Cycling Clubs of Nottingham


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My mother's family name was Whitlam, but our family history research revealed that it should have been Newton. Oo-er, Jill. perhaps we are related.

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Suppose it would have been the summer of 1970 when my boyfriend Johnny Aslin asked me to drive his car one evening along the A46 from Widmerpool  to Leicester at a steady speed (I’m thinking it would

It’s worth noting that Ron Hallam is still racing, and setting age records for most distances. He’s 90 this year and still as fit as a whippet.

Back in the 1930s, my dad was a founder member of Nottingham Wheelers. In fact, he met my mum on a club run. One of my brothers rode for the Wheelers. Later, in the 60s, dad was also a founder membe

Chulla,  my mum was born and grew up in Saundby, the next village to North Wheatley, but she didn't belong to any cycling club!  She sometimes rode my dad's motorbike in the 1920s though... 

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Hello all - my mum (born in Carlton, recently deceased) was in Nottm Phoenix CC in the 1950s/60s, either as Jean Bright (maiden name), Jean Dabell (first marriage) or Jean Cairns (second marriage). Would be interested to hear any memories of her, photos, race results etc. She moved to Long Eaton after that and joined LEPCC. Thanks.

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Hello. I’m Trevor Adams.

 

ive been a member of Sherwood CC for 47 years and I’m the current club secretary. I knew Bert Morris, John Watson, Jack Henstock, Don Lilley, Pip Brooks and Alan Dowlman, who are all sadly no longer with us.

 

Frank Beale is nearly 90 and is our club President. I think he’s been a member since the mid 1940s.  Ron Bates is still around too. I used to be best mates with his sons Nigel and Martin, and John Watson’s son, Craig. The Bates boys no longer ride but Craig is the current club chairman. I recently saw Lin James too.
 

Anyone know Ed Ward, a member since the 1960’s and still riding today.

 

I bought my first proper road bike from Henry Lloyd’s shop in Netherfield.

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I remember Nottingham Arrow CC too. They had 2 really good riders - Barry Martin and Mick Oldnall in the 1970’s

 

Notts Castle BC were still around when I started too. They got wound up in the early 80’s. I used to work with Ian Dickinson’s mum. Dave Bostock, who was a long time Castle member, joined Sherwood and is still riding with us today.

 

My son was in Beeston Road Club for a time, as we use to ride out with Sid Standard.

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Hi Trev,

 

You must have joined the Sherwood about the same time I left - in 1973.
 

Lots of familiar names there. I saw Lin at his brother, Ken’s, funeral together with Ron Hallam and one or two others. Plenty of memories from the photos Lin brought to the wake, although he did suggest that he paid for my schooling from the number he bought from my dad!

 

Rob Loasby

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Welcome TrevA.  I was a member of Sherwood CC for the early years of the 60s.  I knew most of the names you mentioned plus a few more of my own day.  Fred Leaper, now in Oz.  Albert Walker now in Canada, and quite a few more.  I mostly lost touch when I went to Canada in 1970.  Built my own Claude Butler with many parts from Henry Lloyd.  Never a great time trialer, but I did enjoy the club runs.

Can't remember Ed Ward. May have joined after I dropped out when I got engaged.  Future wife was not a cyclist.

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I joined Sherwood as a 14 year old in 1974.


Others from the 1950s were David “Pud” Coupe, Roy Elliott, Derrick Arnold, Pip Brooks brother Roy. These are the ones I know, that were still members when I started in the 70’s. I’m in contact with Pud’s son Paul, who now lives in Telford. Derrick and Roy Elliott are still around and Roy still rides out with Frank Beale on weekends.

 

Can anyone remember the Lighthouse Trophy? - the Nottm area 25 mile champs. Sherwood won it in 1955, then never won it again until 2005, then won it 5 years running. We won it again last year. It was the team prize for the fastest team of 5 in the ANDCC Lighthouse 25. 
 

I remember Nick Loasby too. I may still have some photos he took of me. I remember Wyn Maddocks, as well.

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Hi TrevA and welcome to the forum. I knew most of the people that you mentioned. As a 16 y/o my first club was the Nottm Sphere BC with Ron Hallam, Alan Ball, Roy Fant and Phil Green and his brother Don on tandem. First TT on the Ramper 10 mile 27.14 on 77" fixed. 26.31 the week after having geared up to 81".  Ron did a 23 - one of the fastest men around at the time. I then joined the Castle because I liked track racing and Lloyd Binch and Tony Crisp were members - Senior and Junior National track champs. I lived just up the road from Henry Lloyd's shop and I eventually joined the Clarion. I was in the winning team for the Lighthouse Trophy - still got a pic of the team somewhere. Pete Boam, 'Timber' Wood, the late John Rushton, Frank Taylor and me, Terry Coging. Saw John Pressman, Rick Burton and Ted Smart a few weeks ago. happy memories.

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It’s worth noting that Ron Hallam is still racing, and setting age records for most distances. He’s 90 this year and still as fit as a whippet.

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Trev,  you mentioned Alan Dowlman earlier.  He was around when I was in SCC.  He had a younger brother named Malcom.  He was dating a gal named Jean.  I've often wondered what happened to those two.  Did they get married or what?  They were still going strong when I dropped out so I never did hear.

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I remember Lloyd Binch and Tony Crisp Lloyd lived in Kimberley and Tony lived at Nuthall just down the road from me on New Farm Lane i went to Nuthall Cowsheds school with his brother cant remember his name he had a sister Ann who was into horse riding, are they still around?

