No words could be read on this page.
Cover Pic: Fenland Clarion’s Mark Botteley
Letter from the Secretary
It is with much sadness that I have to tell the members of the passing of Brian Burchall. Brian was a member who will leave a lasting impression on members who attended the Easter Meets and Wortley Hall weekends. Both he and Anne put lots of effort into both events. “Clarion members through and through”, the Clarion has lost a legend.
I would once again pass condolences on to Anne on behalf of the members.
I hope all you members have had a good summer with plenty of touring miles or good and fast times.
If there is anybody out there interested in the two situations vacant that badly need filling.
1. Treasurer
2. Minutes Secretary You never know you might get to like it if you took one of these jobs on. Please give me a ring to at least give it a try.
Have you heard the one about the member who riding a “25” arrived at the changing rooms for a sit down, sat for a bit longer, finally got out his start sheet only to find out he was a day to soon? Or about the member giving it what for on the turbo only to get a back wheel puncture?
Or about the member who was pushing off in a “25” and got the toggle of his waterproof fast in the pedal of the rider and arrived at the first turn at the same time as the rider?
On a more serious note, any article that is printed in Boots Spurs is the personal view and
feelings of the writer, “It does not reflect my or the committees views or ideas”. A difference of opinion is what keeps the world turning round. If you have any thoughts on any subject I would like to hear from you. It could be an item in the next Boots Spurs if you wanted, please don't sit in the café at Sunday lunch grumbling about it.
Well, that’s all for now but please read the item about the Wortley Hall weekend. It would be nice to see you there. Last but not least, I know it’s a bit early, but I will not get another chance to wish you all and your families a good Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Frank Bibby
Myself and Frank Wolstancroft on a Sunday run near Beestan Castle early in this year.
Fditorial....
Welcome to the ‘Boots’. With this, my second issue, I have beginning to get some ideas as to how to make this publication a useful tool to improve the communications between sections and help cement the National Clarion into a more unified organisation. Already a response has been generated from the sections about the role of the Clarion. I hope that any criticism or idea expressed in these pages can be accepted in good spirit and that we, as members, will not be simply close our minds to any thoughts that conflict with our own. The strength of the Clarion lies in the varied people who have come together under the cycling banner and
the proof of that is here in the ‘Boots and Spurs’.
2002 CLARION TRAGK CHAMPIONSHIPS
We once again held our annual Track Championships at Manchester Velodrome and a good turnout of 30 riders produced some excellent racing in a friendly atmosphere. Fenland once again lifted the prestigious Czechoslovakian Trophy, by defeating Stockport in the Final. Fenland's quartet of Dave Langlands, Paul Lilley, Mark Bottley and Ian Clarke, just had the edge over Stockport, who were reduced to three men after one lap, when Jackie Mortel peeled off.
Nonetheless Will Sanderson, Duncan Hewitt and Julian Mortel gave the boys from the lowlands a tough ride and the lead yo yo'd throughout the 4km race. Eventually Fenland edged it with 4.58.89 from Stockport's 5.01.45. Duncan Hewitt gained revenge in the closing race of the afternoon, when he took the 5 Mile Championship ahead of ‘Blast from the Past’, Hugh Cameron (Teesside) and Fenland's Paul Lilley. The threesome had broken away at one third distance and with 12 laps to go, lapped the field. At this point the judges took the decision to eliminate the lapped riders, to avoid confusion and any unfair team tactics.
In the Sprint Championship Dave Langlands of Fenland took the spoils in the final, narrowly pipping Teesside's sprightly 2001 British Veterans Champion Pete Smith of Teesside. It has to be said that Smith's efforts all afternoon were probably the highlight of the meeting and is morale for the World Masters Championships
would have been suitably buoyed, by his great form, both speedwise and tactically. In the Bronze medal ride, Cameron defeated Mortel.
But it wasn't just about the top Clarion racers, but also those that wouldn't normally get much of a look in. It was great to see the newly formed Oakhill section out in force and they came away witha victory in the 4km Points Race, when Colin Wright worked the field over with a heroic lone breakaway, to gather the lions share of the points. Second place went to Bob Duckworth of Bury, with Oakhill's Chris Boardwell in third.
In the two 3km Scratch races for B riders, Bolton's Andy Horner, showed what he was made of by winning both of the afternoon's races. In the first he was too good for Oakhill's Phil Culshaw and Colin Wright, while in the second Bury boys Bob Duckworth and Mark Rudy got in on the act with 2nd and 3rd places.
In the Devil take the Hindmost (for riders not in the team pursuit), Hugh Cameron took the verdict from Fenland’s Lindsay Clarke, despite her clubmate Alison Ede's efforts after she was eliminated with one lap to go and thus was awarded 5th. Third went to Jeff Downs (Oakhill), while Tony Bowles took fourth.
It was a great afternoon's racing, with the usual Clarion spirit, if you didn't come along to ride or watch this year, pencil a note in your diary as soon as next years fixtures are announced.
Results over page...
National Clarion Track Day at Manchester Velodrome,
Sunday 8 September 2002
5km Warm Up Scratch Race (A's) Bob Duckworth (Bury) 1. Duncan Hewitt (Stockport) Mark Rudy (Bury) 2 Hugh Cameron (Teesside) 3 Dave Langlands (Fenland) Team Pursuit Final 4. Mark Bottley (Fenland) Fenland (Langlands, Lilley, Botteley, 1.Clarke) 5. Julian Mortel (Stockport) 4.58.89 6. lan Clarke (Fenland) bt Stockport (Sanderson, Hewitt, Julian Mortel Paul Lilley (Fenland) Jackie Mortel) 5.01.45 8 Lindsay Clarke (Fenland)
Sprint Semi Final 1 3km Warm Scratch Race (B’s) 1.Pete Smith 13.38 iL Andy Horner (Bolton) 2.Julian Mortel 2. Phil Culshaw (Oakhill) 3. Colin Wright (Oakhill) Sprint Semi Final 2 4. Philip Albiez 1.Dave Langlands 14.48 5. Mark Rudy 2.Hugh Cameron 200 Metre TT 4km Points (B’s) Dave Langlands (Fenland) 12.45 1 Colin Wright (Oakhill) 14 Duncan Hewitt (Stockport) 12:75 2 Bob Duckworth (Bury) 5 Hugh Cameron (Teesside) 12.82 3 Chris Boardwell (Oakhill) 5 Pete Smith (Teesside) 12.86 4 Phil Collins (Bury) 4 Julian Mortel (Stockport) 12.98 5 Donald Lever (Bury) 1 Mark Bottley (Fenland) 13.08 lan Clarke (Fenland) 13,13 Sprint Final Adrian Smith (Bury) 13.21 Dave Langlands (Fenland) bt Pete Smith (Teesside) Will Sanderson (Stockport) 13.31 12.88 Andy Horner (Bolton) 13.45 Chris Boardwell (Oakhill) 13.51 Sprint 3 4 Ride Off Bob Duckworth (Bury) 13.58 Hugh Cameron (Teesside) bt Julian Mortel Paul Lilley (Fenland) 13.99 (Stockport) 12.99 Phil Culshaw (Oakhill) 14.06 Lindsay Clarke (Fenland) 14.10 5 Mile Championship Alison Ede (Fenland) 14.20 1 Duncan Hewitt (Stockport) Philip Albiez 14.24 2 Hugh Cameron (Teesside) Geoff Downs (Oakhill) 14.27 3 Paul Lilley (Fenland) Phil Collins (Bury) 14.30 Mark Rudy (Bury) 14.31 Hopefully the results are about right, if not I'm sorry. Joe Hardman (Oakhill) 14.68 Blame the velodrome for not letting us ride in Dave Gillebrand (Oakhill) 14.89 numbers! Tony Bowles (Bolton) 15.08 Thanks to all the riders, helpers and spectators who Charles Jepson (Oakhill) 15.42 turned up and also the coach Martin Willman. We Donald Lever (Bury) 15.79 hada great afternoon and everyone seemed to enjoy
themselves, with a few novices getting a feel for the Team Pursuit Heats rather special track that is Manchester. Stockport 5.01.30 If you weren't there you should have been, make Fenland 5.08.98 sure you make a note in your diary next year, when Oakhill 5.49.77 you see the date for the Clarion Track Day published. Bury 5.51.34
Steve Clarke (Fenland) Devil take the Hindmost 23 Woodland Lea 1s Hugh Cameron (Teesside) Helpston 2: Lindsay Clarke (Fenland) Peterborough 3 Jeff Downs (Oakhill) PE3 7PR 4. Tony Bowles (Bolton) 5. Alsion Ede (Fenland) Tel: 01733 252595 (Hm) Tel: 01733 331500 (Wk)
3km Scratch (B’s) Mobile: 07803 040390 Andy Horner (Bolton) Email: webmaster @tipoffmagazine.co.uk
4
CLARION EVENTS 2002
CYCLO CROSS Heanor Clarion Saturday 12th October 2002 Course: Shipley Park Derek Gascoyne, 29 Woodhouse Road, Kilburn Belper, Derbyshire DE56 ONA
WORTLEY HALL WEEKEND Hillclimb Championship, 10 mile Sporting TT Course Frinkel St Course V915 Fri/Sat/Sun 18th, 19th 20th October 2002 Entry on the line £1 both events (£1 single event)
NOTTINGHAM CLARION 10 Mile TT Saturday 28th September Course: A10/20 at 4.00pm 25 Mile TT Saturday 5th October AS/23 at 2.00pm
BRIAN BURCHALL
Brian, who died on 7th June this year after a short illness, aged 63, was a Clarion man through and through. He was a member of London Sections from the 1950’s and made great efforts to start a new section after he and Anne moved to Honiton in Devon a few years ago.
