David E. Portwood and Brian Tate
The Club Becomes Well Established
The late 1930’s was significant for Newbury Road Club; membership numbers were steadily increasing with 52 in 1939 compared with 17 in 1925 and the Annual Meeting of the Road Club in February 1937 was a landmark event, ladies were present for the first time at the annual meeting and the club discussed the formation of a lady’s section - the proposal was passed – although there appears to have been some dissent amongst club members. Since the inception of the club eleven years previously the club had been for men only, but the rule was amended at this meeting.
The first instance of a lady racing in the colours of the Road Club was at the Reading Wheelers evening meeting at Palmer Park track on Wednesday 2nd June 1937, Gwendolene Richards racing in the half miles ladies race coming 5th.
The club runs were also going from strength to strength as we moved into 1939. In March it was reported in the Newbury Weekly News (NWN) that in the fifteen years since the club’s existence they had never had such a large attendance, and they were seeing new members turn out for the runs. In the late 30’s reports of rides were appearing most weeks with descriptions of club activities and adventures. The Starkey Club run trophy was proving to be a tussle between Gwendolyn Richards, Jack Ball and S. Payne. Due to the increasing popularity of the club runs, in April 1939, following the clocks going forward, the club started midweek rides. These left on Thursday evening from the marketplace at 7pm. Run numbers were also starting to put a strain on some of the tea stops, so members on the Sunday rides were asked to make bookings the previous Sunday.
The average attendance per club run for the year commencing December 4th, 1938, was eleven members, as compared with eight in 1938, seven in 1937 and 5 in 1936. Thus, in four years attendance had doubled. The best attended run during this period was to Bagshot on April 16th, 1939, attracting 23 members, it was suggested in the NWN report that this could double if every member was to turn out!
Club nights were also well supported. The NWN reported that on Wednesday 20th January 1937 a gathering of the club-members held a musical evening at the new club room (location not mentioned, Ed.) and various games were played. The NWN noted in late October 1937 that members, friends and “intending members” were invited to the club room every Thursday evening at the new headquarters for table tennis, darts, shove-halfpenny and cards – a few of the many attractions! Although it was not all rosy, in March 1938 it was reported that the Thursday evenings club meetings were falling off in attendance and the club asked members for their support.
Club Captain, A.J. Ball (Jack) wrote a couple of letters to the Newbury Weekly News in 1937 which gives some insight today into the challenges being faced by cyclists at the time, they are reproduced fully below.
Edmundsons’ Cycling Club Formed
Newbury Road Club was not the only club in town, in July 1937 the town saw the formation of a new cycle club, Edmundsons’ Cycle Club. Edmundsons Electricity Corporation was an electricity holding company that controlled and owned electricity businesses throughout England and Wales. It was established many years earlier and was abolished in 1948 as a result of the nationalisation of the electricity industry. (Source Wikipedia, Edmundsons Electricity Corporation - Wikipedia).
The cycle club was formed to promote the interests of cycling members of the company, and they held the first ride on Saturday 3rd July leaving from the Oxford Road. The route they followed went over Snelsmore Common towards Wantage and the Vale of the White Horse eventually arriving at Stanford-in-the-Vale where they took a stroll and had tea. They arrived home at 10pm after an interesting half day covering 52 miles.
The only other report of a ride in the NWN was at the end of July 1937, a Saturday ride to Avebury by way of Hungerford and Marlborough. They had tea on the Ridgway, and the club visited the standing stones and Silbury Hill on the return leg where a helpful following wind assisted their return home, arriving back in Newbury late in the evening.
Club Runs and Touring
Two-day Tour of Hampshire and Wiltshire 1936
During the Whitsun weekend the club had a two-day tour through Hampshire and Wiltshire. The route took them through Whitchurch, Longparish and Stockbridge following the Test Valley to Romsey where they visited the old abbey. The route then took them to Ower, Cadman and Lyndhurst before visiting Beaulieu, with the abbey founded in 1220 by King John, where they had lunch. On arriving at Lymington, they traced the coastline with views of the Isle of White. Tea was taken in Christchurch and the club then cycled on into Bournemouth where they strolled on the promenade and visited the gardens, before returning to Christchurch for the night.
The second day the riders cycled to Salisbury and on to Winterbourne before following the roads to Tidworth. Afternoon tea was taken halfway between Tidworth and Hungerford in an unnamed village Inn. The Bath Road was busy due to holiday traffic, so the last leg was via Hampstead Marshall and Enbourne. The club covering 170 miles over the two days with “only a few in Berkshire”.
Club Run to West Wycombe 1936
In September the Road Club held a Sunday run to West Wycombe. The ride went via the Bath Road to Pangbourne, Reading and Henley-on-Thames. The route then took them on to Medmenham and Marlow and the Chiltern Hills, eventually arriving in West Wycombe for lunch at the “Swan Inn”. As was typical the club then did some sightseeing after lunch visiting the church on the top of a “very steep hill”. East of the church there was a circular enclosure of stone and iron fencing and on top of the church was a large ball, in which sixteen people could be seated, which had portholes giving views of the surrounding countryside. Nearby there were caves dug out of the chalk which they explored with candles lighting the way. After thoroughly exploring the caves, they retraced the route to Medmenham for tea before continuing the ride back to Newbury.
Sunday Run to Hampton Court 1936
September 20th, 1936, the club run was to Hampton Court. Leaving the marketplace at 9am, once again the run went along the Bath Road to Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Ascot and Sunninghill. The group then stopped for lunch at Virginia Water and admired the waterfall in Windsor Great Park where they met a large number of other cyclists. The run pushed on to Staines and eventually to Hampton. Whilst only having a little time they decided to visit the gardens on this visit. After a few hours they retraced to Staines and Wokingham where they had a tea stop. Following roads back to Aldermaston and Greenham Common the arrived back in Newbury having covered around 100 miles.
Thames Valley Run to Shillingford 1937
Heavy rain did nothing to interfere with the club run to Shillingford (obviously a popular venue, see 1936). They departed from Newbury in heavy rain along the Bath Road before turning to pick up a tail wind along the Pangbourne Road, at Pangbourne they took the Oxford-Reading Road and stopped at the New Inn, Shillingford for lunch and later for tea. After tea the run retraced via Streatley where they turned right up Streatley Hill to Aldworth where they took the Ridgeway before eventually arriving at Hampstead Norris and Hermitage where they grabbed even more refreshments before arriving back in Newbury at 8.15pm.
Adventures in the Snow 1937!
