MickButler wrote:- Found myself in Brum on Monday, had some time to kill before I delivered a VIP Daimler Sovereign so searched the charity shops and found a beautiful copy of the history of "The Southern Wheelers". Fascinating read and I see on the PB page for 1955 the name D.Smith. Is that you Doug? Pretty rapid times for the period
Mick Thanks for the "publicity" it is'nt everyday someone gets a mention "in the dispatches" !
Yes I own up , it was was me as 24 year old riding my "Hills Special" for The Southern Wheelers CC based in then Crawley New Town, Sussex .The book had a 1st. and 2nd publication written by Tony Killick member of the club as a active rider , researcher and collector which still continues to the present day. You are also correct ,our riding and time trialing was mostly on the Sussex and Surrey roads with the majority of courses at all distances being on our doorstep ,some passing my own home, it made things very easy to ride to and from the event . The imfamous "Cherry Tree" 25 mile course on London To Brighton Road named after the pub at the half way turn, no hills in this one which disappeared with the building of then new Gatwick Airport. The South Coast roads with their hills remained untouched up until the middle 1960's when new dual road works made safe riding difficult. Alas the two year call up for National Service at the time took its toll on club life and broke up club racing teams just when they were doing well and sadly many did not return to the sport after their being demobbed. Got themselves married ,"hitched" I believe was the phrase! I'm still active after all those years doing about 80 miles a week around our lovely countryside encouraged this week by the masses of wild Snowdrops flowers along the roadside ,a feature in this part of our world and the sign of Spring.
Doug Smith
North Dorset
UK