Magazine in progress T

Transcription

Magazine and runs list
May to July 2004
50p
South of England Rally May 2004
May 2004
The Quarterly Magazine
of the
Portsmouth District Association,
The Cyclists’ Touring Club
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Editorial opinions
Welcome
President's notes
A fairy tale
First dip in the sea
Farewell to England
Review - Belleville Rendez-vous
Cycling matters
Letter from Murcia
The first rally
Book review - The Rider
300,000 mile club
No excuses
The DA at work
An A1 folder
Chris bites the bullet
War on the water
100 years ago
Bad Boy's Book of Bikes
Cyclenet
The vicar's bicycle
Errors and apologies
Sales & Wants
Leaky patch
Portsmouth DA events
12 June
19 June
18 Sept
7 Nov
Hill climb and freewheel competition
Bob Kemp memorial ride
Map reading competition
DA AGM
Phil Nelson ( 023 9259 7021
Mike Elson ( 023 9247 5785
Keith Wileman ( 012 4337 2841
(email) CTCPortsmouth@hantsweb.org.uk
Magazine sales:
Pat Mitchell ( 023 9226 2745
Copy for next issue as soon as possible - 30th June latest
to Keith, 3 Danbury Court, Emsworth, PO10 7RD
Cover design by Rob Iredale
Portsmouth DA on the internet:
www.hants.org.uk/ctcportsmouth
Email:
CTCPortsmouth@hantsweb.org.uk
DA president:
DA secretary:
Magazine editor:
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Portsmouth DA Magazine
o those of you who are reading this while
attending the South of England rally,
welcome. And welcome again if you also
attended the rally at Fort Purbrook in May
1997. And welcome a third time if you were at
the South of England rally organised by the
Portsmouth DA in April 1932. At that one-day
rally about 2,000 cyclists met at Southsea
Castle and then rode to Portchester Castle.
one or two people has grown to between ten
and 30. We also have details and the entry
form for the hill climb and freewheel. I'm
sure we could make more use of it to
publicise our events.
M
embers will be sorry to hear that
Cynthia Dewhurst is emigrating to
France and will no longer be riding with us,
although I hope we might continue to receive
see it's five years since I set up the DA the occasional article from her. So bon
website. It was quite a simple site and has voyage, Cynthia, whoever you are.
remained pretty much the same since then.
ur president on the opposite page
Messages of praise for it have come flooding
makes a passing reference to the need
in - all two of them, one five years ago from
the previous magazine editor and one from at some time to apply sun screen. Don't leave
it too late and don't bother with anything less
somebody who's coming to the rally.
than factor 25. See if you can finish the
For the last couple of months details of the summer season with legs as white as mine.
South of England rally and the registration
form have been available on the website and
there has been a direct link to it from the CTC
website. As a result the average daily visit of
I
O
Mr J Spencer Southsea
Mr M Young Fareham
Mr C Wilmott Cowes
Mr P Rowsell
Lee-on-the-Solent
Mr G Noel
Southsea
Mr L Aistrope
Southsea
Mr C Beckwith
Havant
Mrs A Riley
Emsworth
Mr S Martin
Southsea
Mr D Deex
Portsmouth
May52004
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President’s notes
W
e had a lively debate during the committee meeting in February discussing
proposals from a member sent in by letter.
Some concern had been expressed about the
repetitious nature of some of the rides, particularly over the shorter days of winter. It was
contended that a preference for lunch stops
that afforded quick and easy return to home
in the event of inclement weather was resulting in lower mileages, fewer choices of destination and the dissipation of the group.
A significant proportion of the original turnout, after getting warm, felt little desire to
continue in the group ride, other than to head
directly for home. The committee was split
on this matter, some expressing the view that
this was both responsible and acceptable
whilst others were concerned about the long
term impact of this trend if it continued beyond the worst weather period of the year.
I have to make it clear that this discussion
concerned only the rides starting from Havant.
A
nother point raised was the lack of intended tea stops shown in the rides list.
Again the committee was split on whether
leaders should be encouraged to include them
or not. The overall question of distance was
also challenging. A majority thought that the
rides were long enough but some preferred to
see longer rides with the expectation that they
would be out until early evening when the
days were longer and lighter.
interested in weekends away? If so, would
you want to stay in hotels, B&Bs, youth hostels or even cycle camp? Again let us know
so that we can plan for them if there is
enough interest. Of course it would be nice if
someone else came forward prepared to arrange such an event.
D
o you want to continue with trips
abroad under the umbrella of the DA?
You may recall that CTC HQ recently clarified the extent of organiser's liability insurance. Provided an event conforms to
guidelines and is approved by the committee
it is covered. However this is not the case
with trips abroad. Each case has to be approved by the underwriters and we successfully applied for the winter wine-down run by
Chris last autumn.
However, we were told that we cannot expect
automatic approval in the future. We are
seeking cover for a proposed day trip to
France and the tandem section’s short break
next autumn. If we get it that is great; if not
then we shall have to discuss what our approach to CTC will be.
A
A desire for more variety was expressed with
encouragement for leaders to research different routes that, perhaps, required more directness rather than filling in the time between
elevenses and lunch circuitously on minor
lanes. Many were happy with the status quo.
s I sit here writing, I note that bookings
for the South of England rally are coming in and many of you will be assisting as
leaders or shepherds or in other capacities.
Many of the rally rides have been check ridden on Wednesdays and Saturdays in this
quarter to get them right. I would like to
thank all of you for volunteering to make this
a memorable event and remind you that all
helpers are welcome to join in the farewell
tea free of charge. It is essential however that
you register your intent well beforehand so
we can get in sufficient food. If you are not
on the list you will not get the tea!
What became clear was that we needed the
views of more riders - are you happy with
what we now do or would you like to see
some changes? Please talk to any committee
member and let them know your views.
Now that warmer days are approaching I expect more will be discarding thermals and
taking to wearing shorts - enjoy those pleasant times before the need to apply sun cream
for protection arises.
Whilst on the subject of your views - are you
Phil
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John Cabell at QE park
I
n the series of local artists exhibitions at QE
country park, John Cabell's work will be on
show from 3rd to 31st May.
John, a DA member, uses a wide range of media,
mainly oils and acrylics and also pen and ink drawings of landscapes and people. n
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Hill climb and freewheel
Saturday 12th June
It’s a DATC event
See page 9
Round the harbours
Always a popular ride, this year it's on Sunday 6th
June.
Previously run by Portsmouth, Havant, Gosport and
Fareham councils, the British Heart Foundation has
taken over the organisation and is hoping to raise
funds to support BHF work in fighting heart disease.
It's a 32 mile ride around Portsmouth and Langstone
harbours with two ferry crossings.
Information from ( 080 8100 2109 n
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Cycle tour across USA?
I
n July and August 2006 Bill and Tricia are hoping to cycle tour from one side of
the USA to the other. Would you like to join in for part, or all, of the holiday?
We expect to cycle an average of 60 to 70 miles per day, carrying our luggage.
We think the total distance will be about 3,000 to 4,000 miles. We both prefer hotels
or hostels to camping, so with airfares and food it will be quite costly. Route is to be
discussed. Please let us know by the end of June 2004 if you are interested.
Tricia and Bill Farnham ( 023 9246 6293
Email: tricia.farnham@highbury.ac.uk
A wet ride in Mallorca – page 15
May72004
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IOW ride
Saturday 8th May
P
hil was asked recently whether he was going to lead the "Seven Ferries" ride again this summer. Not one for creating routines or traditions but mindful that many members want rides to the island he has
decided to oblige. This excursion however will be a departure from the norm
of meeting at the port. The ride will leave our usual place in Havant at 9 am
prompt and head for the catamaran terminal, landing at Ryde. Ferries
leave every half hour and are quite capacious but if any riders are left behind we will regroup on the island.
It is envisaged that there will be some firm tracks between Ryde and Sandown but all will be negotiable on normal tourers, except for a little loose
when we may walk for a few yards. I have some doubts however about
trikes.
The cycle route from Sandown to Cowes will be traversed before heading
back to Ryde for the return ferry to Portsmouth, where the ride will dissipate.
For those of you with Network Rail cards it is worth bringing them for this
ride and you may find you have some unexpected friends that day if you do.