There are always hardy folk who enjoy riding in the snow and Road Club members appear to have been particularly hardy! “One of the hardest club-runs ever ridden” was the verdict of the ride on 14th March 1937 to Avebury. A strong north westerly blew sleet and snow in the riders faces as they took the road to Hungerford. At Hungerford it was practically impossible to see the road ahead, but the riders ploughed on going into the gale. Savernake was deserted, as was the Bath Road, apart from club members. The police in Marlborough were warning motorists of the inadvisability of continuing westward because the Bath Road was snow bound in two places, but the club continued... At West Overton conditions deteriorated and they adopted the policy of “every man for himself”. After East Kennett the members took a road two feet deep in snow and eventually reached their destination, Avebury!
After lunch the club explored the ancient monuments and the stone avenue before again reaching the Bath Road and Silbury Hill. Tea had been scheduled for Pewsey, but they wisely decided to retrace the direct route home. After a couple of spills on the way home the riders eventually reached Newbury in time for tea.
Afternoon Run to Stanford-in-the-Vale, 1937
In the afternoon after the Smith Shield handicap 25-mile time trial, the club run went to Stanford-in-the-Vale via the Lambourn Valley climbing over the Downs to Wantage and crossing the Ridgeway. The Wantage side of Stanford the riders had to dismount and walk through a flood 21 inches deep for half a mile. Similarly on the return journey the riders met another water splash near Snelsmore Common after the “Marquis of Granby” public house, the water coming over the pedals. Fortunately, the rest of the ride was incident free!
Visit to Spithead Naval Review, 1937
One of the most interesting days in the life of the club in 1937 was a run to Spithead on Sunday May 16th to see the Naval Review. The run left Newbury via the road to Winchester and through Twyford, Fishers Pond and Botley. From Botley the club continued to Lee-on-Solent where a large fleet of warships were anchored which were to be inspected by the King the following Thursday. The size of the ships gradually increased as they approached Gosport. A ferry was taken to Portsmouth where they had lunch. From Clarence Pier a motorboat took the club members around the fleet where they saw the Royal Yacht “Victoria and Albert” which was anchored in the harbour. The return run via Winchester was the same as the outbound run, eventually reaching home after a ride of 106 miles and an interesting spectacle.
Club Run to Stokenchurch and Speed Judging Contest, 1937
The end of May heralded the warmest day of the year and a ride to Stokenchurch and the River Thames. The club left Newbury at 9am and made for Reading crossing the river then through Caversham and Shiplake. They had lunch in Stokenchurch, after which they dropped down to Marlow and held a speed judging contest. Each competitor had a riding speed drawn for them which they had to adhere to over a two-mile course. The three most accurate riders were T. Turner 30 seconds too fast (6% error), E.L. Bance 45 seconds too fast (7% error) and W. Fullwood, 60 seconds too fast (8% error). They had tea in Maidenhead and Newbury was reached after riding along the Bath Road and a grand total of 84 miles.
Two Day Tour of the West Country, 1937
In August 1937 the club held a two-day tour of Wessex. The run started at 5.30 am and headed south towards Whitchurch, Longparish and Stockbridge before reaching Romsey on the south coast. In Romsey they stopped to view the Abbey and King John’s shooting-box. After refreshments they headed to Cadnam having taken some “picturesque” photographs of a waterwheel before eventually arriving in Lyndhurst and a ride to the sea at Christchurch. The ruined Priory was visited and then the ride continued to Bournemouth which even in 1937 was crowded with visitors. After riding to Swanage and the Nine Barrow Down they ended up at Peveril Point and a detour took them to Durlston Head and the Castle before ending up in Corfe Castle for tea.
Leaving the Castle behind, the riders were unsuccessful in finding accommodation first at Corfe and then in Wareham and Lytchett Minster before eventually finding accommodation for the night in Poole. The following day the weather was hot as they headed for Ringwood and the New Forest riding north until crossing into Wiltshire. Lunch was in Salisbury where they visited the Roman remains of Old Sarum. The riders descended off the hills into the Avon Valley through Burford, Netheravon and then on to Chalton. The run stopped in the Vale of Pewsey for tea before riding on through Burbage, Grafton and Marten Village riding on to Hungerford where they had refreshments. It was only a short stretch back to Newbury arriving at 9.15 pm and 180 miles of riding with no mechanical issues to spoil the day!
Club Run to Wherwell, Free-wheel competition and the Photographic Section, 1937
The Wherwell run was one of the “shortest” runs of the club year, although the report in October 1937 doesn’t state how far they rode, when combined with the freewheeling competition, the photographic section also had an outing, it was a full day.
The run left Newbury via the Andover Road to St. Mary Bourne, Hurstbourne Priors and the River Test. They had lunch at “Ash Burn Rest”, where the Photographic Section used the opportunity to take some pictures. A further three miles on and at Wherwell the riders took further refreshments and visited and admired the village and its stream where trout darted around being fed by a local villager.
The free wheel competition was held on a quiet road. Competitors being given a handicap allowance in yards according to their weight. The last rider off was M. Parker who covered a mile with the next nearest W. Fullwood at 7/10ths of a mile and in third place G. Richards. Free wheel competitions have been a staple of club life in the off season for many years. However, most of them are not handicapped, so this is probably quite unusual.
The ride home was via Sutton Scotney where they had tea.
Run to Bablock Hythe, 1937
This was a new ride in the club’s program in October 1937. The club rode over the Ilsley Downs to Chilton, Steventon and then Abingdon and the River Thames. They crossed the river by ferry before reaching Bablock Hythe. (The hand-propelled cable ferry dated back to the 13th century and was in use up until the late 1950’s.)
After lunch the club held two competitions near Stanton Harcourt. The first was a slow bicycle race run off in two heats over a course of 40 yards, with the last rider completing the course the winner; riding backwards was not allowed! E.L. Bance and H. Roberts reached the final with the latter, a new member, winning. In between events the club viewed the Devil’s Quoits, a stone circle near the village of Stanton Harcourt.
The second competition the club held was a speed judging competition. The competition was held over three miles where each rider was given a specified time and the rider closest to their time was declared the winner. W. Fullwood drew 12 m.p.h. and was 3.9% away, E.L. Bance also drew 12 m.p.h. and was 4.4% away from his designated speed, and third was Gwendolyn Richards who drew 17 m.p.h. with an error of 6.5%. Fullwood secured victory after apparently calculating the number of pedal revolutions required with his 73-inch gear!
Mystery Run
Tradition has it that the club held a mystery ride in the autumn led by the vice-captain, who in 1937 was A.J. Ball. The route took the riders out of Newbury by way of Greenham Common to Kingsclere and Basingstoke where they enjoyed the autumn colours before eventually arriving at Selborne where the club admired the church, and a yew tree believed to be dating back some 1,200 years. After refreshments the club rode up a zig-zag path leading to Selborne Common where they dismounted and walked through the trees and bracken where they were able to enjoy the grand view over the village.
