A hundred years
of the CTC’s
Nottinghamshire
District
Association
1897-1997
2
A HUNDRED YEARS OF THE
Published 1997 by the
Nottinghamshire District Association
of the Cyclists’ Touring Club to mark
the centenary of the foundation of the
DA.
The Nottinghamshire DA would like to
thank Ian Prince for his tireless work
with the centenary celebrations and
booklet, and all those whose
suggestions, contributions and
photographs have helped towards the
success of this publication.
Printed by Tradeprint Cromworth,
515 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield
CTC’S NOTTINGHAMSHIRE DA
3
Contents
Tributes and Awards 1947-1996
4
Foreword
5
Cycling memories of the Nottinghamshire DA
– Stan Rodgers and Doreen Leheup
6
The Notts DA today – the Sections:
Beginners
25
Juniors
27
Intermediates
28
Older Members
29
Hardriders
30
Tandem
31
ATB
32
Newark
33
Mansfield, Sutton and District
34
Retford
35
Rights campaigning – Graham Lansdell
36
Countryside access – Doreen Leheup
39
Poetic interlude
43
Newark Section in the Thirties
– Mollie Pughe and Hugh Hewes
45
Profit and loss – Bob Chadwick
47
Bikes of Notts – Chris Juden
48
The bus shelter – Bob Chadwick
56
What is the CTC?
58
4
A HUNDRED YEARS OF THE
Tributes and awards
Over the years, the following tributes have been awarded in recognition of
outstanding services to the DA:
Hilton George Povey Memorial Shield
1961 H. H. (Bert) Towle
1962 Paul Bloomer
1963 no award
1964 Roger Codling
1947 Dennis H. Burton
1965 H. S. (Bert) Hayter
1948 James Norman
1966 Doreen Leheup
1949 Ernest and Rita Scott
1967 Jim Bridger
1950 M. B. ‘Dick’ Lindley
1968 Joanne Hurford
1951 Fred Hardaker
1969 Margaret Hughes
1952 John H. and Dorothy
1970 The Perrin Family
Maskery
1971 no award
1953 H. H. (Bert) and Connie Towle
1972 Les Hopewell
1954 L. N. (Hefty) Harrison
1973 Steve Buxton
1955 Albert Chapman
1974 He1en Leheup
1956 C. J. (Nobby) Eyre
1975 Mollie Pughe
1957 Olive F. Gamble
1976 no award
1958 Stan P. Rodgers
1977 Connie Towle
1959 J. Marshall
1978 June Blackbourn
1960 Norman E. Parr
1979 Sid Standard
DA Merit Award
1987 Chris and Sarah Royles
1988 Jeff Burton
1989 Stan Rodgers
1980 Mavis Cox
1990 Peter Border
1981 Reg Tuckwood
1991 Graham Moult
1982 June Blackbourn
1992 Bob and Joan Chadwick
1983 Chris and Helen Juden
1993 Terry Scott
1984 Kathryn Smith
1994 Graham Lansdell
1985 Rosemary Lansdell
1995 Ian Prince
1986 David and Philip Orme
1996 Pete and Jenny Gifford
CTC National Certificate of Merit
1977 Mr and Mrs H. H. Towle
1982 Mr and Mrs T. R. Pughe
1982 Mr and Mrs C. J. Eyre
1940 Mr H. G. Povey
1984 Mr S. P. Rodgers
1945 Mr J. Norman
1986 Mrs D. M. Leheup
1952 Mr H. F. Widdowson
1987 Mr S. Standard
CTC’S NOTTINGHAMSHIRE DA
5
Foreword
W
HILST many things have changed in the world over the
last hundred years and the roads are immeasurably busier
with other traffic, away from the conurbations and main roads
we are still enjoying the same convivial atmosphere of good
company in the midst of beautiful countryside as they enjoyed
in the last century, when the Nottinghamshire District
Association of the Cyclists’ Touring Club was formed.
A hundred years later that same organisation remains true to
its ideals and continues to provide a service to its members –
indeed few local voluntary organisations can claim a continuous
and active membership over such a long period.
