#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.

#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.

#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.

#018 Begining of the knee troubles

1943 dawned with us at Hartington Youth Hostel once more. We had done the usual thing i.e. big meal, then down to the Charles Cotton for drinks and singsong. We returned to the hostel, there were a lot of “Rock & Ice” climbers there and we soon engaged in some rough games, one of these was “two four six eight ten” and off again. This game entailed one man as a pillar then six bent down causing one long back whilst the other team jumped on your back “hobby horse style”. Everything was OK until I had about three big climbers on my back and with legs slightly apart I couldn’t flex my knee and with that weight on my back my knee joint broke. The pain was terrific and my knee was like a football. I didn’t get much sleep that night, the next morning was another cross bar job with me wheeling my bike by the handlebars as well. I caught the train from Ashbourne (station is closed now although Derbyshire CC have levelled the track and it is used by cyclists and walkers and called the Tissington Trail). I attended the doctors; he just said bathe it in lead lotion as hot as you can bare I did this and the swelling went down. I still had trouble with this knee (and 53 years later continue to do so - I’m waiting for a knee joint operation 1999). Racing was curtailed by this accident but eventually I began to feel OK and was doing well in the grass track at Nottingham, in fact I was leading by a small margin from another “5 miler” Arthur Stokes.

We had entered for Sports Meeting at Kynoch in Birmingham, sponsored by I.C.I we had also entered at Market Bosdworth and Hugglesscote it was the August holidays. Lo and behold on the Thursday before the August Bank Holiday I was called in to Derby Royal Infirmary to have my knee sorted out. I was ‘flying’ at the time and was really disappointed especially as I didn’t get my operation done till the Wednesday after the Aug hols. I was in hospital three weeks. A spinal injection had been administered - toes couldn’t be touched for months after that. I had my cartilidges removed from my left knee. I rode in a 10 ml Time Trial on the then new Nottingham course doing a 29 odd ride. My brother Alan (unfortunately killed in 1946 on my Motorbike) broke the course record with an amazing ride of 21 min 15 sec this record stood for many years. In my absence he had won every event in the Nottingham Track League enabling me to win the Championship and the Club to win the Team. My other brother, Ernie, had taken 2^nd in the ¼ and ½ mile events, Dave Holmes taking 3^rd – Blos Catchpole had taken 3^rd place in the 5-mile. The hillclimb venue was changed for this year - away from tradition, to Piston Hill near Melbourne and not Monsal Dale. My younger brother Alan excelled, winning by a large margin from Dave Holmes. Alan was called up into the Fleet Air Arm shortly after this event, depriving him of a great cycling career.

Hostelling again came in to the equation even going as far as Dimmingsdale and Windgather Cottage during the winter 1943/44. Early in 1944 I started courting,her name was Jean Woodward, she worked as a part time Station Master at sawley Junction this curtailed my racing or rather training, this - coupled with my new job at the shop – and standing all day my fitness inevitably declined. That year, the NCU cycling body transferred our club to Derby Centre from Nottingham, this enabled us to ride on the municipal track at Derby as well as the grass track at Nottingham. A large meeting was held that year at Whitsuntide at Derby, and a large crowd attended. The entry was excellent - Lou Pond, Reg Harris, Tommy Godwin, Wally Box, Lloyd Binch, Reg. Morton. Jim Turner rode brilliantly only being narrowly beaten by Reg. Harris. The other event of the day was the NCU National 25-ml Championship; I had ridden in the other events but had lost my “zip”. I did however finish 4^th in this event which was won by Tommy Godwin with Jim Turner 2^nd. I lost the Nottingham track league title, yet I did not lose one 5mile event all season, was hopeless in the sprints.