After the Selborne stop the ride took them to Woolmer Forest, Bramshott down to the River Wey making way for the Devil’s Punchbowl. The newspaper reports were strewn with local history. Nearby to the Punchbowl was Gibbet Hill, where a marked stone stood, placed in memory of an unknown sailor who was murdered on the spot. The three murderers were subsequently hung at the same spot. The run then proceeded via a circuitous route to Frensham village and Frensham Ponds. Newbury was eventually reached in dense fog at 8.15pm.
One Hundred Miles in Berks and Oxfordshire, 1937
To lend support to W. Fullwood who was riding a 25-mile time trial, organised by the Oxonian Cycling Club, members of the Road Club made an early start on a Sunday morning in early June for a ride to the course north of Oxford. The club saw Fullwood record a time of 1 hour 10 minutes 28s. After the event they rode to Wallingford, cycling along the Thames, passing Shillingford and Dorchester, where apparently a heron had been spotted which, it was reported was a “rare bird in this district”. After reaching Oxford the club went northwest to Woodstock and minor roads were taken to Stonesfield where according the NWN, Roman remains were discovered the previous year, but unfortunately the club members were unable to see them as the excavations had been covered over. After a few miles along a cart track, they arrived at the village of North Leigh. Eventually the route took them to Faringdon and the Vale of the White Horse where they stopped in Stanford for tea. From there the route was back via Wantage and over the Ridgeway before riding back into Newbury via Snelsmore Common, getting home at 9 pm, after a long day’s ride.
Easter Tour to Brighton, 1938
At 5.30am on Easter Sunday the club left for their weekend ride to Brighton. The route started across Greenham Common before heading towards Guildford and the Hog’s Back where a stiff north easterly slowed progress. The journey continued to Dorking where they had lunch in the shadow of Box Hill. Continuing the riders reached Reigate. With the wind on their backs, they followed the main road from London to Brighton and on to Crawley where they made a short detour past the “Gatwick Aerodrome” where after an interesting, conducted tour, several members went for an “enjoyable flight”! Following that excitement the run continued to Brighton for the evening where the group split up for the night’s accommodation.
The Monday morning was spent on the front before commencing the return journey along the coast road through Hove and Shoreham.
Run to Ashbury, April 1938
April 3rd, the club held a run to Ashbury. The route taken was along the Lambourn Valley stopping for lunch at Upper Lambourn. They climbed into the hills past Alfred’s Castle until the “Green-road” commonly known as the Ridgeway was reached. This took the riders to Wayland Smith’s Cave – a “heap of large blocks of stone”! The main road then took the riders down to Ashbury on the edge of the Vale of the White Horse. The run followed a route towards Highworth before a decision was made to head to Faringdon and a few miles further to Stanford-in-the-Vale for tea where they met the afternoon section. After tea they had a game of baseball “to fill the time” before a ride back via Wantage and westward over the hills to Great Shefford where they had further refreshments, finally returning to Newbury.
Cycling in the New Year 1938
The club held an evening run to Grimsbury Castle near Cold Ash (a few miles from Newbury) to see the New Year in. The run went via Donnington where they stopped at an “Inn” for refreshments, and then a further stop near Chieveley where they had a “hearty” meal and played games until 11.30pm. After riding towards Redshute Hill, near Hermitage, they made their way up the hill to the ancient earthworks of Grimsbury Castle, and at midnight the riders “choir” sang in the New Year. Donning capes as the rain fell, they made their way back to Newbury. Apparently, this run marked the 14th year of the club existence, since it was founded in 1924 (or 1925?) and had proven to be well attended.
Run to Woodstock, Oxon, 1938
It was interesting to note that in the run report in March 1938, this ride qualified as a “hard run”, apparently due to the wind which blew “unfavourably” throughout the day. The riders followed a route from Newbury through Hermitage and Compton before joining the main road to Oxford. After a “further nine miles” they reached their destination Woodstock. Apparently, there were tandems on the ride which sheltered the solo riders from the wind. The riders then visited Blenheim Palace enjoying the extensive grounds and the immense Victory Statue. The return leg was back through Stannton Harcourt, Kingston Bagpuize and to Stanford-in-the-Vale for tea. After riding back to Newbury via Wantage, Great Shefford and the Lambourn Valley, they had ridden 82 miles in total.
Spring at Virginia Water, 1938
Fortunately, the weather had improved by mid-March when the club held a run to Virginia Water. They left Newbury in brilliant sunshine cycling via Reading and Wokingham before passing through Ascot and arriving at Virginia Water where stepping off their bikes the members made for the lake and a walk around the shoreline where they found a shady spot for lunch. The return journey took them back to Wokingham where they met the afternoon section for tea. Riding back to Newbury, once again, they broke the journey with refreshments in Woolhampton, arriving home at 8.15pm.
Run to Abbots Ann, near Andover 1938
March 1938, the club marshalled the West London Cycling Association’s 25 miles time trial near Newbury. They finished marshalling at 10 am, and so left for a ride to Abbots Ann, “a tiny but interesting Hampshire hamlet”. Taking the road south to Andover they climbed Doyley Hill, through Hurstbourne Tarrant and then Enham. Abbots Ann, 2½ miles the other side of Andover, was where they stopped for lunch.
The report detailed an interesting practice in the ancient church where white gloves are hung from stone walls. Apparently, they “signified that when a member of the community dies five gloves are hung onto an iron frame whereupon the body is said to have passed once they have decayed”.
The return Journey was via Bullington and the main road between Newbury and Winchester for a short distance, stopping at Sutton Scotney for tea. After which the club strolled through the village. The route back was via Whitchurch, and they reached Newbury at 8.30pm.
Starkey Club Run Attendance Shield
By mid-March 1938 competition for the run attendance shield was hotting up. S. Payne was leading with 24 points with Gwendolene Richards in second with 22 points and the club captain Jack Ball with 18 points.
Sunday Visit to Bath
In May 1938 the club held a ride to Bath. The wind was a southerly veering westerly which was not helpful, but nonetheless they kept a good pace for the ride. They rode along the Bath Road from Newbury taking them past Savernake Forest and Marlborough before stopping near Silbury Hill for lunch. Eventually climbing to Cherhill they rode through Calne and Chippenham before arriving in Corsham where they enjoyed views from Box Hill. Eventually they descended to Bathford and Bath was reached at noon after 50 miles.
After all that riding, they discovered the Roman baths were closed until the mid-afternoon and they were not able to wait due to the long return journey. They retraced the route back, this time up Box Hill and Cherhill, renowned for its White Horse, for afternoon tea. The remainder of the afternoon was accompanied with showers. They stopped again for refreshments in Hungerford before eventually arriving back in Newbury at 8.30pm after 101 miles.