Such an achievement deserves celebration and so in this the
centenary year, amongst other events, we have tried to put
together a record of that achievement and to try to reflect what
it is about cycling that transcends not only the years, but also
social and economic barriers. The Notts DA is a varied yet
vibrant organisation that caters to the wide spectrum that
constitutes leisure cycling, and we hope that this record and
insight provides the motivation for others to join us.
It has been an honour to be involved closely with the
centenary year planning and the personal insights numerous
individuals have provided us with for this publication. I would
personally like to thank each and every one of our contributors,
but especially the unsung heroes including Pete and Jenny
Gifford, Tim Hughes, Stan Rodgers and particularly Doreen
Leheup, not only for her accurate and lengthy memory but also
for making the centenary year a success. Thank you all.
Ian Prince Retford, March 1997
6
A HUNDRED YEARS OF THE
Cycling memories of the Nottinghamshire DA
I
LITTLE thought when I went on my first run with ‘A’ Section of the
Nottinghamshire District Association of the Cyclists’ Touring Club that I
was taking the first step in what was to become a lifelong association.
The day was a very foggy one in November 1929. At that time there were
quite a few members around who had been active riders since the formation
of the DA in 1897, so in that way I feel I am a direct link with the beginnings
of the Nottinghamshire DA. My association with the Club has brought me a
great deal of happiness and many friends although I am sorry to say those
friends get fewer every year as Anno Domini takes its toll. I am sorry that
there are not so many of my contemporaries left since many could have
made a valuable contribution to the history of the DA.
By 1896 local CTC members were already holding runs under the title
‘Nottingham District Section’, no doubt with the hope of forming a local
association, as had been done elsewhere as early as 1894. In 1897 the
Reverend W.H. Kynaston of Annesley (later to become a canon of Lincoln
Cathedral), together with Mr F.W. Elliott and Mr J.T. Masser, after a meeting
1897
with other cyclists at the Mechanics’ Institute, held a run to the
Saracen’s Head at Southwell on 15 May. Mr F.W. Elliott became the
first secretary of the new DA, followed in 1899 by the Reverend
Kynaston, a position he held until 1908 when Mr W. Gath took over
as secretary. Many years later – I think in the 1950s – the Easy Riders had a
run to Lincoln Cathedral and Canon Kynaston showed us round the ancient
library, a most interesting experience.
On looking back through my cycling archives I have found few written
accounts of the DA’s activities for the first twenty years or so of its existence.
My earliest records and recollections date from the 1920s. However, I have in
my possession (as a former DA Treasurer) the first DA Treasurer’s Cash
Book and an early entry dated October 1899 reads, ‘Painting and Fixing
Danger Board at Pye Hill: 13.0’ – that is thirteen shillings, equivalent to 65p.
I also remember another CTC danger board at the top of Oxton Hill. The first
entry in the cash book, dated 4 November 1897, reads, ‘Hire of room 72
Mechanics Institute: 2.6d. (12½p). I think that this must be the first written
record of the Notts DA. No reason is given for the hire of the room but I have
no doubt that it would be for an inaugural meeting with regard to the
formation of the Notts DA, which had recently been approved by the CTC
Council. Early entries on the credit side of the cash book read, ‘2nd April
1898 – Recvd from CTC £2.7.2.’; ‘9th December 1898 – £7.10.0’. Obviously
Head Office was helping the DA to get established.
An important national event in 1897 was the Diamond Jubilee of Queen
Victoria. In celebration of this, the Notts DA combined with other local
cycling clubs in a fancy dress parade on 22 June. Six long lines of gaily
dressed cyclists formed a procession headed by three bands. I have seen a
7
CTC’S NOTTINGHAMSHIRE DA
7
photograph of this
event which I
believe was held in
the Old Market
Square – in those
days a level area,
not broken up by
flower beds as it is
today. The
procession was
followed by a
cycling gymkhana
at Trent Bridge
Cricket Ground.
