Archive
2 May 2004
Dear fellow members and friends
So as not to fill your in-boxes with separate e-mails, I’m consolidating several things into one circular. Use this index to find the bit(s) you’re interested in.
1. The next ride – Sunday 16 May – Pevensey and Normans Bay
2. Future rides - including 30 May.
3. Report of 2nd ride on Sunday 2 May
4. More on the old Brighton section
5. ‘Clarion café’ ride in Manchester area.
6. From National Secretary – including books and badges
7. Radio 4 programme ‘Pedalling to Freedom’ recordings available for loan.
8. B&H Cycling Representatives Meeting on April 27 2004 Agreed Action Points
Boots!
Ian
1.Next Ride. (3rd of series) Sunday 16 May Pevensey Levels and Normans Bay. Meet at Polegate station on, or to meet, the 10 17 train, which means catching the the 9 41 from Brighton station if you’re using the train. (Meet for train c 9 20). Joyce and Sheila wish to have a swim at Norman’s Bay if the weather is OK – anyone wanting to join them please come prepared. There is a pub but I have no info on it. A picnic on the beach might be best - so bring some sandwiches.
Proposed route: (suggest modifications please) Up the Cuckoo Trail to the vicinity of Summer Hill, then round some of the Levels - Downlash, Rickney, New Bridge, Golden Cross – past Herstmonceux Castle , Wartling, down to Pevensey and then Normans Bay. Return along the seafront to Pevensey and then through Westham and Stone Cross back to Polegate. About 24/5 miles.
Final details next week
2. Future rides. 4th ride. Sunday 30 May - Provisionally Chichester Harbour and Bosham. Starting at Chichester station. Probably down to Sidlesham and a glimpse of Pagham Harbour and then across to West Itchenor where we’ll take the ferry (pedestrians and cyclists only) across the Chichester Channel and from there into Bosham and then back to Chichester via Fishbourne. About 17/18 miles. More details later.
And after that ? . Please don’t be shy in suggesting rides you’d like to do and we definitely need someone other than me to organise the ride on Sunday 13 June, because I won’t be able to be there (See item 5 below). Volunteers please!
3. Report: Sunday 2 May Weatherwise there could not have been a greater contrast with our first effort on the Cuckoo Trail a fortnight previously when we froze in soaked clothing. This time thank goodness the weather was perfect. Six of us made it – Joyce, Sheila, Chris, Sharen, Ed and me – and we were joined at the Bridge pub by Bob who terrified the rest of us with tales of 400 km. (= 250 miles) Audax rides and Colette (who didn’t terrify us at all!) All except Ed - who we lost on the way back, or more accurately he lost the rest of us – had tea at the Shoreham airport terminal – and the consensus was that a good time had been had by all.
4. Former Brighton section. I’m delighted to say that Brian Hutton has re-joined the Clarion. Welcome back, Brian! If anyone hasn’t yet seen his superb account of cycle racing in the late 1940s/early 1950s and would like to let me know and I’ll send you a copy. [ I’m still working on Dave Gravett.] Keep sharp eye for other ex-mbrs please.
5. Clarion Café Ride. Sunday 13 June. If you look in the current issue of Boots and Spurs (p 18) you’ll see an announcement for a ‘social ride’ from the People’s History Museum at the Pump House on the Manchester/Salford boundary, which contains a ‘Clarion café, to the recently restored ILP Clarion Tearoom at Roughlee, in the Pendle Forest. Before we started the B&H section I was briefly a member of the Oakhill section which is organising this event. I’ve arranged to stay with the Oakhill (and national) Secretary Charles Jepson on the Saturday night. If you rode there and back from the Pump House (not recommended) it would be a total of 62 miles. But let me quote a recent e mail from Charles which seems to suggest about 37 miles.
‘ I had a look at the route for the Clarion Cafe ride yesterday and have to say it is not a particularly good route simply due to the urban sprawl of Manchester. Oakhill's plan would be to meet at Oakhill in Whalley (8 miles north of Blackburn) and transport
our bikes to the start using our minibus and box trailer. We don't really have time to rid from Whalley to Manchester as it would mean too early a start. Having reached Roughlee those members who simply want to ride back to Whalley (about six miles) would do so,
those who want a longer ride would simply take a longer circuit back to Whalley.’
