Acts

On a week-end in Portsmouth he crept into a room where several members were sleeping and, without waking anyone, put string across the room and knotted all their clothes to it.  On another occasion at the same venue he used a trap door to get into an attic over another bedroom - in the small hours - there to make weird ghostly moanings combined with the sound of dragging chains.  Unfortunately, he slipped off a rafter and put a foot through the ceiling.  Needless to say he had to pay for the damage but the proprietors (C.T.C. members themselves) were very understanding.

Norman Pearce was the other great source of fun at this time, excelling in mimicry and dressing up.  He had a variety of wigs, false moustaches and beards and usually kept any social occasion in fits of laughter - a natural clown and a very loyal supporter who contributed much else with ciné and slide shows and the use of his (parents!) home for meetings and social gatherings.
 

Bernard Reeves & Gladys Gray, Hankley Common (Duke of Cambridge), 1929

The early part of 1929 was very cold and on a run to Biggin Hill the roads became treacherous.  Between Leatherhead and Dorking, one rider spilled on a sheet of ice and brought down several others.  It was then realised that wet roads forward and behind were freezing over so that further progress was impossible.  The ride was abandoned but the party had to walk all the way back to the Horsleys before roads became rideable once more.

Besides Jack Rowntree and his brother, Reg. Best and Ted Pritchard came on the scene.  Ted organised a successful treasure hunt in the Dunsfold area early in the year but a second one had to be abandoned because of icy roads.

In March the first Annual Dinner was held at the Red House Hotel in Woking.  About 40 attended and Capt. Gunnell, A. W. Trevarthen and Nevill Whall addressed the gathering while speeches also came from Miss Gray, Vic Jenner (Charlotteville) and Lou Kent (Curfew Wheelers).  Among those present was Mrs. Du Heaume from High Wycombe;  she had recently completed over 200 miles in a 12 hour event.  Four artistes later supplied musical and humorous entertainment.  Easter was spent in Kent including Folkestone and Canterbury while the Isle of Wight was the target for Whitsun when an unexpected event was the appearance of Vic Barnard in shorts - knee length!

In June, the two Bills (Houghton and Inder) set off for a tour over the French Alps to the Mediterranean.  Unfortunately, the Club office who supplied the itinerary, failed to mention that the passes might not be free of snow and, although the two climbed to about 8,000 ft up the Col du Galibier, the snow was knee high and the cycles were dumped while the two attempted to reach the tunnel at the summit on foot but no tracks were visible and the fear of disappearing down a crevasse finally led to the venture being called off.  However, with some train assistance, they followed the "Winter Route" and later reached Nice, the Italian border and, subsequently, the Roman France of Provence.

In July it was decided to insert second meeting places in the runs lists, such as Farnham, Haslemere, Dorking, Leatherhead, Bagshot and Staines but this proved unproductive.  There was a week-end at Alfriston and later the first marriage of D.A. members took place - that of Theo Portass and Ted Vahey's sister Ciss.  The rest of that year was very full with an all-night ride to Stratford-on-Avon (8 counties and 212 miles), an August Bank Holiday tour in the Cotswolds, an Invitation Ride to Hindhead's Punchbowl, a "100" standard ride in boisterous weather and a joint run with the 'Ville to Wickham.  On the social side, "Wayfarer" of "Cycling" gave his slide show "The English Wonderland" in Woking and there was another dance at Horsell Parish Hall.

In October 11 members rode to Portsmouth for a slide show by "Kuklos" of The Daily News the subject being "The Irish Paradise" and that week-end saw much ragging in the bedrooms.  To wind up the year a penny-farthing and several fairy cycles were ridden in Chobham Road before 24 members went on the Christmas morning ride to Godalming.  Sid James won a Boxing Day paper chase around Pitch Hill, an event that brought complaints from the Surrey Anti-litter League to Surrey's Chief Constable regarding the use of confetti.  Thirty at a Christmas Party and 19 on a New Year's Eve ride to Virginia Water and Windlesham, to hear the splendid peal of bells from Westcroft Park belfry, brought the year's activities to a close.
 

Vic Barnard, Chobham Road, Woking Christmas morning 1929 (Shops now replaced by British Home Stores)

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