If you travel any part of the journey by train, and that includes just from the
pier head to Ryde, booking both rail and ferry journeys in one ticket, then
you and up to three others can benefit from the 30% discount on the ferry
and rail fare. n
Bob Kemp memorial ride
Saturday 19th June
The "breakfast ride" this year goes to
Salisbury, Stockbridge and Alresford.
5am start n
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Rowlands jumbles
Remaining dates this year for
the cycle jumbles at Rowlands
Castle parish hall are
Saturday 15th May
Saturday 25th September
9am to 1.30pm
DA AGM
Advance notice that this year's AGM
will be on the 7th November
No excuses for not riding – page 23
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Tea at Rowlands
Our Rowlands Castle correspondent informs us that the Tea Shop is back
up and running and the costs don't look astronomic.
It's called the Village Coffee Shop and is on the corner opposite Castle
Stores - where the last one was - not up the Green where the Coffee Pot
used to be.
It's open seven days a week until 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and 4pm on
Sundays - initially - subject to demand. Tea 60p, coffees various £1 and
cakes from 75p so prices seem to be very reasonable. ( 023 9241 3717 n
Portsmouth DA cloth badges
Those of you that attended the previous two AGMs will know
that there were insufficient members willing to purchase club
tops to make it a viable proposition to order any more.
Due to the continuing demand and further debate your committee
decided to commission cloth badges which are designed to be
sewn or glued onto cycle clothing or saddle bags or whatever.
Phil Nelson now has a stock of these and has started handing
them out. They are available free of charge to those who ride
with our club and are proud to be seen as members of it. If you
want one, or already have one but would like more, please contact Phil - you know how or where. n
Rides entry form
Every runs leader needs a few copies of the CTC standard entry form in case a
non-CTC member wants to ride with us. The form is now available for you to print
from the DA web site at www.hants.gov.uk/ctcportsmouth/entry.pdf. You’ll need
Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to read the file - available to download free or
from various other sources. n
Channel to Channel ride
The organisers of the Paris to Hayling cycle ride invite us to take part in
their ride from Weston-Super-Mare to Havant on 15th and 16th May.
Cost is £90 which includes two nights at a B&B or hotel and transport to
Weston.
They welcome riders collecting sponsorship but say this is not "absolutely
necessary".
Information on www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk or ( 079 0060 0167 n
The DA’s gourmet weekend – page 24
May92004
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the Paris-Brest-Paris international event involving cycling 1,250km (780 miles) in less than 90
hours. This event, held last August, was the
largest ever with more than 4,000 entrants from
ach year Havant borough sports council
all over the world. The success rate for finishmakes awards to residents within the
ing within time was 85% and this included only
borough for their sporting achievements
210 women.
and to acknowledge their dedication and
It was also noted that Tricia had cycled the
sportsmanship over a wide range of activities.
end-to-end last summer with only a short rest at
At a ceremony held at the civic offices in
home before cycling to Paris for PBP. Pam PilMarch, the mayor of Havant presented Tricia
beam, who kindly proposed her for the award,
Farnham with the Special Merit Award for
also correctly predicted that Tricia would cycle
2003 for long distance cycling. Her citation
to Havant to receive her trophy at the awards
referred to her completion of the Super Ranceremony, but she did at least remove her cycle
donneur series, which involved Tricia completclips before meeting the mayor. n
ing an Audax series of 100, 200, 300 400 and
600km rides. These then qualified her to enter
Tricia wins Havant council
award
E
Newsnet
C
TC sends out a weekly email called Newsnet containing the latest cycling
news.
If you're not currently receiving Newsnet and would like to, go to
www.ctc.org.uk and log on using your membership number (remember to leave
out the letter at the beginning). You will then be able to add your email address to
your membership details and will receive newsnet automatically each week. n
Hill climb and freewheel
Colin Chester
Remember the hill climb and freewheel events
will take place on 12th June. I don’t plan to
lead a ride to the start so the venue for the hill
climb will be Down Place, map reference OS
Landranger 197 TQ 794 190 for the start and
the finish will be at TQ 789 181.
The event will start at 10.30am so entrants
should aim to be at the start for 10am.
The freewheel will start from map reference
TQ 794 176 and will finish somewhere down
the hill towards Chichester. For entrants who
intend to travel to the event by car there is
parking on the B2141 at TQ 793 182 or at a
lay-by on the same road at TQ 795 177.
The entrance fee of £2 per cycle includes both
events. A standard CTC entry form must be
completed for these events and I have copies of
these. Please register with me well in advance
if you intend competing in these events as there
will be limited opportunity on the day to accept
late entrants.
Entry forms are also be available by post but
requests for these should include a stamped addressed envelope.
The entry form is also on the DA web site
www.hants.org.uk/ctcportsmouth n
Goodbye, Cynthia – page 16
10
olaje where they were to spend two nights.
Ludmilla who lived here and was in charge
gave them their instructions for the next two
Eileen Johnson days.
A fairy tale
O
nce upon a time four friends decided to
ride their tandems from Prague to
Hamburg. They set off very early in
the morning to reach Heathrow before 5am.
This was because the great god BA can fly
from London to Prague in only two hours but
insists you arrive at least two hours before takeoff so that he can do all the paperwork properly.
First she sold them four travel tickets which
cost l2 koruna each (about 26p) These would
get them into the centre of Prague. Because today is Sunday each ticket lasts for 90 minutes
and can be used on trains, buses and trams but
must not be used after 90 minutes otherwise
ghastly but unspecified things might happen to
them. Because 26p was a very good deal they
all listened very carefully and did as they were
told. She then sold them four more tickets so
they could get back that night.
All went well as they arrived in Prague and all
the bits and pieces went back on to their tanIn Prague they saw many wonderful things.
dems and off they could go. But the wicked
witch had heard of their arrival and switched on There is a big castle with lots of steps and gardens and fine views over the city, a
the heavy-duty gravitational machine.
beautiful bridge called Charles which
This works at most foreign airports and
crosses the wide River Vltava, many
seems to have no effect on cars, buses
alleyways full of shops selling glass
and lorries but helps to prevent bicyand puppets and postcards and little
cles and tandems escaping from the
cafes to tempt you. The astronomiairport.
cal clock is part of a wonderful
The lesser god called motorway
square with distinctive houses all
helps to do this and keeps sending
around. Soon they were too tired to
bikes back for another try. A friendlook at any more and so went back
ly policeman helped them on their
to the metro station to return to
way by insisting that they should
Pension Bob.
turn right and right again and then
The next morning they found a
keep straight on. Clear enough, but
huge breakfast laid out for them to
at the same time he was pointing
help themselves to and so they
forcefully with his left hand in the
were quite full as they set out once
opposite direction.
more to the big city. Ludmilla had sold them
Having done what seemed like two laps of the
two more tickets each and reminded them that
perimeter road they finally decided to take a
today was Monday and so the tickets lasted
very narrow little lane which sure enough led
only 60 minutes. Today they stayed on the metthem directly back to the motorway. But this
ro to the top of Wenceslas Square. They wantime there was a button to push and when they
dered down Wenceslas Square and into one of
did this a little green man popped up and
the side streets where they visited the beautiful
stopped the traffic and so they scampered
art deco Alcron Hotel where one of the friends
quickly across the busy motorway to the very
had stayed 30 years ago, but things had
road they needed.
changed a lot since then.
After a few pleasant miles along flat country
They decided to take a funicular railway up to
lanes they came to a hill. The wicked witch had
the top of a hill. They bought four return tickets
not been paying attention and the four friends
for 12 koruna each and enjoyed the short trip.
found themselves coasting down this long hill
At the top is a high tower but it was too hot
without even having to climb one first. Part
(36C) to climb it and so they enjoyed gentle
way down they arrived at Pension Bob in Lyswalks through shady trees and sat in the rose
May11
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gardens eating ice creams. Ron kept saying
they should go down but, as he often says, "No
one ever listens to me," and so they took no
notice and eventually caught
the car down.
When they got to the
bottom there was the
wicked witch herself,
disguised as a ticket
inspector. Of course
their 26p tickets were
no longer valid and
they were sent into a
side room together with other people. The
wicked witch then demanded 400 koruna (£10)
from each person and Ron got very nervous
when Eileen demanded to see their authorisation. There was nothing for it but to pay. One
of the other people in the room, a German, was
very cross indeed and later caught them up in
the street, loudly declaring, "That man is a
teef," until his wife hauled him away.
