#041 - 1954 - Common Wealth Games Selection

1954 was Commonwealth games year, in the summer the N.C.U ran its first road race on the highway, previously the N.C.U had only run races on closed circuits. The race was open to all riders - categories were not arranged until the N.C.U amalgated with the B.L.R.C naming the new association the British Cycling Association. This event was limited to 60 riders of which two came from Long Eaton C.C. - Bill Henshaw and I.. The event started near Fazeley and going past the famous golf course Stan Jones (later to ride in the Tour de France) broke away but Bill and I chased and caught him just after the island on the A5, we were away along the A5 then turned left on to the A453 then left again on the A446 thus completing a lap. I stayed with these two for two laps when I took my usual lack of training “packet” and got dropped on the long drag up the A453. I chased for about 3 mile when I was caught by a large group with the Concord, Solihull, Midland R.C and Huddersfield riders. I was dropped from this group after about 10 miles and then I packed. Bill Henshaw finished 6^th an excellent performance.

In July that year we had entered a Commonwealth games selection event held near Leek, we still had the trusty Morris and in it was five of our club, at the bottom of Swinscoe near Waterhouses we came upon Dot and Eric Thompson. Who were riding to the event, Eric waved us down saying he wasn’t going to make the start, and this for him was a very important event, in fact I think it was the final event for selection. We put Eric and Dots bikes on the back (good job we had a long strap) that made seven bikes and seven riders. Can you see modern cars doing this now.

We arrived at the start just in time to collect numbers and have the bikes tested. I did not start, Eric Thompson won this event in one of his fiery sprints and as history tells us he won the road race in Vancouver later that year. We all rode in the Dublin-Galway-Dublin event, little did I realise at the time that this would be my last event apart from the national champs at Rugby which was won by John Perks of Earlswood C.C. John now I remember had won the Tour of Ireland that same year. Pete Rhodes rode in Ireland that year, I punctured on the back road to the crossroads at Maynooth, I chased and was almost up with the bunch when I saw Pete miss the “T” junction and land in the ditch, the “Sag” wagon was just behind him as the group was “tout ensemble” Pete picked his bent bike up and threw it from one end of the van to the other - and it was a long van - I nearly fell off my bike laughing. We finished well down although we enjoyed our stay in Ireland ( we always did).

The business was still doing very well and our relations with Triumph Engineering Co were first rate. Most years we invited all personell of the spare parts and service departments to a dinner and bought tickets for the Test match at Trent Bridge. A great time was had by all but we knew that these great men helped us outside all reason. Our orders were always fulfilled, the parts manager going down the “track” if any parts were in short supply, the service and repair shops could not do enough for us either. Little did we realise that in 17 years time the demise of this wonderful company and they and their staff would be no more. One particular year after we had invited the staff to the test match, I called at the Triumph works as usual to pick up parts. The manager came out and asked which was my van. We had the old Bedford still, the manager asked if I had time to wait a few minutes whilst they loaded the van with parts I had ordered, I kept noticing that one of the staff kept going past with a loaded trolley. When I eventually got to my van to drive to B.S.A I found it loaded with 10 Service Exchange crankshaft complete with connrods and 10 650cc cylinders barrels, this great haul enabled us to give a Service Exchange business second to none. We were also doing well with B.S.A, Norman Vanhouse making us full agents for parts with the corresponding higher discounts. Derbyshire Police were also showing interest in new TR6 Triumphs complete with Avon Fairings, we were invited to put in our tender which was successful andin early 1960 supplied them with 12 machines which were to last them until 1971 when they bought B.M.W. due to Triumphs demise.

#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.

#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.

#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.