In those early
years lady members
were beginning to
make their
presence felt and
the names of Mrs
Bosworth, Mrs
Harper, the Misses
Hamil, Marriott and
Griffin appeared,
while a Miss
Chantrill was a
committee member
for fifteen years. A
peculiarity of those
days at club tea-
places was that it
How it all began: the official notice from the June 1897 CTC
Monthly Gazette and Official Record. The CTC Council approved
the move at its next meeting.
was traditional for the gentlemen to have two boiled eggs whereas the ladies
would only have one – but all had to pay the same price. This apparent
discrimination was probably compensated for by the fact that it was also
customary for the gentlemen to give a helpful push to any lady member who
appeared to be flagging on a hill, hence the necessity for two eggs. Catering
was of the utmost importance for cyclists, who would rely on the village inn,
farmhouses or country cottages for sustenance. In 1899, the Griffin Inn at
Plumtree provided B & B at 1/8d (9p) per night and the general charge for
tea appears to have been about 6d (2½p).
By 1909 many cyclists from Derby and district were riding with the Notts
DA, so with the approval of headquarters the name was changed to
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire DA. It was also about this time that the
first calls were heard from motorists for rear lights or reflectors to be carried
by cyclists, on the grounds that they could not be seen at night. It must be
remembered that motorists’ own headlights were not very bright in those
days. As an inducement one motoring organisation gave away free reflectors.
The first World War was a severe shock to the activities of the DA and
8
A HUNDRED YEARS OF THE
naturally membership declined. In 1919 Mr A.J. Hunter took over the duties
of Hon Sec and at this time the DA was publishing one set of runs and that
on Saturday afternoons. By the early 1920s the downturn was reversed and
1914
as the membership grew so did the number of sections, each with
its own Hon Sec. By 1922 Mr J. Norman had built up a group of
young and enthusiastic riders which became known as the
Hardriders’ Section and from this was to develop many of the DA’s
later sections. Also around this time Derby District had an upsurge of new
members and it was decided in 1924 to break away from the Notts DA, so
once again our local DA reverted to its former title.
It is difficult now to reflect the atmosphere of those days: the standards of
dress and social conduct were so different. Most male members were riding
in knee breeches, jacket, collar and tie and a cap. Club gear for the ladies
consisted of what were known as ‘rationals’: knee breeches with woollen
stockings and three-quarter length coat and, of course, a hat. It was not
surprising that, dressed like this, a much less free and easy attitude
prevailed on clubs runs than is the case today.
The bicycles too were very different. The average utility rider would trundle
to work on his upright machine with 28in x 1½in tyres, roller-lever brakes
and upturned bars, whereas the real ‘dyed in the wool’ club cyclist
maintained a much lower profile on his lightweight 21 or 22in frame with
26in x 1¼in tyres with a fixed wheel and front cable brake and, of course,
dropped bars and Brooks saddle. The roads too were very different, with not
all of them tarred. The main road probably would be but the minor ones had
what was known as a Macadam surface, which was very muddy in wet
weather and very dusty in dry. There was also a much sharper division
between town and country in those days. Buses had not yet appeared, very
few people owned a car, so only those
with a bicycle or living near a country
railway station would have easy access to
the nearest town. There was little or no
street lighting in the villages, apart from
that emanating from cottage windows and
that would be from oil lamps. This meant,
of course, that we relied more than ever
on our own lighting to see where we were
going.
Cycle lighting then meant either an oil
lamp or the more powerful acetylene
lamp, which was a real pleasure to ride
behind. As I typed these words a picture
flashed across my mind of the
precautions we had to take with our
acetylene lamps in frosty weather. On a
winter’s run we would always take our
carbide lamps (as they were usually
known) indoors with us at the tea place –
not to prevent their being stolen but as a
A rather romanticised Patterson view
of riding behind an acetylene lamp
CTC’S NOTTINGHAMSHIRE DA
9
safeguard against the
water in them freezing.
The rear lamp, with
regard to cycles, was
still in the future.
The roads were very
basic but so
beautifully quiet. There
were no huge direction
signs, no traffic
signals, no pedestrian
crossings, no
Members of the Broad Oak Road Club in 1929
roundabouts, no white lines, no ‘major road ahead’ signs, no one-way
streets, no motorways. Why? Because they were simply unnecessary. The
few cars on the roads had a top speed of thirty or forty miles an hour; heavy
vehicles had a 20mph speed limit! The bulk of the traffic consisted of horse-
drawn drays or vans, pony traps, pantechnicons, steam wagons emitting
showers and sparks, and of course hundreds of bicycles.