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10 hours ago, loppylugs said:

Trev,  you mentioned Alan Dowlman earlier.  He was around when I was in SCC.  He had a younger brother named Malcom.  He was dating a gal named Jean.  I've often wondered what happened to those two.  Did they get married or what?  They were still going strong when I dropped out so I never did hear.


I met Malcolm a few times but didn’t know him that well. Alan was married to Dawn and they had 2 kids. His son Ian did ride with the club for a bit. It was Alan that introduced me to cycling. Him and Pip Brooks started A beginners ride on a Saturday afternoon, and me and a load of mates from school started going with them. Most of my mates dropped out, but I kept it up.

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On 8/26/2014 at 8:29 AM, PeverilPeril said:

There used to be a lot of cycling clubs in Nottingham. Here is a list from the 50's and 60's.

These are clubs that I belonged to at some time..

Nottingham Sphere CC, Nottingham Castle BC, Hucknall Road Club and N&D Clarion.

Then there were - Nottingham Wheelers, Basford Wheelers and a couple more I cant remember.

Of the four clubs that I belonged to, only one remains - N&D clarion but now as Nottingham Clarion being separated from Heanor Clarion.


Never heard of the Sphere or Hucknall Road Club, but Sherwood had ex-members from Porchester Road Club, Mapperley CC, Arnold Wheelers who had all folded by the 70’s. Ex-Mapperley member Johnny Warner restarted the Mapperley in 1984, after falling out with the Sherwood and Mapperley are still going strong today. 
 

Nottingham Wheelers were still going when I started. I remember their blue and white kit.

 

Cycling is booming again in the UK, and a lot of new clubs have started up. West Bridgford alone has 3 clubs - West Bridgford CC, Velo Club Bridgford and OVB. I live in Bingham now and there’s a club here - Vale of Belvoir CC, there’s also a Velo Club Flintham. Ilkeston CC is a huge club on the west side of the city. Long Eaton CC and Long Eaton Paragon combined to form Velo Club Long Eaton. Beeston Road Club are still going but there’s also a separate Beeston Cycling Club.

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I don't think I would like to ride on todays roads.  There was much less traffic in the early 60s and it seemed like more courtesy.  When we were riding two abreast somebody would yell, "car up" and we'd drop into single file to let him past.  Often get a friendly wave.   I guess age puts a pleasant glow on things.

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Suppose it would have been the summer of 1970 when my boyfriend Johnny Aslin asked me to drive his car one evening along the A46 from Widmerpool  to Leicester at a steady speed (I’m thinking it would probably be 25 mph?) with him pedalling right behind the car.  I don’t recall being at all concerned and doubt there was much traffic on the road in those days.  It would certainly be a bit dangerous to do that nowadays.  We went to the Leicester Velodrome to watch some racing before driving back to Nottingham. I have some great memories of those days as a WAG travelling all over the country following John and his team.  They were a great bunch of lads and remember several of the names that have been mentioned in this thread.  

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If it was the summer of 1970, it might have been the World Championships as they were held in and around Leicester that year, with the road races being based at Mallory Park and the track at Saffron Lane.

 

I might still have the official programme somewhere.

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Would there have been racing on the indoor track Rob?  I went to a race at Mallory Park that year too, although if it was a World Championship race John wouldn’t have been riding, he wasn’t good enough for that ;) but he did spend some time after the race as an interpreter, having spent quite a lot of time in France he was fluent and the winner was French or Belgian I think.  Seem to recall there was a suggestion of illegal substances being used!  

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On 6/2/2020 at 1:41 PM, loppylugs said:

I don't think I would like to ride on todays roads.  There was much less traffic in the early 60s and it seemed like more courtesy.  When we were riding two abreast somebody would yell, "car up" and we'd drop into single file to let him past.  Often get a friendly wave.   I guess age puts a pleasant glow on things.


Main roads are busy now, but the country lanes are still quiet, especially in the Vale of Belvoir, where we do most of our riding. We still shout “Car Up” if there’s a car coming from behind, and we still single out if it’s a narrow road. Roads have been even quieter during lockdown, though it’s starting to pick up again now. 

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19 hours ago, Rob.L said:

If it was the summer of 1970, it might have been the World Championships as they were held in and around Leicester that year, with the road races being based at Mallory Park and the track at Saffron Lane.

 

I might still have the official programme somewhere.


Although it was before I started riding, Ed told me about it. They closed one carriageway of the A46 between Widmerpool and Leicester, to host the Team Time Trial. I think Les West finished 4th in the road race.

 

i went to the World Track Champs in Leicester in 1982. I cycled down and rode back with Ed at midnight, up the A46. Some great racing, especially the sprints with Koichi Nakano  and Gordon Singleton. I also went to the 82 road world champs at Goodwood, where Giuseppe Saronni won the men’s race and Britain’s Mandy Jones won the women’s race.

 

ive met Johnny Aslin too, though he had stopped racing by the time I started cycling.

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Did any of you cyclists ever ride the track at Harvey Hadden? It sadly closed in 2003, when they redeveloped the athletics track.

 

I used to ride in the early 80’s. The track league was on a Wednesday night in the summer. I rode it for about 5 years before I got married. I never plucked up enough courage to ride the much steeper Leicester track at Saffron Lane. My son Steve started riding  at the Nottingham track in 1997, at the age of 9 and won the Schoolboys Track League trophy in 2003. 

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