Post-war Plans — 1946-48

One of the greatest controversies aroused by a monthly meeting of the Pedal Club was that which prevailed in the cycling Press after the address in January, 1946, by Mr. George Strauss, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport. The well-attended gathering was held at the Connaught Rooms. The topic of massed-start racing was to the fore at this time throughout the cycling world and no-one was surprised when Mr. Strauss roundly condemned this type of racing on the roads. He said: “There is no doubt that massed-start cycle racing on the roads is dangerous and contrary to the public interest. If those who indulge in this form of racing do not act, we will put an end to it”.

At the February meeting, founder-member Bob Haine was the speaker and he said that he would like to see an unlimited and unrestricted membership, with evening functions. Arising from his suggestions, Mr. Haine was asked to formulate a revised constitution. In April, a sub-committee consisting of Messrs. Haine, Penn and Lyford was set up to consider alterations to rules and, at the annual general meeting; the sub- committee’s proposals were accepted, with amendments. The major change was in the definition of the membership qualification, which read: “That membership of the Club shall be confined to all male (sic) persons who are rendering, or who have rendered service to cycling which in the opinion of the members shall warrant their admission.” This qualification still operates.

In an address given in August by A. E. Dawson, of ROSPA, the extensive system of road-training for child cyclists that now prevails was anticipated.

The second post-war year appears to have been comparatively quiet, although Tommy Hill, English Manager of Continental cycling stars, created a stir at the January meeting when he said that the rules of the Belgian controlling body permitted cash prizes to amateurs in road races. This was subsequently denied by the Ligue Velocipedique Beige, which stated that cash payments to amateurs were restricted to expenses.

In September, W. J. Mills (a former, and founder, member), was questioning whether the Club was fulfilling its founders’ intentions. On being pressed to a division, his motion in the negative was lost by 4-16, but his criticisms no doubt found some targets and, if the mixture of metaphors may be forgiven, probably sowed the seeds of future changes.

The annual general meeting in November marked the end of the reign of Adrian Paulet Chamberlin as an officer of the club, notably as secretary throughout the first five years, except for 18 months when the post was filled by George Brake. APC said that his duties in connection with the Olympic Games to be held in Great Britain in 1948 would prevent his continuing as secretary. L. A. Gebel was appointed secretary; and G. E. Martindale was re-elected treasurer, for the second successive year.

During Olympic year of 1948, notable guests and speakers on 28 July were Victor Breyer (UCI president), Frank Small (president, Amateur Bicycle League of America) and S. Bhoot (president, National Cycling Federation of India), as well as a number of Olympic entrants from India, South Africa and the USA.

The interest which the club world was still taking in the massed-start controversy had its reflection at the end of 1947 and the beginning of 1948, when no fewer than four successive meetings were devoted to the subject. These gatherings undoubtedly contributed to the eventual rapprochement between the NCU and the BLRC although at one meeting a majority vote supported national officials of the NCU who said that they could not be involved in discussions with members of a suspended organization! Several leading officials of the League took part in the debates, with Jimmy Kain as the opener of the series in December.

Coasting — 1949 – 51

As the 1949 touring season opened, the speaker in May was Lord Fermoy, whose remarks were widely quoted in the national press: he upheld cycling as a recreation suitable for all ages. Place-to-place record breaking had an airing in December, when Ken Joy spoke about his experiences in the course of his successful attack on the Brighton record. He was supported by two other Best All Rounders, P. A. Beardsmore and F. W. Southall, previous holders of the record.

In December, 1949, Basil Cardew had submitted in the Daily Ex-press a nine-point code to cope with cyclists. Mr. Cardew was invited to address the club at the April, 1950 meeting, when he reiterated his proposals which included impounding of bicycles owned by “offenders” riding without rear lights or not using cycle paths.

