Open Writing

During this period I embarked on a number of cycling holidays with club members. Barry Priestley was my companion on a week long tour of the Lake District in 1953 and Dave Derrick accompanied me on two tours over two years, one of them involving a ride down to Somerset and Devon.

I also undertook a few lone tours. One year I rode down to the Brecon Beacons through Mid Wales to Snowdonia National Park and back to Nottingham by way of Chester. On another occasion I rode down to Oxford, into London and up to Cambridge before making my way back to Nottingham. I found it exhilarating to be bounding along on the open road. There was no greater feeling of joy and wellbeing than when I was rolling along on a bright, warm and dry day. Of course, there were plenty of days when this was not one's experience but they are exceeded by the good ones.

There are some rides from that era that have stayed in my memory to this day. Most of them were done with a single club member and this is perhaps why they have remained prominent in my recollections. One of the most memorable was a ride I under took with the late Henry Lloyd to Skegness. We were blessed with a strong westerly tail wind which enabled us to cover the one hundred and twenty kilometres in four and a half hours.

After consuming a hefty intake of food in preparation for what would be a might slog back to Nottingham we sat on the beach with a still strong offshore breeze on our backs. As we lay there we began to realise that the wind was changing direction; it was now coming in off the sea. This was to manifest itself in a strong wind to aid our return ride home, completed in around four hours. In over half a century of riding that day was unique.

Jack Gardie, a stalwart of the club, the only Jewish cyclist I have ever met, embarked on a ride with me into the far reaches of the Peak District.. Relying on each other for support on the many climbs in this part of the world we passed through Chatsworth Park and on to Castleton to tackle the mighty 20% gradient of Mam Tor, sadly no longer possible. Through Peak Forest, Buxton, Bakewell and eventually back to Nottingham. Some two hundred kilometres of tough riding. I was as strong as an ox that day. I feared nothing and, always doing my share of the work at the front, took all the climbs in my stride. Ted Smart was a rider of similar racing ability to myself. We decided to go training together on another very hilly route taking in Derby; Uttoxeter; Leek; Macclesfield; over the Cat and Fiddle to Buxton and back to Nottingham.

Henry Lloyd was one of the best known members in the Nottingham area. A Londoner, he came to live in Nottingham in 1932. He founded the Nottingham sub-section of the Clarion the same year. He was secretary of the club until the outbreak of war in 1939. He took up the post again in 1945 and remained in it until 1972. He opened a cycle shop in the early 1950s and this became a magnet for cyclists for many years.

Every Saturday afternoon a stream of teenagers would descend, sometimes to spend money on repairs or equipment but more often to merely be part of the social scene which was such a feature of these gatherings.

Jack Gardie was in his mid 20s when I joined the club. I visited his home with other members on many occasions. His parents were always warm and friendly. At one stage he was selected to ride for a representative team from the UK in the Tour of Israel. His different cultural origins did not affect his presence in the club. He was well respected and admired both for his riding ability and his work in various administrative roles.