wheel was fitted upright in the boot. A big strap was tied round the spare, the boot was then closed with the buckle and holed end out of the top of the closed boot door, with the front wheels out one bike was tied to the rear bumper, then the next bike was put with chianwheels either side the other way round (upside down) five bikes could be fitted this way, three front wheels tied on the front bumper and one wheel inside, Five men where inside and we were off. The Solihull club were going well then with Dicky Bowes, Bob Maitland, Dennis Moreton, Stan Jones, this four eventually formed the great Concorde R.C.F. Les Wilmot and Johnny Chance of the Midland were two other good riders, these riders represented England many times and eventually would ride in the "Tour de France” for the B.S.A cycle team.

You will notice that most of these riders took part in all types of events from little unknown grass tracks (where the prizes were good) to places like Herne Hill and Paddington and Fallowfield as well as road races and hill climbs, the N.C.U and the League were sending teams abroad with quite a little success. In 1952 Ian Steele had won the "Warsaw-Berlin-Prague" East European classic with his team riding for Viking winning the Team event. Percy Stallard was Manager with the great Viking rider Bob Thom with the hardest job in a stage race "the Mechaniker”.

#028 Joe's Roller League

During the winter of 1948/9 Joe Calladine had bought a full set of racing rollers from Holdsworthy through us, we as usual arranging the very liberal terms. His first open contest was held in conjunction with a dance at People's Hall in Long Eaton, it was a good do with a terrific band; the heats went off quite well with four good winners.

Unfortunately one of the roller's sprocket came off on the front roller, on examination we found that the sprockets were fastened on very amateurishly with long wood screws and two of these were missing, where does one obtain screws at that time of night? (10pm) - With the crowd howling for the final. A bright idea suddenly appeared we took the screws from those big oak doors; the event progressed without any more mishaps. The rollers were returned to Holdsworth for modification, we taking them down early one morning. They were modified the same day.....

Joe then ran a roller league all that winter, it was very successful - most of the local track riders entering each week i.e. Layton Rennie, Jim Turner. Eric Thompson, Lloyd Binch, Cecil Crisp, Harvey Turner, Ron Meadwell, Bill Duffin, Jackie Pratt, George Newberry, Wally Box and Reg Morton to name only a few. B.B.C. and Mecca dance halls also ran a competition with Reg Harris (Champion of the World then) giving over 100mph demonstrations these were shown on TV. Our local contest was held at the Astoria, Nottingham. Twice I managed to win the first event with Clayton Rennie the second i.e. 1948/9. We did not get placed in the National finals held in London in the Hammersmith Palais de dance ballroom. The first time we went to the finals (Bert Smith who was President of our Club by then) took us down to London in his Rolls Royce, pity my form had deserted me.

#027 1948 Track Leage

At the annual general meeting of our club in 1948, I was voted track-racing secretary. We had a good team for both grass and hard tracks and I entered all our team so no one knew where they were riding until they received their start programmes on the Saturday morning. We were riding in both Nottingham and Derby Track leagues so we saw each other twice a week at least. We trackmen also rode in the weekly ten mile time trials held at that time from Lock Lane, Sawley to a crossing on the A6 near Hathern.

The first two track meetings that Eric Thompson appeared for our club were held at Long Eaton and Loughborough on Whit-Monday and Tuesday respectfully. Our club had organised the Long Eaton event, Dave Holmes was secretary and did an excellent job. Whit Sunday was spent by the entire club joining in digging long jump pits, marking out the 1/4ml track, the hardest part of this being for the relay changeover places. We put up tents knocked in posts and roped off the crowd areas, built beer and changing tents and pay booths and we still rode in all events held the following day.

Eric Thompson excelled himself; riding off 42yds (novice mark) he won all the handicap events and trounced the best in the scratch events. The next day we were at Loughborough. Norman Casswell decided to go and see the handicapper about Eric. The handicapper was a strict Leicestershire starts man, Norman explained to this gentleman that Eric had won the two handicap events the day before at Long Eaton, would he mind not pulling Eric the 10% as Eric had been very lucky. The handicapper agreed. My brother Ernie won the ¼ mile handicap with Eric second; this looked O.K. but when Eric won all the other events the handicapper came gunning for Norman.