On Tuesday it was time to start their riverside
journey towards Hamburg using a German
handbook with very clear maps. The
route led first back into Prague down the
rest of the steep hill and over cobbled
streets. Then along the side of the river
until a bridge across the river allowed
them to begin the journey back along the
other side of the river until, over a hour
later, they could look across the river and
see where they had started from.
The wicked witch now really got into her
stride. So far there had only been crucial
signs missing but now she took the surface of the path away until it wasn't possible to even call it a track. Peevish
because they were still managing, she then arranged for a large tree to be down across the
track with no way around it, but things were
not going all her way. At that moment a young
fit male cyclist appeared and helped Ron move
the tree just enough so that they could push the
laden tandems underneath it. From here the
track got so narrow and so close to the river's
edge that even Ron started walking. Four miles
and 1½ hours later the going got easier and
they were all back on the tandems.
11
After a picnic lunch they set off again with
only 17 miles on the clock and already 2pm.
But the route now led through lovely countryside on quiet lanes in
brilliant sunshine and
30C but with the heat
mellowed by a cooling
breeze. Eventually they
reached Melnik where
they found the hotel
Ludmilla. This seemed
to be a good sign and so
they decided to stay
there although it was a
good example of the old East Germany, stark
and basic in good communist mode. The confluence of the rivers Vltava and Labe (Czech
for Elbe) is situated here and a high view point
near the town gave splendid views of the two
rivers and miles and miles of the surrounding
countryside
The next day they arrived in Litomerice, another town with a large square and old buildings
and a tourist office which sent them to a very
nice private house with a small flat to
rent for one night. This cost £10 each and
included a very large breakfast. A walk
around the town on the city walls and
through the arcades ended day two after
33 miles.
On day three they realised they had been
captured by a giant and put into his model railway. There was the scenery, beautifully done, and there were the roads and
the river and the railways. Trains fussed
busily by every few minutes on both
sides of the river, there were trees and
hills, the cycle path, small villages, factories which had been designed to blend in
with the landscape, boats on the river, wood
yards. Cars, vans and lorries sped silently by on
the road on the other side of the river, the sun
shone and everything was perfect.
There was even a restaurant right on the cycle
path where they were able to buy toasted sandwiches, but the wicked witch made sure they
had to use the road from here by sending workmen on to the cycle path to cut down trees. The
road was hilly and they enjoyed swooping
ð
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down the small inclines before having to push
up the next rise. The other tandem found
bumps on their rear tyre but luckily they had a
folding spare and so were able to continue until
they reached Switzerland. Switzerland? Well,
Bohemian Switzerland, as beautiful as the other
one but without the
Matterhorn and quite
a bit smaller.
They were still in the
giant's model railway
and were delighted to
see so many different
trains and engines but
as a punishment for
enjoying themselves
so much the wicked witch sent a grass cutter to
completely block the cycle path which meant
they had to push the tandems through rough
grass and nettles before they could continue.
But she hadn't had time to ruin the path which
was a lovely smooth ride by the river. This was
very close to the border with Germany and the
friends were expecting to go through customs
but despite seeing a duty free warehouse on the
other side of the river they continued on their
way unchallenged.
They then slowly began to realise that the model railway and the fairy tale were but memories
and that they were now in the land of the
gnomes. These beings are obviously very important people. They have their own little gardens close to houses, they have ponds in which
they can fish, they have their own houses
which look very like our toadstools and they
are encouraged to have visitors.
The friends were surprised to see how many of
these visitors came from Ireland dressed in
green with shamrocks in their tall hats. Of
course being Germany everything had to be
done properly and tidily and nothing was allowed to be out of place. To be on the safe side
the friends said "Guten Tag" politely to these
gnomes and so that their visitors did not feel
left out they also said "Begorrah".
The town of Belgern was quite deserted when
they arrived. There is a very impressive town
hall with a huge statue guarding one of the corners and an old stone milepost in the square.
Interestingly there are no distances on the post,
only times. So Torgau was 3¾ hours away
whilst Magdeburg was 32¼ away. This was in
1730 so with that sort of history no wonder the
railways run to time..
This whole area was
devastated by floods in
August 2002 and many
references to these are
found. One house,
many feet above the
river level, had had
water up to the eaves
which meant the water
level had risen at least
40 feet. Later in the
holiday, at Rühstädt, the village with more
storks than anywhere else in Germany and an
excellent stork information centre, they were
told that the river there had risen 21 m 34cm.
This is on the East German side of the river and
they learnt that when it was the GDR the river
couldn't freeze because of the chemicals and
pollutants in the water. However, now that the
factories and the industries have gone, the river
has regenerated. But it also means that the river
floods and the unpolluted water now freezes
and the ice grinds away at the flood defences
and damages them. You just can't win sometimes, but the warden also added that at least
they can now eat the fish.
The journey continued north for many days
through water meadows, woods, villages and
towns crossing back and forth across the river
by ferry and occasional bridge. Somehow the
steersmen always arranged for the town to be
on the other side of the river which meant that
the stokers had no chance to spend their money. Meissen was passed in this way without
sight of a china shepherdess, although the
views of the skyline were quite spectacular.
When they reached Würlitz it was like a huge
theme park. English gardens, palm houses,
large lakes, larger houses, a place to which bus
trips and locals flock for their days out. Nevertheless it was very pleasant and they stayed in
another private house with very good rooms
and breakfast.
May13
2004
Next day they passed through Dessau, home of
the Bauhaus design movement. After lunch in a
restaurant at the ferry crossing a short ride
along the road brought them to sandy tracks
through the woods which proved to be a nightmare. Sand traps lay in wait every few yards
(have they offended the gnomes in some way?)
and so a detour on to the road was decided.
This was cobbled all the way (which is
worse?) and when they reached Gödnitz they went looking for a "zimmer frei" sign. No problem, two
rooms in a separate building,
very cheap. Next, where
can they eat? Hotel
closed on Monday and
Tuesday. And today is
Tuesday. Still no problem. Mrs "Zimmer Frei"
rings hotel and asks
them to open. "Yes, all
right" - or German equivalent.
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bed. Rain the next morning so the four friends
decided to stay another night. In the afternoon
they were tempted out to visit the cathedral and
the museum. Fantastic stained glass windows,
some which must have been about 30ft long.
In the museum Di found a home shopping catalogue from the 1970s. This was a real eyeopener. It was generally thought that people
living in the GDR were very poor and downtrodden. Not if this catalogue was to be believed. The clothes were very modern,
the household equipment was no different from that available here at
that time and the holiday section at the back was fantastic.
Admittedly the holidays
were all packages and in
the eastern bloc - but were
brilliant, Russia, Poland,
Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria all in glorious technicolour. But of course
The hotel proved to be amazing, two huge
there was the other side of the coin: in 1947
function rooms in a village of about 20 houses. Friedrich Block was given a permit to ride his
Two very large glazed stoves in the corners of
bicycle. This is written in both German and
the rooms provide the heat in the winter and the Russian and was dated 31.12.47, number
food is cooked as you order. Of course this
74197.
means you have to wait a bit but the time pass- An early start on Sunday in cold, misty, windy
es quickly with a glass of beer to while away
conditions by road to Wittenberge. On the way
the time.
a visit to the stork village of Rühstädt was
At Tangermünde the whole town is a
picture postcard. There are very high
brick walls built in the 1300s to protect the town from the river, and the
road from the town still leads down a
cobbled track and through heavy
wooden doors to the quay side. In the
1600s the whole town was burnt
down which meant that the merchants rebuilt their houses in the
Hanseatic style of that time. These
buildings are still standing and have
very decorative doorways with the
typical outline on the gables.
It is now much colder and at Havelberg they
found a small flat in a private house by the river, just in time as it began to rain heavily. A
Chinese restaurant in town made a nice change
for dinner and then back to the flat in time for
planned. Here they found wooden
boards recording the date in April
that the storks arrived and when they
left in August and how many young
they reared. On two adjoining roofs
nine nests could be seen. The stork
information centre was excellent
with cameras on the roof to give an
inside view of a nest and the chicks.
The four friends learnt that because
no one could approach the river during the 40 plus years it was the border between GDR and West
Germany it became a haven for both
plants and animals. This is now recognised as a
world wildlife sanctuary along the whole
length.
All the ferries used so far were RORO and cost ð
14
about 2 euro each, but this next one was a bit of
a shock. A small rowing boat with an outboard
motor. Off with the luggage, carry on the tandems, throw on the bags and clamber aboard.