#017 From Grass to Shale

After about 15 months at Burton my Dad asked me to come and work for him in the office at the shop, most of his men had been called up - including my brother Ernie who was with the Royal Navy - apart from Les Senescal who did cycle repairs. I had enjoyed my work at Burton Foundry and was loath to leave but under the circumstances I had little choice. I had made quite good friends of Stan Hadfield, Bill Woods and John Armson - three colleagues who worked in the same office. We had an hour and a half for lunch so in summer and on borrowed bikes we went swimming at Drakelow Deeps on the river Trent (now the site of a large power station). In the winter we swam at the local swimming baths. In July that year the Burton-on-Trent “holidays at home committee” were promoting an Open Athletic & Cycling Sports Meeting and I had sent in my entry. Stan now has a successful motor cycle business in Burton (his dad had had a cycle business at the time I was in Burton). I was to meet Stan and his wife in later years at ‘promotions’ held by Honda. Bill Woods was killed in Lancaster bombers and John Armson was a Spitfire pilot. (When I was working in Llanidloes last year, a girl came to work for us who was originally from Moira near Swadlicote where John had lived. She suggested I ring him up, I did and much to my sorrow his wife informed me he had died the previous week, I felt gutted).

July soon came round and the date of the Sports at Burton. We travelled by train to Burton, going from Trent Junction (another station axed by the Beeching debacle in 1966) We only paid for passenger fare hoping our bikes would be put in the guards van without us having to pay. Just before the train was due, the Stationmaster came along and asked were we taking our bikes with us. Norman turned to me in all innocence and asked “are we taking our bikes to-day?” the station master laughed knowing full well that we were racing somewhere that day, he did let us put them in the guards van with no charge.

We arrived at the cricket ground with plenty of time to try out the track, Norman suggested I raise my gear because the track was fast. My event soon came along it was a half-mile scratch for riders who hadn’t won a prize, this being my first open event confirmed by acceptance. With Norman’s guidance I won my heat. The final came, I had terrific support from my work mates all the foundry employee’s seemed to be there. We started off slowly the first lap, and on the second lap with two corners to negotiate Norman shouted “Up Alf”. I put my head down, winning the event from Jim Turner of Derby Ivanhoe who was eventually to ride for Benny Fosters East Midland C.C. circus and be very successful too. (We were to see him beat Lou Pond and Reg. Harris in a Champion scratch event at Derby some five years hence). Coming home in the train from Burton, Jim Turner came in the compartment with us, I proudly showed off my prize by placing it on the seat (the prize was a chiming mantelpiece clock). Jim then told us he had set is heart on winning the clock, he wanted to present it to his landlady he had lived with after his parents died, these good people were Jack “Bocka” Wright, parents of Derby Mercury and Road Club fame.

After the Burton ‘do’ Norman Casswell was called in to the Navy, what a big loss to us he was. However the track league at Nottingham was still going strong, new people were joining Lloyd Binch, “Lol” Wilson and “Hervy” Turner and Ron Meadwell. At a National NCU meeting held in Manchester, Arthur Spurgin went along with an idea to enter us in a inter city event between Sheffield, Manchester and Nottingham. We had only ridden grass and this comedian had challenged the best riders in the land on a red shale track. This time we did go by train getting there early to get a feel of the track, Bas put his bike on the track and his front tyre blew off the rim followed seconds later by the rear, we only had old tubulars. Mostly repaired by hand, that put us down to two Ashley and myself, we had got no chance. The other teams were Reg. Harris (just invalided from the tank Corp) Alan Banister both due to ride the Olympics in 1948, Cliff Beldam, Laurie Dodd, Jack Atkinson, Jim Postlewait and many more I cannot recall, they had six riders each, we had two. The events were quarter and half mile scratch, a 4000 metre Pursuit and - new to me- an Italian Pursuit. We were beaten in every event, the hardest being the Italian Pursuit as we had to double up, me doing the last lap. I’ve never been so knackered. The shale track was wet and we had no idea what gear to put on, what a shambles. I didn’t go to Fallowfield for many years after that, (and that was to take Johnny Aslin to a motor paced event when he was a Pro with Falcon, and then they lent me a duff bike). My memories of Fallowfield are not good.

#016 Mrs Boams House and London Track

My dad had my frame chrome plated later on that year and it looked great. A few weeks after the chroming, we went on training run to Winster, on going up Via Gellia it was decided that the first to Mrs Boam’s house at Winster would have his prize of a free dinner. At that time I was having trouble getting shoes for my daft deformed feet, I had managed to buy a pair of running shoes (Gerry Beechinor of Derby Ivanhoe giving me the idea). I filed off the spikes and fitted leather blocks and while they were new everything was OK, but as they got looser with wear, I had to bandage my feet because my right anklebone hit the crank. Anyway I got to Mrs Boams house first, this is situated at the top of a narrow steep hill, I applied the front brake, kicking back on my pedals at the same time (yes I had got a locking ring fitted). My feet pulled out of my shoes and my front brake cable snapped. I was then going down the hill knowing there was a left-hand bend and after that the main road with a big plate glass shop window on the opposite side. I reached the apex of the left-hand bend and noticed the door of a cottage on the right was slightly ajar. I hit the door and, as it was slightly rotten, the whole door collapsed, crashing into the dining table, all laid for Sunday dinner - I landed in the middle. The people jumped up screaming “take him out of here” I was taken into next door, leaving my crashed bike in the middle of the debris. By this time the other lads arrived on the scene saw all the blood and thought I was dead, I had only knocked the thumb nail of my right hand and the middle finger of my left hand, otherwise I was OK. I can remember screaming before I hit the door, the next thing I was laughing my head off with relief for not doing any damage. We all had dinner at Mrs Boams I remember her asking me how the lad was who gone through the door, she had not realised it was me because of my lack of injuries, wasn’t I lucky! To get to Darley Dale station for my journey home I carried what was left of my bike on my shoulder and sat on Norman’s crossbar. I had to change at Derby station and felt the biggest fool in shorts with my thin calves. Dad quickly repaired my bike, it had to have new seat stays and a new cam tube to the front forks and two new wheel rims, the last two black 27” we had in stock.

Early in 1942, Whitsuntide to be exact, Norman Casswell and I sent our entries to Paddington Recreation Ground Track entering for the two scratch races and the 5-mile events. Quite a few of the lads wished to come along so we booked accommodation at Highgate YHA. The event was to be held on Whit Sunday. We met outside our Shop on Saturday morning leaving there about 9 am. We had dinner at Woburn Sands eventually arriving at Highgate just after 5 p.m. We had ridden all that way with our sprint wheels on sprint carriers still with one front brake and saddlebags full. We checked in with a warden, booked a meal, got changed and came down for the meal, it was egg & chips. Baz asked for sauce and the Warden asked him if he required tomato or brown. Baz said he would like tomato, he thought the warden would get this but the warden gave him instructions, Baz with difficulty found the pantry to fetch the sauce himself (the house was an old Victorian mansion). Baz sat down next to the warden who dressed immaculate wearing a lovely white shirt. Baz shook the bottle, the top was loose the sauce came out covering the warden! We were up early the next morning did our duties then worked on the bikes getting them in track trim we rode right through London with no brakes. We won our heats in the quarter and the half-mile events but didn’t survive the semi-finals. We did however manage to win the 5-mile event 1^st and second. What a disappointment we had when the Judges disqualified us because the event was only open to London based clubs. We had ridden well when you think we were up against such as Lou Pond, Ernie Mills and Sid Cousins, with the exception of Norman, it was our first race on a hard track. Norman had ridden at Derby Municipal Track, this track was like a bowl - flat at the bottom but steep banking higher up, our club joined the their track league in 1944.

On Sunday night we toured London via the underground, we were amazed to see people living on the platforms of the underground stations to get away from the bombing. There was no bombing that night; it certainly made us realise how lucky we were to live in Long Eaton. The WRVS were selling large Lyons fruit pies down there; we had about six or seven each, we hadn’t seen these since pre-war. We were up early the next day, got the bikes ready for the road, fitting mudguards etc. We departed the hostel at 10 a.m. calling again at Woburn Sands for dinner, (obviously a good place) It rained all the way home, but with a gale behind us we donned our capes (as a sail) we were home in six hours. I remember Norman Casswell (always with electric wit) saying as we breasted Netherfield Lane railway bridge (road now closed for A50) “Ah Long Eaton, it is a long time since we’ve eaten”.