The “Starkey” club run attendance shield competition was getting exciting! Mid-June 1938 and S. Payne was leading (he seemed to be winning everything), with 50 points ahead of G. Richards with 48 points, A.G. Ball with 43 points and A. Hayward and L. Hyder with 36 and 35 points respectively.
Riding in the New Year 1939
Once again club members rode the old year out and the new year in. At 8.30pm the cyclists left Newbury and stopped off for “supper” on the Oxford Road where they stayed until close to midnight whereupon they left and made tracks for Newbury stepping off their bikes two miles from home at 12 o’clock to sing “Auld Lang Syne”.
Afternoon Run to Riseley, January 1939
Competition for the club run attendance trophy was again clearly quite fierce, and three riders, G. Richards, A.L. Payne and A.J. Ball each had nine points at the time of a run at the beginning of January, the points having been reset following the awarding of the trophy last season. The afternoon run went by way of Greenham Common to Padworth and Grazeley, eventually having afternoon tea in Riseley Common. After tea it had turned dark when they made their way through Reading and the ride back home, via Woolhampton, where a second stop was made for refreshments. Newbury was reached late.
Incident Filled Ride to Stanford-in-the-Vale, January 1939
There are some club rides which for one reason or another are full of incident, and so this was the case in January 1939. The run left Newbury over Snelsmore Common to the north, along deserted roads over the Berkshire hills reaching a high point at “Triangle Wood”. Here they had their first incident when a member fell victim to the “puncture fiend”. From the wood the road descended to Wantage by way of Chain Hill, when one rider sped away down the hill, apparently his brake cable snapped, and he was racing along in the “region of 40mph” with a tail wind. Somehow, he managed to get to Wantage without a further problem, although it was not reported how he managed to stop! They resumed the ride only for anther puncture to rear its head. After tea in Stanford the riders were told of flood waters on the Faringdon Road, so presumably they took a detour. The riders then battled back into a strong wind, which blow one rider from her bicycle and sustaining a badly hurt ankle. The rides over the hills along the Lambourn valley proved a battle against the wind and rain, being difficult to travel at more than walking pace. I’m sure the riders were relieved when they arrived back in Newbury after a challenging 64-miles!
Sunday Run along the Thames, March 1939
Many club members today will almost certainly recognise this ride as one which give, or take is still ridden today. Early March 1939 the club run left Newbury along the Bath Road in the direction of Theale and the Pangbourne Lane turning where they headed for Pangbourne and Streatley. Crossing the river to Goring the ride took them to the village of Ewelme for lunch. The small stream flowing through the village supported watercress beds as it does today! The club then followed a route to Crowmarsh, Wallingford and the Thames again before taking the turn to Cholsey village and the Cholsey Downs, before a swoop down to Streatley past Lough Down and the river once again. A turn was taken for Basildon and tea, before eventually reaching Newbury at 9pm after 65 miles.
Club Run Attendance Record Broken
Club runs were continuing to go from strength to strength. In March 1939 it was reported that in the fifteen years since the club’s existence they had never had such a large attendance, and they were seeing new members turn out. The Starkey Club run trophy was proving to be a tussle, with Gwendolyn Richards leading the way with 100% attendance followed by J. Ball and S. Payne in second and third place respectively.
Vice-Captains Mystery Tour
Mystery tours were usually led by either the club captain or vice-captain; in May 1939 this particular mystery tour was led by A. Hayward. The route from Newbury was along the road towards Andover through Hurstbourne Tarrant and then taking a right turn to Penton Mewsey and Penton Grafton passing through Weyhill. The cyclists rode on through several picturesque villages before stopping at Gunner Winterbourne for lunch. After lunch riding through Amesbury, they went past Woodhenge and the Vale of Pewsey. After tea in Pewsey, they made their way home through Burbage and Hungerford arriving back in Newbury after eighty miles.
Meriden Ride, 1939
At the end of May the club, along with many other cyclists, made their annual pilgrimage to Meriden, riding through the night to reach the destination in Warwickshire early Sunday morning. They would take part in the War Memorial service and Peace Rally, attended annually by 10,000 cyclists.
Club Run Attendance Shield, June 1939
Club run attendance was commented on being much higher than in previous years due to an influx of new members. The attendance shield was still being led by Gwendolwne Richards, after the 31st week of the competition, with 51 points and A. J. Ball was second with 49 points.
Club Run to Whipsnade Zoo, August 1939
A small group held a run to Whipsnade at the start of August 1939. The run started at 5am from Newbury heading out on the Bath Road through Reading and Maidenhead Thicket making good time due to a tail wind. Taking a left, they passed through Marlow and High Wycombe, before passing through Chesham and Berkhampsted to the Dunstable Downs where Whipsnade Zoo lay on the summit.
After visiting the Zoo, the return took them past Aylesbury Vale and the northern edge of the Chilterns, mostly on the Icknield Way Roman Road. Descending the riders once again encountered the River Thames at Shillingford where the afternoon section met them for tea.
The route finally took them back through Wallingford and Pangbourne and home after an “amazing” 120 miles!
Hard Riders Test 1936
The Road Club held their annual hard riders test, 100 miles in seven hours, in July in 1936, with ten riders participating. In previous years the time standard for a certificate had been eight hours but the hardy souls thought this too easy, so they changed the challenge such that the ride needed to be completed in seven hours including two mandatory 15-minute stops for food, so the actual riding time limit was 6 ½ hours. This was a tough challenge and proved to be an arduous task but there were nine riders who completed the course within the time limit. The start was at the sixth milestone east of Newbury. The route went via Pangbourne, then Oxford (33 miles) before turning south to East Illsley (50 miles) where they were 8 ½ minutes inside the scheduled time. At Newbury the course went west on the Bath Road to the 17th milestone west of Newbury where they were now a few minutes outside the schedule. The return to Kintbury had a tail wind, and at the cross-roads there was a mandatory 15-minute stop, the finish eventually being reached at the sixth milestone west of Reading where they completed the 100 miles. Nine riders beat the seven hours qualifying time, T. Perring, F. Culham, M. Parker, D Hunt, W. Halfacre, E. Nelson, H. Martin, T. Turner and J. Ball.
Hard Riders Test 1939
The last pre-war report of club events in 1939 was of the hard riders test, once again 100 miles in eight hours – presumably seven hours had proven either too tough or unpopular. Starting from the 56th milestone at 8.30am the course was out along London Road again to Pangbourne Lane and through Pangbourne, Streatley, Wallingford and to Dorchester. From Dorchester they made their way to Abingdon and up and over the Ilsley downs to Chieveley (north of Newbury) for the first stop of 20 minutes.
