Ten year old James Harper was the youngest member ever to enter and succeed in the "50", beating 3¾ hours and there were over 40 at the Holmbury St. Mary finish in ideal weather.

Mary Wells was a welcome new-comer and Kathy Parfitt became a regular rider.  Nine Thursday Nighters had a Cotswold week-end based on a farmhouse at Haselton near Northleach and Keith Parfitt started an Intermediate group.

In early May a tragic accident befell Jennifer Noad.  Riding home to Camberley from Heathrow after a four week tricycle tour in Yugoslavia, she was run down at night near Staines and died of her injuries.  Between 1970 and 1975 she held nine National Tricycle records.  She was also Secretary and Treasurer of the Womens' Road Record Association at the time of her death.

Combined numbers on Sunday runs were now topping 30.  An eleven year old boy from Send covered nearly 70 miles with the Wayfarers as well as the Saturday afternoon ride - about 100 miles over the week-end, and the Spring joint run with the K.W.'s lunched at Beare Green and returned to the Oxshott tea via the private roads of Norbury Park.

On the speed-judging event in June over the Fairoaks course, Gillian Smith won with a one second error while the rough-stuff event was again held on Pirbright Common.

For the first time cycles were carried free on British Rail.

Fourteen faced the starter for the "100" in July when the Medstead course was again used and resulted in four failures.  Later on, there were complaints from the Castle of Comfort landlord that a number of beer glasses were missing after the D.A.'s visit - resulting in correspondence in Cycletouring - but the allegations that D.A. members were implicated were eventually retracted.

An Intermediate group's ride to Fareham - train assisted to Petersfield - finished 12 miles short of its objective though others on a later train reached the goal!  On the same day, train assisted to Micheldever, a tandem group reached Vernham Dean near Andover and, in late July, nearly 40 were at tea on Witley Common.

The train was used again in August, this time to Basingstoke, for a run to East Stratton, and Cleeve Hill was the base for a hostel week-end in the Malverns.  Les Sutton suffered a painful fall while riding through the ford near Twyford and was badly shaken.

Twenty members were in the Guildford Town Show procession and a club stand was manned in Stoke Park for two days in September.  The Tourists' Trial in mid month was an afternoon event starting from near Alfold Crossways and was won by Chris Jeggo and, later in the month, nine Thursday Nighters again used the farm at Haselton as a base for visiting Snowshill and Burford.  In October there were 19 on a hostel week-end to Alfriston and the joint ride with K.W.'s again took meals at Beare Green and Oxshott.  Chris Jeggo won the hill-climb at Oakhanger and Harold Coleman triumphed in the free-wheeling.

Overton and Bath hostels were used by 8 of the General Section and, at the Addlestone A.G.M. in November there were no changes of officers though Les Sutton and Clement Collins came on to the committee.

A week later, the photograph competition results were shown at a Horsell slide show, Les Gray acting as judge.  The Isle of Wight hostel at Whitwell had a party of seven and there were nearly 70 at the Cotteridge dinner with Guildford Councillor, Bill Bellerby stressing the need to lobby local M.P.s on matters concerning cycling.  Harold Coleman reported that there were then over 600 C.T.C. members in the D.A. area and that attendances on Sunday runs had increased 100% in three years.  Ingrid Voornrveld from South Africa was a welcome attraction on some Wayfarers runs;  Wilf Warren made a regular appearance again and, in December, Brook Hall at Ottershaw was the scene of a successful D.A. disco, largely organised by Les Sutton.

Well over 50 were at the Tongham Christmas tea, 30 turned up at the Horsell hut on Christmas morning and two car loads set off for a week's tour in the Lake District on Boxing Day.

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Web page by Chris Jeggo.  Last revised:  24 December 2004.