GE GLARION
Newsletter of the National Clarion Cycling Club 1895 (North Lanes Union)
September 2009
a A Clarion Call
to support these forthcoming events
The CWU Cyclosportive
This excellent event in aid of International Trade Union Solidarity will take place on Saturday September 26". Starting at 10.30 from the Union’s Education and Training Centre at Alvescot Lodge, close to Bampton in Oxfordshire (post code OX18 2PY). The organisers offer two routes, one of 20 miles and the other of 60 miles, both of which follow quiet, almost traffic free, country lanes. There is limited accommodation at the Lodge, however the Union is happy for you to camp on the front lawn and use the Lodge’s facilites. There is an excellent village pub less than 200 metres from the Lodge. For further information please email Trish Lavelle on tlavelle@cwi. org or call 01993 843373
North Lancs Union Cycle Jumble This will take place on Saturday, 19" September at our Club HQ of Oakhill College in Whalley. The doors open at 9am and the sale will end until shortly after 12. Once again we are running the jumble as part of Northem Counties Veteran and Classic Cycle Club Rally at Oakhill. This now annual camping event with its programme of rides and evening entertainment gets better every year.
The Clarion’s Autumn Meet at Wortley Hall
The annual Autumn Meet of the Clarion Cycling Clubs will take place over the weekend of Saturday, 31 October and Sunday 1* November. The event is being organised by our comrades in Manchester and Stretford Clarion Cycling Club.
The programme is as follows: Saturday, 31 October assemble at Wortley Hall 1.3pm Ride to site of the Sheffield Clarion Clubhouse. Or walk led by Steve Heath. 6pm Meals in the bar or at the Wortley Arms. 8pm Film Show: ‘A boy, a girl and a bike’ 1950’s classic about a northern road club. 10pm Serious ‘boundarising’ either in the bar or at the Wortley Arms Sunday, ist November 9.30 am Group photograph 10am Hill Climb on nearby Finckie Street llam Chris Goode’s ‘The Pride of Bilbao’ Quiz. 12.30pm More serious ‘boundarising’ at the Wortley Arms or lunch at the Hall.
Anyone wishing to attend should book via reception at Wortley Hall (Tel: 0114 2882100) Please tell them that you are with the Clarion.
Know your Club’s history, sever forget your Club’s history
The Clarion.CC and the Labour Church The first Clarion Cycling Club was formed in Birmingham on 26" February 1894 by six young members of the Bond Street Labour Church. The Labour Church Movement, was to play a brief but important role in the history of British socialism and in the foundation of the Independent Labour Party. It was inspired by John Trevor, a Unitarian minister who founded the first Labour Church in Manchester in 1891. Edward Carpenter’s popular socialist song ‘England Arise’ became the movement’s unofficial anthem and is still a favourite amongst Clarion Vocal Unions today.
England arise! the long, long night is over, Faint in the east behold the dawn appears; Out of your evil dream of toil and sorrow, Arise O England for the day is here; From your field and hills. Hark! The answer swells Arise O England for the day is here. Labour Churches soon sprang up in most large industrial towns and by 1895 there were over fifty Labour Churches stretching from Dundee to London. These Christian Socialists believed that the Labour Movement could be the driving force in obtaining ‘the Kingdom of God on Earth’. Virtually all Labour Churches set up Socialist Sunday Schools where children were taught the ideals and principles of Socialism. When the founders of the Clarion Cycling Club set the Objectives of the Club
‘to combine the pleasures of cycling with support for the Principles of Socialism’, their principles were rooted in The Socialist Ten Commandments.
Socialist. Contmandments.
Lave schaokfctlows, who will br your fellow. 2. Lowe leamiig, which is the Goce of the init: Boas grietul to yoor teacher wt 0 your pereake 3 Moke eveey day holy by pond mad well Goods ane Kindly
4, Honour good men, be exticous to alt men, bow Gown Io 3, Dood tare or speak evil of anjons: do aot be ievengefet, “Wee: Doom be comundty, be'a (elend fo the. weak, aad love ten
7, Retwetedber chat all he good thitig of the caeth ate produced dy bases, ahosver thers withnisl working (or them etndng the bend of te worker. Observe 200 thlek in onder discover the uth; do not beens what is eoairary to ceavon, and never deceive aie
other nitions, Gt with for wat, which is a femaans of
of ons fubestand, he together as brothers in peace
BOOTS! the Clarion greeting,
This rather peculiar greeting: BOOTS and its equally stranger response: SPURS is still heard in cafes and on the highways throughout the length of Britain (and now across northern Spain). For the benefit of new members who may not be familiar with the origins of this special Clarion call, the following brief explanation has been copied from the Annual Clarion handbook issued in 1954. Robert Blatchford (Numquam Dormio), wrote a book about his life in the army, which he first published it in The Clarion newspaper: When the soldiers had retired to bed, and ‘lights out’ had been sounded in the barracks, someone would call on a pal to ‘spin a cuffer’, to use army slang for a story. It was impossible, in the darkness, to note the interest of each individual listener, and it was agreed that the teller of the ‘cuffer’ would pause at intervals and call BOOTS”. All were expected to answer ‘SPURS”.
