HON SEC’S JOTTINGS Dec
2004 by John Bedford
Clubroom will be open every Tuesday over Christmas
& New Year. There will be free Mincepies on Tuesday 21st
December.
An Extra Ride. Dave Frost has offered to lead a ride, approx
40 miles, on Monday 3rd January, leaving MG island at 10am. Steady
pace. Tel: 321 2142
Holidays again! Beryl & I will be touring in Texas from
16th January to 4th February. Please email
(parkcycles@yahoo.co.uk) or post NN contributions during this period
Mudflaps Can I once again appeal for all riders to fit
a mudflap to the rear of their cycle for the comfort and cleanliness of those
following behind.
Still not got CTC Membership? How about asking for it as a
Christmas present.
DA Carol Service. Car assisted on 19th December.
Details Brian Langdell. Meriden Village Hall opens 12 o’clock for cups of tea
etc. Service in the Parish Church 2pm.
Winter clubroom. Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham.
7.30pm. Admission £1.50
Tuesday 11th
Jan. North Island, New Zealand, by
Reg Elliott
Tuesday 8th
Feb. Places to Cycle, by Peter Clare.
Coventry Section slideshows Friends Meeting House, Hill Street,
Coventry. Tuesdays 8pm. I am repeating “Six of the Best European Tours” on 4th
January. On 18th January Reg
Elliott presents “New Zealand, North Island”. 1st February Gordon
Mead presents “Istrea & Western Cyprus. 15th February, Bob
Tinley presents “New Zealand, South Island, Switzerland & Scotland”.
Admission £1.
Cycle Jumbles. (1) Saturday 12th February, Worcester St
Johns CC. Christopher Whitehead High School, Malvern Road, St Johns, Worcester.
10am to 1pm Admission £1
(2) Saturday 5th March, Our very own
Jumble, Methodist Church Hall, Station Road, Erdington. 10am to 1pm.
Admission 50p.
(3) Saturday 23rd April, Forest Glades
Leisure Centre, Kidderminster. 10am to 1pm. Admission £1.
MEMORIES OF ALAN WOOLLATT
by Alan Dodwell
I first met Alan in the early
nineteen fifties. The country was still trying to recover from the war and the
government decided we desperately needed more engineers. Guess whose heads
popped up! Yes, you've got it, Alan's and mine! Fresh out of a technical
education the world was our oyster and so we readily took up the challenge to
save the nation.
Joining the Aston engineering
company Universal Jig & Gauge our potential was soon recognised and so it
was not the usual " tea boy" route we travelled along (they employed
somebody full-time for that) but the "Steel Stores". After the obligatory
lecture from the Works Manager that "he didn't want to catch us hanging
around the office after the typist," he despatched us to this
sophisticated, "state of the art" dump in the darkest and furthest
comer of the factory! Before being allowed to touch their precious "lumps"
of metal however, our first task every morning was to locate and dispose of the
little "packages" the two resident 'mousers' had hidden away for us
the previous night. Our young noses were a great help in this chore! We
survived our internment there however and even managed to retain all our
fingers before moving to other departments.
Alan and I eventually parted company
when National Service came along and it was to be nearly 50 years before our
paths crossed again when I became a 'Northern' member. Alan's role in the club
soon became evident to me as he tackled his position of Campaign Secretary with
vigour and tenacity, and his sense of humour is one of the many things he will
be remembered for. Who will forget the comfort he gave to anybody with a puncture
when he reminded them "there's no need to worry, it's only flat at the
bottom"! Who will forget the reassurance he gave to the ride when, in a
moment of crisis, in his best imitation of Corporal Jones, his cry of
"Don't Panic" would rise from the rear!
God Bless you Alan, you're going to
be a hard act to follow.
ELEVENS’S AT ST. MARY'S by Brian Hailing.
Changes are taking place
at one of our most convenient Coffee stops. As you probably know, they have
serious trouble finding volunteers and are changing their membership policy.
1)
Senior citizens will be welcome whether they are members or not, but they will
have to pay more for their tucker than members, not as much however as they
would pay in the coffee shop next door.
2) Membership fees will go up from £2 to £4 from next
January, and Life
Membership will be £20
3) Effect on US is that
we don't HAVE to be members, but in practical terms we MUST remember to carry
our new Card every time.