Reverse the procedure the other side and away
they went.
ly that England isn't missing much since the
closing of the stores here. They then went on to
take the official tour of the large and imposing
town hall which is open for tours most Saturday mornings. The rooms are magnificent and
used for ordinary town hall business Monday to
Friday. In the meantime, Keith was visiting
By this time they thought they must have seriously displeased the gnomes, and so it proved. some of the historic areas that there simply
wasn't time to cover the previous day and so
Accommodation was hard to find despite returning to the west bank where there were more the day passed quickly for the four friends.
villages. Finally they found rooms in an expen- On Sunday morning they left early to ride the
sive riverside hotel. One of the rooms had a
excellent cycle paths on their way to the airkitchen and terrace so a quick trip to the Greek port. The paths led through some beautiful aretake-away and wine from the supermarket
as of the city, by the side of one of the two
saved the day.
lakes and by the river and, wonder of wonders,
led straight into the airport. Not even a dual
The ride into Hamburg proved relatively easy,
carriageway to impede a cyclist's passage.
although Hamburg was undergoing major road improvements
This meant that they arrived far
which left the cycle path very
We didn’t find any bits of too early and so they went back
difficult to find, but there were amber that the Romans out, got on their bikes and had a
small printed temporary notices might have dropped.
good ride around for a couple of
every so often which led safely
hours. When they had returned,
across islands and road junctions.
stripped down the tandems and
The route led straight to the main train station
put them into the bags, they found that Germawhere the tourist office suggested a good cheap ny demands a payment of 25 euro for each item
hotel just across the road.
of oversize baggage.
Agreeing to this, the four friends were put into
two suites of rooms, one had a separate bedroom, sitting room and bathroom which made it
very comfortable and, although slightly shabby,
quite clean and only £28.50 per person per
night B&B, remarkable for a big city centre.
But this was a small price to pay for having a
wonderful holiday. 602 miles in 16 days' riding, with stops to take photographs, refreshments, look at flowers, birds, scenery, anything
of interest along the way and just experience
this lovely area.
They immediately set out to discover the city
and Eileen still can't decide whether she prefers
Prague or Hamburg. Both are full of history,
old and beautiful buildings and both have the
river. Hamburg also has a very large harbour,
which can be viewed from the deck of the ferry, the cost of which is included in a cheap
travel ticket for underground and bus.
The next plan is to go south from Prague
through Vienna to Trieste, continuing to follow
the route the Romans took in the second century to bring amber from the Baltic coast to their
own country where it was highly prized - the
route suggested by Anne Mustoe after she gave
her slide show to Portsmouth DA. She was
planning to do the trip at some time in 2003 but
we didn't meet her en route and nor did we find
any bits of amber that the Romans might have
dropped. But we certainly enjoyed looking. n
Ron found a huge model railway exhibition
which was so large that he just could not take
in any more after four hours and so reluctantly
left. Di and Eileen decided that they needed to
check out C&A's store but decided quite quick-
(All photos by Diana Wileman)
May15
2004
15
der water," and did not like the taste in his now
closed mouth. Quickly standing up, Derek was
relieved to find that his head was above water.
Behind him, as you would expect your stoker
to be, Laurita bobbed up treading water as only
Derek Hayday a good swimmer can.
riday January 16th is the start of the Fes- The first words they heard were from the surprised couple they had passed only seconds
tival of St Anthony in Mallorca. Derek
and Laurita decided to use the tandem to earlier. She said to her husband, "And you
think women are bad drivers." However, other
cycle into the port. This was after a meal at
people who had heard the big splash arrived
home in the evening. Bonfires are set on
and this set the scene for a discussion on, "I
mounds of earth in the centre of the roads and
always thought this path was dangerous and an
usually outside eating places who supply food
accident was going to happen." This left Derek
to cook on the bonfire. They left home just afand Laurita weighed down with salt water to
ter 6.30pm as the bonfires would be lit at 7pm
struggle along the sea bed and up the boat
followed by fireworks.
ramp.
Cycling into the port they found that the route
was closed to traffic due to road works. So cut- The tandem slowly came to view having been
"rescued" and being dragged out by Derek still
ting through the local car park they went
with the front LED light flashing. This surthrough the boat yard and followed the pathprised the few who had just arrived thinking
way along the edge of the sea wall.
that only people had fallen in. Standing dripIt was dark and Derek could not really see the ping wet but not injured Derek and Laurita deimmediate way ahead but guided the tandem
cided to abandon the fiesta and return home as
keeping the sea on his right. However, not hav- soon as possible on the tandem.
ing cycled this way for some time, he had forgotten that the path did a sharp left to go round The seawater was quite warm. After the washing of wet clothes Derek found that his sports
two inlets which allowed boats to be winched
jacket had shrunk to fit a midget. Cleaning the
out of the sea.
tandem was a nightmare as was the thought that
Carefully overtaking a walking couple the tan- all the rust forming inside the frame could
dem, at approximately 10mph, was launched
mean buying another tandem after a few years.
into the air and quickly dropped into the sea.
Laurita was very pleased with the effect of the
Derek and Laurita promptly disappeared and
oily water on her hair, as after a shampoo it did
sank with the tandem to find themselves sitting look very nice.
on the sand under five feet of bad tasting water.
This is a personal record for Derek, his first
At the time of sinking, the depth was unknown dive into water since his school days. n
and Derek was not sure if he could swim. He
remembers thinking in surprise, "I can see un-
First dip in the
sea
F
From CTC Newsnet
Viva Espana! On 23rd December 2003 it finally became illegal to ride a bicycle
in Spain without wearing an approved cycling helmet. Except in built-up areas.
Or when it’s hot. Or uphill. Or if you’ve got a doctor’s note that you’re allergic
to plastic foam. Confused? Contact CTC information desk for clarification! n
16
proceedings. Oh, how I wished I had bought a
couple of tickets; it looked so entertaining, as
well as excellent fare. If only I hadn’t listened
to those others who wouldn’t go – they were so
persuasive, no marmalade sandwiches, no go!
Cynthia Dewhurst Or something like that.
However, I digress. There we were sat waiting
ell the time has come to say goodfor our table and we just watched the goings
bye and how tearful I feel. I have
on. It was so funny. One man kept leaping to
had so many long and interesting
his feet and saying, “Mister President, with
rides with you; well not exactly with you, but
some distance behind you, that I shall be really your permission, I would like to take wine with
. . .” and lots of people would jump to their
sorry to go.
feet, waving their glasses in the air. He jumped
Orchard Cottage in Northney, my home for
up so often and cross-toasted so many people
many years, has now been sold along with my
that there must have been buckets of wine
friend. Well I didn’t exactly sell
available, not like on that
him but I got a good offer for
French trip I once wrote
I seem to turn up at places about.
my bike and he went with it. I
have now bought a cottage in
where the Portsmouth DA
Then, all of a sudden, some
France, close to a little auberge or some of its members
where they serve sticklebacks as are present, or making an people left the room and one
of them, a lady, came back
a main course, to which I shall exhibition of themselves.
dressed like a . . . well I am
retire when the roof has been
not very worldly-wise but she
put back on. Perhaps that lady
looked
like
a
very
good-time girl. She went and
who complained about the wind had been there
stood by a lamp that had been placed in the
too.
middle of the dining room and the men came
But what a coincidence, and I can never find an back and each one, in turn, propositioned her.
explanation for the fact that I seem to turn up at She didn’t seem to do very well as three of the
places where the Portsmouth DA or some of its men walked away, but she did better with the
members are present. Or making an exhibition last one as she sold him the lamp!
of themselves.