By the mid-twenties, different DA sections were beginning to appear to
cater for various types of riders. Several members of the Hardriders’ Section
became interested in racing for which the CTC did not cater, so in December
1924 a racing offshoot, the Broad Oak Road Club, was formed; the club
taking its name from the inn at Strelley where a weekly meeting was held. A
‘B’ Section was also formed about this time, a lot of the members dividing
their time between the DA club runs and racing. It was a two-way
arrangement with the non-racing fraternity often turning out to give a hand
at check-points or to hand up drinks, particularly in the longer 12- or 24-
hour events.
In 1930 Cycling (the magazine that is now Cycling Weekly) introduced the
‘Best All-Rounder Competition’ which was held over the distances of 50 and
100 miles and 12 hours. The presentation of prizes took place at the Albert
Hall in London and competition for seats was very keen, larger numbers
being allocated to those clubs whose members had done well in the various
events. Locally, the names of W.E. York, B.C. Rylatt, R. Edmondson, D.
Griffiths, E. Johnson and Ted Bloodworth spring to mind, the latter
1930
in particular who, in the mid-thirties, came third in this National
Competition and ensured us a number of seats. The entertainment
at this event was great with all the top of the bill performers of the
day: the Tiller Girls and Wilson, Keppel and Betty, with their sand dance,
receiving tumultuous applause.
So much for the racing men: let us now contemplate some of our ardent
tourists. In A Nottinghamshire Milestone, a booklet produced by the Notts DA
in celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, S. Marshall MA reminisces about
some of his contemporaries whom I knew well: Councillor H.G. Povey, a
mainstay of the DA for many years; Jimmy Norman, Chief Consul for this
area until his death in 1975; and one whom I consider did more for this DA
than any other, ‘Hilly’ – W.S. Hill, whose father and grandfather had been
members of the club from the beginning. He also mentioned H.F. Widdowson
10
A HUNDRED YEARS OF THE
(‘Widdo’), our
stalwart Press
Secretary for
many years and
one who would
never let a
derogatory
remark made
about cyclists by
the motoring
press pass
unchallenged,
and Albert
Chapman,
another of our
pioneers. I rode
many miles with
Albert, an
Clothing may change but habits don’t: DA members ‘off-road’ in
the 1930s – before the expression was even thought of.
interesting companion who combined his cycling with photography, sound
recording and painting until his death in 1991. Sid Marshall also said, ‘We
had our wits and our artists, among them the inimitable S.M. Lee, and life
was never dull.’ Whenever I went on a run I always hoped that Bill Lee would
be out, for then I knew that life would never be dull. Also mentioned were
cycling lectures by ‘Wayfarer’ (W.M. Robinson) and ‘Kuklos’ (W. Fitzwater
Wray), which were a great stimulus to our future touring activities, matched
only by the prodigious farmhouse teas that we managed to put away at
weekends.
Speaking of farmhouse teas reminds me of how well we were catered for in
those tranquil prewar days in the thirties. I have my 1938 CTC Handbook
which listed 112 tea and accommodation places, 25 cycle repairers and
about a dozen consuls – but that was in Nottinghamshire alone. The whole
book of 424 pages was a veritable mine of information covering the whole of
the British Isles and listing all the DAs, Touring Information, Railway
Charges, Travel Concessions, Legal Assistance, Cycling Law, Camp Sites and
much more. The CTC’s Patron was King George VI and the President His
Grace the Duke of Portland of Welbeck Abbey. The price of the Handbook
1938
was sixpence (2½p). Many people joined the Club in those days
simply for the Handbook alone – it was a definite must for cyclists.
I have many happy memories of visits to some of the places
listed: the Cranmer Arms at Aslockton, Mrs Peberdy at Normanton-
on-Soar, The Royal Oak at East Bridgford, whose old-time traditional
Christmas dinners had to be seen to be believed. Not forgetting Pear Tree
Farm, Kinoulton, where, as well as many teas throughout the year, we
always held our Bonfire Night supper. Mr Oxby would save all his old potato
tops for the fire, a huge affair, and Mrs Oxby would put on a dinner for us
afterwards.
This came to an abrupt halt in September 1939 when the Second World
War began, bringing with it, amongst a host of other regulations, a ban on
bonfires and fireworks. Not to be outdone, however, we still had our Bonfire
