"Sixty Years On" - 1952

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This year saw Les Houlton for the first time;  Ron Osborne and Andy Goodwin became D.A. representatives for Kingston and Woking Sections respectively and an anonymous member gave a sum of money to Councillor G. Green "to pay subs. for any members in unfortunate circumstances".  A proposed paper chase from Woking was called off in view of the hostility of the Surrey Anti-Litter League and the D.A. bar badge design was amended.

Kingston had 7 riders in East Surrey's 140 in 12 in April and acquired a new clubroom at Surbiton.  The "50" had 40 entries and the "100" had 23 and it was noticeable that numbers were down on the Benstead Cup events, mainly due to the call-up for National Service, and Woking's Intermediate runs were discontinued.  The section also staged a well publicised Invitation Run for members in the Camberley/Frimley/Bagshot area;  20 attended but, with only six from those areas, there was insufficient support for a new section.

In September, funds were raised for the Lynmouth Flood Disaster.  Kingston's Sunday average was 16, Woking's 21 and the winner of the Benstead Cup was H. Napier.

Writing on 11 March 1981, Mr. Napier, who had seen that a D.A. history was to be compiled, wrote from Stockport, Cheshire:-
"I have many happy memories of the D.A. though I rode with Woking Section for only a short time - from late '51 to middle of '53 when my firm moved me to Manchester.  I had been roaming round from Weybridge for years, getting more and more bored with my own company, when I decided to join an Intermediate run - to the gibbet near Inkpen.  There was a dearth of 'talent' in the Woking Section in those days so, when the word got round that 'Belinda' would be out to tea, I was all agog.  You may guess the rest, 'she' turned out to be Bill Inder!  I was fortunate to take the Benstead Cup in '52 though Bernard Taylor was leaving me standing when I left Surrey in mid '53.  Almost the last thing I did was to come 3rd in the BCTC heat and to ride in the final because the first two dropped out.  I came equal 7th.  I've been in two BCTC finals since coming up here but in neither came anywhere near my first attempt.  Indeed, in the most recent, I finished last.  Up here cycling had to compete with a car and a growing family though I thought it might have a new lease when my wife learned to drive.  However, more involvement in work put an end to it in the '60's.  My Parkes bike was stolen while being used by my son but the frame of the 'Claud' is still in the garage awaiting possible re-build.  However, we are now into caravans so the unlikely will probably never happen.  To any who were cycling when I was I send my fondest regards."


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Web page by Chris Jeggo.  Last revised:  6 January 2005.