Vol 3, No 13
Articles in this issue
- The Editor apologises to contributors whose run narratives have lain unpublished, the paper being crowded out by the "plethoric state of 'The Tub'", and argues that Official Notices, District Captains' Reports, Correspondence and Stray Notes must take precedence over personal adventure. He asks for Stray Notes material from every district rather than one man's circle, and invites occasional contributions from "our sisters, and our cousins, and our aunts".
- The Annual Race Meeting is fixed for Saturday 19th June, racing at 3 p.m. punctually, with four events: a One Mile Handicap (£7, £3, £2), a Two Miles Scratch Race for the Ladies' Challenge Prize, a Two Miles Amateur Handicap open to all (£10, £5, £2) and the Ten Miles District Challenge Race. Mr. J. B. Holdsworth gave the Mile Handicap prizes; entrance is 2s. 6d., tickets eighteenpence in advance, and competitors may train on the course on 17th June.
- Theo. Godlee, writing for A. Fowler and himself, details the N.E. District's arrangements for next Saturday: ride through Rainham to Great Coldharbour Farm (not Purfleet as first announced), hail boats to cross to the "Pier Hotel" at Erith, leaving "unenterprising machines" at the farm. The fare is 6d. each way, and the eleven N.E. members who have not paid their subscriptions are offered a collection.
- Captain Theo. Godlee politely reminds District Captains and their substitutes that the new meet card must be put in hand very shortly, and asks them to make up their minds accordingly.
- The Treasurer's Deputy offers members who cannot or will not pay one more chance: he will attend the Annual Race Meeting and receive all outstanding subscriptions there, after which members "must take the consequences".
- C. Koch reports that several members have still not paid for their Concert tickets and asks for the money at once, being considerably out of pocket; the sum still owing for tickets would cover all the outstanding debts.
- District reports for 5th June. The N.W., sixteen members and a visitor under Norman B. Morris, rode over Bittacy, Highwood and Barnet Gate Hills through Shenley to the "Crystal Palace" at St. Albans (Dalton coming a cropper near his old Absalom feat); the W., S.W. and S.E. Croydon parties converged on the "Red Lion" at Betchworth by way of Banstead Downs and Pebble Hill and adjourned to the piano at the "Grapes," Reigate, voting unanimously against re-running the Bath Trial; the Blackheath Division rode by Chelsfield to the "George" at Shoreham.
- District Captain Norman B. Morris alters the run for Saturday 12th from Uxbridge to the nearer Hillingdon, asks Highbury and Camden men to join at Child's Hill or Black Pot Hill and the West at Sudbury Station at 4.45, and calls for further entries to the preliminary trial for the Ten Miles District Challenge, for which he has about eight names.
- District Captain F. M. Williams hopes all sixty-one S.E. members will assemble at the "Pier Hotel," Erith, to welcome the North-East District as it crosses the Thames for the first time in the annals of the L.B.C. He defends the Erith road as one of the best in the district, with hardly a yard of macadam, and notes the Captain's first visit to the district.
- Report of the Pickwick B.C.'s annual meeting at Stamford Bridge Grounds, Fulham, on 5th June before some 2,500 spectators, with A. P. Trotter judging, M. D. Rucker handicapping and G. P. Coleman timekeeping. A strong N.W. wind made the times bad, the dead-level corners are condemned after O. Thorn was forced into the railings, and the results run from the twelve heats of the One Mile Open Handicap to E. H. Morgan's win in the final, G. T. Clough's disputed slow race over Cortis, and H. L. Cortis's twenty-yard victory from C. E. Liles in the Five Miles Invitation Race.
- A letter reprinted from a contemporary, addressed to the Editor of the "Bicycling Times" by J. W. W. Melhuish, Bicycle Touring Club Consul (pro tem.) at Melksham, Wilts. A bicyclist's bag found near the town on Whit-Monday is thought to belong to one of the L.B.C. competitors in the Bath to London race, and will be returned on a description and list of contents.
- "L'Homme qui Rit" asks District Captains to name the inn beforehand, having spent an age hunting the "Red Lion" at Betchworth; notes the Referee's good words for cyclists and its support of the Bicycle Union against the new Athletic Association, arguing that a racing cyclist is plainly an athlete; and pities the returned Bath competitor now challenged by every old friend on club runs. Also the rumour of S.W. men attending the Erith meet on Richmond water velocipedes, and the puzzle of the N.E. District Captain, thought to be in China but reported "absent at Cambridge".
- "Mucker" asks members for the least bad road between Marlborough and Leicester, whether through Chipping Norton and Banbury, or Moreton and Stow, with hills to be warned of and "pubs" recommended; he reckons the distance 108 miles through Banbury, Rugby and Lutterworth.