All who have attended Easter Meets over the years will remember how Brian and Ann took complete responsibility for the raffle to make sure that financial loss was avoided. For a number of years they also organised the Wortley Hall Week-End, from booking the rooms to collecting payments. Through his cheery and dedicated enthusiasm Brian became a ‘star turn’ at these national gatherings.
As a tandem pair Brian and Anne cycled to Easter Meets, took part in Sunday runs and toured at home and abroad. But Brian’s other great love was for steam railways. He supported the Great Central preserved line, collected ‘railwayana’, photographed steam trains as far away as China and presented slide shows for other enthusiasts.
Our heartfelt sympathies go to Anne, both their families and their friends. Brian will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by many within the Clarion Cycling Club and beyond.
I wish to thank everyone during the sad loss of Brian for their kind help, good wishes, gifts of flowers and donations to St Margaret’s Hospice, Somerset, it was much appreciated.
Anne Burchall
Any members with an e-mail
address should e-mail
janrclarke@hotmail. com
and get on the great regular e-mail a time and is growing happenings from the members.
Below is a copy of a recent e-mail ne!
have cycled on, mean logged means of receiving e-mails is
ews fe all the while. Don
ws letter that the lucky lads an
t miss out on the instant ne'
tter which has been running for some ws and
d lassies who
on, have recently had. 1 think it will show you that
well worth considering.
CLARION CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPS Now will be on the 21st September
Please note that the Heanor Cyclo Cross will be held on Sat 21st September
not in October as per your last email. Contact is Don Flint 0115 932 2995.
This event has been brought forward to try to benefit from better
conditions
early in the cyclo cross season, as it has been too wet in previous years.
WORTLEY HALL WEEKEND 18TH-20TH OCTOBER
This year at 10 mile TT has been added to the activities, which as usual include; clubruns, hill climb championships and a not-insignificant amount of alcohol. The venue is lovely, it's an old stately home and the accommodation is 2-3 star standard. The views and local area are some of the best the this part of Yorkshire has.
You can arrive on the Friday evening (18th) or during the Saturday.
The agenda is as follows:
Sat' 19th
-10am Committee Meeting or Country Walk 2pm for 2.31 start sporting 10 mile TT A629 course entry on the line
evening, darts, slides, raffle, beer, fall-over, sleep
Sun’ 20th 10.15am for 10.31 Hill Climb Champs 11.30am Peter Shepherdly's Famous Quiz
Book (en-suite or standard) rooms directly with Wortley Hall on 0114 288 2100
This message is on behalf of the National Clarion Cycling Club.
If this message causes you problems or you do not wish to receive it,
please
contact the person below.
lan Clarke
VP National Clarion Cycling Club email: ianrclarke hotmail.com Tel: 01767 314207
Round the Sections
Every issue of “Boots” will have a round up of local news from the various Clarion Sections providing I can put sufficient pressure on someone from each section to send the info to me. Please send me photos and text of your sections activities and it will all go in.
Editor
Bury Section notes and notes relating to the club as a C&AC affiliated to the RTTC and BCF
Bury Section currently has twentyeight members but less than half are active in the club. Frank Jefferson has been a member since I950 is club and is ably assisted by Donald Lever who has been a member since 1948, although he was only three at the time. Club secretary Peter Roscoe first rode clubruns with the section in 1949 but these days he only does the few evening rides that we arrange each year in conjunction with the Bury Cycling Forum. These have not been very successful so we will have to decide whether or not to continue. We probably will as it had been Intended to discontinue our annual ‘have a go hill climb due to lack of support but this year there were I5 contestants which made the effort of organising worthwhile. We consider our annual 100 kilometre reliability ride a classic as it include 6 Pennine Peaks whose altitudes total to over 2000 metres. This year the event was part of the Bury Sports festival but only 8 rode as it was on the day of the England and Sweden world cup match. The racing side of our club is the most active but even here except for Philip Albiez members have ridden less time trials than in previous years. This is a pity as Philip left the Horwich CC because most riders in this club were riding road races whereas Philip concentrates on time trials. He is our fastest member since Geoff McGann rode with us in the early 1970's and this year has broken Geoff's 1 971 record of 22.45 for 10 miles with a sparkling 22.05 in the Hull City CC event. At 25 miles his best is 56.37 and in his first 50 he posted a sterling 2.0.28. Philip Ball who in August rode in his third race ever got down to 25.03 at 10 miles whilst vet Mark Rudy in his second event ever got down to a pleasing 26.28. Mark is the first Bury Clarion rider to ride road races since the 1960's. Hopefully his initiative will inspire other members to attempt a more varied racing programme. The main interest appears to be track racing and seven members have shown positive
interest in riding the National Clarion track championships.
Last year we celebrated our centenary and a commemorative video had veen produced. Whilst it focuses on our centenary year it includes an abstract from an early 1960 cine film. This includes a record of the 1963 East Meet at Morecambe. Members who attended might remember the carnival atmosphere with our cavalcade of riders along the front. Some were on old bicycles and Roy Turnbull of Bury Section mounted on a flying bedstead. Anyone interested can have one for £6.00 including postage and packing. All proceeds to Bury Section /unds. Another innovation is the introduction of a club website <http://www.lomax2000.fsnet.co.uk/>www.loma x2000.fsnet.co.uk This includes current activities and our club history. Particularly interesting narratives relate to member's personal recollections relating to the 1920's, 40's 50’s and 60's.
When this intrepid French cyclist found himself in deep water during unseasonal floods in Montpellier, he and his trusty bike went with the flow and rode out the storm.
NOTTINGHAM
RACING SCENE
Club 50 Championship run on a Sunday morning on A50/6 course in good weather, four riders competed for the Club Championship in conjunction with the BDCA event. Francis Grafton came out on top with 1.57.46, followed by Paul Harwood (2.2.12) and David Smith just behind (2.2.26 PB). Phil Hurst made up the quartet, returning to form with 2.4.14.
Elsewhere, Ken Hemsley has been active in the Isle of Man, riding the Mountain time trial (37.75m) in2.36.00; son- in- law Dave Armstrong pulling out another PB at 1.55.39. Two weeks later, Ken and Alan Daniels rode the Sherwood 25 (A25.25) with 1.10.08 and 1.27.34 respectively. It’s nice to see Alan having a go at the longer events after supporting some of the other club riders during the seasons. The VTTA 25 on 17th August took place on a very windy A25.24, Ken riding to 1.09.23 Meanwhile Dave and Kath Smith rode the North Notts 25 at the end of July (1.00.29 1.05.43) before joining up with Francis in the Vegetarian C AC 50 on the 4th August. Fastest of the three, Francis rode to 1.59.34 with Dave at 2.03.15 and Kathy (CR) 2.10.26 despite the course finishing at the top of the slip road hill instead of at the bottom! As you are no doubt aware, Kathy then took on the challenge of the North Mids 12 hour the following week, with (CR) a total of 224.86 miles taking Ist handicap both in the main event and the associated Vet's event. The total prize money amounted to ‘earnings’ of £3.50 per hour!
N Ki n the Blo
After an absence from our sport of over a decade, I have returned to racing this year with goals (which is more than Nottingham Forest have done this year) of beating my standard for 10 and 25 miles.
My first task was to join a club. I wanted to join one where I would feel both at ease and also where my
Appart from local trips around Gwynedd and our twice weekly trip up the Nant Francon Pass with Elaine Kona the first big trip was to the York Rally. This intailed travelling with camping gear first to Llangollen where the Wern Rd campsite was the quietest of the trip. From there it was on to Knutsford, Woodhead Res, Wakefield, Riccall and then to the rally. The Rally has mainly recovered
lycra clad human form would not cause too much distress to my newly acquired club mates. Now this, I thought, could be easier said than done.
I am currently living south of that well-defined international border at Watford Gap in Surrey, and so I enquired with the Farnborough and Camberley RC and Kingston Phoenix. Both clubs were helpful but were not quite what I was looking for, mainly because they couldn’t quite work out my Nottingham accent and more importantly, their club colours didn’t match my beautiful Ultegra equipped bright red Kestrel bike.
Now then, bearing in mind what I said about feeling at ease and Lycra, I thought about my dad's club Nottingham Clarion. After all, this club matched and exceeded the criteria I had set, namely:
1) They understand Nottingham speak
2)I would feel at ease I have known Ken Hemsley and Ray Mudd Snr. for years.
3)If Ken can wear Lycra and not offend anyone, then I’m quids in.
4) The club colours match my bike.
5) They go to a pub that serves a decent ale.
6) Even my mum’s a social member.
And so, there you have it, I’m the New Kid on the Block in the Nottingham Clarion this year. I may be along way from the Ship Inn and Lowdham 10’s, but I wear my colours proudly (if a little tightly).
I hope to see you all soon and have a good season.
Watch out Ken Hemsley, I’m back!!! Phil Morris
Nottingham Clarion.
PARAGON BIKE AVAILABLE. am trying
to find info on Paragon bikes. I have had my late grandfather's bike (1965) on which he cycled all over Europe for about 5 years. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to renovate it. I may be moving home shortly and will not have space for it, so 1 am looking for a collector to take it on.
E-mail: richard.n.franci
after the disaster made of the 2000 rally, allthough now the CTC has banned people selling cycle bits from vehicles while offering no alternative. The route home was via Skipton and the cyclists cafe at Garsgrave then onto Citheroe and Preston, Liverpool then on the Mersey Ferry and across The Wirral stopping at the cafe at Thornton Hough. The cafe owner had passed north of Liverpool and was so amazed that he provided free food. The rest of the journey was along the North Wales coast via the
Deeside army firing range.
The next trip went the same way but after Preston went North to Lancaster to Cyclefest. The rain started at Rhyl on Weds and did'nt stop until Friday eveningwhenthe Suncame shone for days making it a superb weekend.On the cycle back friend Becky came along on her Anthratek Wirral cafe provided free drinks in both directions.
spent the rest of August training for The Wild Wales Challenge on the bank holiday. This year it was 86 miles up the steepest hills they could find. I was suprised not to see any other Clarion members.
FENLAND
Botteley shows he has the bottle to take National Bronze Medal!
Last weekend saw the culmination of the last 8 months of intensive training, when Mark Botteley took Bronze medal position in the National 24 Hour Bicycle Time Trail Championship. Mark really showed his determination and talent in this, the toughest and most gruelling event in cycle racing.
Mark set off on the course on Saturday afternoon and raced from that point on for the next 24 hours, nonstop! Mark rode from the start to a plan that aimed for him to cover 470 miles in the 24-hour time period. At the half way point Mark was bang on plan with 242.8 miles covered putting him in 4th place, at that point in the race. Knowing his best was still to come, Mark kept on pacing himself to the race plan. During the night Mark started to make his way forward and by morning was standing in 3rd place and starting to make up time on the 2nd placed rider. By 10 0,clock in the morning the riders moved from the 60-mile circuit and onto the finishing circuit. Mark put out a steady pace over the last 4 hours and got within only 3 miles of the 2nd placed rider by the finish. At the end of the 24-hour time limit Mark had
OAKHILL
In June, nine members rode from London to Paris, not for any particular reason other than it was somewhere different to go. We took three days to do the ride covering just over 100 miles each day, this was largely due to some creative navigating by our expedition’s leader. It was particularly pleasing that on the second day four of our members rode over 100 miles for the first time. Whilst we appreciate that 100 miles in a day does not represent a great distance for the traditional road-man, for people new to cycling it is a real goal and well worth celebrating.
Ashort visit was made to the races in Castletown during International Cycling Week on the Isle Of Man. For the future theres Hilary doing the End to End cycle camping on her Trike in Sept/Oct (sponsored for the Kidney Patients in the hospital). The Flintshire Challenge and Bikeright in Wooler are also in October so hopefully the weathers good. We've decided not to go to Wortly Hall because of the cost as theres no camping alternative.
We hope you are all having fun cycling, Robin, Gwynedd Clarion.
covered 469.277 miles and was safe for Bronze Medai
After the event an exhausted Mark was very pleased with his result and was presented with his medal. Mark also took the Fenland Clarion 24-hour club record, with this phenomenal ride. Not one to ever give up in the quest to improve, Mark is still looking to challenge for a higher medal in the future being so close to silver this year!
The previous record holder, Steve Clarke has been heard to say that he will go into training and get it back. He held the record for so long that he is now a VET but still relishes the challenge
Fenland Clarion’s Top Lady Rider on flying Form
Lindsay Clarke produced her fastest 25-mile time trial for the last few years last Saturday in the Southgate cycle Club event, when she recorded a time of 1 h 00 mins 43 secs, in windy conditions. Her ride saw her win the ladies section by over a minute, taking the Winton Cup and walking away with the best improvement award too. Paul Lilley was also in action in the same event and produced his fastest 25-mile time trail result for the last three seasons, when he covered the route in 56 mins and 7 seconds.
In July 14 members (7 adults and 7 children) took part in our third annual mountain bike holiday to {Morzine in the French Alps. Eleven days were spent mainly racing down the area's six _|permanent downhill courses. We did also manage some cross country rides simply because places like Rutsville and Puncture Alley are just too good to miss. On the day before our group departure we ran a handicap race down the Grundig Course at Morzine. This was won by Nicholas Tighe age 13 who is pictured here with his prize ‘The Terror Trophy The fastest rider down the course that day was Amy Boardwell one of the club’s
two female members. She took enormous pleasure in showing the men how it should be done.
Our First Tandem Ride by Ruth Coates and Charles Jepson:
Land’s End to
John O’Groats
It began as a joke. The sea was lapping round my ankles at the foot of the jetty in Whitehaven harbour, I had just completed the Sustrans Revivers route, the return leg of the C2C, with a group of pupils from Oakhill College. “What shall we do next?” asked Ruth Coates, former Headgirl of the school and now President of Oakhill Clarion Cycling Club. Quick as a flash I replied, “The End to End.” It was a joke! As the rest of the group fled from sight, Ruth, loyal as ever, said in all seriousness, “Oh, can we?”
In an attempt to extract myself, without losing face from the hole I was rapidly digging myself into, replied, “Yes, on a tandem” in the full knowledge that neither of us had ever even touched, let alone ridden, a tandem. “Yes, let’s do it” came the feared but predictably enthusiastic response. “You're both mad!” stated my older and wiser colleague. Alas, it was too late, for the seed was planted and would come to harvest, Ruth knew, as at least two of us would be at Land’s End with a tandem.
Initially we borrowed a tandem from a
member of our cycling club and after two circuits of the school’s all-weather pitch went for a ten mile test ride to the cafe in Waddington. As we didn’t fall off and as we laughed a lot, the trip for the moment was on. Ruth ordered me to find a suitable date, sort out a route and buy us a tandem. In the meantime, she would go off to university to do some training in the student union bar. A second-hand machine with drop handlebars was duly purchased from a retired Yorkshire miner in Wakefield. This ‘Scargill’ man could sadly no longer ride, a stroke having left him partially paralysed. I didn’t meet his wife, age 79, she was “owt on th’ Club run wi’ lads.” The bike, though hand-painted ‘Corporation Park Bench green’ had a history that linked socialism with cycling and as we were both members of the National Clarion Cycling Club, that was good enough for us. 1, undemocratically, decided to have the frame re-enamalled in very bright yellow, thinking that this would make us more visible for other road users as we sped along.
I purchased the route and information pack from the CTC as this seemed (mistakenly) to
10
be sensible starting point. They recommended careful route planning and thorough preparation: Trace your route on the map and make sure you can read the map. Know your average cycling speed and plan your stops accordingly. Train properly to build cycling fitness; ride regularly building up to a weekend or a week away. Make sure that you are capable of riding for two or three days at a time. Practise with the bike loaded with the equipment you plan to take on the ride. Experiment with loading your luggage. Get used to the way the bike handles when loaded. Plan your journey home and book trains well in advance.” This was not for us, we wanted a daring adventure, not a Thomas Cook ‘tuck up in your bed’ tour. We trained on red wine, no other colour would do. We had the first
route takes a turn to the right at the first junction; here we faced our first challenge after only a quarter of a mile from the start. How could any member of a socialist cycling club start such an epic adventure by turning to the right? The problem was quickly over come, to the amazement of tourists and drivers alike; we turned a large albeit illegal, anti-clockwise circle in the middle of the road, thereby ensuring our first turn was to the left. Not to be recommended.
On the second day we discovered what the letters CTC stand for. “Cornwall’s tortuous coast”. We were happily speeding along at 20 mph towards Bude, when the CTC route directed us “for our safety” off the main road towards the coastal settlements of Cracklington, Tintagel and Boscastle. Here
ride on our newly, christened “The Chariot of the Sun” the night before we set off; it was ‘unloaded’ and lasted for just ten minutes. We experienced handling a fully loaded tandem for the first time as we left the car park at Land’s End. We rode north with no real idea as to how far we were going or where we were going to spend the night. We avoided right turns (Blair’s) at all costs and Pp drank Red Bull no matter what the cost.We would think about getting home once we got there. At Land's End we decided that rather than keep a diary of stops and daily mileage we would, at close of each day, write a journal of our thoughts, This decision to record sights, comments and experiences that had meant something special to us was to give us great pleasure and many, many laughs. We wobbled over the start line and climbed thincline out of Land’s End, hoping not to fall off in front of loads of tourists. The CTC
the hills are horrendous and our progress slowed dramatically. Getting our breath back at a T-junction, a van driver congratulated us on the hills we had conquered and advised us to stick to the coast road as the views were excellent, but cautioned us that there was one hill we definitely wouldn't get up (definitely the wrong thing to say!!!) We had pledged to ride to John O’Groats and if a hill could beat us it wouldn’t be a southern hill. In truth, it took all our determination, northern grit and
11
Clarion spirit to stay on the bike but stay we did. Our only sadness at the end of that hard, hard day in the blazing sun was that we were not members of the CTC as it deprived us of the pleasure of resigning. Instead we threw the CTC route away and determined we would simply cycle north till our wheels stood in the sea at John O’Groats.
By the end of day four we had reached Ross on Wye, having taken an exciting, traffic challenging route right through the centre of Bristol in order to see Brunel's splendid bridge over the Avon. After an ‘ants in the pants’ picnic lunch by a delightful pond on a garage forecourt we crossed the River Severn into Wales. It had been planned to ride north through Monmouthshire, However, Ruth ‘The Navigator’ managed to miss not just the junction but the entire country!!! Consequently we ended up cycling through the Forest of Dean, definitely a diversion worth taking and such an unplanned surprise. On this beautiful day it was hard to imagine that these now silent, sun-soaked glades had once echoed with the noise ot the industrial revolution. As we rode along, couldn't help but wonder whether the spirits of those who had once toiled to mine and smelt the iron ore were watching our progress from the shadows on the trees.
Day five started with a downhill from our bed and breakfast next to the ‘Man of Ross’ public house. This was a good omen of things to come. The A49 was not busy and riding into a slight but refreshing breeze made for an excellent day's cycling. A few miles north of Ludlow we found a large spanner at the roadside. This was no ordinary spanner, it was a gift from God, a miracle no less, as it was the exact size we needed to tighten our loose headset. Ruth decided to keep the spanner as a souvenir even though it weighed about two tons!!! Later in the evening sun, just north of Nantwich, to the overwhelming joy of my comrade ‘stoker’ we clocked up 100 miles for the day. She was now an
‘Oakhill Centurion’ a noble honour, well deserved. Or quote of the day came from the landlord (visually impaired) of the Raven at Whitchurch where we stopped for for a celebration drink. “You chaps have come a long way” Ruth at the time was wearing little more than her sun tan!!!
Two days later another ‘century was achieved on the stretch from Blackburn to Carlisle. This day we christened ‘wild strawberry day’ in memory of the tiny wild strawberries we shared sitting in the Howgills looking down on the valley of the infant Lune. In that peaceful place the words of Blake “and did those feet in ancient times” seemed so appropriate. We were filled with emotion recalling the struggles of those who fought for the right to “walk upon England’s mountains green”.We knew our Club’s history was a history of socialist struggle and we were proud of it. Cycling on, we encoutered a tremendous thunder and lightening storm just south of Shap. Common sense suggested we should find some shelter till the lightening had passed over. Instead, laughing at the rain and scorning the lightening we rode on. We were ‘northern people’ and if the Sky Gods wanted us they would have to be quick to catch us.
Following an overnight in Carlisle we took the ‘not recommended’ busy tourist route up the A7 to Edinburgh, this road was unbelievably quiet. Riding through Canonbie, I tried to impress my ‘stoker’ by reciting the appropriate verses from Lochinvar:” There was a mounting ‘mong Graemes of the Nertherby clan; Forsters, Fenwicks and Musgraves, they rode and they ran...” We certainly chased at high speed across ‘Canonbie Lee’ and on that day there was little doubt “that though all the wide border our steed was the best”. A rest day was spent sight seeing and shopping for ‘girlie things in Edinburgh. This proved far more tiring than riding our tandem; it also made the tandem much heavier.
12
The next two days from Edinburgh to Carrbridge proved to be a real battle against a very strong headwind and driving rain. Nevertheless they were days of shared fun and laughter: the shout of FORE! that saved the life of a workman about to step into our path as we exceeded the speed limit over the Forth Bridge. The garage owner in Cowdenbeath who succumbed to Ruth’s feminine charms and made us a cup of coffee just when we needed it. The friendly cycle shop owner in Pitlochry, who showing concern for Ruth’s cough, recommended a herbal cure made by a peasant woman in the high mountains of Cuba! His warning to stay off the A9 “Unless you have a death wish”was ignored, of course. Meeting a couple of Belgian cyclists just as wet as we were in a cafe by Loch Ericht; they were riding from Dover to John O’Groats. On departing, one of them tied a plastic bag over Ruth’s saddle in an attempt to to keep it dry. This kind and thoughtful gesture reflected the bond of comradeship that had developed during the exchange of a few friendly words; such truth in our Club’s motto ‘Fellowship is Life’.
Black Thursday, we departed from Carrbridge in the pouring rain. Ruth decided to follow a tip given to us by the Belgian cyclists the previous day and wrapped her feet in Tesco bags. I had serious doubts about this idea but showed solidarity and looked equally stupid. The idea was a total flop as the bags were soon flapping round our ankles in tatters. Have the Belgians ever invented anything, I wonder? After just a quarter of a mile BANG! Our rear tyre exploded and to make matters worse split the sidewall of the tyre. We were in the middle of nowhere and a long way from anywhere, getting very wet and feeling very cold.. Our spirits lifted when a Forest Enterprise van stopped and the driver informed us of a bike shop in the middle of the forest less than two miles up the road. Could this really be true? The world has seven wonders but on that day none could compare
with our first sight of Ian Bishop’s Cycle and Ski Hire Centre at Sochd Cottage. This simple cottage with its collection of ramshackle sheds was a mirage of epic film proportions. There was no chance this man in the forest of ‘God knows where’ could have a tyre to fit our tandem. Wrong! Ian Bishop had everything and more in his Aladdin’s cave of bicycle bits. A new tyre was purchased, entertained by the sound of Salso music, amused by his tales of other cyclists who had passed his way close to dead, and refreshed with his wife’s coffee and cakes. We sped off in an attempt to make up for lost time. We had been very close to that cold and rainy place cyclists call HELL and had survived, we had met a couple of strangers in a forest who had shown us compassion, we had fought the wind and won, but best of all we had remained friends. A memorable day not to be repeated.!
Friday 13th. Proved to be an excellent day for cycling and so we decided to attempt to reach John O’Groats (109 miles) before nightfall. From Bonar Bridge we pointed our tandem inland and cycled up to the famous Clask Inn where the landlord showed a great interest in our machine. Then it was down thevalley of the Naver to Betty Hill and the sea via the hamlet of Altnaharra. Our route took us through the most beautiful, peaceful and remotest of lands. We paused for a photograph by the monument to Donald MacLoed, author of ‘Gloomy Memories’. Sadly, a century earlier, Donald's native Sutherland had witnessed some of the most cowardly and vicious incidents of the “Highland Clearances’ How the sad ghosts of Rossal must have envied our laughter as we rode passed their long deserted crofts. Having eventually reached the ‘it will be round the next bend’ coast, we turned eastward and rode along the A836 towards Melvich and Thurso. “Caithness is flat” we had been told by a tourist officer in Inverness; she had obviously never cycled in Caithness.
13
We clock up another ‘century’ just after Thurso and then launched a real attack to the finish line some 10 miles ahead. The attack was quickly brought to a halt by the sight of a Highland cow, the first one we had seen in the whole of Scotland. We dismounted to say good evening and take a photograph the beast mistook us for ‘illegal immegrants’ and ran away. Just before the final junction, we spotted Stuart, Ruth’s father, crouching by the roadside, camera poised for that action shot. Waving, victory salutes and screams of
elation, we shot past like an express train; we'd made it!
John O’Groats was deserted when we arrived, but we didn’t care, for the moment belonged to us and the feelings we shared were feelings of indescribable happiness. We had conquered every single hill, laughed in the rain, and raced the lightening when others had sheltered, but best of all we had
met many strangers and called them friends. In the John O’Groats hotel we toasted our achievement with Red Bull before writing in the Great Book:
Ruth Coates and Charles Jepson, Oakhill Clarion Cycling Club.
‘Tis better to fall from the chariot of the sun
than to trundle home safely in the back of a cab’.
We had ridden our ‘chariot’ nearly 1000 miles, had shared comradeship and earned memories that will live in our hearts forever. Travelling south the following day, we saw the two Belgian cyclists whom we had met north of Pitlochry, minus their plastic bags they were nearly there. We gave a silent cheer for they too had been part of our adventure.
York Rally
At last we had a bit of nice w dry with a helping of sunshine. The Rally was a success, any! though a few more tra
The grass track racing was sees. as was the Ron Kitching Audax.
In the Cycling Weekly, the comic, a tiny photo o service, for the mass ri powerful magnifying glass is essential. In the big marquees, cyclists, eager manner from stall to stall laden wil
‘A success once again was even the doorways were b at the proceedings.
14
eather for York Rally. A bit on the win
thing after the 2000 rally has to be regarded as a success,
de stands would have made an as as tough as ever and the
the cyclists leaving the de back to the racecourse,
to find the bargains p th bus of goodies and many with tyres round their
that tyres are going ne en standing room only for those not early
locked with people craning their nec
dy side but mild and
improvement. i Saturday morning rides were we
Minster after the contains yours truly and the hon sec. A
ushed and shoved in traditional after commodity.
enough, ks to look over the crowds
to be a sought
Serious Thinking
A letter extracted from the Bolton Clarion’s newsletter
In 1985, mountaineering writer Jim Perrin described climbing clubs as falling into two categories: club-as-gang and club-as-family. The former, he said, have the greater historical significance, as most are loose groups of the young, pushing each other on to greater performance. The latter were described as having the greater social significance, the club-asfamily acting as custodians of tradition and values. And between the two there is the constant tension as one group seeks to maintain tradition and the other to push away at the edges.
We can see similar features in cycling and many clubs can be well described as a family in which several gangs are present, these gangs may include racers, audax riders, even participants of particular semi formal club-runs. In addition, we have club as provider of events, club as provider of technical support and club as social and political movement. Some clubs do all these things: consider the CTC with its national and political centre and local groups, which may consist of several gangs. Many of us are CTC members simply for the benefits of national membership; others are also members of the local group in order to participate in local events. What then of the Clarion, both national and local? Nationally, we are the last remnant of a 19th century social and political movement, the rest of which has been defunct for decades and from which the political significance has all but disappeared. Once the National Clarion rivalled the CTC in terms of members and services, but the National Clarion is now smaller and no longer a provider of insurance and so on. Locally, the Clarion Cycling Clubs are a group of essentially independant active clubs, interested in cycling and not politics and increasingly separate from each other.
In the days before antibiotics, pneumonia was a more common and serious disease than at present, for which there was no effective treatment. Several days into the illness a point was reached at which the individual was
particularly ill and following which the patient either died, or suddenly improved and began to recover. This time in the phase of the disease was
called the ‘crisis’, in effect a moment of decision, leading either to recovery or death.
The National Clarion is at or close to such a crisis now.
Rather mysteriously in the last issue of Boots and Spurs there was published what can be seen as the classic club-as-family diatribe against the clubas-gang and meanwhile, certain clubs as gangs have metaphorically taken their bats and balls and gone to play somewhere else. There is the prospect that the National Clarion will cease to exist and the local clubs will become fully independent. Does this matter?
One easy answer would be to say ‘no’ and let all the clubs go off and become gangs of one sort or another. There may be some who would like to do this, but I would advise caution and careful thought.
The harder way is to recognise that we are less sure of what the National Clarion stands for, now that the politics are gone, but that there are more than a 100 years of history and tradition that are in danger of being lost for ever. It is time to redefine what the Clarion is for, both nationally and locally and I think if we try, we shall be able to find a way to continue.
Let us not lose the National Clarion for the sake of a few quid a year per member, not to mention the odd bit of personal dislike here and there. There has been a fragmentation throughout society in recent years and it is unlikely that the great days of the 1950s and 1960s will ever return in cycling clubs, or even climbing clubs. But what we have remains as exciting and vigorous as half a century ago and if we all contribute both locally and nationally, even in such minor things as joint meets between nearby sections there will be found a reason to continue, no longer an empire, but a commonwealth of cyclists with a joint history and tradition
David L Bisset, member of Bolton Clarion Cycling Club.
BOLTON
BOLTON CLUB 10 CHAMPIONSHIP
The winner was a foregone conclusion barring accidents, the only real challenger to Andy Horner, Paul Dickinson, had gone down with vertigo and had to scratch from the event.
Andy made the most of the good conditions on a superb afternoon, with a superb time, which was personal best, of 21. 50 mins. The battle for silver was a close run affair between Ian Littlewood and Bob Hodgins, both on a twenty-four minute ride. Bob had his usual hard luck story his chain came off again but he got the silver anyway.
Sally Roy, despite being assured of the ladies title (being the only lady present) continued to show aggression with another personal best, practically a minute better than the week before, with a time of 27.4 mins.
While the faster riders rode to expectations, Dave Bisset excelled himself and indeed surprised himself with a time of 28.10 mins. Dave’s dedicated fitness drive is beginning to pay big dividends a trim figure and fast times. I wouldn't go touring Scotland with him not on a touring bike anyway!
A view on TT
For most of my cycling career, I have believed timetrialling to be a mystical activity open to only a select secret band of riders who are seen once a year, collecting medals on reunion night, and then vanishing.
Well, this year, I have sneaked into the enlightened band through the back door. The breakthrough came last Autumn, marshalling a time trial with Fred Smith. This gave me the chance to listen to him for a couple of hours.Since then I have had advice about training from Fred and from Tony Bowles, and guidance and encouragement from Frank Bibby.
Now, on the basis of having done two and two thirds events, with four more booked, and others planned, I am going to spill the beans. suspect that some of the secret brotherhood may wish to slit my tongue at low -water mark for this crime, but as am bigger and nastier than them, I shall take the risk.
First, get the RTTC handbook. For two years I had a copy and couldn't work out what to do, but when you get down to it, there is less to it than meets the eye. The main thing is to send your form in about three weeks before the event. Now, forms. You don’t need to order 200 using the coupon in the handbook; instead, download them from the RTTC website When you see the form for the first time, you will think that it has been written by an Inland Revenue inspector in his spare time. Never mind. So long as the event secretary can work out who you are, which
event you are applying for, and the cheque doesn’t bounce, it seems to work.
On the day, turn up at least an hour before your start time, collect your number, warm up, and get to the start a few minutes before your time. If youare an Audax rider, remember to take the lights off your bike. The starters find them amusing and poke fun at you
If you have spent most of your cycling life riding long distances only, the next bit will be a bit of a shock. You need to set off quickly, and keep at it. Don’t go off too fast though, a heart rate monitor may be helpful. Use the big chainwheel at the front; before time trials, I thought they were purely a decorative feature on a bike. Don’t worry about being passed by faster riders. The swish as they go past, and the rumble of disc wheels just add to the experience. In the end, the only person that you are competing with is yourself.
At the finish, hand in your number; go straight to the tea and cake, and then the results board. It doesn’t take many events for you to recognise people or be recognised yourself and you can take pleasure in a personal best no matter how modest it may be.
Ah. There is a catch. Training. Even I have been doing some. After all, having chosen at seventeen anda half stone and 47 years of age to try time trials, Ihave more need than most to make some effort. So there you have it. Not so different to Audax really, you just get tea and cakes after a shorter period of pain!
Dave Bisset
Bolton Clarion
150,000 bikes are stolen every year
Don't let yours be one
Stop them taking your bike for a ride
16
The article “Do we need it?” by Denis Pye Central Section, printed in the Easter edition of Boots Spurs, gives us an excellent insight into the history from 1895 to the 1990's.
The book, “Fellowship is Life”, is also a remarkable work, taking months or even years of painstaking reasearch to complete, and the writer's name, along with the founder members, must have a prominent place in Clarion archives.
Other than the club history, it was disturbing to read the rest of the article. It is so apparent to the reader that the National Clarion is no longer in any need of subscriptions from the sections, due to the balance sheet statement that was received from the National Secretary showing over £15,000 in money and assets.
The paragraph in the article “More than just a club”, informs us that the aims of the Clarion Cycling Club are absolutely committed to socialism and_ its principles. This allegedly makes us a club apart. The article’s only concern is in the furtherance of the politically motivated Central Section that adheres to the rules and constitution set down by the pioneers and defends its principles at any cost. The propaganda in this article is targeted at the sections that dare to question the politcal motives in our chosen sport and past-time, cycling. We are told in
CVs
the article that the National Clarion and its ideals have been challenged so many times in the last fifty or sixty years this statement surely speaks for itself.
At the Annual Conference in question, rules and the constitution flowed from the mouths of the politically dedicated, and fiercely criticised the running of an individual section with which they have no dealings. Was this verbal assault by certain National Clarion members at the conference a sample of the principles of ‘Good Fellowship’ that is so ardently defended by them? Any changes quite rightly must go to the Annual Conference; what it fails to tell us is that any resolution or proposal that is not politically correct will not be heard and the rules will be changed to suit on the day.
In this new century, political opinions seem to be less of an aspiration, perhaps because we have so much material wealth; even those on benefit are more than likely to have a car and a mobile phone.
We need to be more focused with present issues if we
are to secure a longer period of history for the NATIONAL CLARION CYCLING CLUB.
Amy McLarty Club Secretary Bolton Clarion Section
I would like to comment on Dennis Pye’s excellent article in the last issue of Boots Spurs, not as editor but purely from a personal point of view.
I will outline briefly my Clarion history. Firstly, about age fourteen I joined the Leicester Clarion section, this came about because my cousin, Jack Pratt was a reasonably successful rider for that section in the past and I had no connections with any of the many other cycling clubs in Leicester.
I rode as a touring cyclist and as the older members will recall the touring runs were mostly joined by the racing lads at the Dinner place. Usually the pace went as a touring ride until after the tea stop but then a free for all back home.
I remember with affection the comraderie of those times and the hours spent extolling the various virtues of this gear or that. Mostly fixed wheel combinations. At that time it was over my head but I still felt I was part of the club.
There came a time when my interest waned and other activities took over, study, marriage, children etc. Then, some twenty five or so years ago for various reasons became interested once more in cycling and
having moved to Peterborough in the intervening years became associated with the Fenland Clarion. The remarkeable thing I found was that the same friendly and welcoming attitude was still present. My daughter joined the section and for several years my wife and I just supported her racing activities. Gradually after Marshalling races for several years we became members as well and our activities within the club increased as committee members, I became the racing secretary for a time, timekeeper for the section and for the local RTTC area an Assistant Timekeeper, at present I hold the office of club chairman.
So, during these last twentyfive years I have attended Easter Meets, Wortley Hall weekends and various Clarion events and always found the “Fellowship is Life” motto to hold true. But the reason it does, from my experience within our organisation, is not now because of any socialist feeling but is purely through a love of the sport of cycling and, at least in our area, mainly racing.
The National Clarion, although less strong now than it was, is still an organisation that can offer it’s
17
members something no other cycling club can and that is the fellowship of a club member in all parts of the country. Many are the times I have been at a cycling event and seen Clarion cyclists from other sections present. Although I have not always had the opportunity to introduce myself, the knowledge that fellow club members are there whenever you go toa large cycling event is a heartwarming feeling.
1 think that “need” is perhaps too strong a word in Dennis's article but certainly I think that The National Clarion is an organisation that will continue, not from political reasons or because it has a history but because it continues to reflect the needs of the members. I think that the newer members will influence the development of the club and although it is always an uphill battle against “old diehards”
Arthur’
Albert Finney, as Arthur Seaton, cycling through narrow cobbled streets on his way to work at the Raleigh factory in Alan Sillitoe’s Saturday Night Sunday Morning, remains a lasting impression of Radford
But for anyone taking a walk along Raleigh Street today, where in 1887 Frank Bowden founded the company that was to become Raleigh, noting could be further from the truth.
The old Victorian factories which sit at the street's entrance off Alfreton Road are systematically being turned into luxury flats.
“It's all part of this inner-city living rush that’s going on.” a construction worker remarks.
One is being turned into 72 ‘units’ and another has places for 35.
Next door an old building stands empty, glass from it’s smashed and boarded up windows littering the ground.
A board outside offers it for sale as another development opportunity.
Somewhere in this maze of new living the first Raleigh factory may have been housed.
would be lost
gradually new members inevitably become the “old diehards” and find that their changes are faced with even newer ones.
It is because the core reason for our club is now cycling and not, as it was in the beginning, socialism, the club will prosper. Joe Rigby’s quote was perhaps valid in 1955, but that was 47 years ago.
It is the vast variety of other activities available now that influence the numbers of people who will join any cycling club (or indeed any club) and that has caused the membership to fall to present levels.
Having said all that, the “National” aspect to our fellowship gives the Clarion something no other cycling club has and that is what will sustain and maybe increase those levels.
Richard Newcombe, Fenland
Further down is a modern student hall of residence, asmall alcove of new homes and a sheltered housing complex.
Even the local pub, once called “The Raleigh” has been renamed ‘O’Rourkes’.
Manager David Doherty, 33, says he welcomes the changes.
“It’s really up and coming now with a lot of money being spent as far as redevelopment’s concerned,” he says.
“Industry in this area’s finished.
Two years from now think there will be a lot of young entrepreneurs and up and coming small businesses around here.”
Student Jack O’Healey has lived on the street since moving to Nottingham last September.
“It's not a bad part of Radford,” he says. “I like what they are doing with the new flats. I think they should put something new here to brighten up the area.” Last year an old school was demolished with more luxury flats springing up.
The people who walk along Raleigh Street seem young and from a variety of backgrounds.
Next to the flats, an older school, belonging to the imposing All Saints Church, has been turned into a complex for small businesses and community projects.
John Birdsall, 51, says he has run his photography library from the site for around 12 years.
He specialises in providing images for the government, local authorities and charities. Dealing with housing, education and social issues.
“It’s very mucha multi-cultural approach that we take to our work,” he says.
“Which is appropriate because of the multi-cultural composition of the area.”
18
RESULTS OF ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS ON MARCH 3RD 2002
1st Mark Botteley Fenland Clarion 2nd Duncan Hewitt Stockport Clarion 3rd Peter Todd Fenland Clarion 4th Nick Barker Crewe Clarion RESULTS OF GRASS TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS ON JUNE STH 2002 Ist Ian Clarke Fenland Clarion
2nd Nigel Cameron Teeside Clarion
RESULTS OF 25 MILE TT ON JUNE 23RD 2002 ist Duncan Hewitt Stockport Clarion 57-24 2nd Jon Waddilove Crewe Clarion 57-54 3rd_—~Philip Albiez Bury Clarion 58-54 Fastest Vet on Standard Dave Gillot 1-5-04(actual)
Race Winners for 2001
Road Race on 20-5-01 Olympic Sprint 1st D Hewitt Stockport Teesside a 54.67 2nd DLanglands Fenland Teesside “86:70 ig 3rd N Barker Crewe Combined, 87-67 Fenland 57.89
Grass Track: 1 mile on 10-6-01 Stockport 58.48 lst 1 Clarke Fenland Bury 1:00.01 2nd NCameron Teesside 3rd J Mortel Stockport 5 Mile Scratch
Ist D Langlands Fenland K Humpries 25TT on 24-6-01 2nd D Hewitt Stockport Ist N Barker Crewe 56-44 3rd M Smith Nottingham 2nd D Hewitt Stockport 59-05 3rd W Sanderson Stockport 59-09 16 laps Vets Points Lady K Owen Crewe 1-20-04 1st PMurphet Crewe Vet on Std D Gillot Crewe (Actual) 1-05-52 2nd B Duckworth Bury Team Stockport 3rd A Smith Bury Track M/C Velodrome: 12-8-01 Vets Ladies 4Km Scratch 4Km Pursuit Ist A Smith Bury Ist D Langlands Fenland 5-06.77 2nd P Smith Teesside 2nd M Holtby Teesside 5-12.23 3rd PMurphet Crewe 3rd SHardman Stockport 5-29.39
19
THE LONDON MARATHON
Martin Lee, Bury Cla
Saturday 13th April, the day before, off down to London by car with my father driving to arrive at the London Arena by 10.00am to pick up my number (385) and the electronic chip which every competitor
fixes to their shoe. This chip electronically records each runner at the start, finish, halfway and every 5 kilometers as they pass over a mat laid across the road.
The London Marathon Web Site gives each runner split times recorded from the passage over each mat, so it serves two purposes.
After a look round the exhibition at the arena, I went back to the hotel which was only 200yards from the start at Blackheath.
lam at breakfast by 6.00am on :The Day” and a bit nervous even after 30 years as a runner.
For numbers up to 1000 (Championship Runners) there is a small pen to start from, I did about a mile to warm up so as to arrive at the start with 15 minutes to go, I find am on the front of the champioship entries and about three feet behind Haille Gebrselssie.
The gun goes off and I feel OK with the first mile in 5.22, at 3 miles in 16.24, 24 seconds slower than 1995. I’m running with a group and just sitting in at 5 miles (27.22) and starting to feel a bit rough, towards six miles I decide to ease off and let the group go. lam down to 5.50/mile pace now but feel beter, runners are passing me but I let them go and reach 10 miles in 56.20. “Just keep going,” tell myself, “and all is not lost.”
First marathon in 4.1.00 when I was 12 years old. 2.49 when I was 18 years old. New York marathon in 2.57. Fastest 2.27 in 1995. Fastest half marathon in 59.58 at Sheffield.
For about ten weeks before I start to taper off for a marathon I run about 200 miles a week sometimes going out twice a day, other times because I work shifts I go out before I go to work at 6.00am.
20
I reach Tower Bridge, up the incline and down the other side I am now down to 6.10/mile and unable to latch on to anyone who comes past. Just before 16 miles a large group comes past and I manage to tuck in and two miles later 1am up to 5.45/mile pace and I am passing runners now.
Twenty miles in 1.56.10, so from now on if I keep at six minutes per mile I should have a 2.34 and I am feeling better now than I did at ten miles. At 22 miles, Tower Hill and I am starting to slow again but stick to the cobbles not the carpet, 23 miles in 2.14.40. At 24 miles you can just see Big Ben. Still running OK
but starting to count 1234, 1234 and slowly slowing down.
40km in 2.27.08 almost 2km on my PB, it’s touch and go whether am going to break 2.35, it’s hurting but I have to keep the stride going, I come to the 800 meter’s to go sign and quickly work out what I need to break 2.35 and just pile everything I have into it and finish with a 2.34.49 for 97th overall, 60th British Finisher. It was my 22nd marathon and my 4th best time. Today, trying to run at the spped of 7 years ago for the first six miles cost me a 2.30 finish, AMI GETTING TOO OLD?
My name is Leslie Harwood and I am the daughter of Fred Smith the Race Secretary of Bolton Clarion. When my 40th birthday started to loom on the horizon I started to ask myself, what can I do to mark the occasion? So along with a friend I joined a local ladies jogging club. On the first night when the coach started to talk about running half marathons I thought “What am I doing here?” This was in June 1999 and at that time I was out of breath walking up stairs, since then there have been times when I have counted lamp posts just to keep going, but that’s all in the past now.
Iran the Boothstown 5 mile in 59 minutes (October 1999) and then the bug bit, a 10K in 1.13.00, other smaller events as training runs as a lead in to the 20th Great North Run in October 2000, which completed in 2.41.00.
Then back to smaller events as training runs for the Coniston 14 mile in October 2001, this I did in 2.42, the Wilmslow Half Marathon in March 2002 which I 2.15. All these smaller events were to get ready for the London Marathon. I worked the training up from 25 to 40 miles per week and ran in 10 to 15 races in the 12 months whilst eating a steady diet of the Weight Watchers Healthy Eating, approximately 14 Bananas/week plus Oranges and lots and lots of water.
Come the big day, April 14th 2002 and I am one of the lucky ones (90,000 applied and only 30,000 got in) and we are off. It was a bit of a crush at the start but it was good and well worth the experience, a super feeling from the applause of the crowd and crossing the line, the worst part was the bit up the hill over the cobbles past the “Tower” a time of 5.25.22 and I am happy with that.
Iam now back to the 25 mile/week training getting
ready for the next Great North Run. Iam lucky never to have had any injuries but I do attend a masseur.
I have lost three and a half stone in weight and I can run up stairs without getting breathless.
So any of you cyclists don’t ever tell me you can not find time to train because I did, am a single mum, worked full time, looked after a daughter and did the housework as well.
21
SECTION INFORMATION
The following are names and telephone numbers of all Clarion sections throughout the country. Why not try to organise inter-section events, such as club runs, meeting half way between sections, or inter-club time trials. You may wish to invite them to your social events, club dinners etc.
Central Section
EAST MIDLANDS
Heanor Clarion Anne Taylor Wilde Heanor 01773 761299 Nottingham Clarion Tim Fahy Nottingham 0115 9811938 NORTH-EAST
Sunderland Clarion Allan Smith Sunderland 0191 584 8948 Teeside Clarion Colin Armstrong Middlesborough 01947 880488 NORTH-WEST (Cheshire Lancashire)
Bolton Clarion Amy McLarty Bolton 01204 491595 Bury Clarion Sylvia Roscoe Bury 0161 7616856 Clitheroe Clarion Edward Ireland Clitheroe 01200 442609 Crewe Clarion Wheelers Andy Grace Crewe 01270 841836 Oakhill Clarion CC Charles Jepson Whalley 01254 51302 Stockport Clarion Julian Mortel Manchester 01625 575959 Lancaster Clarion Donald Taylor Lancaster 01524 382673 SCOTLAND
West of Scotland Clarion George Mackay Glasgow-ish 01389 874131 SOUTH AND EAST
Fenland Clarion Ken Clarke Peterborough 01733 562217 London Clarion Peter Shepherdly Hounslow 0181 572 9672 WEST MIDLANDS
Birmingham Roger Shayes Solihull 0121 603 7536 Herefordshire Peter Cowan Kington 01544 340690 WALES
Gwynedd Robin Hartley Rachub 01248 605424 YORKSHIRE
Calder Clarion Joan Milsom. Wakefield 01924 274087 Leeds (Yorkshire) Clarion Dave Binns Huddersfield 01484 648144 York Clarion Angela Beardshall Wakefield 01924 264898
If you know of people who are not near a local Clarion Section then we are always interested to help establish new sections. All we need are three founder members to begin a new section. For further information please ask them to contact the National Secretary
22
CURRENT CLARION OFFICIALS
Secretary Frank Bibby
130 Crompton Way, Bolton, BL2 2SB ....................00005- 01204 393065 Minutes Secretary VACANT
President John Lees
38 Nook End Road, Heanor, Derbys, DE75 7QQ
Vice President Ian Clarke, 31 Poppy Field, Biggleswade, Beds. SG18 8TU
Racing Secretary Frank Bibby
130'Crompton Way, Bolton, BL2 2.6... 01204 393065
Treasurer Nick Biden,
50 Highfield Road, Cheadle, Hulme, Stockport 0161 485 5437
Easter Meet Organiser Kirsty Straker/Jan Dobson
Flat 5, Block 6, Regents Close, Horsforth, Leeds.................. 0113 258 0801
Membership Secretary- Kevin Hulbert
22 St James Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 IHH 01200 442879
Records Secretary Audrey Waddilove
36 Brookland Drive, Sandbach, CW11 OLX 01270 761446
Wortley Hall Organiser Frank Bibby 01204 393065 Peter Roscoe.................... 0161 761 6856
Newsletter Editor Richard Newcombe
67 Hall Lane, Werrington, Peterborough PE4 6RA 01733 706498
Press Officer Peter Roscoe
6 Horncastle Close, Bury BL8 1XE..... 2.0.0... 0161 761 6856
Committee Members Graham Pearce
70 Springdale Gardens, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2SS 0161 4481928 Ken Hemsley
117 Southcliffe Road, Carlton, Nottingham, NG41ES 0115 987 3118 Kevin Hulbert
22 St James Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1HH 01200 442879 Merlin Evans
3 Green lane, Heaton Moor, Stockport ..............-...000000- 0161 442 8441
ARE YOU COMING TO WORTLEY HALL WEENEND?
Gn Fri 18th, Sat 19th Sun 20th, October 2002
SATURDAY Evening Dart’s competition in Bar Morning Peter Shephardley slides NationallGomimitt or bring your own Hares FREE PRIZE RAFFLE Country Walk (approx 2 hours) round footpaths and SUNDAY lanes at Wortley. Leader Steve Heath, Championship Hill Climb Holme Valley WHS (Finkel St Hill) (start at front door 10.00am) Sign on at bottom of hill 10.15am, 1st rider off at 10.31am prompt Afternoon (Timekeeper: Keith Lightfoot, Sporting 10 mile TT Raventhorpe Road Club) Prizes: 1st £10, 2nd £5, 3rd Lanturn Rouge Peter Shephardley Quiz Sign on from 2.00pm at start, 11.30am (ish) 1st rider off at 2.31pm prompt General knowledge, Sport, Ladies Course:- A629 only PRIZES Start and finish at Upper Gumbworth, turn at Hoyland Swaine Island. THE 10 MILE TT AND THE (Timekeeper: Keith Lightfoot, CHAMPIONSHIP HILL CLIMB Raventhorpe Road Club) WILL BE £1.50 FOR BOTH EVENTS OR £1.00 ANY ONE EVENT
All Bed Breakfasts, Friday Evening Dinner, Saturday Lunch, Evening Dinner and Sunday Lunch MUST be booked by members directly with “Wortley Hall”. A block of rooms has been reserved for Clarion members but they will be released if not booked by 30th September (both Standard and On Suite).
Wortley Hall Telephone 0114 288 2100
24