Riders were back in Newbury after 54 ½ miles and ten minutes behind schedule. The route took them westerly out to Hungerford and Savernake Forest, 17 miles from Newbury. The last part of the run then took them through Hungerford and a stop at Halfway House for refreshments, a further three minutes being lost. A small group of riders turned out to meet the riders at the end of the last leg to Theale. The actual time for the 100 miles was 7 hours 40 minutes with two 20-minute stops. The members who passed the challenge were W. Tegg and Mrs Tegg, G. Richards and R. Attwood.
Racing
Time Trial Results 1936
Date | Distance | First | Second | Third |
25th April 1 | 25 miles | R. Birks (1:12:13) | E. Nelson (1:14:34) | R. Lambert (1:17:02) |
| Handicap | E. Nelson (5:00) | R. Lambert (6:00) | R. Birks (scr) |
12th July 2 | 25 miles | E. Nelson (1:11:07) | M. Watling (1:12:12) | C.N. Gerhardt (1:13:39) |
| Handicap | M. Watling (6:00) | E. Nelson (4:00) | T. Perring (6:30) |
9th August | 30 miles | B. Starkey (1:25:49) | M. Watling (1:25:53) | T. Perring (1:26:23) |
| Handicap | K. Lambert (8:00) | T. Perring (5:00) | M. Watling (3:00) |
20th September 3 | 50 miles | B. Starkey (2:35:40) |
|
|
4th October 4 | 25 miles | R. Taylor (1:14:50) | E. Nelson (1:14:50) | T. Perring (1:15:17) |
| Handicap | R. Lambert (6:00) | R. Taylor (6:00) | T. Perring (3:00) |
1. Smith Handicap Shield
2. Burns Handicap
3. Starkey Challenge – one rider!
4. Championship 25
“Burns” Handicap 25 Mile Time Trial, 1936
The Burns Handicap race in 1936 was held in July on the Bath Road from the “Swan” Inn to the turn at Calcot and then retracing to the “Swan”. There was a stiff south westerly, but the rain held off. R. Birks was off scratch making the turn in 31 minutes 30 seconds before having a puncture and then completing the race on a borrowed machine. The novice M. Watling having never raced before completed the course in 1 hour 12 minutes 12 seconds and was given a six-minute novice handicap, which when deducted from his time meant he won the trophy.
Rider Runs into Back of Car 1936
Unfortunately cycling in poor visibility can occasionally result in accidents. Ted Nelson, of Wickham Heath, forfeited his chance of winning the club 25-mile championship in October when stopping to help an injured club mate. On the corner of Northcroft Lane he came across Jack Ball, the club vice-captain, on the side of the road. Ball had apparently ridden into the back of a stationary car in the thick fog, visibility being only 20 yards, and his bike was badly damaged. Nelson was delayed for several minutes whilst he helped Ball, who was taken to Newbury Hospital. Nelson may well have won the race as he finished second 19 seconds behind the winner, Robert Taylor. The course was from the Swan Bridge on London Road to Calcot Row and back, starting at 8am.
Starkey 50 Mile Time Trial
The racing section was struggling in 1936, the touring section was booming! However, a few riders turned out for the 50 miles time trial in September. The winner was B.H. Starkey in a time of 2 hours 35 minutes 40 seconds; however, he was caught after a few miles into the race by a young rider, T. Perring, both having a ding-dong until the 37½ mile turn at Savernake Forest where the strong head wind on the return leg to Newbury favoured Starkey who eventually won by a clear minute on his younger rival (although club results only show one finisher).
Time Trial Results 1937
Date | Distance | First | Second | Third |
11th April 1 | 25 miles | W. Fullwood (1:14:18) | E. Nelson (1:15:22) | D. Hunt (1:34:59) |
| Handicap | E. Nelson (1:45) | W. Fullwood (scr) | D. Hunt (8:00) |
13th June 2 | 30 miles | T. Froude (1:18:31) | M. Watling (1:21:07) | S. Payne (1:21:12) |
| Handicap | T. Froude (1:00) | S. Payne (1:15:12) | M. Watling (1:00) |
25th July 3 | 25 miles | |||
T. Froude (1:06:09) | W. Butler (1:07:00) | S. Payne (1:07:30) | ||
| Handicap | W. Butler (1:00) | T. Vogel (6:00) | S. Payne (2:30) |
22nd August 4 | 25 miles | T. Froude (1:04:20) | S. Payne (1:06:40) | M. Watling (1:06:55) |
| Handicap | T. Froude (scr) | W. Fullwood (3:30) | M. Watling (2:30) |
1. Smith Handicap Shield
2. Ball Richards 30
3. Burns Handicap Shield
4. Championship 25
Only a small field turned out for the Smith Handicap 25-mile time trial, the weather had been making early season training particularly difficult. The race started at 8am from the “Swan Inn” east of Newbury. A westerly wind made the outward leg to Calcot brisk, although they struggled on the return leg. W. Fullwood, was scratch with E. Nelson his nearest challenger with 1¾ minutes handicap, at the turn Fullwood was leading Nelson by 5 seconds and pulled some more time out on the return leg finishing in 1 hour 14 minutes 18 seconds. E. Nelson was second in 1:15:22 but the handicap time meant he was the winner of the trophy for fastest handicap.
Thirty Miles Time Trial – Record Broken 1937
T. Froude broke the 30 miles record previously set by B.H. Starkey by 57 seconds in a wet and windy race, where two starters failed to complete the course. One giving up at seven miles in Woolhampton and the other just after the turn at 15 miles. Fullwood was generally expected to win by a narrow margin but was down at half distance and was unable to take full advantage of the tail wind home recording a time of 1 hour 22 minutes 58s, with the winner, T. Froude, completing the distance in 1 hour 18 minutes 31s winning by quite some margin from M. Watling in second place in 1 hour 21 minutes 7s. This was also the first time the that the Ball-Richards trophy for the 30-mile time trial had been awarded, presented by Gwendolene Richards and Jack Ball.
Ball-Richards 30 Mile Time Trial Trophy
In the afternoon the weather improved, and the club had a run to Odiham for a farmhouse tea, eventually arriving back home at 9.30pm.
Feeding Station, West London C.A. 100 Mile Time Trial, 1937
It was quite common for the club to provide the feeding station for the West London C.A. 100-mile time trial which was run on the Bath Road with a feed near Savernake Forest. After the last rider had passed through at 11 am, the club continued with a ride to Savernake Forest for lunch and a game of baseball. After the game the club had refreshments in Marlborough and then made tracks for Pewsey for tea. After tea storm clouds were brewing and a tail wind helped the riders make good time back to Newbury before the storm broke over the town.
W. Fullwood rode the WLCA 100-mile TT recording a time of 5 hours 29 minutes 49 seconds in his first 100.
Burns Handicap 25 Mile Time Trial 1937
The Burns handicap 25 was held in August. While a handicap event, the fastest time was recorded by T. Froude who recorded a new club record of 1 hour 4 minutes 20 seconds, recognised as the fastest rider in the district, and only 3 minutes 22 seconds slower than the “English” record which was recorded within a minute of finishing the club race the same day! Froude also won first handicap but as it was one rider one prize this was awarded to Fullwood.
Newbury Riders at Palmer Park Track Meeting
Early June, three riders represented the Newbury club at a Reading Wheelers evening meeting at the Palmer Park Track. Gwendolene Richards came 5th in the half mile ladies race after lying third and in a good position for the first lap, her first race! T. L. Froude won his heat of the 550 yards race in 39 2/5 seconds and was third in the mile heat, however, he was beaten by Charles Helps the National Sprint Champion.
Time Trial Results 1938
Date | Distance | First | Second | Third |
10th April 1 | 25 miles | S. Payne (1:05:34) | T. Froude (1:05:59) | L. Hyde (1:14:54) |
| Handicap | E. Nelson (1:45) | W. Fullwood (scr) | D. Hunt (8:00) |
29th June 2 | 30 miles | S. Payne (1:21:13) | T. Froude (1:21:40) | W. Butler (1:25:03) |
| Handicap | S. Payne (scr) | T. Froude (0:15) | A. Hayward (6:00) |
17th July 3 | 50 miles | S. Payne (2:14:30) | T. Froude (2:15:55) | A. Hayward (2:28:38) |
| Handicap | T. Froude (2:00) | S. Payne (scr) | A. Hayward (7:30) |
14th August 4 | 25 miles | S. Payne (1:03:21) | T. Froude (1:03:33) | J. Thomas (1:04:23) |
| Handicap | J. Thomas (3:30) | T. Froude (0:30) | R. Attwood (6:00) |
4th September 5 | 25 miles | T. Froude (1:04:11) | S. Payne (1:05:49) | J. Thomas (1:06:13) |
| Handicap | T. Froude (0:30) | A. Hayward (5:30) | J. Thomas (1:00) |
1. Smith Handicap Shield
2. Ball Richards 30
3. Starkey Challenge 50
4. Burns Handicap
5. Championship 25
Smith Handicap 25 Mile Time Trial – April 1938
According to reports it was a “perfect morning for speed” for the 25 milers. L. Hyder, a novice rider, was first man off with a six-minute handicap, at half-way he was well inside “evens”, (20 m.p.h.), but unfortunately lost his chain on the return journey losing several minutes. W. Fullwood, second rider off, retired before half distance. The third and fourth riders were T. Froude and S. Payne. At halfway Hyder, Payne and T. Froude recorded times of 36 minutes 55s, 33:20 and 33:50 respectively. Froude reduced his deficit on the return leg and the final times were 1st S. Payne, 1:5:34 (2 min handicap), 2nd T. Froude 1:5:59 (scratch), 3rd L. Hyder, 1:14:54 (6 mins). With his 2-minute allowance, Payne won the Smith Shield for fastest handicap time. The Bance brothers were timekeepers for the race.
West London Cycling Association 25 Mile Time Trial 1938
The Newbury riders have always supported the WLCA time trial events. At the end of April 1938, three riders S.R. Payne, T.L. Froude and W. Fullwood competed in the 25-mile time trial in a field of 161 riders with other London based clubs, and although not featuring in the prize lists performed well recording rides of 1:7:59 and 1:8:17 respectively, whereas Fullwood was a little of form recording 1:13. The Road Club provided the marshals and timekeepers for the event.
Ball-Richards 30 Mile Time Trial, 1938
The club held the annual 30-mile time trial in late May. The strong wind made the race tough going on the return leg. T.L. Froude was the first rider off reaching the turn in 34 minutes 10s, but the second rider S. Payne raced to the turn 25 seconds faster at an average speed of nearly 28 miles per hour! However, the stiff breeze made the return leg particularly tough, Payne recording 47 minutes 28s and Froude 47 minutes 30s. No-one was able to get inside “evens” (20mph) for the return leg, with Payne getting the better of Froude in the end with a time of 1hr 21minutes 13s to 1 hr 21minutes 40s. The two Bance brothers E.R. and E.L. were responsible for the handicapping and all the participants were covered by 2 minutes 38s, which was quite impressive. Payne was first handicap, but T.L. Froude was awarded the prize due to the one-rider-one-prize rule. Following the race the club held a run to Yattendon for tea.
Newbury Members in Open Races and Time Trials, 1938
In June 1938 members were actively involved in riding local races. S. Payne and W. Fullwood competed in the Oxonian Cycling Clubs open 25 recording times of 1hr 5mins 46s and 1hr 12mins 31s respectively, the winner J. Smith of Farnborough recording 1hr 3mins 40s. Payne was close to his personal best and missed the handicap prize by a minute.
At recent races in Reading in a half-mile race on rollers, with bicycles with a 60-inch gear, Gwendolene Richards missed out on first place by 1/5th of a second, the winner recording 65 seconds. A.G. Ball, in the men’s races, won his heat in 53 1/5th seconds but was eliminated in the semi-final.
S. Payne took part in the WLCA 100-mile time trial for clubs L-Z on the Bath Road Course, in June 1938, which started from Pangbourne Lane and turned at Savernake Forest, the finish near Theale, recording an actual time of 4 hrs 57 mins 22 s easily breaking the club record of 5 hrs 15 mins 44 s and the first club member inside “evens” for the distance. He would have been even quicker but for the fact he was five minutes late to the timekeeper! Apparently, this was his first attempt at the distance, so a great achievement.
Club members were out at the feed station at the Savernake turn for both events for clubs beginning with L-Z and then those beginning with A-K club section in July. After the race in June, they spent the time cycling to Burbage and Pewsey, before eventually arriving home at 8pm, whereas in July they played a game of cricket after the last man had come by, before having a similar ride to Pewsey for tea and then Hungerford for more refreshments eventually returning to Newbury at 8.15 pm. Cricket paraphernalia was provided by club members and presumably carried by them too!
At the Old Basing grass track sports events, held recently in T. L. Froude was extremely successful winning the half-mile, mile and five miles races. The club hoped to be able to send a team to the various track events at Palmer Park in Reading. Froude also demonstrated his prowess on the cycling track in Reading finishing second in a one lap handicap, first in a four-lap handicap and a two-lap handicap.
In September 1938 Newbury Road Club and Reading Wheelers went face-to-face in an interclub 25-mile time trial, resulting in victory for the Wheelers with an aggregate time of 4 hours 25 minutes 2 seconds versus the Road Club of 4 hours 28 minutes 43 seconds. However, the Road Club were up against it as the fastest time was recorded by Tilley of the Wheelers who set a club record of 1 hour 3 mins 16 seconds.
