Mag2002feb A

Magazine and runs list
February to April 2002
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February 2002
The Quarterly Magazine
of the
Portsmouth District Association,
The Cyclists’ Touring Club
page 4
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Editorial opinions
Welcome
President’s notes
Hill climb and freewheel
Portsmouth cycle forum
Observations
American newsletters
Randonnées in France
The outdoors show
Hampshire Cycling
New committee
New cycle-way open
Nine wine down for winter
Lifecycle of a scribbler
Save your breath
South east region meeting
Captain Bruce’s pneumatic cure
Winter wind-up
100 years ago
Derek’s diary 1972
A message from Seattle
Errors and apologies
Sales & Wants
Leaky patch
Portsmouth DA events
17 Feb
20 Apr
25 May
15 June
22 June
6 July
Pedal 50
President’s ride
Hill climb and freewheel
Map reading competition
Bob Kemp memorial ride
Cycle quest
Pat Mitchell ( 023 9226 2745
Mike Elson ( 023 9247 5785
Keith Wileman ( 01243 372841
(email) Portsmouth.CTC@hantsweb.org.uk
Magazine sales:
Dave Pilbeam ( 023 9226 7095
Copy for next issue as soon as possible - 30th March latest
to Keith, 3 Danbury Court, Emsworth, PO10 7RD
Back cover design by Lisa Drew
Portsmouth DA on the internet:
www.hants.org.uk/ctcportsmouth
Email:
Portsmouth.CTC@hantsweb.org.uk
DA president:
DA secretary:
Magazine editor:
4
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Editorial opinions
T
he Portsmouth DA 75th anniversary
celebrations came to a good conclusion in
January with the prize presentation lunch.
This was certainly the best Portsmouth DA
lunch I’ve been to. I used to enjoy the lunches
at Compton - a nice ride to get there and a very
cosy seating arrangement. The Denmead
venue was adequate, but I’m not a lover of
pub roast dinners. The Brookfield provided a
pleasant room, good food and excellent
service.
F
About 85 people were at the lunch, including
a welcome number of Hampshire Road Club
members who contributed to the crosstoasting - a tradition of cycle club dinners
which seemed in our DA to have fallen off in
recent years, but which this year provided a
lot of entertainment.
W
Well done to Pam Pilbeam for the
organisation and for the display illustrating
the DA’s 75 years.
or some time this magazine carried some
brilliant covers drawn by Rob Iredale first the cycle jersey, then the view of Fort
Purbrook. Every publication needs a change
now and again, and for the 75th anniversary
covers Pam put together some photographs of
DA members from the last few decades. In
this issue the back cover is drawn by Keith
Drew’s 13 year-old daughter, Lisa. We are
always looking out for new cover designs, so
let me know if you have any suggestions.
hile reading through old DA
newsletters of 15 to 20 years ago I’ve
come across pieces by “Tertium Quid”. I have
to inform you that Tertium Quid is alive and
cycling and that he surreptitiously passed me
a piece of paper at the AGM which I have
published in this magazine. Welcome back
into print.
The CTC has not been able to provide us with a list of
new members.
They hope to be in a position to do so soon.
Please add the following names to your address list:
Rodney and Anne Bird 2 Manor Cottages, Manor Road, Hayling Island. PO11
0QN ( 023 9246 8264
Paul Whitehead 131 Brook Gardens, Emsworth. PO10 7LL ( 01243 430409
5
February
2002
5
Portsmouth DA Magazine
President’s notes
I
write my first President’s notes having
just turned the shortest day. With that
behind me I can think it is once again all
downhill to summer warmth and length of
days.
Since taking over from Dave Pilbeam we
have had two more very good and well received evening meetings together with the
Christmas party which was the usual mix
of fun and games. Some mutterings were
heard about less food than usual but who
were the discourteous members who didn’t
buy tickets early enough to allow for their
portion of the catering?
stops would possibly make all cyclists
more welcome. Please do not let our DA
do anything to jeopardise the well-being of
cyclists in general.
D
uring this current quarter CCP will
hopefully pass 799,405 miles and
take over the record for recorded mileage.
This has been held by Tommy Chambers
of Glasgow who died more than 25 years
ago.
I will add a few more miles to my more
modest total by leading a President’s ride
on April 20th. It would be lovely to have a
really big turn-out - even if you can only
n the subject of courtesy it was raised make it to tea at an, as yet, undisclosed deson a Havant ride that the riders, on a
tination. Your spot there can be assured by
narrow road, should have given way to a
payment of £1 before April 5th so that I
lorry trying to overtake. Fair comment. Cy- can give information of how many to cater
clists in general take a lot of stick, quite
for.
often unjustified, but whenever we are in a
n the meantime my regards to you all
position to put ourselves in a good light we
and safe cycling.
should surely do so? Similarly a bit of
courtesy to our hosts on coffee and lunch
Pat
O
I
CTC membership
Many of us carry a few CTC membership application
forms in our saddle bag to give to anyone who shows, or
doesn’t show, an interest in the CTC.
Make sure you destroy any old versions of the form and
get some new ones, as the membership fees have increased to £27 for an adult and similar increases for other members.
6
Portsmouth DA Magazine
February
Pedal 50
S
Sunday 17th February is the date for
this year’s 50 mile ride. It starts at
9am from outside Cosham library.
There’s no time limit. The entry fee
of £2.50 will include soup and a roll
afterwards at Fort Widley.
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Photographic competition
T
he DA annual photographic competition took place at the
club room on Thursday 29th November. It was a popular
event, attended by 36 people. Each entry consisted of six
slides or six prints - four being “general” and two with the theme
of “75”. Brian Gray, a keen photographer from Fareham Wheelers cycle club, was our judge. He made many helpful suggestions
about how to improve our shots as well as humorous comments.
There were nine entries in the print category and two in the slide
section. Each picture was marked out of ten points. In the print
competition I came third, Liz McDonald second and Fiona Pratt
first, with 41 points. In the slide section, Keith Wileman came
second and Pat Mitchell first, with 43 points. Fiona and Pat were
each presented with a Boots voucher for £5. Pat amassed the
greatest number of points and therefore wins our photographic
trophy this year.
There were many imaginative photos on the 75 theme, including
several from Brian himself. The most ingenious one, I think, was
Laurita’s 75 birds at Pollensa, Mallorca, which she had drawn in!
In November 2002 we will probably have another photographic
competition. Perhaps this year it would be fun to go back to a
democratic judging system, as this gives everyone present the opportunity to help decide the outcome. Let me know what you
think.
