"Sixty Years On" - 1928

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C.T.C membership in the area having increased considerably, a meeting was held at Bridge House, Woking (the home of N. Pearce) on 21st April 1928 to inaugurate the West Surrey District Association.

With 23 members present, Mr. A. W. Trevarthen (one of Surrey's C.T.C. Councillors) took the chair and the following were elected:-  Vice-Presidents:  A. W. Trevarthen;  E. Chapman (Surrey consul) & G. Spiller.  Hon. Secretary & Treasurer:  W. E. Inder.  Hon. Auditor - left vacant.  The committee consisted of V. Barnard, C. Cripps, E. L. Norman, N. Pearce, E. Vahey and the Misses Inder and Gray.  The Club's model rules for D.A.s were adopted.

A later meeting elected G. Spiller as Chairman of the D.A. committee and it was decided that a local dignitary be approached to take the post of President.  The Auditor's post was filled by Gar. Gribble and it was agreed that an application be made to H.Q. for a grant of £10.  On the proposal of Miss Gray it was decided that the D.A.'s colours be black, silver and royal blue.  (Most other alternative colours had already been used by other D.A.s).

Capt. Gunnell, O.B.E. accepted the post of D.A. President and Vic Barnard was elected as Hon. Runs Secretary, a job he was to hold for many years.  Les Gray joined the locals and in June that year Vic Barnard, Vic Jenner and Norman Pearce took part in the Jubilee Relay Ride.  They took over at Kingston at 7.15 am on a week day (no others could get time off work) and rode to Guildford by 8.50 am to get the Mayor's signature.  The latter was still at home and the deputation had to climb up The Chantries to locate his abode.  Then they went on to Blackwater where they handed over the scroll to the Reading D.A.  The scroll, conveying a greeting to the Prince of Wales, was signed by more than 100 mayors and provosts in Great Britain and was handed to His Royal Highness on His birthday (23rd June) at Marlborough House, London, the various teams having covered over 2100 miles in 13 days.

That December saw the first of a series of slide shows (then called lantern lectures) at Woking's Y.M.C.A., "Hodites" (Mr. Nevill Whall, assistant secretary to the C.T.C.) giving his "Eight Cols & Blue Waters" to a good crowd on a very stormy evening.  Regular committee meetings at that time were held in various cafes in Woking.

Theo. Portass and his sister joined in the runs and on one occasion he was in a party that picnicked on the heights of Chanctonbury Ring.  Norman Pearce was clowning as usual, dragging himself along the ground acting out something he had seen at the cinema - a man dying of hunger and thirst in the desert.  Gasping "Water, water" he unexpectedly came across a heap of rabbit droppings and immediately changed his cry to "Ah!  Food at last."  This caused a roar of laughter and Theo. Portass guffawed so violently that his dentures flew out into the unsavoury mess.  But, very red and covered with embarrassment, he quickly retrieved the offending molars and popped them back where they belonged.  Very unhygienic!


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Web page by Chris Jeggo.  Last revised:  18 January 2005.