TRAVEL TO EUROPE
New E111
forms are required if you visit a European country and wish to receive free or
reduced cost, state healthcare. Old forms are no longer valid after 31st
December 2004. Pick up the booklet ‘Health Advice for Travellers’, which
contains the application form, from a Post Office. The new E111 will be valid
until 31st December 2005.
During
2005, the new European Health Insurance Card will replace the E111.
See also www.dh.gov.uk/travellers
BASIC TOUR PLANNING ON THE NET
by John Bedford
Just a few
sites that I have found useful to make initial decisions on suitability of a
particular area:-
www.sunrisesunset.com Useful for winter tours. On a monthly
basis.
www.smoothhound.co.uk A peculiar name for a site listing
accommodation in towns, at home and abroad.
www.mapquest.com Will print out maps at various scales. We found it extremely
useful to navigate through Boston on our last tour in America.
Has anybody
else any sites that they find useful to the cyclist?
LICHFIELD CTC
invite
you to the
2005 NEW YEAR LUNCHEON
on
Sunday 23 January
at
O'Keefs,
6/7
King Street, Tamworth
12.30
for l.00
MENU
Garlicky
mushrooms served in a crepe
Freshly
made soup of the day
Spinach,
goats cheese and tomato medley
***
Traditional
Roast Turkey, seasonal trimmings and roasters
Minted
Lamb Cutlets with fresh vegetables and potatoes
Roasted
Vegetable Crumble
***
Christmas
Pudding with sauce or cream
O'Keefs
home-made creme brulee
Banana
and marshmallow kebabs with chocolate and brandy sauce
***
Coffee
or tea with mince pie
***
Cost £9.50
Choice
of menu with cash to Sylvia or Ann by 10 January please
JOHN GRIFFIN'S TUNA ROLL by Brian Hailing
We were sitting in
the hall watching John Bedford’s wonderful California Tour slides, when our olfactory senses were
overwhelmed by the warming of JOHN GRIFFIN'S TUNA ROLLS.
So in response to
intense pressure from members John has agreed to share his secret with us and below is his
Recipe.
One small tin of
Tuna in brine. 5oz
mixed frozen veg. 6oz hard
medium/sharp cheese. One
egg. One medium onion. 13 oz puff pastry 1 tbsp veg oil. Shake of pepper.
1.
Finely chop and fry onion in oil to a golden brown.
2. Cook
mixed veg for 5 min. and allow onion and veg to cool.
3.
Drain tuna and add to above
4.
Grate 4oz cheese and add to mixture with pepper.
5. Beat
egg, and then add half of this and mix well.
6. Heat
oven to gas mark 7 (220 C)
7. Roll
pastry to rectangle 13 in. x 9in and about 1/8 in. thick (in old money)
8.
Brush remaining egg around edge of pastry to seal.
9.
Spread mixture into centre of pastry, leaving three "eggy edges
clear"
10. Roll up and press the
package to seal.
11. Brush upper surface with
egg.
12. Score top surface with
knife for decoration.
13. Place on baking parchment
in hot oven for 15 min.
14. Remove from oven and sprinkle
grated cheese over
surface.
15. Replace into Oven and
reduce temperature to gas mark 6
(200 C) for further 15 min.
Remove
and enjoy. WE CERTAINLY DID !!!
READ ALL ABOUT IT by Arthur McHugh
Of course it's better to cycle than to read
about cycling. But if you are stuck indoors for any reason, can't think of
anything else to tinker with, and have had your fill of telly, a book could be
the answer. The following are easily available and might be worth a read. One or two would make acceptable gifts for
the enthusiast.
Not many cycling authors reach the best-seller
list, but Lance Armstrong is the exception, in this as in so much else. The first volume of his autobiography,
"It's Not About the Bike", achieved phenomenal sales, and it looks as though the
recently-published sequel, "Every Second Counts", will follow
suit. There's also a glossy tome
entitled "Lance Armstrong -Images of a Champion" which contains as
many colour photos of the cycling Superman as anyone is likely to need.
There are always plenty of books about the Tour
de France, most of them preoccupied with the stars of the race, and not all of
them gripping. "A Significant Other" by Matt Rendell, gives an
account of what it's like to ride with Armstrong in the Tour. Rendell takes one member of the US Postal
team, Pena, and focusses on what happened during a single Stage in the Pyrenees
last year. The book demonstrates in
detail how dependent the leader is on his "domestiques", and exactly
how they contribute to tactics and strategy.