Happy 2002 to all.
Tricia Farnham
7
February
2002
7
Portsmouth DA Magazine
National Bike Week
Make a note that this year’s National Bike Week is 15th
to 23rd June. Information is available on the web site
www.bikeweek.org.uk or, no doubt, in Cycletouring.
BHF barn dance
March
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Saturday 16th March
Once again the popular British Heart Foundation
barn dance at the Hayling Island community centre, dancing to the famous Bursledon Village
Band. This will be exactly the same format as in
previous years and the same as our own DA
event, run each year in November.
If you have been to one of these before you will
know how much fun these are. Two left feet are
quite normal at these dances, in fact that’s all I have anyway.
Tickets can be obtained from me at the bargain price of £6,
which includes a light supper. Please come along - the greater
the numbers in our own group the more fun we can all have.
7
Mike Edwards
April
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President’s ride
Join Pat for her President’s ride on Saturday,
20th April. Starting promptly at 9.15am from
opposite the Arts Centre in East Street, Havant, the ride will stop at Bishops Waltham for
elevenses, then Owslebury for lunch.
There will be an afternoon tea stop, and you can book
your place there by giving Pat £1 before 5th April.
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8
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Ron Kitching
O
ne of the best known names in cycling died in December. A CTC
press release included the following tribute:
“Ron Kitching spent a lifetime involved in cycling. He was a top longdistance time-triallist of the 1930s, before moving into the trade with a
Harrogate shop. Ron Kitching's trademark "Everything Cycling" was an
exotic catalogue of the best equipment from all over the world and his
wholesale business supplied many of the UK's bike shops.
“He was a driving force in the industry, and was not only one of the initiators of the CTC York Rally, but also the popular Harrogate Cycle
Festivals in the 1970s and 80s. He was still a familiar site at many
events and the CTC York Rally despite increasingly poor health in recent years. Bill Priestley, Chair of the York Rally Committee paid tribute to Ron saying that, ‘He was one of the leading lights from the
beginning and the Rally always enjoyed his company’.”
BHF Westbourne sponsored
cycle ride
Sunday 30th June
The British Heart Foundation will be repeating its successful sponsored ride
on the short 8km circuit around Westbourne, Southbourne and Woodmancote. This is not a challenge for DA cyclists but is a wonderful opportunity
to encourage your children or grandchildren to ride.
The ride also gives people who do not ride regularly an opportunity to give
their bikes an airing. How about trying to interest your neighbours or
friends. It is a fun event and members of the Solent Veteran Bicycle and
Tricycle Cub will be riding the circuit. I expect to ride a penny farthing
again and hopefully there will be other interesting bicycles.
Almost as important as getting people on bikes is the chance to raise much
needed funds for the British Heart Foundation. This goes towards research
into cures for heart-related conditions, education to try to avoid the problem
in the first place and equipment for hospitals. See me for the entry form.
Mike Edwards
9
February
2002
9
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Hill climb and freewheel
Saturday 25th May
The DA’s hill climb and freewheel competitions will take place on Saturday 25th
May, using East Marden, map reference SU 807 146, as the starting point. This
year’s competition is a listed DATC event. For entrants who wish to travel by car
there is some lay-by parking on the B2141 Chichester to South Harting road, at
map reference SU 833 137. While this is approximately two miles from East
Marden it is close to where the freewheel contest will finish.
The hill climb will take place at 10.30, starting from the well in the village centre,
SU 807 146, and finishing at SU 817 147. The hill climb is not a race against the
clock. You just estimate how long it will take you to ride to the top of the hill, tell
the starter your estimated time and off you go. The person nearest to their stated
time is the winner of the coveted trophy.
The freewheel contest will follow on from the hill climb and will start at SU 817
148 and will proceed in an ESE direction. It will finish where you stop, the one
freewheeling the farthest distance is the winner. Pedals will be safely secured to
prevent that little extra power surge so it is no good turning up on that favourite
fixed wheel machine for this event! There will be two classes, one for solos and
one for tandems.
Please complete the entry form included in this magazine and either return it to
the organiser Colin Chester or hand it in on the day. Entry fee is £1 per event. n
Portsmouth cycle forum
Pam Pilbeam reports
F
areham council now have the funding to continue the cycle path from Cams Hall school,
Fareham, to Porchester ending at the garage just before the entrance to Port Solent. They
will also be widening the cycle path the other way from Cams Hall school to the Delme Arms
roundabout.
P
ortsmouth council have plans to provide a continuation of this cycle path from Porchester
to the Marriot hotel. The section from the entrance to Port Solent to the Marriot hotel will
be dual height to separate cyclists from pedestrians; the cyclists will be on the lower level,
this has been possible because of proposed demolition of the houses fronting the road to
make way for the Tesco extension and the new access road. n
10
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Observations
Tertium Quid
(clad in lycra)
Apologies to the following riders and clubs:
Wm Shakespear (Hathaway Velo)
Richard D of Glos (Bosworth Wheelers)
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious
summer by the CTC baggy pants, and the alpaca that
lour’d upon this house in the deep bosom of the ocean;
buried now are our brows bound with victorious lycra,
your bruised frames hung up for monuments, your
stern “oil up” changed to tiresome bleating, your
dreadful club runs to funereal processions: grim visaged riders have ironed their baggy pants, and now,
instead of mounting titanium frames to blow off fearful
adversaries, they trundle awkwardly on hobby horses
to gather at Havant gallows.
Explicit hoc totum. Pro christo da mihi potum.
Unum saltum et siffletum et unum bumbulum. n
Now and then
“After drying myself, and sitting the better part of four hours at Singleton, I
started in the rain, boldly setting the Saint at defiance, and expecting to have
not one dry thread by the time I got to Havant, which is nine miles from Fareham, and four from Cosham.
“To my most agreeable surprise, the rain ceased before I got by Selsey, I suppose it is called, where Lord Selsey's house and beautiful estate is. On I went,
turning off to the right to go to Funtington and Westbourne, and getting to Havant to bait my horse, about four o'clock.”
William Cobbett
Rural Rides, August 1822
11 2002
February
11
Portsmouth DA Magazine
American newsletters
Mike Edwards
A
s you will be aware we have had a
most successful twinning with an Oregon cycling club, the Santiam Slow
Spokes for almost three years. Some of us have
visited and ridden with them, and 18 months
ago Richard and Lindy visited us. There is another local club, the Mid Valley Bicycle Club
to which most of our Santiam friends also belong.
