Newsletter of the National Clarion Cycling Club 1895 (North Lancs Union)
December 2007 ‘Fellowship is Life’ ‘Know your history, learn from your history and never forget your history’ was the message that veteran Socialist, Tony Benn delivered to the thousands who had gathered for the Annual Tolpuddle Martyrs Rally. It was a significant message given the recent split which has occurred in the Clarion between those who are loyal to the historic Objects of the Club and those who wish to see the Clarion become just another cycling club.
~ The first meeting of what was to later become the Clarion Cycling Club was called to discuss how best the members could ‘combine the pleasure of cycling with the propaganda of Socialism’. This objective, which was adopted by the first annual conference held in Ashbourne (1895), has served the Club for over 112 years, it is what distinguishes the Clarion from every other cycling club in the land.
~ Membership of a Socialist organisation has NEVER been a condition of the Club, such a notion was firmly rejected at the 1895 conference. The Club was to be open to ALL, indeed it was the duty of every Clarion cyclist to share their pleasure with Socialists and non-Socialist alike. The founders didn’t need to define Socialism, the readers of the Clarion newspaper were only too aware of the need for a fairer and more just society.
~ Alas in the last six years attempts have been made at Llandudno (2001), at Scarborough (2004) and at Hereford (2007) to dilute the Club’s commitment to support the Principles of Socialism, fortunately all these attempts failed to win the necessary two thirds needed to change the Constitution. The National Clarion Cycling Club 1895 (formerly Oakhill Clarion) has been set up as an independent cycling club in order to (i) protect the Club’s historical Objective and (ii) to foster links with cycling clubs and with fraternal organisations within the Labour and Trade Union Movement. (iii) to raise awareness that the Clarion of old still ‘keeps those pedals turning’.
Fraternal Greetings to the Vets
On a beautiful September weekend, the recently formed Northern Counties Section of the Veteran and Classic Cycle Club held their first Autumn Meet at Oakhill College in Whalley, hopefully this will become an annual event. Many campers in vans and one tent arrived on the Friday night and quickly set themselves up on the car park. Saturday’s activities began with a photo shoot before the group rode off cycled in search of as many cafes they could find in Stonyhurst, Chipping and Waddington. On Saturday evening after a Jacob’s Join in the refectory, Robin Hatherall (Ribble Valley Clarion) gave an extremely interesting illustrated talk on Hill Specials, the Rolls Royce of frames made by Adam Hill in nearby Padiham. The destination for Sunday’s ride was Nelson ILP Clarion House at Roughlee where the riders were able to enjoy pint pots of Clarion tea.
Kinder Commemoration On the 24th April members of Oakhill, Bolton Wood Street and Manchester & Stretford Sections of the Clarion climbed Kinder Scout in the Peak District National Park to honour of the memory of Clarion member Benny Rothman. It was Benny, a Clarion cycling and Clarion rambler, who exactly 75 years earlier had inspired and led the Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout, an action for which he and four of his comrades from the British Workers’ Sports Federation were jailed. This mass protest against those tyrant landowners who sought to deny the workers access to the moors was a landmark in the campaign for the public access we enjoy today. ‘I’m a rambler. I’m a rambler from Manchester way, I get all my pleasure the hard moorland way, I may be a wage slave on Monday, But I am a free man on Sunday’ Clarion Rambling Clubs were never as numerous as the Cycling Clubs but just before the Great War, Sheffield Clarion Ramblers, which still exists today had over 400 members.
Sheffield Clarion Handbooks Comrade Michael Walker of Unison has a very interesting piece on Clarion Ramblers posted on Brighton & Hove Clarion’s website. He tells the reader that ‘In the autumn of 1900, following an advert in the socialist Clarion newspaper, 13 people enjoyed a memorable walk round the forbidden Kinder Scout plateau led by GHB Ward’, this was the start of the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers.
From 1900 until 1958 GHB ‘Bert’ Ward produced an annual handbook. These tiny books measuring 3ins by 5ins are packed with Peak District walking information; essays on local history; folklore and geology. Collectors pay as much as £50 per book, but you can still find them for as little as 50p at car boot sales. They really are worth looking out for.
Women’s Humanity League The Great War of 1914/1918 almost destroyed the Clarion Cycling Club and the wider Clarion movement. The Clarion newspaper with its brand of campaigning journalism had taught working people to think for themselves. How badly those readers were let down when in 1914 their hero Robert Blachford and his editorial staff enthusiastically throw their support behind the government’s imperial war with Germany. The little Lancashire town of Nelson, a stronghold of the Clarion and the Independent Labour Party, boasts the proud record of having more conscientious objectors than any other town of comparable size in the whole of Britain. Those men and women who built the Clarion tearoom at Roughlee could think for themselves and had the courage to say no to Blatchford; to Kitchener and to the King. In September of this year Clarion members from the Clitheroe, Manchester & Stretford, Central, and Bolton Wood Street took part in an event to commemorate the 90th anniversary of an anti-war march organised by the Bradford Women’s Humanity League. In 1917 over 3,000 women (and a few men) from the city and surrounding areas took to the streets to protest against the continuing slaughter of their men-folk in the killing fields of northern France and Belgium. The commemoration saw the unveiling of a plaque on the wall of the former Textile Hall. There then followed a short reenactment of the march led by the banner of the Bradford City for Peace group after which, the crowd were treated to a medley of songs relating to those times of struggle by the Bradford Women Singers. Marching along under our red flags one couldn’t help but recall the courage of those Clarion men of Nelson who were brave enough not to fight. Bolton Wood St. Clarion Vocal Union Just over twelve months ago Bolton Wood St. Clarion decided to form a Vocal Union or Clarion Choir. This, thanks largely to Moira Hill, the choir’s musical director, has proved to be an outstanding success. The group meets once a month at Bolton Wood St. Socialist Club. In November, 25 members of the choir sang to a large audience at the Raise Your Banners festival in Bradford. The choir’s allotted programme of five songs were very well received: ‘Cutty Wren’, an old English folk song from the 16th century, followed by ‘Kancho’, an African call and response song. Next the choir’s signature song ‘I’m just a Bowton mill lad’ written by Socialist Club member Nat Clare to commemorate the Mass Trespass on Winter Hill near Bolton in 1892. Then the American civil rights song ‘Rosa Parks’, she wouldn’t stand for the white folks and finally the anthem of all Clarion choirs ‘England Arise’.
Clarion House Celebration Over the past three years pupils from Oakhill College (HQ of our cycling club) have fulfilled the service part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by re-painting the outside and the inside of the Nelson Clarion tearoom; clearing the pond of weeds and planting fruit trees. This year some of the pupils painted a double-sided marching banner in recognition of the service the ILP volunteers have given to cyclists and ramblers for almost one hundred years. On the 29th April, following the Clarion Heritage ride from the People’s History Museum in Manchester (led by the Manchester and Stretford Section of the Clarion), the banner was presented to Sue Nike, Chair of Nelson ILP Clarion House. The assembled crowd were then entertained by songs from the combined Burnley Clarion and Bolton Wood Street Clarion choirs conducted by Moira Hill.
75th Anniversary of the Kinder Mass Trespass
‘ to Bounderise’ This irregular verb is not to be found in any dictionary, yet to the Clarion cyclist it is a vitally important word, a word whose origins can be traced back to the very start of our great Cycling Club. In the 1890’s the editorial staff of the Clarion newspaper all had pen-names: ‘Nunquam’; ‘Dangle’, ‘Mont Blong’. This practice of giving each other nicknames was followed by the members of many cycling club well into the 20th century and still persists though mainly within the ranks of the ‘barrow-boys’ of the Tricycle Club. ‘The Bounder’, was the pen-name of Robert Blatchford’s close friend Edward Fay. Fay was a humorous, larger than life character who definitely enjoyed his food and drink and drink hence the expression ‘to bounderise’, meaning ‘to imbibe liquors of various degrees of strength, to assimilate resuscitating comestibles, to walk on one’s heels and to generally spread one’s self’. Thanks to Norman Luxford of London Clarion ‘bounderising’ has one again become a feature of the annual Easter Meet. At this year’s Hereford Meet the 50k cycle ride set off one hour after the 100k ride and finished three hours behind it. Mobile phone contact was made when the ‘fast lads’ had reached their half way point of Hayon-Wye, by which time the 50k riders were still refusing to leave the first pub. It is pleasing to report that Julian Mortel, ‘King of the Fast Lads’ had, in true Clarion fashion, waited at the last pub for the slower riders. He said from a reclining position on a table top: ‘The Clarion never leaves anyone, so come on whose round is it? hic. Norman has made it his life’s work to grade all the pubs in England to the Luxford Scale, this is something similar and is as much sought after as the less famous Michelin Star. He is currently making an in-depth study of the pubs in Lincolnshire in preparation for the next Easter Meet at Stamford. ‘Oh God, Norman I can’t stand the pace, I’ll have to go with the fast lads this year’
Norman wearing a partially drunk pint of beer (scored just 2 Luxford stars,). Julian looking very suave and Merlin wearing pink shoes!!!!
