Vol 6, No 11
Articles in this issue
- The Editor states that the latest hour for reception of copy for the “Gazette” is 6.0 p.m. on Tuesdays.
- A leader on the Club's governing body, written from behind the editorial “we” by men who sit on it: the Committee's powers are greater than most members realise, each man is held to represent the whole Club rather than his District once round the Council table, and the Captain's hardest duty is chairing fifteen to twenty men who range from the supremely indifferent to a regular opposition and the incomprehensible free lance. It answers the question “what do they do?” by pointing to results, elections, race meetings, club discipline and runs running with so little jar that the careless observer forgets there is any motive power at all.
- Captain Ashley W. Barrett repeats the orders for the meet with the C.U.Bi.C. and O.U.Bi.C. on 19th May: rendezvous at the “Pea Hen,” St. Albans, at 5.45, the N.E. from Lea Bridge Road via Wood Green to Tally Ho! to meet the N.W. from “Jack Straw's Castle,” the S.E. training from East Croydon, the S.W. from the “Coach and Horses,” Kew Bridge, and the W. from Savernake Cottage; tea at 2s. 6d. in the Town Hall at 7.0 by the landlord of the “Old Sugar Loaf,” with the Universities leaving at 8.15 and the Club asked to ride the last 13 miles in a compact body.
- R. G. Francis reminds his district that a detachment leaves Croydon Central at 10.0 a.m. for Dunstable, passing Nonsuch Park gates at 10.45, Hampton Court Bridge at 11.45 and West Drayton at 1.0; those preferring the Woolwich route are reminded of Stephen Smith's invitation to breakfast at 9, Morden Road, at half-past nine, while others will take the 4 o'clock from East Croydon to St. Albans.
- E. S. Price, Hon. Sec., notes that the free ticket, handbill and entry form go out with this Gazette and that unused tickets must be returned since the Club accounts to the Palace for each; the five events and the 2s. 6d. entrance fee are restated, and three ex-Captains have offered to present the prizes for the Club Mile, so members are asked to enter for it in force.
- The full report of the 1883 Bath to Hounslow hundred: twenty-three started from Cleveland Bridge at 7.30 on Whit-Monday, Brown kept away by illness, Pigott and R. G. Francis by broken machines and Weeks by a sprained wrist. The Herberts' returns from Marlboro' Hill, W. A. Smith's from Newbury, A. Koch's from Reading and A. Henry's from Maidenhead are printed in full, with Thorn upset in Marlborough by a dog and Morris and Wigan retiring to the train. H. R. Reynolds took the enamelled medal in 7hr. 28min., his brother L. B. four minutes later after they rode together for 95 miles; Harold Smith, Wyndham, W. K. Adam, S. G. Hough, a dead heat between Sewell and Lloyd, Hindley, Ryan and Hewitt took the rest, and the luggage went astray at Brentford until seven o'clock.
- Captain Barrett explains that the luggage sent from Paddington to Brentford did not arrive until 6.30 p.m., so he brought it up to town, where owners may collect it at 42, Finsbury Square, E.C.; he also asks the two men who left Newbury without paying for their dinners to remit to W. A. Smith, who settled with the landlord of the “Chequers.”
- “The Ninth Milestone,” appointed special correspondent, describes the finish at Hounslow: the aesthetic head-gear of an important officer matched by a pub ostler's blue-and-scarlet version, the locals repeating “They are the London Bicycle Club” in explanatory whispers while chaffing every other rider, three ladies on tricycles among the crowd, the Reynolds brothers' close race, Wyndham's popular success, and sympathy for R. H. M. Francis as the eleventh man in 8.47 and for Pigott, who broke his bicycle and missed the Bath train by three minutes.
- J. S. Whatton withdraws the phrase “hopelessly bad” as applied to the S.W. District's attendances, while pointing out that the S.W. count visitors and men from other districts in their averages where the S.E. count only their own; he maintains that attendance is a side issue and that the West should still be dismembered, and, as seconder of the motion that moved the Annual Race Meeting, records his view that keeping a two-mile handicap against five other London open meetings is suicidal.
- The coming Council Meeting of 14th June must choose a new name for the Bicycle Union, the candidates being Bicycle and Tricycle Union, 'Cyclists' or Cycle Union, Wheelmen's Union, British Union of Wheelmen and Wheelmen's Association, with a defence of “wheelmen” as a sound Saxon compound Professor Skeat would approve, and a hope that L.B.C. men will vote dispassionately. Then the London Tricycle Club's 100-mile road race from Boston to Bell Bar, won by Nixon in 10h. 38m. from Rising, Lowndes's ten-mile tricycle record of 34m. 3s. at Leicester, and H. West of Bristol taking four races at Devonport.
- Under Rule 40 the Captain's sanctioned list, running from the C.U.Bi.C. trials, the L.A.C. and West Kent meetings on 26th May through the University matches, the B.U. championships at Birmingham and the Crystal Palace, the A.A.A. championships at Lillie Bridge and the fifty-mile bicycle championship, to the Surrey B.C. at Kennington Oval on 15th September.
- The table of meets: the Dunstable General Meet with the O.U.Bi.C. and C.U.Bi.C. on 19th May, then all districts for Iver, and the following week Erith, Harlow, Chenies (the “Bedford” via Harefield), Shepperton and a paperchase at Sanderstead.
- “Porcupine” totals the Bath medals, four to the N.E., three to the S.E., one to each other division, and salutes “Waddy” Wyndham's judgment and pluck; he notes the four timers at Reading, the wags who presented “Bath Oliver” Thorn with biscuits at the “White Lion,” the Zulu's bull-poop and the Captain's Tam o' Shanter donned as a feeler for a change of head-gear, and the thankless office of Bath-coach.
- Theo. Godlee, District Captain, gives the route for Saturday by West Green and Colney Hatch, and reminds the N.E. that their record attendance is only 18, which they really ought to beat.
- Herbert G. Middleton is now at Waltham Villa, Sunny Bank, South Norwood.
- E. S. Price announces the match at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday 13th June at 6 p.m., with tickets at 1s. obtainable from him.
- C. E. Parker of 6, Strand wants a strong 54 or 56-in. machine for a beginner, low in price and in good condition.
- All 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 Editor by Tuesday evening if immediate insertion is desired.