Early in 1941 I was transferred to Burton Foundry Co, doing the same job but Allied Ironfounders had taken over and all our manufacture was transferred to Burton, actually only two of us were taken there the other man being the fitting shop Forman. Whilst still at Sandiacre we had with us a pattern maker for all the different castings, what marvellous men these were making everything in wood so a pattern could put in the black sand for iron moulding. We had a cupolo for melting the iron ore which came from Stanton just up the road, Early in 1939 the firm had orders for bedplates for Lathes manufactured by Myford Engineering Co at Beeston. The first rough castings looked OK but when Myford tried to machine big blowholes appeared - what a disaster. We had to employ a metallurgist, the cupola men had thrown coke pig iron and scrap just as they had for rainwater pipe, guttering and fire grates. The metallurgist soon put this right. My cousin Maurice, who was metallurgist at Vickers in Attercliffe Sheffield, thought it was a huge joke.

#015 1941 and the Nottingham Track League

We were fortunate enough to continue Youth Hostelling throughout 1941. One particular time at Hartington, Gordon Rouse came home on leave and came with us to the Hostel. We had dinner then walked down to the Charles Cotton pub where we had plenty to drink and then a good singsong. We left there at about 10pm and entered the Village Dance, the ticket office was a small hole in the wall, Gordon put his sailor hat over the hole and we all trooped without paying. On entering the dance hall Gordon went on the stage, he got hold of the microphone and announced that the next dance would be a “Snake Dance” and all those idiots who had snaked in without paying would they please snake out again and pay!

That same winter quite a few of us had taken dancing lessons (yes, even me) so we were anxious to show off our prowess. I was hopeless but I did meet a girl, her name was Rosalie Crutchley. She lived 3 miles away at a small hamlet called Sheen, Frank Clay another close mate was with Rosalie’s sister, we decided to walk these girls home. Norman was to leave a window open in the hostel kitchen because we were supposed to be in the hostel by 11 p.m. We walked the girl’s home, a small kiss and then walked back to the hostel. We arranged to meet them the next day in the country but it rained and spoilt the day, Norman was there too making choice remarks, so the effort was spoilt. We met these girls for about three weeks after this, then the whole thing fizzled out. The girls were lovely looking with smashing dispositions - we have never forgotten them. The reason for telling this tale is what happened some 50 years later, I was working at Llanidloes at a Peugeot garage as a Parts Manager, when in came a lady awaiting service on her car. She sat down in our office and from my accent she asked me if I was from Derbyshire, I obviously said yes whereupon she asked me if I knew Derbyshire or rather the Peak District. It appeared she went for a holiday the year before and stayed at Crutchleys - the same farm where we had walked the two sisters. The customer said they were both married now and had children, one of the girls being the spitting image of her lovely mother and that Rosalie was as beautiful as ever, how’s that for a small world?

1941 saw a lot of clubmen called up to the various services but we still managed to race and have club runs. On one particular run to Bradgate Park we met up with members of Long Eaton Wheelers, this was an offshoot of Beeston Wheelers. They were deflated by members being called up so we decided to join forces, this meeting brought “Bas” Butler and Bert Humpries into our club, these two will appear many times in this story. At that time, spring 1941, we had a Frenchman join the club, he had been to Bradgate Park before and was very proud to show us rough English the “echo stone”. You entered a small cleft in the rock (only room for one) then you shouted some expletive and the echo rang round about ten times from the distant hills, how he found this out I’ll never know.

The same year also saw the birth of Nottingham Track League. On one Monday night we had been to a meeting at Freddie Grettons house to formulate this, Notts. Castle B.C. Bill Berresford was in the chair, what a cycling stalwart he was, Arthur Spurgin of Broad Oak was also there (there will be more of him later in first “Peace Race” I was to go on in 1955.) The upshot of the meeting was that the first track league competition would start the next Wednesday night on the Embankment near the WW1 memorial in Nottingham, the track was to be marked out the following night by the Nottingham members, we need not attend, we were informed! On the following night we went down to our grass track training spot, this was situated on the Sawley flood bank on the Trentside in one of Grammers fields just over the wooden bridge. (This was an old bridge used for horses towing barges down the Trent & Mersey canal, it was washed away in the great floods in 1947, it has been replaced by a metal bridge joined to the side of the Railway Bridge).