After this great weekend Eric never looked back, winning most events we entered him in that year. Ernie and I tried to race on Saturdays but we were to busy in the shop, so Eric had the car. I borrowed our van to go long after the sports events started - no time to try out the track, win my heat and final and be home before the shop shut, I did this twice at Ashby and Turnditch respectfully. Meanwhile Eric was riding well at Fallowfield track in their mid-week track league, he came under the watchful eye of Benny Foster who lured him in to East Mids Clarion for 1949.

I did ride with Eric on the road on Anstey Aerodrome, Bill Henshaw and Tommy Crowther rode as did a new member our club Rex Butler, who had joined from Belper R. C. His brother Arthur was in our weekly grass track circuit although not in our club. It poured with rain at Anstey, the changing rooms were miles from the start, but I had the car that weekend so was able to go to the start in that. The race started to fast for me with Brian Haskle going like a train, he however punctured and managed to change his bike just as I came up, I jumped on his wheel and never moved till we reached the finishing line, I was wet through and sludge everywhere so I thought 'straight in my car and to the changing rooms', big laugh, I had left my keys in the ignition and as the others had all packed, Eric forgetting I was there drove Tom Bill, Rex and himself back to the headquarters. With a car of my own there I had the ignominy of riding some 3 miles in the rain.

#026 British League of Racing Cyclists

Following the death of dad we all had to concentrate more on the business as opposed to “bike racing”, we still kept up with the gym though, forming quite a good basket ball team. Early that year good friends, the Derby Mercury, had their general meeting to discuss leaving the National Cyclists Union (N.C.U.) and formed in 1942 by Percy Stallard of Wolverhampton. Percy advised them joining the British League of Racing Cyclists, (B.L.R.C.) this latter league had been allocated "Massed Start" racing as was then called, Percy wanted to get away from races on closed circuits and race on the open roads. To me this was ideal and at that time very radical, unfortunately the "old stagers" of the N.C.U and R.T.T.C (Road Time Trial Concil) threw out the whole idea, so Percy went along with his Wolverhampton Wheeler colleagues and ran a terrific event from Llaangollen to Wolverhampton. Many cycling historians can write about these events far better than I so I'll leave that historic event to others although I must congratulate Percy on his great vision and wisdom in foreseeing the great improvement in cycle racing.

After a pep talk by a Nottingham B.L.R.C. member the Derby Mercury joined the 'League'. However a small band of track racing cyclists were in the "Mercury" . The N.C.U in their old fashioned wisdom had banned any rider who joined the 'League' to ride the track, this left riders like future Commonwealth Games Champion Eric Thompson, in a vacuum so luckily Eric joined our club bringing with him a complete girls team including that Mercury stalwart Betty Wilkins and Beryl Wightman and Ethel and Tom Crowther, also joining our club from Ilkeston R.C. came Derek Robinson and a young Bill Henshall and Marion Robinson. At that time there were well in excess of 130 in the club.

Derby Mercury went from strength to strength in the ‘League’; they had a terrific team in Ted Upton, Jack Ashworth, "Flog" Hazlehurst, Claude Broadhust, Joe "Buco" Buxton (a legend) Jake Seal, Dave Orford and Derek Wilkins. And many more of course. These riders won many classics promoted by the 'League' who by now had semi-pros in their ranks; this culminated in the "Tour of Britain" sponsored by the national newspaper the "Daily Express" What terrific vision Percy Stallard had and what a pity that the usual ills that attend our sport are still there - not enough people with vision, although I realise in this day and age that traffic is a big problem.

From 1948 the B.L.R.C. has sent a team to the Peace Race i.e. Warsaw - Berlin - Prague. Percy going on the events as team manager, this event was not recognised until 1955 by the Union Cyclist International (U.C.I.) or the N.C.U. The League also had invites to the Tour of Mexico, this also was banned by the U.C.I but thank God that these two cycling bodies allowed these marvellous races a licence eventually.

#025 Birth of Carol

In January 1948 our daughter Carol was born, and I was so pleased that dad was able to see her. Carol was born in Derbyshire Women’s Hospital and after one-day mother and child where moved to Holbrook Hall Nursing home, this old hall is sited at the top a steep hill. For some reason dad had the car so I had to go to Holbrook by bike, Bas Butler who was home on demob leave from the paratroops joined me. (He had been sent to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) to relieve the Dutch, the troops had been promised a bloody battle but the dropping of the two atom bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima caused a Japanese general surrender - the paratroopers still had a rough time, Bas being lucky to come away alive, he was also in the Arnhem debacle).