Another Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport to address the club was Lord Lucas of Chilworth. His visit was in July, 1950, and after saying that more rear warnings on cycles were necessary and even imminent, he left for the House of Lords before a stormy debate ensued. On this occasion, Macdonald Bailey, world-beating athletic sprinter, was the guest of Dr. C. R. Woodard, who from time to time has introduced many well-known athletes as guests; also, the first woman to attend the Pedal Club made her appearance, a journalist from a national newspaper. This gathering received wide Press coverage and even national leading-article prominence. Such publicity, then as now, was the result of the groundwork of Robert Williamson, then Dunlop Press Officer, whose experience and contacts have been invaluable to the Club.

In the Festival Year of 1951, D. D. McLachlan, Hercules’ Director of Publicity, spoke in April about the Festival of Cycling which was run three months later at Fort Dunlop. Again, the Club was lending advance aid to a big cycling project. The occasion was the first of a series of evening bi-monthly meetings held at The King, Leather Lane.

However, the Club reverted to a luncheon meeting during Cycle Show week of November, 1951, when Reg Harris, world sprint champion, was the speaker at The Horseshoe, Tottenham Court Road, and he told the gathering of 50 that to end the impasse in cycling circles, someone must climb down. The three organisations conducting the sport in Britain should settle their differences, so that their prestige abroad did not sink lower. Sid Patterson of Australia was also a guest on that occasion.

Growing up — 1952-62

At the end of 1951, it became apparent that the Club was not at that time actively fulfilling the intentions of its founders; instead of being simply a vehicle for social meetings, it had to be sustained as the forum of the cycling game, which was again in a period of transition. The Reg Harris meeting had emphasised the keenness and enthusiasm of the membership, provided the speaker was well known and his subject topical.

A group of members, with faith in cycling and in the future of the Club, proposed at the annual meeting in December, 1951, that the business of the Club should be conducted through an executive committee, headed by a president elected annually, and supported by the secretary, the treasurer and a publicity officer. The proposals were accepted, together with another urging the executive to take all appropriate measures within the constitution to re-vitalise the club and secure the attainment of its objects.

Founder member, George Brake, a former secretary, was elected first president, with Don Lyford as secretary, George Martindale was re-elected treasurer and Robert Williamson as publicity officer. Les Gebel, who had intimated that he was unable to continue as secretary, was warmly thanked for his work, practically unaided, as secretary for four years during a most difficult period of the post-war era.

As part of the expansion programme, the meetings held in 1952 saw an increase in the number of public figures who addressed the Club. However, it was a member, H. H. England, who began the year with a talk about raising the status of cycling—an ever-recurring topic. Harry England anticipated much of the present- day propaganda favouring cycling as an aid to healthy living.

Although the innovation did not meet with unanimous approval, there was held in April the first luncheon to which women were officially invited. Not only that the speaker was a woman: Mrs. Lyn Stancer, who spoke about the future of women’s cycle racing. Several meetings during 1952 were held at Jupiter’s Pillars Restaurant, Great Queen Street. It was at this venue—in the cellar, in fact—that the club entertained no fewer than five Members of Parliament: Miss Elaine Burton, Mr. Tom Fraser, Mr. John Parker, Mr. John Rogers and Mr. Ernest Marples. Mr. Fraser thus implemented his earlier promise of gathering together a group of MP’s favourable to cycling.

A well-known speaker from the sporting world in October was Russell Mockridge, popular Australian track-man, who was then an Olympic and Empire Games Champion. In October, too, the club saw a preview in London of the Dunlop film Spinning Wheels.

The increased liveliness and influence of the Pedal Club was evidenced at the 1952 annual meeting, when attendances during the year were reported to have averaged 29 per meeting, compared with 17 in 1951. A visitors’ book was started in May and, in September Phillips’ Cycles presented the club with a chairman’s symbolic gong. Search led to the locating of the founder members’ scroll, which was framed and since then has been on display at every meeting.

At the annual meeting also, the election of new members was delegated to the committee, and it was decided to abolish honorary membership.

The touring side of the Club’s interests was to the fore again in January 1953, when R. C. Shaw spoke about a journey to Lapland. By March, the Club was meeting at the Shaftesbury Hotel and the speaker was Mrs. Jean McLintock, daughter of J. B. Dunlop: one of the Club’s best attended meetings, it included many lady visitors.