They, the players, then went off again and this
Anyway, to cut a long story short, before my
time the lady from the first sketch and another
departure and since the fourth of January I have lady appeared with nothing on but a beach towbeen staying at the Brookfield Hotel in
el. The men then appeared, dressed only in
Emsworth. All had been peaceful for the first
swimming trunks with one carrying a clipboard
few days but, then on 11th January, just for a
and the others holding a balloon in front of
few hours, everything changed.
them. Two of the men I have seen before on the
I had planned a quiet lunch with my friend and club rides. One is called Pop and he rides a sort
of mountain bike. The other stood just in front
came down from my room for a pre-lunch tipof me by the door and I had time to have a
ple only to see that the main dining room had
been taken over for a group luncheon. The dou- quick word with him about what might happen
ble doors were open, so naturally I took a quick later. To my undying relief, he agreed, for a
peep to see who was there and, lo and behold, it small consideration, to go along with my little
was the Portsmouth DA! I didn’t recognise an- plan. But, once again I digress.
yone immediately; well you don’t when they’re It was difficult to see what was going on but it
wearing clothes, do you? But it was definitely
seemed that after a brief introduction the two
them.
ladies would be ever so seductive and the
men’s balloons would go pop! Apart from
I sat outside with my friend, fascinated by the
Pop’s, whose balloon went down like psssst,
Farewell to
England
W
May17
2004
but then I hear he often is.
One man was left with a pink balloon and no
matter how seductive the ladies were, his balloon stayed up. He was clearly the winner but
then the man holding the clipboard dropped it
and as he bent down to pick it up the pink balloon went BANG.
Everyone fell about laughing, as did I, as it was
so funny.
It then seemed time to give out various certificates and trophies. Now this could have been
very embarrassing for me, as I know that
amongst the trophies is ‘scribe of the year’
award. I have written a number of articles and
letters for the DA magazine and often wondered what I would do if I ever won such a trophy. Not that I thought I would, never in a
million years.
The trophies were handed out one by one, each
recipient being photographed shaking hands
with a man who I think is the CTC Director.
Then finally the editor was asked to introduce
the scribe of the year. He stood up and ad-
17
dressed the audience. He talked of all the pseudonyms that people use and how articles drop
through his letterbox in the dead of night.
Thank goodness, I thought to myself, he’s going to pick one of those funny ones.
But then he did it. He just went and did it . . .
“And the winner is Cynthia Dewhurst.” I
couldn’t believe it – not me. Thank goodness
for my little plan.
There it was, I was the winner, and the man
who I had spoken to at the door a little while
earlier went up and collected what I thought
was a trophy for me. He certainly earned the
pound I had offered; it would probably cover
his tip!
But would you honestly credit it, how cheapskate these cycling clubs can be. I didn’t get a
real trophy but a paper replica as the man who
did all the cross-toasting has lost the real one!
“It’ll turn up,” he said. Oh yeah!
So now it is goodbye from me and may the
pedals keep turning. n
Review
Keith Wileman
Belleville Rendez-vous
If you didn't see this cartoon film on television over Christmas or New
Year you have to make up for it now.
It's a brilliantly funny film about:
The grandmother devoted to her grandson.
The grandson who has a secret desire to be a cyclist.
The training sessions coached by grandmother on her tricycle.
The dog who is obsessed with trains.
The kidnapping of the grandson while he's taking part in the Tour de
France.
The three aged singers who help to rescue the grandson in between
serving up meals of live frogs.
Borrow it or buy it, but watch it. n
18
Cycling matters
ers, they are quite likely to go down the other
side at 30mph or more, as some do on the A3 at
present.
says Chris Davies "It will be a recipe for disaster if this goes
B
een over Hindhead lately? The cafe
overlooking the Devil's Punch Bowl
has been a popular stop for cyclists
ever since it opened, but its pedal-powered customers have declined in recent years as the volume of traffic on the A3 has grown. Plans to
construct a dual bore tunnel to take this traffic
away from the village and its well known beauty spot have been approved and 2,009 has been
set for its completion, though this might be delayed by a public inquiry to be held later this
year.
As the government body responsible for this
trunk road, the Highways Agency is obliged to
provide facilities for cyclists to continue travelling along the route of the present road when
the tunnel opens and it's logical to think that
would pose no problems provided adequate
provision is made for cyclists at each end of the
tunnel, but the National Trust, custodians of
Hindhead, (which includes the Punch Bowl) is
objecting to this, claiming that the presence of
cyclists continuing to use the present road will
spoil the environment.
This organisation is pressing for a separate
route instead, following the line of an existing
BOAT (bridleway open to all traffic) which
runs round the outside of the distinctive corner
and climbs to the top of Gibbet Hill which is
about 100 feet above this bend. Though little
used and poorly serviced at present, it would be
redesigned as a two-way route with paved surface for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders a proposal which has been vigorously rejected
by cyclists who attended public meetings held
at several locations in the area last year and at
an open meeting organised by East Hampshire
Cyclists' Forum at Liphook in January.
This was attended by Paul Arnold and Bob
Marlow, representing the Highways Agency,
who were aware of cyclist opposition to the
National Trust's proposal and realise that
though an adverse gradient of 10% slows most
riders to speeds which are acceptable to walk-
ahead," said CTC HQ representative Chris Juden. "Even if the two metre wide route is extended to three metres." Other cyclists present
expressed similar views, but although the Highways Agency representatives seemed fully
aware of our concern they pointed out that the
National Trust is a very influential body and
has the support of English Nature, whose interest as defenders of wildlife on an SSSI (which
Hindhead Common is) means that although
nearly 30,000 vehicle movements a day are acceptable at present these two organisations object to the passage of environmentally friendly
human propelled traffic - an argument which
has delayed the start of a cycle way along the
south side of the A27 across the top of Farlington Marshes.
This is not the only project in the area which is
still awaited. Improvements to the surface of
the Billy Trail on Hayling Island to match, or
even better, the standard of the route between
Havant station and Langstone are still outstanding, though the hardy annual of a separate
bridge alongside the existing road (strongly
advocated by Havant MP David Willetts) was
the subject of an open meeting on Hayling held
earlier this year but the major road works to
replace the large roundabout junction of the
A27 with the M275 at the Marriott Hotel at
Paulsgrove with a crossroads controlled by
over 70 traffic lights have now been completed
I've ridden across it twice in opposite directions
since this work was completed and found it less
threatening than the roundabout was, but wonder if it's intimidating after dark. Has any reader experience of this?
Finally, I responded to a CTC request to check
cycle parking facilities at local railway stations
in October and found that this was very good at
three stations, adequate at another four, but
non-existent at a further two I visited during a
two-week period, but it still doesn't help cyclists who want to take their bikes on trains like
I do every month. n
May19
2004
Letter from
Murcia
19
pass Pantani I know I am 1km from the top.
We meet very few cars in the Espuna and no
coaches, but I have seen wild boars and big
horned mountain sheep.
All the riders I have seen use racing bikes and
Doug and Liz McDonald look right on a bike. The Spanish drivers most-
T
his is our second winter down here, and
we are getting to know some Spanish
people. The Spanish do not exchange
Christmas cards and presents are not given until January 6th. It seems strange seeing the
shops full of Christmas presents in January.
They do not make such a big thing of the holiday; our computer man called at 8pm on
Christmas Day. The main plus is the weather –
we were out on the tandem in 20C temperature
over the holiday. On Three Kings' Day, January
6th, we went to a local village where they
cooked a paella in a 3 metre diameter dish. It
was a nice free dinner for
several hundred people.
ly are cyclist friendly, often happy to wait
when we jump red lights or to exchange a joke
if they are held up by us. If we meet an aggressive driver they usually have English number
plates.
We are both working hard learning Spanish, as
English is of little use outside our urbanization,
which is a sort of English ghetto of 3,000 houses and a golf course. I hope to race soon. It's
easy to get fit in this weather, there are no time
trials and many of the races are called social
events, which means they are open to all who
have a license. One event we watched had ten
professionals, including Alejanandro Valverde. Martin,
I have not joined a bike club The main plus is the weather – the other cyclist who lives in
yet. Most of the local towns we were out on the tandem in the ghetto, rode and said they
were doing 53kph on the flat.
have a club of sorts but Mur- 20C temperature over the
I talked to the oldest rider in
cia has many. The old road Christmas holiday.
the field of 140, he said he
from Murcia in our direction
was 65. I might just ride only
is like the A3 used to be
cyclo
sportive
events,
but Oscar Sevilla was
when I first started cycling half a century ago,
one
of
650
in
an
early
event.
with many groups out training. I just join a
bunch. I used to say, "I am English and I don't
Martin wanted to join a Spanish club so we
have any friends". But now I don't bother as
went for an interview with the president of
they are very friendly. One group of about 30 I Murcia's top club. The conversation was not
have seen included Alejanandro Valverde who well understood on either side, but the presilives in Murcia. It would be nice to say that I
dent said to come out on a club ride and see
have trained with the number two in the world. what we think of each other. There were about
40 on the ride, although their best riders were
Unlike the A3, where we would turn off near
Guildford into the Surrey hills, we can turn into not out because I was soon away in a break. It
the Sierra Espuna national park; this is about a was a nice fast morning's ride. I noticed a sign
20km climb with the names of the heroes of the that said 25.1.04. and 23 degrees C as we rode
back into town. n
Tour of Murcia written on the road. When I
20
The first rally
ne of the most successful outdoor events ever
organised among the District Associations," was
how the CTC
described the South of
England rally run by the Portsmouth DA in 1932. "The Portsmouth DA are to be congratulated on having been favoured
with a fine weekend, following four wet ones."