Cycle Jumbles The fourth North East Lancs Cycle Jumble was held at our HQ of Oakhill College on Saturday, Oct.20th. This great sale of all things rusty and old relating to bicycles has won the support of a regular and reliable band of ‘professional cycle jumblers’ who travel from as far as London, Leicester, Penrith, Newcastle and Teeside to sell their dubious wares. This year visitors were given a special treat when Peter McLeod came down from the north east with his splendid collection of restored classic cycles from the 1950/60s. These bikes were truly inspirational causing many visitors to rush off in search of rusty old frame to restore. There are two simple secrets to enjoying cycle jumbles: one, be sure to leave with less money and more junk than you came with and two, be sure to buy something that you don’t need; will never use or have no idea what it is, that way you have a reason for going to another cycle jumble. Trust me they really are ‘a good do’, you always meet old friends and make loads of new friends. Forthcoming jumbles are: North East Lancs Jumble at Oakhill on Feb 23rd at 10am Bikes & Bits Jumble at the Velodrome on March 16th at 11am. Northern & Scottish Jumble at Longridge Village Hall on March 2nd. Check out: www.bikejumbles.co.uk
Tolpuddle Martyrs Rally This event, which commemorates the transportation to Australia of six Dorset labourers for the ‘hideous crime’ of trying to form a Trade Union, takes place on the third weekend in July. The Clarion contingent set up their gazebo close to the main speaker’s platform on the front lawn. Saturday was spent wandering round the various stalls and listening to performers in the main marquee. Political parties, campaign groups and Trade Unions all have stalls selling literature, our Clarion stall beneath its red flags did a roaring trade. The highlight of Sunday is the grand parade of banners down through the village and back. 26 Clarion members from six different Clarion Sections marched with our Memorial banner and red flags. We were joined by our comrades from Nelson ILP Clarion House who marched with their new Clarion banner. William from Dorset Clarion led us in the repeated singing of the Internationale and Bandiera Rossa.
Forth coming events and rides for 2008 The Club’s main event of 2008 will be the Glasgow to Barcelona ride in August which is being run in conjunction with our comrades in the International Brigade Memorial Trust. This event commemorates a ride undertaken in 1938 by two Clarion members who aimed to raise funds for the Spanish children displaced by the ongoing civil war. Twelve riders from 5 Clarion Sections will depart from Glasgow on July 30 en-route for Portsmouth. Our aim is to visit memorials to International Brigaders in towns along our route. Members of the Clarion, cycling clubs and fraternal organizations will be invited to join the ride just for the day. The ride will be supported by a Clarion propaganda van which our Club has just purchased using monies donated by numerous friends within the Trade Union and Labour Movement.
The CTC York Cycle Show Once again we have booked a stall at this annual gathering of cyclists which takes place at York racecourse on the third weekend in June. Sadly the event, which attracts a huge number of cyclist, seems to get worse each year, that said it is still worth visiting for a day. There are well organised led rides, the opportunity to test different types of recumbents, lots of trade stall (but few bargains as the organizer charge too much for a pitch) and what is probably the world’s worst cycle jumble, held in a marquee somewhat smaller than my cat’s box. Last year the weather was poor and this affected attendance, that said our stall sold over £450 of literature.
Summer Road Tour to Ireland This will take place on the last week in May. We will depart on Friday, May 23rd and return on Thurs. May 29th. The ride will be fully supported by our minibus and our route will be :
The South Pole to the North Pole. That is the South Pole Inn in County Kerry to the North Pole Inn in County Donegal, a distance of approximately 300 miles. If you are interested contact Charles, if you are not interested just think of all that Guinness and contact Charles.
Café Runs 2008 Start on Sunday, January 6th see attached runs list
Annual subscription Your annual subs of £2 are due on the 1st January. Please note we are NOT a Section of the National Clarion CC, therefore you will no longer receive Boots and Spurs. If you do not wish to be a member of National Clarion CC 1895 please let me know, otherwise we will keep sending you The Clarion.