In August, the women had it their own way again, with Mrs. Edith Atkins speaking about her Land’s End to John O’Groats amateur bicycle record. She signed the Golden Book of Cycling on this occasion. Present also were Russell Mockridge and Eileen Sheridan.

The rising attendances (during 1953, the average was 33) showed how the Club was progressing. Again the Club was favoured with an invitation to a preview of another Dunlop film, Awheel in Britain.

In the following year, in May, a venerable visitor was Hannen Swaffer, while in August H. H. England told of his 25 years as editor of Cycling.

Concern about the cycle trade was illustrated by a series of meetings at which speakers from trade and industry gave their views on what might be done. The addresses were given by such notable figures as Hugh Palin (Director, British Cycle and Motor Cycle Industries Association), H. L. Shephard (Currys) and D. D. McLachlan (Hercules). These meetings culminated in a dinner—the first formal dinner in the Club’s history— at The Horseshoe, Tottenham Court Road. Under the chairmanship of founder-member A. J. Ballantyne, president of the Club in 1954, representative personalities expressed their faith in the future of cycling. Quite out of the run of previous fixtures was a visit at the invitation of Hercules to the firm’s factories at Manor Mills and Britannia Works, Aston, Birmingham, in May, 1954. On Ascension Day, nearly 30 members went by air on this expedition, which was the first of a number of works’ visits.

The highlights of 1955 were two week- ends awheel, one based on Aylesbury (The Bull’s Head) in March and the other on Guildford (The Angel) in October. Both these fixtures were well attended and set a precedent that is still being followed.

An unusual presentation came in October, when Stephen Arlen, of Sadler’s Wells, spoke on the subject of a Bicycle in the Ballet.

The 1956 attendance figures were the highest since 1952 and the year generally was probably one of the best in the Club’s history, so far as the calibre of the speakers was concerned and the scope of their chosen subjects. Additionally, there was a memorable visit to Fort Dunlop and another autumn week-end, based on Whittlesford (The Red Lion) in Cambridgeshire.

The 1956 speakers included, in February, Dr. F. E. Camps, MD, (Home Office Pathologist) on A Medical View of Road Accidents; March, Mr. Anthony Greenwood, MP, on The Bicycle in the National Economy; in May, E. W. Arkle, chief commercial manager, British Railways – London Midland Region, on Cyclists’ Special Trains; in July, Dr. Adolphe Abrahams, on physical fitness; in September, Ray Booty, 1956 Best All-rounder; and in November, R. A. Adams, Ford advertising manager on Publicity for Cycling. In October, a remarkable film and talk was provided by the sculptor Wilfred Dudeney on the modelling of Eileen Sheridan’s head. An altogether, an impressive year for the Club.

For 1957, the Club followed the established programme of monthly meetings, a works visit and an autumn week-end. The accent on youth was supplied by David Duffield, who spoke in July of his End-to-End record experiences: the Commonwealth angle was struck by H. H. England who, under the general title of Australia’s Latest Gold Rush, gave two successive addresses on his visit to the Antipodes for the 1956 Olympic Games; and trade personality H. L. Shephard first put forward his plans for a National Cycling Fortnight.

In April, 30 members visited the Raleigh works at Nottingham; and there was an attendance of 15 on the autumn week-end based on Hawkhurst (Tudor Hall Hotel).

Another good bill-of-fare made the year 1958 outstanding. In addition to two MP’s who responded to invitations to speak, an exceptional address was given in August by G. H. Stancer, president of the CTC, whose absorbing subject was Eighty Years of Cycling, a masterly survey of the whole of recorded cycling history by one who had lived through most of it. The MP’s were Mr. Emrys Hughes (South Ayrshire), whose main topic in February was the origin and development of the annual Cumnock Rally; and Vice-Admiral Hughes-Hallett, whose engaging address in April bore the title of Memoirs of a Cycling Admiral. Later in the year, other notable speakers were Millie Robinson on the events leading to her record- breaking trip to Milan and Sir Harold Bowden who told of his early days with Raleigh.

The April works visit was to the Dunlop rim works at Coventry and the autumn week-end to Bourton-on- the- Water (The Old New Inn).