"O
Probably by the time you read this you will know whether we
have also been favoured with a fine weekend in 2004.
On 24th April 1932 cyclists attending the rally assembled at
9.30am at Southsea Castle - with the possibility of starting
with community singing. Half the morning was spent listening
to such well-known cycling speakers as "Petronella", "Wayfarer" and "Kuklos" before attending the rally service at the
cathedral.
They then rode to Portchester where about 2,000 cyclists
poured into the castle grounds.
Here the day's rally continued with a talk about the history
of Portchester Castle and an address by "Hodites", the assistant secretary of the CTC, before closing at 2.45. n
May21
2004
21
22
Book review
Keith Wileman
The Rider by Tim Krabbe
published by Bloomsbury
ISBN 0747559414
(also available in other translations)
Interwoven with the kilometre by kilometre
account of the race are flashbacks to other races, to training sessions and to his start in cycling.
T
The author also muses about some of the famous racing cyclists he has ridden with (or has
he?) Is it true that before starting a
climb Jacques Anquetil always
took his drinking bottle out of the
cage and put it in his back pocket to
make the bike lighter?
his is the story of a cycle
race. It's told not by an observer but by
the author who is taking
part in the 137 kilometre Tour du
Mont Aigoual. A fictionalised
account, but obviously drawing
on the Dutch author's own involvement in cycling.
We see the race through his mind
as he gains on the climbs, suffers
on the flat and plans the moves
which finally bring him to the
front and a battle for first place.
We share his thoughts on his fellow competitors . . . "Lebusque
will stay out in front for kilometres. Where would we be without
Lebusque? Lebusque doesn't know what racing
is"; and of the spectators: "A man shouts, 'Faster!' Probably thinks bicycle racing is about going fast."
Those of you who have raced will
doubtless recognise the thoughts
going through the author's mind.
To me, who like watching cycle
racing but don't understand it, the
book gave an interesting insight
into the tactics involved in a race.
Does he win the Tour du Mont Aigoual? You'll have to read the book
yourself and I don't think you'll be
disappointed. It's apparently still available to
buy, but I borrowed it from the library. Fareham library has a copy or your local branch can
order it for you. n
300,000 mile club
Derek Hayday
C
hris Davies (67) still holds the world record and, at 31st December 2003, claims a total of
810,948 miles for the second year running, as he had not reported his 2003 mileage. Pat
Kenny is now catching him up.
Pat Kenny (64) rides a tricycle. He covered 26,062 miles in 2003 and is now in second place behind Chris with a grand total of 760,577 miles and is fast closing the gap.
Sue Swetman (55) is still best lady in 12th position. She cycled 13,520 miles and totals 539,257.
Derek Hayday in 55th place cycled 9,337 miles during 2003, his highest yearly mileage since
1963, and has a total of 337,471 miles to his credit.
Four new members joined the 300,000 mile club to complete the list of 66 live members. Two
members have passed over to join the register of past members (dead or missing) totalling 58
names. n
May23
2004
23
In the last issue our poet-in-residence gave us excuses why he didn't ride all last year. Tricia turns
the argument round.
No excuses
January brings the snow
Quickly melts so off we go.
February there'll be black ice
Gives to rides some extra spice.
March's wind, biting and cold
Wrap up warmly, then be bold.
April showers, oh so wet
In breathable waterproofs it's no sweat.
May's bright sunshine as it dries
Helps the mileage rise and rise.
June the days are far too long
To stay indoors feels quite, quite wrong.
In July its very hot
But cycling breezes cool a lot.
August's warm and balmy haze
Makes for wonderful cycling days.
September's equinoctial gales
Great for pedalling up hill and down dales.
October's gloom brings mist and fog
Keep cycling, add miles to your log.
November roads - leaves, slush and mud
Go out and play, never mind the crud.
Dull December, cold and drear
Ride with friends, be of good cheer
24
The DA at work
Ian Hewitt
I cycled over on Friday afternoon to discover
that only one other person had arrived by pedal
power; excuses were too feeble to mention but
there was a great welcome of tea, cake and
home-made scones and
jam on arrival at the
hostel.
Wally 'Slavedriver' Sodeau organised the
weekend of predominantly local DA cyclists
and friends while Dorothy 'Angel of the
Kitchen' was i/c the
food – and how! Steve
'Billhook' Barnes, a
South Downs volunteer
ranger, was the only
non-cyclist but as the
conversation rarely
strayed on to those perennial topics of bottom
brackets, chain sets and
gear ratios he didn't feel
too left out.
Friday evening's meal
was soup followed by
roast pork with veg galore then apricot and apple crumble with ice
cream or custard while Pop 'the Butler' Ginger
was kept busy opening wine bottles (well we
want to use the best expertise available don't
we?) Those who had enough room to go to the
pub afterwards obviously hadn't been trying
hard enough at the meal.
dorm, a few got more sleep than others.
Arose on Saturday morning to the delicious
smell of bacon and a full cooked breakfast
complete with porridge. Colin 'Full night's
snoreless sleep at home' Chester joined us for
breakfast as Paul 'I've put on half a stone already' Brooks commented that he thought it
was supposed to be a working weekend. All we
had done so far was eat (and drink).
Work started after breakfast. Warden Robert took
us five minutes down the
track to a large area overgrown with laurel and our
task was to cut down as
much as we could. So,
armed with bow saws and
pruning shears, humming
"I'm a lumberjack and I'm
OK" we attacked the
shrubs in an attempt to
work off all the calories
of the last two meals.
Some, for instance Bill
'Frontiersman' Farnham
and Dave 'Darien Gap'
Culverwell attacked the
larger trunks while others
trimmed the wood, built
log, leaf and twig piles
and others stoked the
bonfire. Roy 'I'm a celebrity get me out of
here' Pearce surreptitiously practised his bivouac skills with the smaller branches in case of
future call-up for a certain TV programme.
Photo: Pat Mitchell
S
now and a quick freeze on Wednesday,
ice on Thursday, slushy on Friday and
gale force winds and heavy showers
forecast for Saturday. What better build-up for
the DA's National Trust working weekend at
Slindon?
The rain slackened off as we trudged back to
the hostel for our DIY picnic lunch and the afternoon was cool but dry at ground level. We
just watched the highest branches waving in the
gales knowing that we were well sheltered even
Several didn't sleep too well on Friday but
as we cut down our windbreak. It reminded me
judging by the symphony of snores in the men's of a slow-motion version of the old cartoon of
the man standing on the wrong bit of the diving
board as he sawed through the plank.
On Saturday evening the meal was cooked by
our past and present DA presidents. After Dorothy's celery soup came Phil 'A policemen's
lot's a very curry one' Nelson's chicken curry
and Pam 'Birthday girl' Mitchell's sticky toffee
pudding. After that feast all offers of Pam's
birthday cake were firmly refused.
The pub contingent that evening was distinctly
smaller. The sticky
toffee pudding
stuck most of us to
the hostel chairs.
Saturday's Symphony of Snores was
more subdued and
syncopated; the
mellow cello notes
from the top end
bunk almost in
phase at times with
the staccato snuffles
from the other end
with the occasional
random muffled
woodwind from
various parts of the
dorm.
Another full cooked
breakfast before emerging shortly after nine to
a bright, sunny sky and back to the laurels to
clear another patch. How amazing to be working in the open air on 1st February in shirtsleeves.
Wally reined in the frontiersmen soon after
midday as we all turned to tidying up the cuttings into piles of logs and branches and leaves
and twigs. Back to the bunkhouse for the most
magnificent 'bitsa' soup containing most of the
leftovers from the weekend's meals; there were
no takers for the curried porridge. After some
excellent slices of Pat's birthday cake and tea
and coffee, time to pack, tidy up and depart.
Prizes:
The 'I'm a lumberjack' prize for the best treefelling: Davin 'Pumping iron' Palmer for his
25
attack on the chunkiest trunk closely followed
by Dave 'Chainsaw' Culverwell and Bill 'Bow
saw' Farnham.
(Good weekend for Davin: he also won an Olympic nomination for his practising for the 'After lights out door slamming' competition.)
Pedal power prize for getting there under own
steam: Bill 'Frontman' Farham who not only
cycled all the way but brought all his kit.
Although I've cycled
through Slindon a few
times I've never stopped
to take a good look at the
buildings. "To understand
Slindon fully, it is necessary to go back 120 million years. . ." said the
guide book. Not that fully,
surely! About half the
houses are NT privately
let but none is open to visitors. On leaving I thought
I would loop once round
the village to see some of
the buildings mentioned
in the guide – in particular the Dower House,
once the home of one of
my favourite poets, Hilaire ("I shoot the hippopotamus with bullets made of platinum/
Because if I use leaden ones his hide is sure to
flatten 'em") Belloc.
Photo: Pat Mitchell
May25
2004
Alas, the house is set back from the road and
screened by a high flint wall and, would you
believe it, a laurel hedge. It was the only house
listed in the guide not readily visible from the
road.
We were told it would be a National Trust
working weekend with meals provided. In reality it turned into an eating weekend with some
work between meals. Very big thanks to Wally
and Dorothy Sodeau, their organizing and catering – hard work but great fun, great eats and
great company. What more could one ask? n
26
We found that the best deal was through Gearshift which regularly advertises in CT&C. If
you order through the internet, they have a slidBrian Johns ing scale of discounts ending up with 8% when
you spend over £500. There could be extra dishris and I were planning a cycling holicounts and offers if you register with them
day in Fuerteventura in January but we
when they will issue you with a username and
did not want to take our touring bikes
password. The full price of the cycle is £400
as we have found it a lot of hassle at the airport
and the bags are £30 each. I found them very
and the airlines have begun to charge for taking
helpful and efficient - indeed the cycles arrived
bikes on their planes. We had thought to hire
from Sheffield the next day.
bikes out there but we did not wanted to be
They were designed in the USA and manufaclumbered with cheap badly-maintained mountured, in Taiwan, from aluminium with 20-inch
tain bikes. So we decided to buy folders plus
wheels, very effective V-brakes, and an 8bags as these should fit the bill and it would
speed block operated from a twist grip. This
mean we could also take them on buses and
gives a range of gears
trains without problem.
from 35 to 90
We researched the
which we found
market and visited a
to be perfectly
number of cycle
adequate for the
shops, the main
trip. When we
criteria being
unpacked them,
price and
we were very
weight. We had
impressed with
booked through
the standard of
Thomson and
workmanship
the scrooges
and the quality
only allow 15
of the compokg of hold lugnents.
gage and an exOur first trip was
tra 5kg will cost
to the top of
you £17.50. We
Buster Hill on Christmas Day and
also heard that they also
charge £4 per kg on excess weight though I am I was very pleased with their handling and ride
not sure how rigorously they apply this charge. comfort. They seem to have the angles just
right so that maximum pedalling effort is transWe finally decided on the Dahon Helios P8
ferred to the transmission. Both Chris and I
which proved to be a good compromise befound the saddles the most comfortable that we
tween price and weight.
had ever ridden on. Twist grips can be rather
They weigh 23 lb complete with stand, mudstiff to operate, but these were very easy to use.
guards and rack and if these are removed this
They fold very quickly and easily though not as
reduces to 21 lb. The soft bags weigh around 2
small as the Brompton.
lbs so this left around 10 lbs for the rest of our
Overall we are delighted with this bike and we
luggage and we achieved this limit without
can thoroughly recommend it if you are lookmuch problem by wearing as many clothes as
ing for a folder. n
reasonable and stuffing as much into our hand
luggage as we could which has a generous 5 kg
limit.
An A1 folder
C
May27
2004
27
Chris bites the
bullet
A
record top temperature of 100 degrees
made last year's weather one of the
best for cycling in our country, but it
was somewhat spoilt by a succession of wet
Saturdays in the last two months though the
rain did little to restrict our cycling world
record holder Chris Davies.
After pedalling past the old record in March
2002, Chris started last year with a 810,948
miles ridden since he began recording his rides
in August 1950, and he added to his record 365
times last year, getting wet on only 13 of those
days, though he is the first to admit that it's got
to be raining properly before he capes up. He
also says that the sun shone on him on 49 Sundays out of 52 as he rode 14,365 miles - an improvement of over 350 miles on the previous
12 months.
Surprisingly his gains on 2002 came in the last
quarter after what by his standards was a modest 1,065 miles in September. He managed an
extra 37 miles on that score in October and al-
most reached 1,500 miles in November before
dropping back to 1,060 miles in December.
Chris makes no secret of his dislike for cycling
in the last two months of the year, saying,
"Nearly every day is shorter than the last and it
never seems to get light when it's overcast," but
he 'bit the bullet' by spending no fewer than 12
nights away from home during this period, cycling to the YHA regional AGM in Bristol, the
Audax AGM near Oxford, and a three-day
Christmas break at Ivinghoe on the edge of the
Chilterns, plus a couple of 24-hour trips to his
beloved France.
"I certainly had my wet weather gear on riding
back to Cherbourg on one of those French rides
and caped up on the morning of the Audax
meeting at Abingdon but I missed the rain
which fell on Havant on all the other Saturdays," he recalls.
Chris's world record had exceeded 825,000
miles when this year began, and with an extra
day he expects to beat last year's mileage before it ends. That looks likely if he realises his
hopes of riding from Land's End to John
o'Groats. n
War on the water
P
&O Ferries' plan to run a fast ferry service between Portsmouth and Ouistreham in response to Brittany Ferries'
announcement of a Portsmouth to Cherbourg service this
year will increase competition on cross-Channel sailings and bargain fares are anticipated, especially out of season.
Chris Davies and Bill Farnham paid £5 each for a 24 hour break
in France shortly before Christmas, and Chris will be looking for
future offers. Anyone interested in similar trips abroad should
phone him on ( 023 9245 5497 for further details. n
28
From CTC Gazettes
By H Hewitt Griffin.
T
100 years ago
he German police dog, which upsets bicycle thieves, is the latest novelty. These
dogs wear, as uniform, a leather jacket
with spiked collar, inscribed with the
official number, and are fitted with a
special muzzle which prevents them
biting. Whether they can, like witch
doctors in Africa, "smell out thieves,"
the report does not state, but it informs us that "the dog, in capturing
thieves on bicycles, throws himself
against the hind wheel and overturns
the machine, and the cyclist, if he
jumps off and runs for it, is so hampered by the continual buffetings of
the animal that he is easily overtaken
by a policeman." n
125 motors (cars and cycles), with 178 men and 15 ladies.
125 lady cyclists.
1,797 men and boy "push" cyclists.
–––––
2,047 in 120 minutes - say 17 per minute, average.
Nearly all of these were going into the country.
It would be pretty safe to say 50,000 cyclists are
awheel - if anything, the number is under estimated - in London, on a fine Sunday. n
P
erhaps you have never heard of Tyseley?
Birmingham cyclists can not only tell you
where it is, but many of them will add
rather strong words concerning it. Punctures
became so common near Sparkhill that it was
dreaded - at one spot a constable found 20 cyclists dismounted - but a cycle repairing shop
"quite handy," did a good trade in the sale of repair outfits and doing minor jobs in relation to
t would be extremely interesting
tyres. On Whit-Monday morning some boys disif a census could be taken some
covered George Taylor sowing tin tacks on the
fine Sunday morning this (July)
road in hopes of reaping a rich harvest, from the
month at the various exits from Lonincreased holiday traffic, later on. The lads wisedon - including the Thames bridges.
ly gave warning to approaching cyclists, and on
Cyclists simply form a procession
over Putney and Hammersmith Bridge. Recent- the following Monday, George Taylor appeared
in the Sparkhill police court. The bench dely a Mr. John Silver spent two golden hours
clared it a dastardly thing to do, and he was
counting the cyclists and motorists who passed
the "Red Deer," Croydon, on a Sunday morning, fined £3 12s., including costs, or a month. He
between 10 and 12 noon. Here is the result of his denied the accusation in a local paper. n
counts:-
A
I
few ladies (cyclists) desired, to increase the membership of a club for oarswomen, practising
at Hammersmith.- No. 36,242, c/o Editor. n
Bacup.– We cannot find room for mere doggerel.