Time Trial Results 1939
Date | Distance | First | Second | Third |
23rd April 1 | 25 miles | J. Thomas (1:09:10) | S. Payne (1:10:01) | R. Attwood (1:10:19) |
| Handicap | R. Attwood (5:00) | W. Fullwood (7:00) | A. Hayward (5:00) |
7th May 2 | 30 miles | J. Thomas (1:23:13) | W. Fullwood (1:26:54) | R. Attwood (1:28:07) |
| Handicap | W. Fullwood (7:00) | B. Piper (7:00) | J. Thomas (scr) |
17th July 3 | 50 miles | J. Thomas (2:22:07) | W. Tegg (2:28:19) | W. Fullwood (2:31:28) |
| Handicap | W. Fullwood (10:00) | J. Thomas (scr) | W. Tegg (4:00) |
16th July 4 | 25 miles | W. Harrison (1:05:01) | S. Payne (1:05:44) | W. Tegg (1:07:47) |
| Handicap | W. Harrison (6:00) | A. Hayward (5:00) | W. Tegg (4:00) |
1. Smith Handicap Shield
2. Ball Richards 30
3. Starkey Challenge 50
4. Burns Handicap
Smith Handicap 25 Mile Time Trial
In 1939 the club started the year with the Smith Handicap and chose a harder and hillier course than usual (no report of course specifics!), with the addition of a strong north-westerly wind. The fastest rider on the day was by A. Thomas, with R. Attwood winning the handicap award with an adjusted time of 1hr 5mins 19s. Once again E.R. and E.L. Bance were timekeepers.
Ball-Richards 30 Mile Time Trial
The club 30-mile time trial in 1939 had “surprisingly few entrants”. A.J. Thomas was the fastest to the turn at 15 miles with a time of 39 mins 52s and he maintained his lead throughout to win in 1 hour 23 mins 13 s. B. Piper, riding his first-time trial went out fast and was second quickest at 15 miles but lost time on his return to finish in fourth place.
Burns Handicap Trophy 25 Mile Time Trial.
The Burns Handicap time trial was the most popular event of the year in 1939 with nine entries. The outward leg was impacted by the westerly wind, but the riders return was far speedier. Harrison, better known as a grass track rider, took the cup for first handicap as well as actual time recorded. The Bance brothers were timekeepers and C.W. Burns was present at the finish.
Record Attempts
Attempt at Club 100 Mile Record 1937
Place to place records and distance records were an important aspect of club racing life pre-war – the lack of road furniture probably helped. The NWN carried a lengthy column in September 1937 describing a failed attempt by W. Fullwood to break the 100 miles record, previously standing at 5 hours 15 minutes, although working extremely hard he missed by 10 minutes, being described as a “plucky attempt”. The course started at Newbury and went east along the Bath Road to Theale, where he turned left to Pangbourne and continued to Littlemore near Oxford, turning and retracing back to Newbury, then west towards Savernake Forest and the turn back to Newbury and 100 miles. Fullwood was 4 minutes outside schedule but the strong head wind to Savernake had obviously sapped his strength and he was unable to make this up on the final leg back to Newbury indeed he was pushed further in arrears recording a time of 5 hours 25 minutes 10 seconds.
Newbury Hungerford Record Attempt 1937
At the end of August 1937 T. Froude made an unsuccessful attempt on the Newbury-Hungerford and back record. This was previously set by C. Westripp in 1929. Westripp apparently had a perfect day with no wind, however Froude appears to have had a stiff south easterly breeze, and his time of 44 minutes 11 seconds was 14 seconds short of the record.
Froude made a second attempt on the record in September. This time, with the benefit of a southwest wind he was well inside the record at Eddington Bridge, Hungerford and his fast finish assisted by the wind meant he completed his attempt in 43 minutes 10 seconds, 47 seconds inside the old and reputedly the most difficult club record.
Tandem Record Newbury to Reading and Back
In August 1939 Fullwood and Riseley recorded figures for the Newbury to Reading and back standard time of 1 hour 19 mins 28 s. No time being recorded previously. The ride started from Newbury Broadway but where the turn was was not mentioned.
Cross Country Racing - Rough-Riders Race
The annual Rough Riders event in 1937 was held over 6 1/5 miles starting from the “Carnarvon Arms” on Sunday afternoon. The route went over the toughest tracks that could be found dropping down past Highclere railway station along a “stiff muddy rutted lance” known as Ox Drove, crossing the river Enbourne and past Horris Hill School, eventually finishing in a lane adjacent to the Andover Road near Sandpit Hill. The fastest finisher was R. Lambert in 30 minutes 40 seconds. Not surprisingly several riders punctured!
Sunday 27th March 1938, the Rough Riders event was also held over tracks and unclassified roads south of Newbury. The event started at Newtown Common, again a difficult course was marked out including unclassified cart tracks, gullies, water splashes, steep gradients; a treacherous surface guaranteed. The course was 8 1/5th miles long and included the “Ox Drove” a particularly bad stretch.
The fastest time was recorded by S.Payne 30mins 35 secs.
S. Payne | 30m 35s |
M. Watling | 31m 8s |
V. Robbins | 31m 13s |
R. Lambert | 31m 25s |
E.R. Bance | 31m 42s |
M. Parker | 34m 16s |
Considering the severity of the course there were no punctures or other mishaps reported. At the end of the event the riders chose a circuitous route to take them to the “The Swan” inn Kingsclere where they had tea, and later a walk in the village.
AGM
Annual General Meeting 1936
The 1936 AGM was held on February 2nd at the “George and Dragon Hotel” in Newbury. It was reported that the club was in a “good financial position” although there was a comment suggesting some work was needed on membership numbers. Once again Councillor R.C. Clifford was re-elected as President with C.W. Burns vice president and C. Luff chairman. E.R. Bance and S.J. Smith were again both elected as secretaries. The captain for 1936 was J. Ball and R. Birks vice-captain. The Bance brothers were re-elected to the post of timekeepers and further committee members were appointed. The club decided to promote a new event in 1936, a 25-mile time trial specifically for novices. They took the steps to reduce membership fees from 6s to 4s 6d with an extra 2s for those wishing to join the N.C.U. (National Cyclists’ Union). They also voted to form a camping section with B.H. Starkey as secretary. A hard riders test would be held again, 100 miles to be completed in 7 hours – a little more of a challenge than previously!
Ladies Section Formed 1937
The Annual Meeting of the Road Club in February 1937 was a landmark event. Ladies were present for the first time at the annual meeting. The club discussed the formation of a lady’s section, and the proposal was passed – although there appears to have been some dissent amongst club members. Since the inception of the club eleven years previously the club had been for men only, but the rule was amended at this meeting. The meeting agreed that if ladies joined, they would be represented on the committee.