These old yarns interested the members of the newly formed Clarion Cycling Club and at that time every member of the Club was a reader of The Clarion. The first. Easter Meet of the Clarion Cycling Clubs was held at Ashbourne in 1895. Members from different districts were strangers to each other. Whilst it was daylight it was easy to recognise the Club badge, and thus know that another member had turned up for the first Meet. The trouble came at nightfall. Those who had arrived were lounging about the village and on the roads leading to Ashbourne. It was quite easy to see when a light was approaching, but it was not possible to know whether the rider was wearing the club badge or not. One brainy member of the Club put on his ‘studying cap’, then came forth with the suggestion that if these cyclists were Clarion members, they were also Clarion readers. If they read the Clarion, then they would read ‘Numquam’s’ army articles. Therefore, if they called out ‘BOOTS’, they would understand that this was from some other Clarion reader and member, and they would answer ‘SPURS’. This worked so well that ever since 1895 this has been recognised as our members’ password. Members from the south who are touring in the north, or vice versa, on seeing a cyclist wearing the club badge will call out ‘BOOTS’. No further introduction is necessary. The other answers ‘SPURS’ and these two will find much in common to discuss, The one who. knows, the district will be of great service to the one who is touring. Older members of the Club can tell of many strange places where they have met
‘members, and how such a meeting has proved of
great value.
At the front supporting the Principles of Socialism The past months have very busy on the campaigns front with members supporting a wide variety of events: political, social and commemorative. Our presence at such events is very important, it show that the campaigning Clarion of old is alive and active in the fight for a New Society with Justice its Foundation and Love as its Law. Clarion cyclists take inspiration from past struggles and are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in the Trade Union Movement who are fighting for justice all over the world.
Blackstone Edge
On Sunday 3 May a group irom Calder Valley Voices gathered on a windswept Blackstone Edge with members of Socialist choirs from Burnley, Bolton, Halifax, Sheffield. Where they were joined by the Calder Valley Women Singers and members of National Clarion CC 1895. Over fifty comrades shared a picnic before singing songs in honour of the great Chartist meeting at Blackstone Edge in 1846. Join us on May 2™ 2010 Civil War Commemoration and ILP book launch On May 30”, members attended the Working Class Movement 7 Library in Magchester for the unveiling of a memorial plaque commemorating the volunteers who fought along side George
Orwell in the ILP Contingent in the Spanish Civil War. The plaque was unveiled by Roma Marquez Santos who fought with the POUM militia on the Aragon Front with the ILP volunteers. The occasion was also used to launch Chris Hall’s new book on the subject ‘Not just Orwell’. Our Clarion Memorial banner and the Republican flags we brought back from Barcelona added colour to the occasion
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist
June 30th saw a good Clarion presence at the Met Theatre in Bury for a sell out performance of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Robert Tressell wrote his inspirational novel in Hastings shortly before his death in 1911, At that time the economy of the day was in recession; unemployment was rising: and corruption was rife amongst the political classes. Ai! of which sounds rather familiar.
Sadly there is no evidence that Tressell was ever a- Clarion Member, though as the photo shows he did have a bike and in his book he writes movingly of the hope the coming of the Clarion Van will bring to the oppressed masses,
CTC York Cycle Rally Once again we had a stall promoting the Clarion at this annual gathering of cyclists. This year, thanks to a generous donation, we were able to place a full page advertisement in the Rally brochure. We used the opportunity to promote the work of our comrades at Wortley Hall and the ILP Clarion Tearoom. ILP Tearoom Clarion Sunday
On the Sunday of the York Cycle Rally comrades from Bolton Wood Street Clarion Choir travelled to the ILP Clarion Tearoom at Roughlee in order to join several other Socialist choirs for what is now becoming an annual event on the calendar of choirs.
South Yorkshire Trade Union Festival
This annual Labour Movement gathering held at Wortley Hall simply gets better and better. Hopefully next year our comrades in Bolton Wood Street Clarion Choir will perform at the event.