Twenty-one Years

Appropriately enough, in the Club’s 21st anniversary year, no fewer than four speakers were drawn from its ranks. The Club had grown up!

In March, Reg Harris gave a talk on Reflections of a Champion turned Manufacturer; and in April, 43 members and other friends were present to see D. D. McLachlan sign the Golden Book of Cycling, in recognition of his services to the industry and to the sport and pastime. The European touring and racing sides of cycling were balanced at the July and August meetings by R. C. Shaw and J. B. Wadley respectively. Jock Wadley had a fascinating story to tell of the 1962 Tour de France and Tour de 1’Avenir, while Reg Shaw gave an insight into the part played by the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme over the years in easing the problems of all tourists travelling outside their own countries.

W. G. Franklin, managing director of Silver Cities Airways, spoke at the January gathering about the Channel Bridge ‘plane facilities available to cyclists. Geoffrey Dyson, the well-known athletics coach, was the February speaker, when he dealt with various aspects of modern fitness training. In May, Matt Newton gave an entertaining description of his experiences as Mayor of Middlesboro’; Keith Butler, son of 1961 president, Stan Butler, reported in June on his experiences as a rider in the 1962 Berlin—Prague—Warsaw race; and in September, “Ladies’ Day”, there was a record attendance for the year of 58, to hear Mrs. Eileen Sheridan describe the part played by the British girls’ team at the 1962 world’s championships in Italy.

In May, the Club paid a visit to the Coventry Eagle and Falcon works at Smethwick. Twenty members were entertained by the chairman and managing director, Mr. A. Douglas Mayo. Later, Mr. Mayo accepted an invitation to become a country member of the Club.

The concluding meetings of 1962 were as varied as ever. In October, the Chief Constable of Hertfordshire, Lt.-Col. A. F. Wilcox, O.B.E., spoke on present-day road sport as seen through the eyes of the police; and a month later, Alex Moulton, inventor of the revolutionary Moulton bicycle, gave the Club an exposition of the design and thought behind this machine. The autumn cycling week-end was to the upper reaches of the Thames, with headquarters at the Beetle &Wedge at Moulsford. Indeed, a year to remember in Pedal Club circles.

AMONG THE CHAMPIONS is D.L. McLachlan, former Hercules director of publicity, as he signs the Golden Book of Cycling, in April, 1962. Others in the picture are Reg Harris, George Fleming, W.J. (Bill) Bailey, 1962 president Steve Pontin, Frank Southall and Reg Randall.

In a history of this character, it is not possible to record every happening; or to mention all who have helped the Club along the road. Apologies are made for the omissions and acknowledgements also to those who have helped in its production, in particular to Dunlop for their generosity in meeting its cost; to Geoffrey Culliford for his help in its presentation and printing; and to Iliffe and Temple Press for the pictures and photographic blocks with which it is illustrated. The practice has been adopted in general of omitting courtesy titles in the belief that it accords more with the spirit of the Pedal Club and also produces a less formal narrative. Certainly, it is not for want of courtesy or respect to fellow members or other friends whose names appear in these pages.

Reference might appropriately be made here to the claim earlier in these pages that the Pedal Club is recognised as the forum for all sections of cycling opinion. This may appear somewhat bold for a London- based luncheon club, but is not its membership drawn from all the national cycling organisations, both sporting and touring; from organisations representing the whole country s trade and industry, as well as traders themselves; and from the national, sporting and trade Press? Has it not entertained speakers from all parts of the country, often from abroad, and from many walks of life?

Their subjects have been wide and varied—-from Olympic walking to magistrates’ courts; from horology to Government road policy; from racing and touring in this country and abroad, to Home Office pathological knowledge and experience. On such evidence, may not the Pedal Club fairly claim to be representative of all aspects of the country’s cycling interests?

Note: Regarding the end of the second paragraph of the section entitled “How it began”, there is a reference to a meeting of like minds similar to the Pedal Club proposal, but it was not the beginning of the Pedal Club. Ron White did not join the Pedal Club until 1949.