It poured with rain, we had hell of job through Mercaston and the hills, I then found my brother had pinched my cape from my saddle bag, The nurses cut us arm holes and head hole in two waterproof bags and we arrived home quite dry. Mother and daughter where lovely and we were so proud. We had decorated a nursery for Carol and we managed also to buy a high chair and a crib that I painted blue and put the Disney type transfers on. We also managed to obtain a nearly new pre-war "Marmet" pram, the one with large chrome wheels. Jeans brother who lived with us until his marathon bike ride to Australia spoilt Carol as we all did. My dad and mum being very proud of their first grandchild.

As 1948 rolled on the business prospered, especially with all the demob cyclists coming in for frames and (cycle) parts. Motorcycles were also doing well but were a job to obtain. Thinking back we seem to be one of the few shops that sold motorbikes and cycles in the same premises. Every Saturday from 8.30 till 6pm customers and friends overwhelmed us. We also ran our own hire purchase scheme (In hindsight we must have been mad)

Dad was by now very ill, in the January of that year he had driven down to Plymouth to meet up with his old army pals from the Devon & Somerset Royal Garrison Artillery. His sergeant, Philip Parsons had been Chief Fire Officer in Plymouth during the WW2, what a load of experience he had obtained. We as a family had spent most of our annual holidays with Parsons pre war, stopping on a farm near Wadebridge. Little did we know that late January that dad would be doing his last drive in his yet to be famous Morris Series E 8hp model built in 1939, this model continued to be manufactured until 1949 when the Morris split screen came on the scene. Dad and mum came home from Plymouth on the 28th Jan and this was the year of the big freeze how my dad drove from Plymouth in that heavy snow we can only imagine. We know that the wind screen wipers packed up at Exeter - the front windscreen opened up by a cranked handle, so he drove all the way from Exeter with an open front windscreen, he might as well have been on a motor bike, they arrived home like two Arctic travellers.

Dad was in and out of Derbyshire Royal Infirmary all that year and eventually dying at home on October 30th 1948 his body ravished with cancer. All that time when he was in such pain, he never turned us down when we had any problems. Didn’t we miss him? The funeral was held at Clumber Street Baptist Chapel. The hall could not hold the huge crowd which was a fitting tribute to his own outlook on life - that as well as making a fair living, one should also help people as much as possible. I have tried to live by his rules ever since.

#024 Work at the shop

Dad was taken ill in March 1947, he had been in and out of Derby Royal Infirmary, finally being diagnosed as having cancer of the gall bladder, it had progressed too far and was now inoperable. Dad, now too ill to play an active part was missed terribly in the business, he was the driving force – always up-to-date with new ideas. Ernie and I had to get stuck in, I had to learn wheel-building in double quick time as we were getting orders from all over the country for both motorcycle and specialist light weght, we had some very good suppliers, especially Claud Butler and Tabucchi Tyre Co and Dunlop. We paid every supplier in 7 days which gave us privilaged trading and enabled us to purchase short supply items.

My grandad who worked and lived at Main Street shop died in August 1948, and the shop was taken over by my dads brother Uncle Norman, who eventually built frames under his own name. (dads 2 brothers, Norman and Arthur were in charge of the motorcycle engine and frame repair depots at the Chilwell Ordanace Works from 1939 – 1947) Uncle Norman was also a good muscician, able to build organs and occassionally played at the ‘Ritz’ Cinema in Nottingham – now the Odeon. The Main Street shop had been opened by my grandad in 1898, he had been a wheelwright in Little Harowden, near Northampton and had arrived in Long Eaton to work for a bike firm – Wallis & Longden in Cross Street. Unfortunatly this firm went into liquidation and so grandad started up on his own.

We were still going to Birmingham and Coventry for parts, usually on a Friday, my sporting activities having to take a back seat although we still rode in the track league at Nottingham. We had excellent staff in Les Thompson at Tamworth Road and Reubin Hutchins at College Street, in the office we were fortunate to have Syd Huckle who had been a school pal of mine. We had been over-enthusiastic in early 1948 and bought too many cycles, Syd did an advertising campaign and got rid of the lot! Unable to fulfill his ambitions, he eventually went to Cox & Moore as secretary. We did miss him, and in hindsight lost a lot of money doing our own H.P. and without full time qualified office staff.