We had marked out a half mile stretch on the top of this quite level grass path, we also had our “marks” marked out (Norman Casswell was on Scratch). We had several races that night and afterwards we decided to go over to Nottingham to see how the Track was looking. It would have been about 8 p.m. by then but as “double summertime” was in operation it was still light till almost 11 p.m. We arrived Nottingham about 9 p.m. and all we could see at the site was Bill Berresford, Arthur Spurgin and Frankie Hippey looking decidedly dejected. Nothing had been done. We took over, marked out the track put in the corner pegs, painted the marks and really did a good job (no danger of anyone pinching the pegs in those days). The following night the first Nottingham N.C.U. Track League commenced, it was a huge success from the word go, thousands of spectators out for an evening stroll by the Trent were spellbound and turned up every week to watch and be entertained.

There were some good riders there too in those early days, Arthur Hunt, Cyril Harpur, Les Davies (later of Derby Mercury fame) Joe Ablutt, Jim Cockayne as well as riders from my own club i.e. Norman Casswell, “Blos” Catchpole, “Bas” Butler, my two brothers Ernie and Alan. Our club was to win the first Team Prize and I luckily won the individual events, I had hell of a tussle with Joe Ablutt who was brilliant in the 5-mile events. We had quite a duel, the only way I could beat him was to sit on his wheel from the start and then try and pass him on the last lap. Norman Casswell was our mentor, he was a brilliant sprinter, winning most of ¼ mile events, and he was to coach that great International rider Eric Thompson after the war years.

Later on that same year my Dad built me a new track frame, he built it one Saturday afternoon. We built it up polishing the bare frame, painting the lugs black then rode to Wymeswold Youth Hostel for the weekend. We detected a bad name with the warden there, a Mrs Bishop, (we were to encounter the Bishop family at many more hostels in the future). The next morning we had all the rough duties, washing up for everybody, cleaning the ‘self cookers’ kitchen, we also did a job we didn’t know we had to do, that was repairing the wood burning stove. We had chopped a lot of wood, so we decided to light the stove, of course smoke poured out, we found on examination that the smoke damper was rusted in. We repaired this and the stove worked a treat. Our prestige went up 100%; we were always welcome at Wymeswold after this.

#013 1940 - Touring in Wales and Somerset

We trained hard for the 1940 season but of course, by now quite a few club members had been called up. One of these, Tommy Fox, was stationed just this side of Bakewell. Most Sundays we called in there to see him, we had gone over Rowsley Bar and into Stanton woods, had dinner at Alport, then through Lathkill Dale and home, in the dark of course. I have been so ‘knackered’ that I could hardly ride up Cemetery and Cherry Hill in Derby, crawling through Borrowash, Draycott and Breaston then down Wilsthorpe Lane and home.

1940 was really my first full season of bike racing. I won the Handicap cup by one second from my best mate Gordon Rouse. Early in 1940 the Air Ministry formed the Air Training Corps, Gordon Rouse and his brother Eddie (soon to be a Naval Officer in Corvette’s on Atlantic convoys) and I were the first to join. Major Hobson was in charge and we learnt Algebra and Navigation. Gordon was called up - I failed my medical with flat feet.

Club champion Les Thompson, Johnny Slack and Track Champion Eric Barnes and Monty Burton, Vic Mills and Stan Ballard were all sent to the colours. Even so, new people were joining the club and we had a good secretary in Edna Catchpole, her brothers Norman and Frank also joined the club. Whitsuntide 1940 saw me with Fred Hillier on our third tour, this time to Wales. We set off on Saturday morning the weather was perfect, the news was that the Germans had invaded France -. As a precaution should we be invaded, all signposts had been removed, so we memorised the route going through Uttoxeter, Stone, Pipe Gate, Woore, (where we stopped to look at the giant steam engine pumping water for the whole of Staffordshire) Whitchurch, Rhuabon and so past the canal and into Llangollen. As we had left home at 4.30am we arrived at Llangollen quite early, in fact about 10am so we climbed the Horseshoes Pass to Ruthin then past Rhuddlan Castle and so into Rhyll. We were accosted by the Military in Rhyll who thought we were paratroopers. Rhyll beach was all barbed wire and military so we went down the coast to Colwyn Bay and Conway. We then returned to Llangollen got some good digs and in the evening we walked up to the castle - quite a climb. I have never repeated this feat although I now live in Wales. We returned home the next day, being stopped many times to produce our Identity Cards. Arriving home about six o’clock we went to Trent Lock and hired rowing boats for the rest of the evening (double summer time was in operation then).