The officers of the club were re-elected unopposed with the Mayor, Councillor R.C. Clifford, elected as president and Councillor C.W. Burns elected as vice-president. Mr C. Luff was elected chairman and E. Lovett Bance and A.J. Ball captain and vice-captain respectively. The joint secretaries were Edwin R. Bance and Sidney J. Smith.
The club discussed the urgent fact that members needed to be covered by third party insurance, which could be covered by N.C.U. (National Cyclists’ Union) club affiliation. The club decided that members rejoining the club must also join the N.C.U. unless otherwise covered.
The racing program for 1937 would remain the same but with the deletion of the “Starkey” 50 miles time trial.
The evening was finished with members taking part in community singing and a stop-watch competition!
Notice of Annual General Meeting, 1938
The AGM in 1938 was to be held at the George and Dragon in Newbury. All those wishing to attend were asked to notify the secretary Mr. E.R. Bance, 120 King’s Road Newbury. Unfortunately, no report of the AGM was found in the Newbury Weekly News.
Annual General Meeting, 1939
The 1939 AGM was held at the end of January at the “George and Dragon Hotel” in Newbury. Mr C. W. Burns was elected president and Mr R C Clifford vice-president (note they appear to have reversed roles), Mr C Luff elected chairman and A. J. Ball captain and press secretary, were all re-elected. S. L. Payne and S. J. Smith were re-elected joint honorary secretaries and E.L Bance, founder of the club 15 years earlier and his brother E R. Bance timekeepers. Vera Pocock, W. Fullwood and M. Parker were also appointed to the committee.
The decision was made that the number of races for the 1939 season would be the same as the previous year with a roughrider, “hardriders” 100 in 8 hours, hill climb, two handicap 25 miles time trials, the championship 25, the club 30- and 50-mile events. The club also proposed associating itself with the Reading Wheelers and Slough C. and A.C. in the promotion of an interclub 25 miles event.
The club magazine, “The Open Road” would be published every quarter with various touring and racing features with A. J. Ball the editor. Unfortunately, no copies exist today.
General Meeting, August 1939
August 13th after a Sunday club run, members held a General Meeting in Newbury. Officers were elected, namely chairman, C. Luff, secretary, S.J. Smith, racing secretary W.T. Fullwood, captain, S. Payne and M. Parker vice-captains, ladies representative G. Richards. It was not reported why they held this general meeting mid-year, but this would have been one month before war was declared in Europe.
Annual Dinner & Prize Presentations
Prize Giving at George and Dragon Hotel 1937
The annual prize giving in 1937 was held at the “George and Dragon Hotel” in Newbury. The trophies and medals were presented by the president, Councillor R.C. Clifford, and the vice president, Councillor C.W. Burns.
The Smith Shield, donated by the secretary, Mr. S. G. Smith for first handicap over 25 miles was won by E. Nelson and the fastest actual by W. Fullwood. The club 30 cup was won by T. Froude with the first handicap award to S. Payne. The Burns handicap trophy, won by C.W. Burns 40 years earlier when riding for the Guildhall Cycling Club, was won W. Butler, first handicap with the fastest time again going to T. Froude.
In the championship 25 Froude won the event in the time of 1 hr 4 mins 20s. Froude breaking three club records in the season, the 25, 30 and Newbury-Hungerford and back, the latter in 43 mins 10s. The Starkey Club Run Attendance Shield was won by E. Lovett Bance, the captain with 73 points, Jack Ball, the vice-captain was second (71 points) and Gwendolene Richards third (59 points). Since joining the club Richards had not missed a club run.
Entertainment for the evening was provided by club member, Mr Harry Martin, singing at the piano, Mr G. Bradford on guitar and Mr H. Robson, saxophone.
1937 was a boom year for the club, new members had joined, and more members were regularly attending club runs. The points total for club runs had increased from 516 to 647, with average attendance up two more than the previous year. Racing members had been riding well and recording times unheard of a few years previously.
The President thanked the club for the support given to him whilst he was Mayor and organising the Coronation Celebrations. Mrs Bance and the ladies of the club were thanked for making club costumes used during the procession in Newbury. The vice-president endorsed the remarks and as on former occasions spoke of the need for rear lights as opposed to reflectors which it was hoped, would lessen the accident toll on the road, especially from running down from behind. There had been a number of reports in the NWN of cyclists being hit and killed in these particular types of collision.
Social Activities
Map Reading Competition, 1937
The club captain and vice-captain organised a Map Reading competition to test competitors’ knowledge of the district, riders were given a check card with various questions to answer when visiting villages in the district. The course took riders via Long Lane to Hermitage and Hampstead Norris and then on to Wyld Court, where they took a turn to Ashampstead, Yattendon and Frilsham Common. The last check point was at Wellhouse. The event was won by N. Gerhardt who covered the 26 miles in 1 hour 19 minutes 55s.
Map Reading Contest, February 1938
This competition started from Newbury Market Place and riders went through the Lambourn Valley to Great Shefford and up to Shefford Woodlands. The route went along the road to Baydon and then riders returned to Shefford Woodlands continuing to Wickham and Stockcross. The course then took them to the outskirts of Newbury, finishing at Castle Houses, Speen, after 20 miles of undulating roads. The riders had to find various points of interest on the route from the questions they were given and note them down, in total seventeen questions. The winner with the fastest time and greatest number of points was M. Parker, who completed the course in 1 hour 10 minutes 16 seconds and had 15 correct answers.
Map Reading Competition 1939
In January 1939 the map reading competition was clearly particularly taxing, with the problems being a real test of map reading ability and knowledge of the surrounding countryside. The quickest time was 1hr 17 mins 25s by S.L. Payne but as the winner was decided by a combination of speed and skills in answering the questions that had been set, it was J. Ball who won in a time of 1hr 20mins 41s but having all the correct answers, giving him an overall score of 97 per cent. The challenge had been set by G. Richards.
Treasure Hunt March 1939
W. Fullwood organised a treasure hunt in March 1939. Clues were found at Halfway, (on the Bath Road), Wickham, near the Winding Wood and Hungerford Newtown and the last clue was found near Lambourn. This indicated that the treasure was to be found near Weyland Smith’s Cave on the Ridgeway. Four prizes had been concealed and these were eventually found with prizes awarded to L. Hyder, E.R. Bance, M. Parker and E.L. Bance. Lunch was then had in Ashbury before a ride through the lanes took them to Stanford-in-the-Vale for afternoon tea.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the secretaries and press secretaries of Newbury Road Club who have submitted copy to the Newbury Weekly News, which has been abstracted from microfilm copy held at the Newbury Library, to provide many of the stories in this chapter. Time trial results have been abstracted from club records and a debt is owed to the secretaries who have maintained these records which are held in the club archive. The authors would also like to express gratitude to Gordon Fry for reviewing and proofing the content.
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