GhE GLARION
Newsletter of the National Clarion Cycling Club 1895 (North Lancs Union) December 2008
Solidarity
With Trade Unionists, Brigaders and Cyclists
LEWNU Rededication of the Dundee 1B Memorial is
On the second weekend of October members of the Club travelled to Dundee to commemorate the 17 volunteers from the city who had died defending Spanish democracy against Franco’s fascists. On the Saturday morning a pipe band led a solidarity parade of over 200 supporters up the main street from City Hall to Albert Square to the city’s International Brigade memorial, where two of the surviving Brigaders: Jack Jones and Jack Edwards laid a wreadt as Part gt a rede canon! eeremonty.
Trade Union International Solidarity Cycle Ride On Saturday 20" September our comrades in the Communication Workers Union ran their second cycle sportive in support of the Trade Union International Solidarity Fund and what an excellent event it turned out to be. Five members of our Club travelled to Alvescot Lodge, the Union’s Education Centre, situated approximately 8 miles west of Oxford, where accommodation and camping were available. The local pub, with skittles and real ale was just 200m away (Norman would have approved it).. The Union provided cyclists with a cooked breakfast before they departed on either the 20 mile or 60, mile ride. The routes, which followed quite country lanes, were well sign posted and passed a thatched country pub about every 5 miles. On returning to Alvescot the riders were provided with This re-enactment of a ride undertaken by two
a free barbeque and ample liquid refreshment. The Clarion cyclists in 1938 and to honour two Clarion route gave us an excellent day’s cycling in the cyclists died fighting fascism in Spain turned out to Cotswolds, the comradeship was just has one would be awesome adventure -which will live in the expect from our Trade Union brothers and sisters, memory forever. For a personal account by Colin
they had even organised the weather! We will Carritt see: www.westoxlabour.org/Hominaje.pdf definitely be back in 2009 and in great numbers. The next two pages show some photos of the ride:
1938 Glasgow to Barcelona 2008
The sacrifice of Clarion cyclists Ray Cox and Roy Watts calls out to the present generation. The ideas of racism and fascism are again at work in our society. With our brothers and sisters in the Trade Union and Labour Movement we must steadfastly oppose every manifestation of intolerance and racial hatred.
Solidari The Wobblies (TWW) in Carlisle
Entertained by the Rotherham Red Choir By the graveside of Jimmy Moore in Portsmouth
The true ‘Fellowship of the Bike’
Amurrio CC wreat at ‘La Fosse de Pedrera’
We proudly fly the flag of the Second Republic Fellowship is life
“Lanterne Rouge”
Northern Counties Vets Rally Cycle Jumble This event, held in September, at our HQ of Oakhill
College was an outstanding success. The jumble sold out months before it was even advertised and proved to be the best and most profitable to date. The Mikron Theatre’s production ‘Fair Trade’ about the Co-op Movement was excellent. Thanks to those members of the Co-op Movement who covered the cost of this performance. Sunday’s Club Run to the ILP Clarion Tearoom at Roughlee attracted seventeen riders including one on an ‘ordinary’! Roughlee is a challenge for most people riding 9 nine gears and a triple. The Vets have already booked Oakhill for their 2009 Rally.
The Autumn Meet of the NCCC. Twelve members of National Clarion 1895 attended the Autumn Meet of the National Clarion CC held at Wortley Hall. This proved to be an excellent weekend of biking, boozing and ‘boundarising’. That said a most curious ‘incident’ occurred on the Saturday evening when Ian Clarke, Secretary of the organizing Club asked GUESTS OF MEMBERS to each pay £5 to watch the slide show of his cycling holiday. “Not quite sure that’s what the founders of the Club had in mind when they adopted ‘Fellowship is Life’ as their motto”. Nevertheless the Meet ended on a high note when ‘The Left’, a team from National Clarion 1895 won the annual Peter Shepherdly Quiz. Club Runs
Will take place on the following dates, all rides depart Oakhill College at 8.30. unless stated differently. Distance usually about 60 miles, don’t forget to bring money for your brealcfast;
Sunday Dec. Slaidburn
Sunday 11° Jan. Waddington
Sunday 25" Jan Bentham
Sunday 8" Feb Chipping
Saturday 21" Feb CYCLE JUMBLE 10am Sunday 22™ Feb Clapham
Sunday Mar. Scorton
Sunday 29" Mar Howsills
Friday.10° April EASTER TOUR Sunday 26" April Houghton in Ribblesdale Sunday 3™ May Sarah Reddish’s grave
The pew Clarion banner donated by UNISON
displayed at Bolton Wood Street’s Wortley Meet Our comrades from Bolton Wood Street Clarion organized a ‘Meet’ at Wortley Hall. 20 members, including 12 from the Club’s Clarion Choir travelled down to Wortley on Sat. Nov 9" They were met by Len Williams, son of Vincent, the Socialist activist who was responsible for the purchase of the Hall in 1951, Saturday afternoon was spent in the company of Len who took us on a tour of the hall and gave us a background on its development from virtual ruin to the splendid facility we could see around us. After an excellent dinner we were joined in the Henry Collins room by 25 corarades from Rotherham for an evening of real Clarion ‘fellowship’. New friendships were made as the room became filled with laughter, poetry, music and song. On Sunday morning a short walk was followed by further ‘boundarising’ this time in the Wortley Arms. Thanks to Wendy and Denis Pye for organizing the event and ensuring that the Clarion’s historical link with Wortley Hall will not be broken.
John Leese, President: National Clarion CC With great sadness we record the passing of a Clarionite who gave over 60 years of service to a fraternal cycling organization. John who died on the 30" August age 84, will be greatly missed by his comrades in Heanor Clarion and at Wortley Hall.
The annual subs are due on the 1* January for all members who joined BEFORE September 2008. If you wish to receive copies of The Clarion newsletter in 2009 please forward £2 (payable to
NCCC 1895) to: Charles Jepson J.P., Aysgaard, Reardwond Brow, Blackburn, Lancs. BB2 7AT,