Archive for September, 2013
Strudwick Cycles, Oxford Street, Brighton
A friend sent me this photo copy of Strudwicks 1950 price list, presumably because I lived at Brighton for ten years. In fact I was just round the corner from the shop. Note the justification for a large frame, saving in weight -eh?, Greater rigidity and more lively. I don’t think so Mr Strudwick. Large frames, the norm in the fifties and sixties, was a fashion and a daft one at that.
Bill Bradley leads a Merseyside massacre
Here we have the results for the Merseyside Four day in April 1958 that I today obtained from Johnny Brackstone who led a West London R.C. assault. I bet they wished they hadn’t bothered. The surprise for me is Dave Russell who I only knew from Bootle track in the sixties.
McQuaid goes mad
Just before he loses his post Pat has committed one last act of lunacy. He has decided that the women should be chasing the same prize money as the men at the Worlds. He said “This is a simple, but very important step in our pursuit of a healthy and fair future of our sport,” No it’s not the decision that is simple Pat, it is you.
Just on distance ridden there are no grounds for equal pay but there is more than that. I have attended the Worlds since 1965 although I can’t recall when there was first a women’s race, maybe in the seventies. There just isn’t the same level of competition and intensity and public interest is a fraction of that for the pro race. What do the U23s win? Surely not less than the women and surely not the same as the Pros. The problem is that Brian Cookson, who is deeply immersed in the local government P C culture, is likely to support Pat’s decision.
Butlins two day Road race 1956
I was pleased to come across this result sheet as it is an early record of Bill Bradley’s, career. This is before my time but even so I am surprised how few names ring a bell. Bill and Jackie Lowe from the Southport RCC (Jack is still riding) Bryan Wiltcher of course, Dr Peter Nowell and the Lune team, Pete Southart, Ian Sandbach, Johnny Brackstone of course who led in the bunch on the first day and Ralph Parkin who I raced against when he was a Vet. This’s it .
A Boy, a Girl and a Bike
This photo was taken on 25 June 1949 and Bracky insists it is outside the Palace cinema, Southall. When I pointed out it looks more like a bomb site than a cinema he said it is “round the back, near the market”. Bracky says the cinema was showing A Boy, a Girl and a Bike and the West Twelve R.C. were roped in as part of a publicity stunt but he can’t recall what was involved. John Brackstone is second left and Albert Borsberry is third left. If you recognise anybody post a comment.