It's an unusual angle on the world of professional cycling, and
interesting on that account alone: it
derives almost entirely from what Pena himself had to say about his
experiences.
A different tack altogether is taken by Tim
Hilton in his "One More Kilometre and We're in the Showers". Hilton, a club cyclist off and on for many
years, writes about a great variety of cycling-related topics in what amounts
to an extended saunter - 396 pages -down Memory Lane. Among much else, he mentions that Frank Patterson, though not
himself a cyclist, produced no less than 26,000 drawings in which cyclists were
added to picture-postcard views. Definitely a book for the veteran with a taste
for nostalgia.
Finally, Tim Moore's "French
Revolutions", spotted recently passing from hand to hand at
Whittington. The author, by his own
account an unfit amateur, set out to cycle one of the Tour de France routes and
then produce an entertaining travelogue designed to elicit quiet chuckles from
the depths of the armchair.
http://uk.f263.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?box::=Inbox&MsgId=3598_36389_224...
29/10/2004
WHITE HORSE WEEKEND 8th/ 9th/10th
April 2005
A weekend
of cycle rides and social activities based near Chippenham in North Wiltshire
Sae for
details from John Else, 1 St Peters Close,
Chippenham
SN15 2BQ
Hope to see
you there. Editor
WELL, WELL, WELL.
A penniless
student from Slovakia who took the front wheel off his cycle after he got a
puncture because he couldn’t afford to fix it has broken the world wheelie
record.
A WEEK’S
HOLIDAY IN MONTENEGRO by Mary
Evans
12TH
– 19TH OCTOBER 2004
“For the rain it raineth every day” – Feste , Twelfth Night
Our stay in Budva, the
coastal resort in Montenegro, was disappointing largely because of the weather
which was very wet indeed. We found
ourselves waking up to thunder and lightning every morning which meant we were
hanging about the hotel for sometime waiting for the storm to abate. When we did manage to ride our bikes, we
found the terrain rather unsympathetic to cyclists.
There was a
very busy coastal road where we had to negotiate rubble and rubbish which meant
swerving out into the middle of the road with many curves and bends. There were very few roads off this main road
and those that were there, were steep climbs up and over the mountain passes, some
of which had more than 25 hairpin bends and the surface was very slippery owing
to the pouring rain.
John and I
only cycled for one and a half days for we found it too strenuous but some
intrepid cyclists managed the mountain passes in the rain and mist, taking all
day of course but were proud of their achievements.
“I no like bicycle” – a bystander
outside Budva
We did not
see any other cyclists in Montenegro – not one. I believe the Montenegrins associate bicycles with poverty. They certainly eyed us with curiosity and
disbelief. There were plenty of old car
wrecks belching out oil and smoke. The
country was littered with rubbish and abandoned cars just thrown over the
mountainsides.
We rode to
Sveti Stefan, an old walled fishing village but now an expensive, exclusive
hotel. An extension to this ride was to
Petrovac, a fishing village with an interesting harbour. A trip into the mountains gave us a flavour
of the history of Montenegro. The
Montenegrins lived for hundreds of years in the mountain caves where they
fought fierce battles with the invaders on the coast. Five hundred years was spent fighting the Ottoman Empire. As a result they did not have time to
develop their own culture. One could
see the caves where they, (and the partisans who fought the Germans in WW11)
lived. A very harsh existence.
There is not a great deal
to see in Montenegro apart from the dramatic mountain scenery and attractive
coastline. Cetinje (Ce-tin-hay) the old
capital of the state with its ancient monastery and palace was worth a visit
but the most interesting was the home of a mountain farmer who smoked and cured
his own bacon “proscuitto”, and who made his own bread cheese. It was delicious, washed down with local
wine.
“Travellers to Albania
should mingle curiosity with a healthy caution but visiting this country, as it
slowly opens up to the world, is a rare experience” – Lonely Planet.
The opportunity to visit
Albania arose and we agreed that perhaps we would never have the chance to visit
this country again. From the start, it
was a real eye opener.
Before reaching the border
we passed through Bar in Montenegro which is a would-be modern city whose
architects seemed to have graduated from the socialist cement school of
thought. We passed through the centre
of the town and on the right were the flats where the Christians lived. To the left were dilapidated flats where the
Muslims and Gypsies lived. Reminiscent
of the apartheid system.
On reaching the border and
what seemed an interminable wait for our passports and visas to be checked and
stamped, we entered the once forbidden land.