I receive the monthly newsletters from each
club and try to lend them to all the people I
think will be interested. This has become rather
haphazard, particularly when I cannot remember who has seen them or not. They also do not
always get returned to me, and I do not remem-
ber who to chase up. I feel that it is time that I
put my house in order and give all club members a chance to read them.
I will set up a rota system where each person
can have them for two or three days and will
then pass them to the next one on the list. This
way I will have control of where they are and
everyone will have the opportunity to read
them. Please contact me if you wish to be on
the list and I will set up a rota. It will be your
responsibility to pass them on to the next person and I will try to arrange it so that it will be
to someone close to where you live. If you already hold any past copies please return them
to me. n
Randonnées in France
C
hris Davies has details of two randonnées, both offering a choice of distances, across the water on successive weekends this summer. These
are the Tour of the Three Valleys, based at Dieppe on Sunday 23rd
June, and the Tour of the Cotentin, near Cherbourg, on Saturday, 29th June.
British riders have been outnumbering the French on the Dieppe Raid, the
name given to the first of these events, for most of the years since five CTC
members (including two from the Portsmouth DA) took part in the inaugural
one, in 1971. We've been well represented in most years since then, and the
ride has fond memories for Roy and Jackie Bailey, for it was in one of those
years that they met each other for the first time, prompting Roy to say on his
return, "I think Jackie will be a good fit on my tandem."
The hotel at Pont-l'Abbé, chosen as the base for the winter wine-down tour last
October, is the headquarters for the second event, first held in 1985.
Both are well within a day's ride of French ports served by ferries from Portsmouth, and Dieppe can also be reached from Newhaven. Three days away
from home will be enough to enjoy these trips. n
12
Portsmouth DA Magazine
'Go biking with the CTC' will be an area dedicated to all forms of cycling where outdoor enthusiasts can ride some of the latest road,
racing and offroad bikes. There will also be an
opportunity to consult one of the leading exA CTC press release perts in the technical field of cycling, CTC's
Chris Juden.
TC is taking its campaign to attract
more people to cycling to the new Out- As part of the continuing drive to provide high
quality information, CTC will launch its new
doors Show held at the Birmingham
Cyclists Welcome directory at the show. It is a
NEC from the March 15-17 2002, sponsored
comprehensive guide to organisations and busiby Ordnance Survey.
nesses providing services to cyclists throughout
The decision to be the lead cycling organisation the UK.
for the show is part of CTC's strategy to reach
High quality information covering offroad and
out to people outside of the traditional cycling
community. The vision is to broaden the mem- touring routes throughout the UK and abroad,
bership profile of CTC by encouraging outdoor in addition information on cycling holidays ofenthusiasts to think more about cycling, as well fered by the ATOL bonded company CTC Holiday and Tours will also be available at The
as families, commuters and U-26s onto their
Outdoors Show.
bikes thereby creating a more powerful campaigning base.
Also present at the show will be representatives
Of the decision to attend Kevin Mayne, Direc- from the outdoors equipment and holiday industry as well as the Indoor Adventure Racing
tor of CTC, said: "Our objective is to provide
information and expertise to the 25,000 poten- Championships which will include events in
climbing, running and offroad biking. n
tial cyclists who will attend the Outdoors
Show. We want them to discover more about
the world of cycling."
The outdoors
show
C
Hampshire
Cycling
ation fees of £20 paid each year by the three
DAs involved.
The main item discussed at its meeting on 5th
October was the threat posed by drivers attempting to overtake cyclists riding through
Chris Davies “pinch points”, a method of traffic calming intended to reduce the speed of traffic in urban
ormed nearly three years ago, Hampareas without, it seems, any thought being givshire Cycling is a group of members
from the three DAs in the county - that’s en to the safety of the cyclist.
North Hampshire, South Hampshire and us The group intends to raise this matter with
plus representatives from local campaign
county cycle planning officers - the meeting
groups and individual members from remaining may have taken place by now - but if readers
parts of the county where the CTC is not very
have any views on this or any other issue constrong - the Andover area is the principal one.
cerning cycling facilities (or lack of them) in
the county, Geoff ( 01329 842268 or Chris
It meets roughly every quarter in Winchester
and, after an inaugural meeting attended by six ( 023 9245 5497 will welcome your comof our members, we have been regularly repre- ments.
sented by Geoff Rogers and Chris Davies, two Hampshire Cycling wants to see more people
club members who also serve on the Portcycling more often, but that’s hard to achieve if
smouth Cycling Forum. It is financed by affili- our safety is threatened by new schemes. n
F
13 2002
February
13
Portsmouth DA Magazine
New committee
T
he following committee officers were elected (many unopposed)
at the AGM in November:
President
Vice-president
General secretary
Assistant general secretary
Membership secretary
Treasurer
Social secretary
Magazine editor
Press and publicity
Rights officer
Cosham rides representative
Under 25 representative
DA clubroom co-ordinator
Havant rides representative
Pat Mitchell
position vacant
Mike Elson
Gordon Davey
Pam Pilbeam
Colin Chester
Pam Pilbeam
Keith Wileman
Mike Edwards
Pam Pilbeam
Dave Pilbeam
position vacant
Tricia Farnham
Mike Edwards
Non-committee posts:
Magazine production and sales
Auditor
Dave Pilbeam
Wally Sodeau
After the AGM Phil Nelson accepted the committee’s request that he
should be vice-president. n
New cycle-way open
A
mile-long stretch of well surfaced cycle-way
alongside the A286 south of West Dean is now
open and it drains well in wet weather, according
to our cycling reporter; it was raining hard when he rode
along it in early October.
Designed for cycling in both directions, it runs on the east
side of the road and is a practical alternative for members
returning from tea stops at West Dean gardens, Singleton or
beyond. North-bound cyclists face the problem of crossing
traffic flows in both directions at each end, plus a partially
raised kerb at the southern end.
Hopefully the missing link to connect it with the northern
end of the Centurion Way at Lavant will follow soon. n
14
Nine wine down
for winter
Portsmouth DA Magazine
veteran and Wally Sodeau, a late entry who cut
his teeth on his first wine down in 2000.