No. 8803.– Many thanks, but the parody is not quite up to
form. n
May29
2004
29
s May to July 1904
...
No. 19,254 n
W
ith regard to the latter [varicose veins], a doctor's consulting room is a more
suitable place than the C.T.C.
to discuss such questions. I will say this
much, however, that the man or woman who wears garters below the knee deserves to get them.
...
Lastly just one word as to motor-cars. I think we members of the C.T.C. have been pretty
unanimous in rejecting the membership of motorists as such. Let us keep away from these
infernal machines. There is too much said about them in the Gazette. Speaking generally
the cyclist is a poor man; a motorist is of necessity a rich once. That the latter "gang his
ain gait;" we do not want him. He has already brought a curse upon the sweetness and
amenity of the country roads, and so far from admitting him and his motor phraseology
to our society and magazine, we should all pray that the day may come when we can look
forward to a delightful run on the old "bike" without a sight, sound, or smell of this evil
monster.
100 years ago
My authority for the above advice is that in 1886 I returned from China in a very debilitated condition, a physical wreck, with elastic stockings on both legs and varicose veins so bad that they pained
me incessantly if I walked beyond half a mile. Doctors and medicines seemed no good, so I followed
a friend's advice and took to gently cycling two or three times a day, gradually increasing
the distance but avoiding fatigue, and in four months I felt like a new man. My belief in
and devotion to cycling are as great as ever.
No. 26,134 n
A
s all the world knows, the "boom,"
which in 96-97 caused every able-bodied citizen in the British Isles who desired to be in the fashion to master the bicycle
or, at any rate, to be seen in its company, came
to us from the United States, where the "craze"
had raged for months previous. As in England,
however, so it was in America, the ultra-fashionable, who took up the bicycle because it was
"the thing," speedily tired of the new toy and
the reaction that followed upon their defection
had far-reaching and disastrous results upon
the pastime and the trade. The latter is gradu-
ally righting itself, and in an essentially American way the former is being encouraged and
strengthened. With this object in view some of
the leading riders of Boston and neighbourhood recently inaugurated a colossal "meet" at
Chestnut Hill Reservoir - a favourite rendezvous - when no less than 2,500 cyclists of both
sexes put in an appearance. Those who are familiar with American methods will be prepared
to hear that the trade was well to the front on
the occasion, indeed it appears likely that it
inspired the whole movement, but be this as it
may, the meet will probably draw public attention to the existence if not to the possibilities of
the cycle to such an extent that the trade and
the pastime alike will benefit. n
30
from "The Bad Boy’s Book of Bikes"
The Off-Roader
The Tandem
Wobblier, knobblier, springyer, zingyer
How do you do when you are two
Science fiction-shaped frames
To do the work of one
‘Strornry suspension def’n’tely pingyer
For You and You both knew its true
Even more fanciful names
It's surely twice the fun
Mine’s so much smarter, your’s so much cruddier
Bet you a pint to a pound
When we get going mine gets me muddier
As we reach the soft ground
The Recumbent
What a curious ride’s a recumbent
With your feet level up by your head
If you want to just lie there all slumbent
Why don’t you just push off to bed?
To A Racer
The Tricycle
By George! A smart machine, that trike
Not just a grown-up’s toy
For one pretending life’s still like
When he was just a boy
Ian Hewitt
(on disturbing its rider coming
round a corner)
Wee sleek, titanium, sprintin’ beastie
Wi sich wee saddle
Whit gars ye flash away sae hastie
At turn o’ the pedal
The best laid plans o’ bikes and men
Gang aft agley
But train ye hard an’ race agen
Another day.
Whit far ye change o’ speed sae quick
At touch o’ gear
I greet ye zip awae sae quick
An’ look and cheer
May31
2004
31
Cyclenet
A
n occasional column (not a regular one as I said in the first
and only one a year ago) suggesting useful or interesting or
just weird websites.
Tell the editor about any websites that he should include.
www.cycle-n-sleep.co.uk
This site is all about long distance cycling routes with (not very detailed) maps of individual routes. There's quite a bit of useful information, including the National Cycle Network.
www.geocities.com/thetropics/8640/gring.html
Cycle tours of the Golden Ring of Russia. Part of the Russian Cycle
Touring Club site.
www.bonheurauboutduguidon.com
A site in French following the progress of a round the world cycle tour.
www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de
And now a German site where you can look up British train times. I
haven't compared it for accuracy with Nationalrail or Thetrainline, but
I'm told it's good and efficient. Somewhere hidden inside I'm sure
there's an English version of it.
www.hants.gov.uk/library
Did you know you can now get a lot of information about the library
on-line? For instance /booksale will tell you what discontinued books
the library is selling. And at http://libcat.hants.gov.uk you can reserve and renew books on-line.
www.ctcsoutheast.org.uk
The website to keep us up to date with the new south east region of
the CTC as part of the club's move to regionalisation. Disappointing
that it's a bit out of date: the "news stories" go up to August 2003, it
advertises the "next meeting" on 6th March. It also refers to the South
of England rally as the "Southern Counties rally".
www.letour.com
Itinerary, description, in fact everything you need to know about this
year's Tour.
www.weirdcyclelanes.co.uk
And don't forget this one. I've mentioned it before, but it's worth another look. n
32
The vicar’s bicycle
(Lifted shamelessly from the Pedaller, the magazine of the West Sussex DA)
"W
here's your bicycle, vicar?" I enquired, as it was the first time I had
seen the vicar walking in ten years.
"I don't know. I think it might have been stolen but I'll get it back on Sunday," he replied. "At my next sermon I will go through the ten commandments. When I get to 'thou shalt not steal', God will sort it out. I have faith."
The following week, sure enough, he was riding the bike again, so I asked
him if his sermon had worked as planned.
"I got as far as 'thou shalt not commit adultery'," he replied, "and I suddenly
remembered where I'd left it."
Yes, I know it's an old one, but still funny.
n
May33
2004
33
Errors and apologies
from the editor
S
o many inexcusable errors in the last issue.
Fortunately none of them serious.
In the runs list the ride on Saturday 13th March
was listed as going to Bunton. I noticed the mistake after the magazine was printed and hoped
that as the type was small everybody would
read it as what it was supposed to be - Buriton.
But there’s always somebody who sees it.
And in the same list, Hillhead should have read
Hill Head.
to the correct entry cost of £1 as it states on the
first page of the runs programme.
On page three of the magazine the date should
have read February, not Febraury.
If you tried to get the hill climb entry form
from www.hants.org.uk/daevents, it didn't
work. It needed .html at the end. I won't explain why; it's too boring. If you do want to
get the entry form, see page eight in this issue. n
Anybody reading the club night list might have
expected to pay 50 pence to get in. As opposed
SALES & WANTS
New Hudson twin-tube tandem, dating from about 1933, double gents, all
apparently original with Cyclo 3-speed derailleur, hub brakes. More suited to
veteran bike rides than everyday riding. £150 or make an offer, I need the space.
Keith ( 012 4337 2841
Wanted A pair of 28” x 1½” white tyres. Keith ( 012 4337 2841
Peugeot tandem, 22x20, 28 x 1 3/8 wheels, complete with saddle bag and
carrier. £380
26” gents touring cycle complete with new 27 x 1¼ wheels. £30 John Flanagan
( 077 3016 1617
For membership of the CTC contact:
CTC
PO Box 186
Portsmouth PO5 1WE
( 087 0873 0061
or
www.ctc.org.uk
34
Leaky patch
A
t the Bishops Waltham elevenses stop our president got into conversation with an elderly
man who was reminiscing about his early cycling days. "Do you have women riding
with you?" he asked. "Yes," said Phil. "So did we," said the man. "They're a real pain in the
backside, aren't they?"
1897 separated and
drop nose saddle
1898 Safety Poise
pneumatic
1987 Burgess Duplex pneumatic
POSTAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
If you want to be sure of receiving the DA Magazine, you can take out a postal
subscription. For a year’s subscription, send or give £2 and four stamped addressed envelopes to Pat Michell at 33 Broadlands Avenue, Waterlooville, PO7
7JE

Magazine in progress T

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