And he wants to extend an invitation to you all
’I can offer you 3 rooms: two have double beds and one a single bed. One the rooms is quite large so if anyone was willing to bring a sleeping bag we could probably accommodate as many as you wish to bring. It does seem a bit of a pity to ask you to come to what is a most beautiful part of the country to ride through the streets of Manchester but I thought thesymbolism was quite important, just a pity I didn't
look at the route first!!’ I know the feeling (IB)
I’ll be going by a circuitous route and can only really get one bike in my car anyway, so if you are able to take up Charles’s offer and can make your own way there please e mail him at HYPERLINK "mailto:oakhillclarioncc@yahoo.co.uk" oakhillclarioncc@yahoo.co.uk or phone him on 01254 51302
6. National Secretary’s News. I’ve a copy of the minutes of the annual conference at the Easter Meet and the revised constitution. If you’d like to see either let me know. Main change seems to be that the word ‘National’ is being dropped – just the Clarion Cycling Club from now on – but since the old title remains for bank accounts and letterheads etc for the time being I don’t suppose we will really notice the change.
Charles Jepson tell me he now has copies of the new edition of the excellent and well-illustrated history of the Club , Denis Pye’s Fellowship is Life for £4.95 including postage. Send cheque made out to National Clarion Cycling Club to Charles at Aysgaard, Beardwood Brow, Blackburn, BB2 7AT. He also tells me that ‘We have also placed an order for the manufacture of 'original' Clarion trumpet badges these should be
available in early June. I hope that they will sellwell. We have had various designs of badges in thepast few years but I always suspect that when members
request a badge what they really have in mind are theTrumpet badges.’
7. Radio 4 Programme Lawrence Pollard’s Pedalling to Freedom. (a series of five 15 minute progs) If you missed this, Tim has very kindly copied my cassette onto CD. It includes the progs on the CTC and the final one as well as the Clarion programme featuring Denis Pye (see above) and Merlin Evans the national treasurer. Let me know if you’d liked to borrow either CD or cassette.
8. Cycling Representatives Meeting on April 27 2004 Agreed Action Points
[At Joyce’s suggestion I’ve flagged up our interest in being included in this in future although I could attend this one – and none of you were able to volunteer to represent us.. The next meeting will be towards the end of June. I will attend if possible – but any member who’d like to go instead is very welcome. In any case let me know of points you might want raised. Here’s the report of Roger Simmons, B&H Walking & Cycling Officer ]
Attendees (Some not present for the complete meeting)
Rebecca Duffy, University of Brighton BUG (Chair of the meeting)
Roger Lanham, External Liaison Manager, South Central Trains (SCT)
Martin Ross, Bricycles & Railfuture
John Stanaway, Bricycles & Railfuture
Dave Witts, CTC
Tony Green, Bricycles
Ian Davey, Cycle Training South-East
Liz Beth, Sustrans
Paul Crowther, Principal Public Transport Officer
Roger Simmons, Walking & Cycling Officer
1 Roger Lanham said SCT are considering installing cycle lockers as well
as cycle stands at stations in the city.
2 Roger Simmons said he was liaising with 'Facilities' staff at SCT and
was supporting their consideration of the early implementation of possible
cycle shelters containing cycle stands on the Clermont Rd side of Preston
Park Station.
3 Cycle parking facilities are being considered as part of improvement
proposals being prepared by the council for the Shaftesbury Place side of
London Rd station.
4 Roger Simmons when liaising with SCT will bear in mind Ian Davey's
request for two cycle stands, which could be uncovered, on each side of
Aldrington station.
5 Roger Simmons and Paul Crowther will prepare a council response to the
consultation on the SRA Cycling Policy which includes the issue of Cycles
on Trains. This to tie in with the Action Point at the last meeting on
asking the Department for Transport to consider the feasibility of
alterations to existing trains better to provide for carrying cycles.
6 Roger Simmons will tell Charles Brewerton and Kesh Sharma that Liz Beth
would like a site meeting about inland links to the cliff-top cycle route.
7 Roger Simmons will report Liz Beth's comment to Kesh Sharma that
dandelions are growing through the new cliff-top cycle track east of
Roedean School and generally.
8 Roger Simmons will look into Dave Witts' comment that the seafront
cycle track opposite Grand Ave and to the west needs resurfacing.
9 Tony Green agreed to chair the next meeting which would be on Monday
21, Tuesday 22 or Thursday 24 June.