International Brigade Memorial Day
The annual commemoration to honour the volunteers who fell fighting fascism in Spain took place in London on the same day as the South Yorkshire Festival. Nevertheless the Club was strongly represented at this important event. Manuel Moreno, Colin Carritt and Martin Perfect, who cycled to Barcelona last summer were amongst those who present. No Pasaran. 125" Durham Miners’ Gala
This year was the first time we have attended this large Trade Union gathering although there is little doubt that in years gone by many Clarion members from the North East would have marched along side their Trade Union ‘brothers and sisters. It was a truly amazing sight to witness over 70 Mine Lodge banners accompanied by 35 bands parading through the city streets. The banners from dozens of fraternal Socialist organisations added to the occasion. We marched from the Durham Miners Hall with the Hartlepool contingent of UNISON. Our “Winged Angel’ banner bearing the legend “Socialism The Hope of the World’ was very well received.
Tolpuddie Martyrs’ Rally A splendid tumout of 22 members attended this. important commemoration thereby helping to strengthen the Clarion’s links with the Labour and Trade Union Movement.
“Lanterne Rouge”
Easter Tour 2009 ‘We have arrived!’ And in order that our coming may be speedy, we have started the’ Clarion Cycling Club, and at Easter we went on tour. So began Tom Groom’s article in The Clarion newspaper on 28" March 1894. The piece went on to describe how seven members of the newly formed Club spent three days cycling down the Severn Valley on their jiggers’. Last Easter, planning to re-enact the first Clarion tour, six members, along with a number of loyal supporters, gathered at the Great Western public house ia Welverhempton. We did not know the exact route of the Clarion’s first tour as Tom wrote more about the partaking of food and drink than of the actual cycling. However his article mentioned enough villages and pubs to give us e rough guide and quite naturally we had to stop at every pub to see if the landlord remembered seeing Tom and his comrades. O.K. very likely but it was as good: excuse. Friday took us from Wolverhampton to Bewdley. via Bridgnorth. Saturday we followed the ‘pioneers’ route through: Stourport, Ombersley and Pershore to Worcester where, alas unlike Tom and his comrades, we did not ‘spy a shop selling their much loved Clarion newspaper. So instead we went for anottier pint before cycling on to our second day’s destination of Evesham. Where not surprisingly the night was spent “bounderising’ in honour of the founders of our great Club. On Easter Sunday the riders of 1894 cycled back to Birmingham in time for the evening service at the Labour Church but has the church was demolished long ago we headed back to Wolverhampton and the Great Western where we knew there would be a warm welcome and several well deserved pints of quality real ale. ‘Samm Topp’ gave two of the numerous pubs we visited an unheard of 9 out of 10 on the Luxford Scale: The Great Western in Wolverhampton (the best pub this year!) and the Harbour Inn at Arnley (nearest thing to The Utopian” yet!) praise indeed. Thanks Norman.
Easter Tour 2010 So. successful was. our Easter Tour that we have decided to have a four day tour of the Yorkshire Wolds next Easter. The ‘Call’ is. to meet in Pocklington on Good Friday. This. smal! market town is situated in an area of traffic free lanes, where the villages have magical names: Fangfoss, Wetwang, Huggate, Rascal Moor, If you feel you may be interested and wish to be kept informed just email clationce@yahoo,co.uk. Cuba 2010 Ina similar vein looking to have a tour to Cuba during the summer of 2010. July/August is not the best time to be cycling in Cuba but the only time we-can fit in the number of days. The purpose of the ride would be to show solidarity with the workers of Socialist Cuba and highlight the plight of the Miami Five unjustly imprisoned in the USA. Interested? Contact: clarioncc@yahoo.co,uk and we'll keep you posted.
The Knutsford Royal May Day Procession Three Club members: Merlin Evans, Jan Dunning and Charles Jepson all riding penny farthings joined the Cheshire Wheelmen for their annual outing in the town’s Royal May Day procession. Cycling behind 8 group of Morris-men who stopped every 20 yards to dance made the ride very difficult as once you ate mounted you want to stay mounted as long as possible, stopping on a ‘penny’ needs plenty of warming.
Club Colours It is extremely pleasing to report that at the York Rally we completely sold out our initial order of 48 cycling shirts. Club colours are now being worn in Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Texas, New England, Maryland, Italy, the Basque country and Catalonia, An order has been placed for a‘further 24 shirts, these are promised for mid August! Thanks to Trade Union sponsorship the -price for these top quality shirts remains unchanged at £32 including postage and packing. Sizes: 40”;.M 42”; L 44”; EL 46” and FEL 48”. Orders to: clarionce@yahoo,co.uk. Pay after you have received the shirt.
Comrade Stephen Nightingale wore his Clarion ‘colours’ with pride ori the Tour de Carroll in Maryland, U.S.A
‘The Club’s new Clarion Van We are pleased:to announce the purchase of a new Clarion Van to replace the mini bus which served us so well during the trip to Barcetona. Our ‘new’ vehicte’s former owner was Derek Hodgins of Stockport Clarion. ‘[/it keeps going as long as Derek and reaches half his speed it will serve us well’.