#023 Track Success and touring in Devon

After the funeral that was held at St Johns Baptist Church in Clumber Street, life gradually returned to normal. Dad was eventually able to take our track team to a mid-week event held at Heckington in Lincolnshire, the day was a real carnival, with a horse gymkhana and “Chase Water Charlie” from Chase in Staffs performed all sorts of tricks on a very small motor cycle. As the car was full i.e. Ernie, “Blos Catchpole, Dave Holmes and my wife Jean and all the bikes and wheels, Norman Casswell and I borrowed a 25Occ S.V motor bike from our stock, it was a pre-war model with girder forks so we had a very bumpy ride. We arrived well in time to try out the track, it was very small - five laps to a mile - with banking on the corners and for grass it was fast. All the Yorkshire good grass men had entered, it looked as though we were in for a tough time.

Norman Casswell advised us the gear to ride, he suggested 82” this is high for grass, but the weather had been good and the track was hard. We all won our heats in the ½ mile handicap, and subsequently all eliminated in the semi-finals. In the mile scratch I won my heat and semi-final and with great excitement was in the final. We had tea in the tent before the final, this was supplied to all competitors and friends, also having tea was Arthur Maxfield, Bill Brodsworth, Jack Atkinson and Brian Thorpe all good Yorkshire trackmen. I overheard them discussing how they were going to beat me. Came the final, using the same tactics as Norman had instilled on me at Burton previosly, I managed to beat Jack Atkinson by half a wheel. We had a fine old time in the “Beer tent” and with a few pints inside us we departed hilariously on the B.S.A. Dad followed behind in the pre-war Morris 8 series “E”, this car took us all over England.

Later that year, the last week in July to be exact Jean and I borrowed a “Sun” tandem from Reenie and Arthur Wild quite a heavy model with rear pedal footbrake (designed pr-war by my Dad) front brake was British Hub Co., hub brake gears were Cyclo 3speed.

We had been invited by one of my Dads army mates to stay with them one night at Highbridge that is on the A38 just this side of Bridgewater. We set off about 7am going via Ashby, Measham, Coleshill, Kenilworth, Warwick, Stratford, Evesham then Cirencester and on to Bristol. By this time Jean had “had it” there was a Leatheries saddle fitted to the rear seat and this had gone like “wash leather” I swapped the B17 from the front and she was then O.K .We had tea at Bristol near the Airport at the top a hill near a reservoir. Jean was in a bad state so we stayed there for bed & breakfast we were only 15 mile from our destination, we could not let our friends know as phones were non-existant. We arrived at about 11 a.m. and dads friends seemed very upset at our non-arrival the previous night. We had lunch then cycled over to Burnham-on-Sea returning to have dinner with the less than amicable friends.

We left next morning, travelling via Taunton,Axminster and then down to Sidmouth where we stayed at a B & B place. We had a look round Sidmouth admiring its sandy beach and scenic sanstone and chalk cliffs. We had a swim before returning to breakfast on freshly caught mackeral. Leaving Sidmouth, climbing the steep hill out of town, we travelled along the coast road to our lunch stop at Beer Head, ever onwards to our next B & B at Lymme Regis, We found a brilliant palce to eat – a ‘British Restaurant’ set up during the war as cheap eating places for the workers, and this one was still operating. A 3 course meal could be had for 3s 6p (17½ p) we were happy to stay here for 2 days before making our way home. We had some excitement though., coming down a steep hill between Evesham and Stratford, a lorry was heading straight for us on the wrong side of the road – with our brakes we had no chance! On the side of the road and standing in a line, there was 3 Stanton concrete pipes – about 6ft in dianeter. I aimed through these, heart in mouth, and came out the other side. That was a close call.

We eventually arrived home on Friday night, the next day being ‘August Bank Holidayy’ Saturday. Long Eaton Urban District were holding a cycle & athletic meeting on West Park, I had entered but didn’t fancy my chances after the tandem episode. However, in front of a massive crowd I managed to clear the board by winning all 3 races, and was my dad proud! Later that same year he was to see me win the hillclimb – a perfect way to end the season.

The annual Club Dinner that year was held jointly with Derby Mercury at the Pavillion Hotel on Station Road (now closed) and proved to be one of the most successful and boisterous dinners I had been to. In 1946 there were no ‘drink & drive’ rules so it would be an understatement to say everyone was happy. Alan Salt masterminded the raffle which was a financial success – he was selling the counrtfoil as well! We had several inter club ‘do’s’ at that time with Derby Mercury, a very successful dance being held at the Blue Ball, Risley in early 1947.