In August that year I went on tour with Norman Caswell to Somerset, his wife Norma was staying at Upton on Severn, we called there to see her and have a meal. Leaving Norma, we rode through Malvern intending to stay at Malvern Links youth hostel, but they were full, we returned to Malvern but couldn’t find anywhere there either so we had to retrace to Cleeve Hill Y.H. where we were able to stay in the annex. Up early next morning, we did our duties and we were soon on the road through Cheltenham, then to Gloucester where we passed the docks. Some quite big timber ships were unloading at Bryant & Mays match factory – long since gone. And so on to Bristol again by the docks, across the swing bridge and up the hill on the A38 and on to Bridgwater, (this being the only flat bit of that day’s tour). Off the A38 we turned left to Cheddar Gorge, we had been going quite fast up till then, in fact I was taking a packet, so naturally I thought we should stop and have a look at Goffs Caves, which comes just before the climb. What a hope I had, as just before the caves a puka racing man came and passed us on sprints and all stripped down, that was a sign for Norman to jump on his wheel and beat him to the top leaving me trailing in their wake. When I did get to Norman his words were “What was that down there with all those rocks each side” - what a bloody idiot. Anyway I took him down Burrington Coome, up Cheddar gorge, on to Wookey Hole where he had a flat in his front wheel. We went through all the necessary procedures but couldn’t find the puncture. The tyre was blown up and stayed up for the rest of the tour.

We stopped and went round Wells Cathedral, then called at Weston Super Mare. The tide has a 33 feet fall, and is the second highest in the world, enabling quite fair sized ships to go up the Avon and in to Bristol – all we saw, the tide being out, was a beach of mud. We went on to Bream Down and stayed at Hutton YHA. This had only opened that year and the Warden was a lady from Ilkeston, so Norman asked if she knew Jo Doner in the Ilkeston dialect whereupon he was answered in pure Queens English, quite a come down for us. We had a good meal there, and then had a walk to look at Steepholm.

The next morning after breakfast we where given our duties Norman, after his run in with the warden, had to wash the pots for about 40 and he had to dry them as well. My duty was chopping down a large bed of nettles, these had stems like tree trunks, and I had almost finished when Norman appeared and as I cut the last one he shouted “timber”. We left the hostel at about 10 a.m. bound for Warwick Castle, this was a Youth Hostel during the war. Our route was via Street, Glastonbury, where we visited the ruined Cathedral, then on to Bath, Chippenham, on the old Fosse Way to Cirencester, Stow on the Wold, Moreton en le Marsh and so to Warwick.

We arrived at the hostel early (well before 5pm). The warden let us in and made us sandwiches and tea, he then produced a map asking us where we had cycled from, “What time did you start?” he asked, we said 10am. He was amazed at the short time we had taken, mind you after Glastonbury we had been doing ‘a two up’. During this ride we were to witness the “Battle of Britain” which was going on overhead, thank God we weren’t in it. The weather had been perfect, not a cloud in the sky. We had a wonderful meal in the evening then a stroll round Warwick. You always feel proud to be walking round towns when you have arrived under your own steam, I have never encountered this feeling by motorbike or car, getting to any place under you own power has this special feeling. The next morning we awoke to wind and rain, we came home thro’ Coventry and saw the terrible war damage, I was to see much worse in Dresden, but that would be 15 year’s later in the 1955 Peace Race. We arrived home for dinner after a real happy tour. I rode a 30 mile Time Trial the Sunday of our return and managed 1hr18m winning 1st handicap and that eventually gave me the Handicap Cup for season 1940.