A detailed inspection of the National competitions listed in the December 'Veteran' showed that for the first time a team of six Wessex riders figured in the National BAR.
The best of these was Julian Jenkinson in 2nd place as well as having the fastest actual BAR average yet coming in as low as 28th in the National 3 Distance Competition (all finishers above him being at least seven years or more older) and Nick Bowdler was 4th in the Bar and in 2nd place in the table on actual BAR averages.
Four members (Terry Icke, Lesley Walkling Steve Walkling & John Woodburn) set new National Age records.
Finally Ron Osborne at 80 years of age is the first Wessex member of that age to appear in the list of Over 70 riders for some few years now but regrettably the name of Ian Windall was missed out for the second successive year.
I also spotted the name of Clive Chappe (ex Reading CC) who transferred from our Group a few years ago in the results of three championships results of the South Wales Group.
Numbers attending the Lunch on February 13th were well down on last year.
None the less aal those who did come all seemed to enjoy themselves.
Unfortunately, at the last minute, John Woodburn could not come because of urgent family health problems (and not because he had volunteered to act as MC on the occasion) but luckily our immediate past Chairman Nick Carter was willing to step in at short notice to help out.
Another apology had been received from James Fuller (BJW) who had printed all the annual record booklets and Standards & Records Certificates sent by e-mail to him by our webmaster Steve Brown.
Steve's own very old printer had been replaced recently & was not yet set up to print other than in paper form.
James had earlier submitted an entry for the National 3 Distance Competition but somehow or other his achievements: 1.1.53, 2.7.54 and 4.45.00 giving him a plus of 52.14 were not recorded in the National Tables.
Brian Hall changed roles and, instead of being MC he was our guest speaker.
He gave a good informative and good humoured talk about his introduction to cycling from his teenage years to the end of his apprenticeship following which he did National Service ending up in Germany - he regretted not contacting Major Harry Keates (well known to many members present as a past official of the Group and a very successful rider for very many years)) who ran Army Cycling then and so did not ride his bike at all during this time.
His talk stirred up many memories of riding fixed wheel cycles with a bell on single carriage way roads with U-turns when the amount of traffic about was minimal.
Following his talk his wife Ros wife presented the prizes.
Both BAR winners were missing but Jack Brown (with five trophies & a shield) and Terry Icke (three trophies & a South DC Trophy) took the bulk of our Group Trophies and they both were successful with other placings in the Championship events last season.
Other prize winners were as listed in the previous 'Veteran' magazine.
My thanks go to all who assisted me with the event but especially Peter Warhurst, Steve Brown & Joan Price.
A number of members have qualified for Honorary Group Membership in the past few months namely Dick Evans (Portsmouth NECC), Trevor Fenwick (Bournemouth Jubilee Whs.) Chris Gannaway (New Forest CC), Joan Hunt (Farnborough & Camberley CC), Betty Kemp (Alton CC), Ray Needle (Peterborough CC but a long term resident in Lymington) & Ken Waller (also PNECC ).
Dick, Chris & Betty were presented with their certificates at the Lunch and Don Hunt also received his wife?s Certificate there.
Ken Waller (who could not get to the Lunch as he & his wife were on a cruise), Ray Needle & Trevor Fenwick had earlier received their certificates in the post.
I got a very nice letter back from Trevor, who now spends most of the year in France, to the effect that he is still looking forward to again riding kermesses in Belgium (Category 72 years +) and getting out on his new tandem.
He mentions that the star rider in this category is 73 year old Englishman (Ted Battersby from Hull) who still works full time as a plater in a Dutch dockyard who remembers beating John Woodburn once in a time trial - I wonder if John can recall the name & occasion.
I have been advised that another Honorary Life Member Bill McMullen, our oldest Group member, passed away last December aged 96 years.
I personally came across him when I was a teenager (nearly sixty years ago) and had just started cycle racing.
Bill was then living in the Portsmouth area but he subsequently moved to Bournemouth and spent the rest of his life there.
Until ill health forced him to give up his cycling activities with the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers (a club he helped found way back in 1935), he had been very involved with them holding a number of posts over a long period as well as helping at VTTA promotions in the area and being a regular attendee at our Luncheons.
Peter Warhurst, our Group Recorder, has written a more detailed obituary which has been sent for publication towards the end of this edition of the magazine.
His widow Dee (also an HLM) is one year younger & unfortunately not in good health.
Our condolences go out to her and their family.
Our thanks go to Martyn Winter (now resident back in England and living near Banbury after a spell in Wales) who very kindly offered to represent the Group at the VTTA National AGM and Prize Giving the weekend before our Lunch.
He has not been in the best of health in recent years and disposed of all his bikes some time ago.
He was however persuaded to take up leisure riding last year and tells me that even though these outings are necessarily short (even the smallest of gradients are very hard work) he is glad to be back on a bike once again.
One former member (Jim Bawden of North Hampshire RC) is also making a comeback and has recently rejoined the Group.
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