Vol 3, No 7
Articles in this issue
- Minutes of the meeting of Monday, 26th April 1880: Leonard Wodehouse Andrews, Frederick Elder, William Robert Kingston Gibbs and Francis Herbert Townsend elected; Mr. A. H. Cook's resignation accepted and Mr. R. J. Scott allowed to withdraw his; members' sale and exchange advertisements in the Gazette to be free in future; and Mr. S. T. Angus of Knightrider Street appointed cloth merchant to the Club, Mr. Knight continuing as Club tailor on condition he uses Angus's cloth.
- Theo. Godlee, Captain, reminds intending medallists that entries for the Bath Trial close on Monday the 3rd instant and asks for names to be sent to the Hon. Sec. at once.
- The Captain explains that Angus of Knightrider Street will now keep a regular supply of both thick and thin Club cloth, so a member may have his own tailor make up the suit and no one need complain of a bad fit; he also urges strict conformity to Club uniform at meets, there having been one or two notable exceptions at Hitchin.
- H. R. Boyce urges a large turn-out at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 5th May, racing to start punctually at six; Cortis, Kemp, Runtz and other well-known men of other clubs have entered the Three Miles Handicap, and the Novice Race is also expected to be interesting.
- Norman B. Morris announces a short run on Saturday 1st May by Cricklewood, Dollis Hill, Neasden, Wembly and Harrow Weald to Eastcott, with tea at the "Black Horse."
- Full account of the annual meeting with the Cambridge University Bicycle Club: the districts converged on Potter's Bar, the main body of about thirty covering the twenty miles to Hitchin in ten minutes under two hours despite the Captain's repeated orders to slow down, and were cheered into the town by the Cambridge men. Seventy or eighty sat down to tea under the President, with songs from C. Y. Lyne, R. Newman, Willink and Rainsford, cheers proposed by Scrutton, and "Auld Lang Syne" sung standing on the chairs.
- The S.W.'s own account of the Hitchin meet: three of its men trained to Barnet and rode in with the C.U.Bi.C. Hon. Sec., getting only a partial wetting, then next morning rode with Dicker of the S.E. through Luton to St. Albans, allowed only a glimpse of the Abbey, and on to Watford, Rickmansworth and the "Swan" at Walton, where a missed turning near Uxbridge split the party and the Staines detachment arrived half an hour ahead.
- Report of the meeting at Kennington Oval on 24th April before an estimated 6,000 spectators, the largest "gate" yet seen at a bicycle meeting there. Gives the seven heats and final of the One Mile Open Handicap, won by J. F. Griffith of the Surrey B.C. from C. Tyler, with Thorn third and Cortis fourth, and the Ten Miles Scratch Race, won by H. L. Cortis by 200 yards from W. T. Thorn in 38 min. 57 1/2 sec., with sharp criticism of the official timekeeper, who was tapped on the back each mile and read his watch under his own finger.
- Calendar from 1st May to 6th November 1880, including the Humber & Co. Two Miles Handicap at Lillie Bridge on 8th May, the 100-mile Road Trial on 17th May, the Dark Blue Bicycle Club's invitation race on 18th May, and C.U.Bi.C. v. L.B.C. at Cambridge on 29th May.
- The Lacrosse Clubs' annual meeting at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 22nd May, with a One Mile Bicycle Handicap open to amateurs (first prize £10 10s.), handicapped by J. H. A. Reay and M. D. Rucker, jun.; entries 2s. 6d. by 10th May to E. H. Lloyd at Walthamstow, with the Band of the London Rifle Brigade in attendance and L.A.C. and L.B.C. rules adopted.
- Alteration of date: the Club races at the Iffley Road ground, Oxford, on Monday 3rd May, one and ten mile races for members who have not ridden against Cambridge, a four mile handicap, a 100 yards slow race and a three mile roadster handicap, and on 18th May the two, ten and twenty-five mile trial races to select the representatives against Cambridge.
- Tabulated meets for the N.E., N.W., W., S.W., Croydon and Blackheath divisions, running to Hoddesdon, Eastcott, Ousley, Epsom and Bletchingley, then to Chigwell, Ripley and Guildford; no run on 15th May, and on 22nd May all districts to run to Halliford.
- F. M. Williams details the 8th May run to Chigwell to meet the N.E. and N.W.: members finding a 3.30 start from Croydon inconvenient may leave their machines at Mr. Campbell's, bicycle maker, Lewisham High Road, and start from Old Lewisham Church at 4.15, a changing room being provided; the river is to be crossed at Woolwich and the Essex roads are reported good.
- Four members met at Central Croydon on the Wednesday and rode against a head wind by the "Red Lion," Smitham Bottom, and the lanes to Banstead, the last mile up-hill and loose with stones; joined for a pipe by Wyndham, the Editor and a visitor, they returned by moonlight. Signed "Another One."
- A comic sketch in which a bachelor of twenty-five overhears Mary the housemaid, who cleans his bicycle, complaining to Jane that "Master 'Ughie" plagues her with twenty directions about emery paper, rust and the brass parts, and threatening to give warning before a second machine arrives; he steps out from behind the pantry door and coaxes her to stay on condition she never calls him Master 'Ughie again.
- Paragraphs by "L'homme qui rit": a walker who produced a spare treadle from his frock-coat pocket for a stranded rider between Perivale and Muswell Hill; the old Captain alone negotiating School Hill near Lewes with the Brighton Excelsior B.C.; Scribner's Monthly on Appleyard's London to Bath ride in 7h. 18m. 55s. and on the rowing-action "Sheridan Velocipede"; a plea for members to send in road and route notes on France; and the Illustrated London News exchange over whether bicyclists can carry a change of clothes, answered by sending its editor the Gazette's illustration of Mr. Trotter's M.I.P. bag.
- A. Howard Crawley of University College again offers his 56-inch "Humber" racer, never ridden on the road, in exchange for a 54-inch; and Stephen Smith wants a second-hand 57 or 58 inch "Racer" for sale.
- Contributions must be addressed to the Editor at 35, Eastcheap, 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.
- Members may now advertise machines for sale or exchange in the Gazette free of expense, and Messrs. Darling have been arranged with to supply portfolios, stamped outside with the Club badge, for keeping unbound copies, at 2s.
- H. V. Cleaver's contribution to "Stray Notes" is declined as the event would be a fortnight old by next issue and "the authority" is now quite restored to health; thanks are given to Messrs. Nyle, W. A. Smith, Stephen Smith and Boyce, and communications acknowledged from The O'Reilly, H. R. Boyce, W. J. F. Potts, J. Kinder, A. W. Chippindale and others.