On board we had two reps.
One a Montenegrin and one a pleasant
young Albanian girl plus a security guard.
The guide book says “never travel at night, and avoid the northern
part of the country and it is also wise to have an Albanian with
you”. We were of course in the
northern part where banditry is particularly widespread!
We were visiting Shkodra,
near Lake Skardar known for its rich bird life. This was the most interesting tourist trip we have ever done for
it was so completely different from anything seen before. As we entered the town, jaws dropped open. We were incredulous. It was so third world and we were taken back
200 years in time.
The squalor and poverty was
unbelievable. Dilapidated houses
partially roofed; rubbish piled high in every corner although there many bins
but they were overflowing and it seemed nobody was responsible for removing it
– perhaps they had no sites in which to put it. Hardcore dug from pavements and roads was left piled high on the
side. Roads which had not been tarmaced
had huge craters and potholes full of water.
Pavements in places were non-existent.
The strangest sight for me was the boulders of coal mounted high on the
side of the road ready for sale.
Besides this coal mountain was a man squatting with a cloth laid out in
front of him with a few chestnuts for sale.
Some buildings had seen
better days. Many were in the
Italianate style and at one time had been important buildings; embassies and
places of residence for governors.
The cars were so old and
when they could no longer be repaired, they were abandoned anywhere, just
anywhere along with the mountains of rubbish.
But the town was full of bicycles.
Hundreds and hundreds of old bicycles, many of which were still being
ridden with a woman riding as pillion on the saddle rack! And they certainly used their public
transport system. The buses were
packed!
We were allowed to walk
around the streets with the guide and security officer and were aware of the
curious stares from the citizens most of whom were men – hundreds and hundreds
of men – very few women. I think they
were attracted by we cyclists wearing our day-glo yellow jackets! We visited a most interesting museum which
displayed very interesting artefacts dating back to early man right up to the
l8th century.
Although the town was
shabby and impoverished, the people looked well fed and as we travelled through
the countryside, there was much evidence of market gardens with freshly grown
vegetables. Over the hillsides roamed
goats, sheep and cows. These animals
were much more evident than in Montenegro.
People were fishing in the Lake with vast nets.
I have to say it that it was
the best trip we have ever made – a real eye-opener and it made us realise how
fortunate we are and that we must count our blessings.
It was
disappointing that we didn’t do much cycling but we returned home having
learned something new about our world. That is the joy of travel, plus the fact
that the l8 other cyclists in the group were such good company and the evenings
were great and celebrated in style!!!
FREE!!
Tandem. 23”
Gents, 17” Mixte rear. 700x23c tyres, 14 speed, straight handlebars, Free to
good CTC home.
Alan Cooke.
Tel:
FOR SALE.
Ladies
Dawes Gazelle, 3speed. 19” frame. Offers.
Sheila
Sharkey. Tel: 355 1194
REVOLUTION 7 & 8 at the Manchester Velodrome. Bookings now taking place. Details from
Geoff Findon on 0121 601 8973 or e-mail:- gwfindon@yahoo.co.uk
NOSTALGIA by Brian
Langdell
Northern
News March-April 1950
The Social
Section met at the Chester Road terminus, departing at 3pm for Wandon YH, in
the middle of Cannock chase. They went straight up the Burton Road (now A38) to
Alrewas for an early tea. Arriving at the hostel they found there was no cycle
shed, ‘our worthy steeds suffered the indignity of spending the night under the
wooden building’. The evening was spent around a roaring fire with musical
entertainment by ‘Percy and his Comb Bashers’. (If I remember correctly this
hostel was later burnt to the ground).
In
contrast, i.e. more upmarket, the Northern were invited to a dinner organized
by the Hereford Wheelers and were served with roast pheasant.
Roughstuff
was a more regular feature than these days. It was suggested that the Sunday
ride to Wenlock Abbey should have been listed as ‘mud plugging at Linley! After
leaving Bridgnorth they turned into Aperly Park with pleasant views of the
River Severn. They rode into a litter of piglets and one reached ‘evens’ in
trying to outrun them. At the Hall they requested permission to cross the
private suspension bridge, which was granted. Then the mud started; all of the
next mile had to be walked due to the deep mud, followed by a rough track
through woodland. ‘We all thoroughly enjoyed this part of the run, some of us
despite the mud and others because of it’. After cleaning shoes and bikes they
eventually arrived back in Bridgnorth late for a booked tea at the Temperance
Hotel.