- Tabulated meets for the six districts: N.E. 3.30 Lea Bridge Road and 3.45 Syborn's Corner for Erith; N.W. 3.45 "Jack Straw's Castle" for Hillingdon, meeting the W. at Sudbury Station; W. 3.45 Acton Church for Hillingdon; S.W. the "Griffin," Kingston, at 4.0 sharp for the Walton-on-Thames photographic meet; and the Croydon and Blackheath Divisions from Central Croydon Station and Old Lewisham Church for Erith.
- "Blinkers" and Shields take a holiday on Saturday 10th April, mounting at 9.30 and spinning down the Portsmouth road through Esher, Fairmile, Guildford and Godalming, whose square sets they dislike, to the Royal Hut, where they inspect the stone raised to the memory of a murdered sailor. Returning against the wind by Guildford High Street and Ditton Marshes, they reach the "Griffin" in time to run with the S.W. District to Ewell; about 75 miles.
- Alison, Hill and A. H. Koch sleep at the "Kings' Arms," Bedford, and ride through Elstow and Wilhampstead to Clophill, where one of them is pitched gently over the handles on a mile-and-a-half descent, then by Ampthill and Ridgmont, being refused passage through the Duke of Bedford's park without a permit from His Grace, on through Woburn and Hockliff to the "Saracen's Head" at Dunstable, and over the downs by Ashridge Park to Great Berkhampstead and Watford; about 70 miles.
- Nevill, W. J. Williams and the writer leave Swiss Cottage on Thursday 25th March by the Willesden and Acton lanes to Brentford, where Williams's troublesome "Club", which had earlier wound a piece of wire round its back-wheel bearings, needs attention, then over the loose Staines road, lighting lamps at Staines Bridge for the Surrey bye-laws, and by moonlight through Virginia Water and Sunningdale to Blackwater, where they get the pick of the larder prepared for the Temple B.C. at the "White Hart". Next day they explore the ruins and pigeon-house of Old Basing House and the Roman remains at Silchester.
- The concluding part: the party rows at Alum Bay and is regaled with yarns by "the oldest man in the island", teas at the "Bugle" at Newport, rides on to Ryde and puts up at the "Royal Kent," then crosses to Portsmouth and rides by Portsdown and Butser Hills to the "Red Lion" at Petersfield. A broken hind wheel is patched with copper wire given by a member of another club, and after the grand view from Hindhead and lunch at the "White Horse," Guildford, they part at Ewell.
- June fixtures: the Kingston Bicycle Club at Surbiton Running Grounds and the Stanley B.C. at Page's Ground, Tufnell Park, on the 12th; the Bicycle Union One and Five Miles Championships at Surbiton on the 16th; the London B.C. Annual Race Meeting at Stamford Bridge and the Private Banks Cricket and Athletic Club meeting on the 19th; and the Bicycle Union Twenty-five Miles Championship at Surbiton on the 23rd.
- Six machines offered by members: a 52-in. half-bright "Racer" by John Keen at £5 from Cyril J. Turner, who is giving up racing; a 52-in. "Timberlake" at £7; a 52-in. "Stassen" with eccentric brake at £10; a 54-in. "London" complete with lamps and bags at £10 10s. from E. O. Koch; a 54-in. "Eclipse" roadster with roller bearings and new tyres at £8; and a 53-in. "Humber" at £12 12s.
- A correspondent writing from 30, Well Walk, Hampstead holds that the Bath Trial should not be run again, Butler has proved himself the best man, and proposes instead a fifty-miles out-and-home or circular race to neutralise the wind. He then argues at length that Regulation 4, which promises the gold medal enamelled to the member who comes in first and mentions no ten-hour limit, entitles Butler to the enamel notwithstanding Regulation 2.
- "Boreas", himself a competitor, agrees with "W. X. W." that the wind cannot be dodged nor the starting-point set by the weather-cock, doubts any amateur could have beaten 10 hr. 45 min. over the dust of the last twenty miles, and urges October rather than August for a re-run. He defends Potter and Alison, dismisses the times taken at Marlborough as worthless, and records the leaders together within 150 yards on Devizes Hill, Gruggen, Thorn, W. Butler, Wynne, Smith and Potter riding, Francis and O. Thorn walking part.
- Contributions must be addressed to "The Editor, L.B.C. Gazette, 35, Eastcheap, E.C.," bear the author's name though not necessarily for insertion, be written on one side of the paper only, and reach the office by Wednesday morning for immediate insertion. Messrs. Darling will supply portfolios at 2s., stamped outside with the Club badge, for keeping unbound copies of the Gazette.