Chris was the chef du tour who stepped in
when Pam’s plans for a moving-on tour spread
over five days fell through. Her proposal to go
CCP out on the overnight ferry to Saint-Malo and
he wine down for winter tour, the last of return from Ouistreham has all the makings of
a good tour in the summer months of the year
the cycling trips chosen to commemorate our 75th anniversary last year, will but attracted only six in late October when the
hours of daylight are becoming a scarce combe remembered by the nine strong peloton for
three days of remarkably warm sunshine, mak- modity.
ing it the best for weather since five formed the "Not enough to make it worthwhile," she decidinaugural group when we started these end of
ed a month beforehand. The itinerary would
summer saunters in northern France in 1996.
have probably been successful if we knew just
That was a modest one-night stopover in Saint- how good the weather turned out to be, but
Sauveur-le-Vicomte in the heart of the Cotentin both Tricia and Chris still remember only too
peninsula, and we stayed at a more modest ho- well how wet it was in October 1998 when they
embarked on an ambitious ride to Péronne for a
tel only nine kilometres away, at Pont-l'Abbé,
randonnée past World War I battlefields in the
for the sixth wine down this time. The Hôtel
Somme to mark the 80th anniversary of the ardes Voyageurs was chosen by Chris Davies, a
mistice.
pioneer of the first wine down, on
the strength of a good lunch he had
Now with memories of those five
there in September on his way back Three days of
wet and windy days still very much
from a five-day tour he spent with remarkably warm in mind, they have become happy to
Neville Chanin, the guest speaker at sunshine
accept more modest mileages at this
our prize presentation lunch last
time of year, though that experience
year.
didn't stop Bill and Tricia leaving
the hotel before anyone else was up on our first
The price for a four course dinner including
day at Pont-l'Abbé to ride an 80km randonnée
wine, Normandy champagne (that's French ciat Cherbourg organised in conjunction with a
der) and coffee, bed and continental breakfast
was 185 francs (that's about £18.50) per person cycling exhibition held at the University.
for each of the three nights we stayed there, and "We paid 20 francs each and all we got was a
although we did not have the en-suite facilities route sheet and there was no one there to check
we enjoyed in the hotel arranged by Pam Pilus back when we finished," said a disappointed
beam some 10kms away to the east at SteBill afterwards, adding, "It wasn't at all well
Mère-Eglise a year earlier, there was a shower
organised and the course was 5kms short." But
room and separate WC within a few feet of all
his faith in the French was restored when he
our bedrooms (best described as cosy) which
and Tricia found the university refectory was
proved quite satisfactory for all.
still open, serving three course lunches for an"All" on this trip was Tricia Farnham (a veteran other 20 francs.
of the first wine down who persuaded her hus- Mike and Ann, who followed us out from Portband Bill to come this time), our new DA presi- smouth on Saturday morning after having a
dent Pat Mitchell, who stoked the tandem
dinner engagement on the evening of our desteered by Dave Culverwell the tour navigator, parture, missed out on this bargain meal. We,
wine down debutants Mike and Ann Edwards
having caught P&O's Pride of Bilbao mini(who raised a few French eyebrows by coming cruise sailing on Friday night, did this exhibion a tandem trike), Tony Adams, a Southamp- tion on arrival in Cherbourg, and had coffee
ton CTC man now recognised as a wine down
and croissants there on arrival and an early
T
15 2002
February
lunch before we left.
Under overcast skies which leaked a few spots
of rain from time to time, Dave led us on a 42
mile route along deserted country lanes that
afternoon, giving us time for a tea stop in Alresford's twin town of Briquebec before reaching our destination at 5pm to be joined a little
later on by Mike and Ann. They took a more
direct route from Cherbourg which brought
them to Pont-l'Abbé with plenty of daylight to
spare.
15
Portsmouth DA Magazine
ternoon riding leisurely back to base. Our hotel
is normally closed on Sundays but the proprietors had given as a key to let ourselves in and
we were just beginning to wonder if we were
going to get a meal that evening when they
turned up shortly after darkness fell and were
ready to start serving half an hour later.
Our last two days were even warmer, prompting Chris to say, "I reckon this would be hot
enough for Dave Pilbeam to be in shorts," as
Tuesday's temperature touched 70°F. Clear
blue skies and an almost total absence of wind
While Bill and Tricia recorded three-figure
accounted for this balmy weather, the
mileages incorporating their ranhottest recorded in the Cotentin for
donnée, Dave led the rest of us on
over 30 years, and we revelled in it,
As cyclists, we
a more sedate 60 mile day westfinding it warm enough to set out in
were more
wards to the coast at Portbail, an
shorts. Monday found most of us picattractive seaside resort overlook- interested in a
nicking in the sand dunes on Utah
ing a small sandy island reached
bar for elevenses beach after visiting a local market in
by a permanent causeway. An auCarentan in the morning and we were
tumnal mist had lifted by the time
basking in the sunshine again 24
we reached it and the sun was breaking through
as we met a band of young teenagers, many on hours later a few miles further up the eastern
coast at Quettehou.
horseback and others in a horse-drawn cart,
who were all dressed for Halloween and demanding "trick or treat" in a friendly manner to
all they met.
As cyclists, we were more interested in a bar
for elevenses and there were several to choose
from in Portbail where local businesses were
open for the many visitors enjoying the warm
sunshine there. We were about 10kms south of
Barneville, the place chosen by Pam for the
75th anniversary fixed centre tour she organised in May, but Dave had no trouble finding
some different lanes for us to a picnic lunch
stop in Lessay, an inland town about 40 miles
away in the other direction.
By then most of us who had shorts were in
them and with bags bulging with unwanted
clothing we enjoyed a cloudless, windless af-
Provisions for picnic lunches were bought before we resumed cycling after elevenses, with
three heading north to Barfleur and the coastal
road to Cherbourg, while six took a more direct
route under the direction of Mike who had taken over the map from Dave for our final day.
Having made careful calculations to ensure he
wouldn't return home with francs which will
cease to remain legal tender this February,
Tony found he was 10 francs short after buying
some cycle clothing in Cherbourg's Décathlon
hypermarket, but he was saved from possible
embarrassment by a team-mate who had francs
to spare.
Isn't that what friends are for? n
Derek points out:
If the bicycle had only just been invented, it is unlikely it would
be allowed on modern roads in view of its inherent instability
and vulnerability.
16
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Lifecycle of a
scribbler
Profile
Laurie Booth
W
hen it became no longer necessary
to flatten out cocoa tins, the bike
was put in the garage and forgotten
until my tree-climbing boy and dog exploration
days, in a seemingly timeless world, became
the whats, whys and hows of the key factors of
my rural existence and future: the wireless, the
piano and the, by now, spider-commandeered
bike.
Hill in South London. It was then I saw television for the first time. The foggy black and
white picture was showing a cycle race being
held not far away. I made a beeline for the
event because by that time I'd developed an
interest in broadcasting and wanted to see the
transmission equipment.
Only later did the significance of the Herne Hill
race track with Sid Patterson and Reg Harris
After an enforced hour of Every Good Boy De- living nearby gradually become clear to my
serves Favour, I ran into the freedom of the earunsophisticated senses, and it coly morning sun to further my
incided with my cobbling togethdeveloping curiosity. The bike
I reached the stage of er the minimum requirements for
came away from the wall with
a bike which I used not for racing,
not falling off - I'd
the resentful crackle of tearing
learnt all there was to but developing my early staggercobwebs.
ings to become a streetwise surviknow about cycling
vor of London's traffic - a skill
I was eight. Tall enough to see
which remains.
the top of the saddle and pieces
of aircraft piping used as handlebar grips; short Since living back in Hampshire, and taking the
and determined enough to recognise and accept advice of visiting Gordon Davey’s shop on
the challenge of the massive pedals. With my
Hayling Island, I bought my first new cycle - a
nose level with the headset and hands higher
Dawes Lightning. At Gordon's suggestion I
than my ears, I launched myself - unseen by
turned up on a Saturday morning for a club ride
those who cared - onto the gravelled lanes of
which, apart from teaching me to stay upright,
my first two-wheeled adventure.
became the most beneficial move of my cycling attempts for which I remain grateful.
All I knew about bikes was they were things
people had and sometimes, although I'd never
I found myself wanting to match the tough dewitnessed it, fell off. I reached the stage of not termination of other riders which, to a degree, I
falling off - or out in my diminutive case - and feel I have achieved, and remain aware of the
considered therefore I'd learnt all there was to
benefits of riding in all seasons with experiknow about cycling.
enced club riders.
A few years on I left the forested quietness of
It was worth giving the bike another lease of
my home in Hampshire's West End for the tar- life; there was, after all, no need to repair canmac plane-lined streets and avenues of Herne
non holes in Spitfires at Hamble any longer. n
17 2002
February
17
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Save your breath
Kenny Wordsmith
I
read that the editor has given himself more time for cycling
by not spending time caring for his lawn. I’d like to complement this advice by suggesting a way to more efficient cycling.
What fuel do you use, apart from food, to produce the power
needed to push the pedals round? Oxygen. The more oxygen you
breathe in, the more power comes out. So more breathing and less
talking is the secret.
You could try improving your breathing by cutting down on some
of the words you use.
So instead of saying “absolutely”, say “yes”. It’s one syllable instead of four and ½ second instead of two seconds, leaving you an
extra 1½ seconds to breathe in while you’re pushing up the hill.
A few other savings you can make are:
Oh, very much so
à
yes
At this moment in time
à
now
In excess of
à
more than
In the event that
à
if
Utilise
à
use
Commence
à
start
And how about “Blah, blah, blah. But, having said that . . .” Have
you ever thought what “having said that” means? It means, “I’ve
just spent a lot of time saying something which I’m now going to
contradict (so I needn’t have said it in the first place).” What a
saving of breath that could be. n
CTC south east region meeting
Pam Pilbeam reports
A
list of local authority contacts, local transport plan officers, travelwise officers, safe routes
to school officers, cycling officers is being prepared to help in contacting the right people
when right to ride and local road plans are being proposed. If you know of any useful contacts
in your area please let me know and I will pass the info on.
The CTC 125th birthday was discussed and an idea was proposed to ride the region with each
DA receiving and handing on a spoke perhaps; suggested start place Godalming HQ.
National Bike Week is now to be called Bike Week. The week will not be funded by the CTC.
DETR have promised some funding and it is hoped other organisations will follow. Watch this
space. n
18
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Captain Bruce’s Pneumatic Cure
otherwise known as
The Bruce-Connal Spring Tyre
Fiona Pratt (née Bruce)
C
as near as possible the same amount of resilaptain Alexander Bruce, master mariner, was my grandfather and after years ience as tyres made on the pneumatic principle.
of voyaging at sea in sailing ships he
The tyre consisted of
returned to Scota steel rim but inland. In 1892 he
stead of being made
trained and qualiin the section of a
fied at Greenock
circle as in ordinary
as a Clyde pilot.
cycle wheels, the
During 37 years in
outer edges of the
the service he pirim were turned inloted over 20,000
ward forming a
ships (including
flange, in which
the Aquitania, as a
were inserted a close
hospital ship, from
series of perpendicuSouthampton to
lar spiral springs, the
the Clyde).
flange in the rim
Due to the nature
of his work there
were many hours
of waiting between
piloting jobs. I can
imagine his lively
mind dreaming up
. . . The Pneumatic
Cure . . . the answer to punctures
as he rode his bicycle home late at
night after a long
shift.
In 1897 he patented the Bruce-Connal Spring Tyre
which he had invented. Mr William Connal, foreman tinsmith, built the
prototype. In the patent he describes that the
object of the spring and coir tyre was to do
away with any chance of puncture while giving
keeping them in
place, while the top
edge of the springs
was made concave to
hold in place the
tyre. The outside tyre
consisted of a roll of
coir covered with
waterproof canvas
and having the running face covered
with rubber. Alternatively, the outer tyre
could be an ordinary
rubber cushion.
The spring and coir
tyre obviated all danger of puncture and
did away with inflating. He claims the weight of this tyre may be “a
percentage heavier” than the pneumatic, but the
cost would be a great deal less; also it was admirably adapted for rough, pot-holed roads. n
19 2002
February
19
Portsmouth DA Magazine
20
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Winter wind-up
Chris Davies explains
I
t seemed a good idea at the time. Some of us
had just returned from a sun-drenched few
days in Normandy at the tail end of October
when Brittany Ferries advertised cheap return
fares from Portsmouth, offering 24 hours in
France. Bill Farnham and Wally Sodeau decided
to come with me just before Christmas and I
hadn't given much thought to the pleasures of getting up at 5.30am on a freezing cold winter morning.
time to ride the 20-odd miles to Bayeux in daylight, provided we didn't spend too much time
with two members of a Caen photographic club
who were awaiting our arrival following an exchange visit Chris made with Havant Camera
Club earlier in the year.
Coffee in the well equipped ferry terminal - it
leaves the Portsmouth equivalent in the shade accounted for our first half-hour on French soil
and we lost another ten minutes or so as Chris led
us out of Ouistreham and into a cul-de-sac. Once
back on our chosen route we made no more navigational errors, but with low hanging clouds leaking a little from time to time there was little
natural light left for our last mile, along a busy
ring road which led us to an even busier crossroads by the railway station.
It was still very dark and just as cold when I pedalled past an unlit cyclist in dark clothing on my
way along the A27 by Farlington Marshes. The
Wally had booked demi-pension for us at the Hôconstant roar of commuting traffic rushing by
tel de la Gare, and we had no trouble spotting it,
made it impossible to ask that rider if he had any
thankful to know the patron had a room awaiting
belief in his own safety. With sunrise not due before 8am it became clear when the three of us met our arrival, and with cycles safely secured in the
adjoining garage it was quite dark by the time we
at the ferry terminal an hour earlier that under
settled in at 5.30pm.
wall-to-wall cloud cover there
wouldn't be much of Portsmouth
"You've made a good choice here," I
The pleasures of
Harbour to see when Val de Loire
getting up at 5.30am thought as Wally led the way to our
began to move at 7.45am.
room at the end of the corridor. With
on a freezing cold
three beds, lights which worked, a
This 31,788 ton ferry is at present the winter morning
warm radiator and en-suite facilities, it
largest in the French company's fleet
had all we expected, though some
and spends most of the year sailing
readers
might
have felt there should have been a
between Plymouth and Santander on the north
coast of Spain. Like most cross-channel ferries at door leading to the loo.
this time of year, it had been tastefully decorated
The shower gave us all the hot water we needed
in readiness for a short cruise over the Christmas
before we returned to the hotel bar for dinner at
holiday, but we will remember the six-hour voy7pm. Apart from le patron it was difficult to disage to Ouistreham as one of the calmest and quiet- tinguish staff from customers as nearly everyone
est on record. The sea was just like a mill pond
else present went behind the counter at some time
and with only a handful of passengers on board - I during the evening, but watching their to-ings and
counted 25 on a vessel capable of carrying 2,140 - fro-ings made up for the lack of a menu, for this
there were no queues for any of the usual facilities was a hotel offering just two choices - take it or
on board.
leave it.
"It's like being on the "Mary Celeste," Wally
Being cyclists, we took everything put in front of
mused as we sat down to a light lunch. By then it
us, from the aperitifs to whet our appetites and the
was difficult to distinguish the horizon as the
calvados to aid our digestion of the four-course
clouds dropped even lower, but though light rain
meal set before us, but just in case any reader
fell in mid-channel, any thoughts we might have
might be thinking we endured an alcoholic
entertained of staying on board and sailing
evening it is important to mention that our listraight back again were dismissed when we rode queurs were carefully poured in equal measures,
off the ferry onto dry roads at 2.45pm local time.
before the bottle was up-ended over our cups of
That's an hour ahead of GMT so we had plenty of coffee as though there was no tomorrow.
21 2002
February
Wishing to make a good impression on our
French hosts, Bill helped clear things up once we
had finished, and showed his domestic skills by
turning chairs upside down on the table, regardless of other diners still sitting on some of those
chairs.
I've always thought that breakfast at 9am is pretty
slothful, but with little light in France before that
time in mid-December it was the time we sat
down to our petit déjeuner thankful to note that
despite evidence of rain during the night the
weather looked more promising. There was still
no wind to speak of and when the sun appeared an
hour later we were almost ready to resume our
winter tour.
21
Portsmouth DA Magazine
A Christmas tree, bright lights and coloured decorations adorned the frontage of this establishment
and with most tables taken inside we were directed to a restaurant upstairs where another dozen or
so diners were already enjoying their meal. A
busy restaurant in France is always a good sign
and 90 minutes and three courses later we all felt
confident of coping with the remaining 12 miles
which separated us from Ouistreham.
Like the morning ride, we saw little traffic along
the coastal road, apart from two stationary cars
surrounded by broken glass, the result of quite a
hefty shunt, and arrived with time to spare for a
final chance to discard our remaining francs in a
local supermarket, for we will have euros in our
pockets next time we come.
Choosing a longer route for our return to Ouistreham, we left Bayeux in a south-easterly direction, Brittany Ferries Normandie, a 27,541 ton ferry
straight into bright sunshine which even at midcapable of carrying 2,123 people, was waiting to
day is less than 15° above the horizon, so it was
bring us back across an equally calm sea, but alwith some relief that we turned
though there was nothing like that
north-eastwards after about an
number on board, passengers did
hour’s cycling across the generally The cycling trio
outnumber the crew on this occaemerged victorious
flat countryside.
sion.
over all the four-strong
Choosing an unclassified road
I always say that however short a
motoring squads
which carried us over the busy N13
cycling holiday abroad, it’s not over
linking Baycux with Caen, we
until I'm back in this country and
paused for Wally to read the inscription on a
after the sun dropped below the horizon shortly
small tablet standing alone on the verge.
after sailing the ship's entertainments officer invited us to take part in a general knowledge quiz.
"The Canadians built a landing strip here in
1944,” Wally informed us, but looking at the open
field stretching to the horizon it was difficult to
imagine how busy that now empty landscape must
have been when tons of military supplies were
flown in to this deserted spot in support of the liberation all those years ago.
Apart from that small memorial there is now no
sign of that simple airfield, and as we stood with
our own thoughts the church clock of a village we
had just passed through struck 12 o'clock, to be
followed almost immediately by the chimes from
another church lying two kilometres ahead of us.
That was at Creully, where we crossed our outward route of the previous afternoon. Courseullessur-Mer, eight kilometres beyond, was the town
we had chosen for a lunch stop, and with our
shadows stretching up the road in front of us we
arrived there half-an-hour later, to find the
Brasserie du Marché offering a 55 franc menu in
the town square.
We readily agreed to accept her invitation and
though this battle on the high seas may not rank in
importance with Drake’s defeat of the Spanish
Armada in 1588 or Nelson's victory at Trafalgar
in 1805 it will come as no surprise to the reader
that the writer with these nuggets of historical
highlights from the past must have been a member
of the winning team.
He was too, for with his two team-mates, the cycling trio emerged victorious over all the fourstrong motoring squads lined up against them,
scoring 27 (or was it 29?) points from a maximum
40 to come ashore with unexpected booty.
For the record, the cost of our half-board accommodation was 210F each and supplementary
drinks produced a hotel bill of 878F which works
out at about £29.25 each. Prizes won in the quiz
were a miniature cognac, a set of coasters and a
miniature razor. n
22
Portsmouth DA Magazine
From CTC Gazettes Feb
ly attractive?
- Yes.
Mr Churton: Oh, there was a lady in the case?
A
t Chester County Court on Tuesday, before Sir Horatio Lloyd, Joseph Newbrook, grocer's porter, sued Samuel Lunt,
farmer, for two guineas, damages alleged to
have been sustained through defendant's negligence . . .
100 years ago
Plaintiff stated that several spokes of his bicycle were broken and his trousers were
split across the knee.
Mr Churton [for the defendant]: I suppose on this occasion you had your Sunday trousers on?
- No, Sir, a gentleman.
Mr Churton: A gentleman does not want to see
your Sunday trousers.
The trousers were produced in court, and Mr
Churton, on examining them, said a very good
job might be made of the split across the knee.
He asked the plaintiff what he would take for
the trousers.
Mr Hope [for the plaintiff]: You do not suggest, Mr Churton, that you are going to wear
them?
Mr Churton: They are all right; they seem to be
very nicely lined.
- Yes.
Mr Churton: I thought so. They generally wear their Sunday trousers on these
occasions. Why were you riding in Sunday trousers on Friday? Had you been to
see anybody at Rowton who was special-
O
wen Palmer, Leonard Sykes, Gordon Parker, Henry Willis, and
Walter Rowland Lake were summoned
before the Havant Bench on Saturday for riding bicycles on the footpath on the main road
between Havant and Emsworth on the 9th inst.
All the defendants pleaded guilty, and Mr
Thompson, who appeared on their behalf, said
that the road in this part is very bad, and it was
the habit of the policemen to lie uncomfortably
in concealment in the hedge more like a Boer
than a Briton and catch poor unsuspecting cyclists as they passed. The stones were very
Shaw, G. Bernard
Mr Hope (to plaintiff): In your opinion the
trousers are ruined?
Plaintiff: We do not think Mr Churton would
like to put them on. n
large, and had not been broken or rolled, and it
was impossible to ride over them. Mr G. P.
Martin said that he had never seen the road in a
more disgraceful state during the thirty years
he had lived there. There was not a single stone
broken, and they were as large as turnips.
The bench said that if the cyclists had been
wheeling their machines they could have overlooked the offence, but they were determined
to stop cycling on the footpaths. The defendants would each have to pay a fine of 1s. and
4s. costs. Superintendent Hack took exception
to the statement that the police constables were
in hiding behind the hedge, and called one of
them to prove that he was not in hiding but
standing in the road. n
10, Adelphi Terrace, London, W.C.
23 2002
February
23
Portsmouth DA Magazine
bruary to April 1902
Evidence in support of the summons was given
by the Rev. H. M. Langdale, who was cycling
with his two sons, when they came across a
He now denied that the road was unsafe for cyclists, and said that he had not had time to
clear up the trimmings because he had only
just finished cutting the hedge.
In the result the bench imposed a fine of 5s.,
remitting the costs. n
justly complained of by several correspondents of the
, I, for one, will
ir, In common with many other members of take myself away from a narrowness
the C.T.C. I was much disappointed with
which is part and parcel of a tendency
the decision of the general meeting on the
towards deformity of caste and clique
above subject. The two members of my family which may very well be exclusively conwho belong to the C.T.C. do so now entirely for fined to smart society.
the advantages of the hotel list and tariff while
touring on their motor car, and, like many of
my friends, have long given up cycle tours in
ir, I have been a member since 1895,
favour of motoring, for health and other reaand, with the exception of the
sons . . .
, I have had no advantage from it
whatever. I'm now starting a motor car,
ir, Hesitatingly I enclose with this my suband, unless the
contains a good
scription for current year. I have belonged
deal of information on that subject, I
to this Club almost since its inception. But if
shall resign my membership.
the Club preserves a policy of exclusiveness in
the matter of automobilists, which has been
S
S
S
S
ir... I joined the C.T.C. about 1888, when
the yearly subscription was 2s. 6d., and I
well remember looking forward to the bright
and (to the amateur) interesting little
of that period; but now, well, when it comes
I'm inclined, like Sir Martin, to say, "Bother
100 years ago
W
illiam King was summoned before
the Chichester County Bench for
laying hedge cuttings upon the
highway at Westbourne to the personal danger
of persons travelling thereon, on the 22nd January.
piece of road strewn with thorns from a hedge
where the defendant was engaged in doing
some trimming. The inconvenience, it was alleged, was so great that the two boys had to carry their machines a short distance. Defendant
was having a meal at the time.
the
," throw it into the waste-paper basket, and consider the question of resigning my
membership.
24
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Derek’s diary 1972
Derek has now been club cycling for 17 years and racing for 15 years. This year’s total mileage
4,870.
Jan Club rides totalled 313 miles. With 16
training rides averaging 17 miles each. Weather: 11 dull, cloudy days, 10 wet days, seven icy
days, two snowy days.
evening.
Jan 29th/30th Vectis IoW dinner and dance
with snow Saturday am. Bed 1am. Sunday was
icy cold with lunch at Yarmouth.
May 6th Rode Brighton Excelsior 25 mile 2-up
1.1.39. Won Elegant Gentleman’s award.
Feb 5th Leave Cosham 9am, ride to attend
Eastbourne dinner dance. Cycle via Arundel
and Lewis. Rain at first, sunny after lunch. Feb
6th Leave Eastbourne 10.15am, cuppa at
Brighton. Lunch Shoreham. Tea at Chichester.
Dull all day, home 7pm. 150 miles.
Feb 13th Wet start, rode Pedal 50 miles in 4
hours. Sunny afternoon, tea Fareham.
Feb 19th Attended Southampton dinner dance
(very good do). Bed 1.45am.
Feb 20th Rode Fareham Wheelers Open 2-up.
30 miles, came 3rd.
April 30th Rode Vectis 25, came 7th. Sunny
day. Lunch at Ashley Down. Cuppa Ryde.
Home 6.30pm, 62 miles for weekend.
Sunday 14th Rode Tandem RNCA 30 miles
event. Windy, dull day. Did 1.12.07. Afternoon
rode the first ever Tandem massed start 10 race
at Lee-on-Solent. Stung by bee, packed.
Spring bank holiday (New Forest) Saturday
27th meet Fareham 10am. Lunch at Brook.
Cuppa at Cranborne. Arrive Wimborne 5pm for
digs at Griffin Hotel. Sunday up at 8am, replace tub, re-puncture. Lunch Henstridge.
Misty, cold day, tea Shaftesbury. Evening
played skittles with Bournemouth Wheelers.
Monday cloudy and showery, left digs 9.30am.
Lunch Rockbourne and tea at Fareham. Home
6pm, 170 miles.
Feb 27th 18 on club run, dull misty day. Cuppa
June 25th Rode CTC Portsmouth reliability 50
Droxford, lunch Totford, cuppa at Privett, tea
mile. Misty, sunny day. Tea at Westbourne.
Hambledon. 62 miles.
Committee meeting in evening.
March/April Channel Island Guernsey weekJuly 16th 12 on club run. Hot, sunny day.
end. Easter. Thursday 30th March meet 9am
Portsmouth Airport, fly by Silver City plane to Lunch Kingston. Tea Mottisfont. 93 miles.
arrive in sunshine. Cycle round island 25 miles. July 23rd Lunch Goodwood. Tea Westbourne,
2nd in CTC scavengers’ hunt. 55 miles.
Good Friday dull, misty day at first, rode 25
mile time-trial 1.7.24 and watched hill climb.
August 4th Hire transit bus. I drove. Seven of
Disco evening. 38 miles. Saturday watched 10
us with bikes to attend the CTC York rally. All
mile TT. Disco evening. 15 miles. Sunday rode in same digs, 268 miles. Saturday Explore
23rd Road Race, start 7am. Dull, misty, came
York, attend Rally. 2 miles. Sunday Hazel,
12th. Monday watched 25 in mist and rain,
Portsmouth DA, won the Cycling Belle trophy.
caught return plane home to Portsmouth AirDull, rainy day. 4 miles. Monday home 8pm.
port arrive, 4.30pm. 12 miles.
August 26th Camping at Sandy Balls near
April 8th CTC Portsmouth slide show 7.30pm. Fordingbridge. Motor down, arrive 11.30am.
Lunch on site. Visit Garden Fete. 1 mile. SunApril 9th Cycle to, and ride Interclub 25.
day 27th Roughstuff in Forest with lunch at
l.6.03. Home for lunch. Cycle for tea at
Rufus Stone. Tea at camp site. Dull day. 12
Selborne. Sunny, mild day. 61 miles.
slept in one tent. 20 miles. Monday up at 6am,
April 29th IoW Weekend. Catch 9am car ferlunch Fordingbridge.
ry. Gale, rain. Stay in motel. Slide show in
25 2002
February
September 24th 24 out, cloudy day, lunch
Selborne. Roughstuff. Tea Waterlooville. 53
miles.
October Rode HRC 2-up 12½ miles, came 2nd
on 83" fixed. Lunch Walderton. Tea Hambledon. 31 miles.
October 15th 14 on ride, lunch Amberley. Tea
Waterlooville. Sunny day rode gears. 75 miles.
November 12th Spin to Chichester. Home for
lunch. CTC AGM at Conigar Hall, Emsworth.
25
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Made Vice-President and Assistant Secretary.
Tea 4.30pm.
November 24th Organised CTC Disco rave-up
and prize function 8pm at Southsea Rock Gardens till 1am.
December 2nd Motored to London in minibus,
12 of us to attend the RTTC BBAR.
December 17th Xmas tea at Hambledon.
Lunch at Cheriton. 40 miles. n
A message from Seattle
T
hose of us on the DA trip to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne met Sheila
Moss from Seattle who was on her first European cycle-tour and
joined us for dinner one evening at our hotel.
She sent the following message.
“It was good to hear from you . . . I had a delightful Christmas, spending
several hours with my daughter and two grandsons, ages 7 and 9. The 9
year-old is learning to play chess - a very nice change from computer
games, I must say.
“I've not been on my bike for some time - weather here has been very wet
until just recently. Am hoping to take some time this weekend or on New
Year's day to ride a bit.
“I am still showing photos to my friends and telling them about my trip.
And I delight in showing the photo of all of you at the long dinner table in
Beaulieu, and telling how I changed my place at the end of each course in
order to chat with everyone. Wonderful memories!
“Take care, and have a wonderful New Year.” n
Mike Edwards writes:
I was in the Chichester Cathedral refectory today and I noticed for
the first time a photograph of bicycles parked in the cloisters. I don’t
recognise the machines although they are our type of touring ones.
Has anyone else seen it and if so do they know who they belong to?
26
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Errors and apologies
from the editor
A
s far as I could see there were only two
mistakes in the last magazine.
In Wally’s article about the Semaine Fédérale
a “their” appeared instead of “there”.
And, trying to be clever, I put a circumflex
over the first e in creme instead of a grave
accent as it should have been - crème. What a
grave error. n
SALES & WANTS
1924 ladies’ All-black Special Sunbeam with two-speed bottom bracket gear.
Sharp’s patent divided rear axle. Original transfers and gold lining. Very pretty and
in excellent condition. £200
1933 New Hudson twin-tube tandem. Three-speed Cyclo gear and hub brakes.
All original. £250
1930s ladies’ Hercules. Original finish and lining. Three-speed hub gear. Large
frame, very comfortable to ride. £75
Ladies’ Raleigh Popular (1930s?). Original transfers and lining. Leather
chaincase. A bit scruffy, but potentially very nice. £50
Keith Wileman ( 01243 372841
27 2002
February
27
Portsmouth DA Magazine
Leaky patch
W
hich cheat included the New Year’s Day ride in the past year’s mileage so that
his total for the year would exceed 7,000?
There is a problem with wearing an old style, dark and light blue Portsmouth DA top. A rider
was asked the result of the previous day’s football match. On being told that the rider had no
interest in football, the questioner said, “Then why are you wearing a Portsmouth shirt?”
A Leaky Patch scribe had left the Pop-In at Petersfield and was waiting for the road to clear,
when an elderly gentleman grabbed his arm and said, “Let me help you across the road.” The
writer was totally lost for words.
It is rumoured that Cynthia was seen at elevenses on a recent ride. CC missed out.
A ride led by a tandem couple set out from East Wittering for home. The leader missed a
turning and everyone found themselves having to manhandle their bikes over a gate and then
push their bikes along the beach deep in shingle. Half an hour later we were back where we
started and this time the leader found the correct road.
One of our members went out to buy a computer. The sales assistant insisted on wheeling the
boxes into the car park for him, because he’d never seen a computer being taken away in an
Austin 7 before.
For membership of the CTC contact:
Cyclists' Touring Club
69 Meadrow
Godalming GU7 3HS
( 01483 417217
or
www.ctc.org.uk
POSTAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
If you want to be sure of receiving the DA Newsletter, you can take out a postal
subscription. For a year’s subscription, send or give £2 and four stamped addressed envelopes to Dave Pilbeam at The Nest, Hambledon Road, Denmead
PO7 6QF.