Duties at
the Youth Hostels are now a thing of the past; in an article on a w/e to Broom
YH mention is made of their duties. ‘After breakfast Percy and Sid could be
seen sawing logs for the fire and several others were mowing the lawn and
generally tidying the garden. The kitchen was closed whilst a young fellow with
a large broom had the job of sweeping a thick mass of black cobwebs from under
the roof!’
DAMNANT QUOD NON INTELLIGUNT!
Some people
think us very queer
Because we
ride throughout the year
They say
“Rheumatics follow in the train
Of going
cycling in the rain
And when
you are doubled up with pain
You will
only have yourself to blame”.
They think
of Gangrene and of Silicosis
Of
Housemaid’s Knee and of Tubercolosis
Our pastime
will bring them on they say
And advise
us all to keep away.
“For if you
don’t stay home when the weather is dirty,
You may
need a coffin before you are thirty”.
No doubt
they have their good intentions,
But any
good points that a clubman mentions
Are brushed
aside as a lot of rot
And the
cyclist finds they are a biased lot.
Sometimes I
wish they were only joking,
For many’s
the time I’ve had a soaking,
And not
possessing a change of attire,
Have dried
myself in front of the fire.
I’ve
slogged for miles in a howling gale,
(Had never
a thought of coming home by rail,)
But I’m fit
and well at sixty-three,
So their
advice I can’t agree
Rheumatics
have not come my way
And illness
has been kept at bay,
By regular
riding in all seasons;
(Need we
look for further reasons?)
Alloy
Crank
RIVERS.
by Maurice Purser
There's no doubt that
any cycle-tour, whether of a single day or a week or more, must meet up with at
least one. Many such runs of water which we've met over the years of pottering
around spring to mind, from our own little Mease, to the Severn, or even the
Tweed.
But we our losing our
thread. Earlier in the year we had a full week down in the County of
Bedfordshire; as long as you can dodge some of the busy roads, all of which
seem to be making for London (or to escape from it) as quickly as possible,
this area has some fine rolling country waiting to be explored. And its full
share of small villages too. And of course the Great Ouse.
No more than eight or
nine easy miles west of Bedford we pulled up for the night in one of those
villages - Pavenham, where the Cock Inn provided bed & breakfast, and a
chat with the boss; he not only joined us for a very substantial evening meal,
but offered to shut the bar for a while "There'll be nobody coming in just
yet" he said "So come with me and I'll show you summat."
A hundred yards or so
along the cottage-lined street, we turned down a short gully, over a small
stile and across a dampish meadow - and there was a stretch of the Ouse winding
itself into twists and turns; water lilies covered much of the surface and a
kingfisher flashed its bright blue from one side to t'other. Our guide paused
here whilst he put another match to his pipe. "Now then " said he
"Just follow me along this path". Trailing behind him, past a tatty
old barn we were ushered into a small shed, and inside was a young lady seated
at a rough table busy at work with a pile of dry rush stalks scattered around.
Now then - this is what
she was up to. In the spring she and her husband spend a couple of weeks in
tents at the river-side, gathering rushes which grow profusely here; these are
laid out on the bank until dry enough to take back to that shed where they hang
in bunches until dusty dry. Then for the rest of the season they are woven and
plaited to make carpets, rugs, kneeling hassocks and so on; just that moment
the lady was actually making a rush hat.
She paused in her
handiwork long enough to rustle up cups of tea, and even give us a
demonstration into the art of rush weaving as a bonus, "Busy" she
assured us "Most of our products go for export." And as a final
gesture presented us with a couple of excellent rush table mats - they are on
our table as we write..
“A PACK OF LIES” from Mary Evans
at Highbury
Little Theatre
The above
play was as gripping as it was entertaining. It told the events leading up to
and after the trial in 1960 of the two KGB spies Peter and Helen Kroger. It
portrayed how espionage, mendacity and betrayal affects peoples lives and which
eventually destroys them.
Our own
Peter Cooley played an understated role as the government’s agent. He was
devious, stealthy, cunning and also
ruthless as he played with other people’s lives. Well done Peter. We enjoyed
our night out at the theatre.
Heard at the Garden Centre…….
John Evans
to Mary – “£60 for that Christmas Tree? I could get a pair of tyres and a good
chain for that!”
CHRISTMAS CYCLING – A WAIST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM