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Anyone remember Geoff Cooke 1972 Olympic gold medal winner on tandem.

I was working for Loaches builders at that time at the back of trent concrete offices where I believe geoff worked,

after winning the medal he came into work and we could hear the cheer he recieved that morning. our foreman arranged for him in the afternoon to come over and show us the medal, there we all stood in a row passing the medal along. made my day. It was a long long time ago I'm hoping I have the date about right because I think he won other medals too. I don't know who the other rider was.

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I remember the young Geoff Cooke from about 1961/2. Harvey Hadden stadium had been built and the track league was held there after being run on a grass track at Melbourne Park for a decade or so. I was one of the last league champions on grass but the young Geoff was in a different class to me and he won the league at just 18 years old. I never did well on hard tracks. Geoff just got better and better under National coach Norman Sheil.

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Although not into cycle racing,i struck up a friendship recently with a chap called Gordon Booty whose brother Ray was a well known figure in the Cycling world ,he set some sort of British record in the 50s,and i just wondered if Peveral and Karlton had heard of him,he was originally from Sandiacre/Staplefod.

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Some very familiar names there! As PP knows, my dad was very much involved in cycle racing, from the 1930s all through to the 1980s, so I got to meet many riders who became famous - whether on track or road.

All of the above (Geoff, Ray and Gordon) were regular visitors to our house!

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Small world Rob,.......obviously when i met Gordon Booty and he told me about his brother Ray i looked up his achievments,very impressive.Gordon and his wife Mary are in their 70s now and still very active,they live nr Bristol,lovely people.Do you want me to pass on your regards?

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benjamin #5 Sorry benj never heard of him. I'm not into cycling as such I was just quite chuffed at handling a gold medal of Geoff Cooke's.

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#7

He probably wouldn't remember me personally, but would know me as Nick Loasby's son.

Karlton, when were you at Loaches? My father in law worked there for many years before he went to Canada in the early 1980s, and met up with Richard Franczak after he came back three years ago.

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Although not into cycle racing,i struck up a friendship recently with a chap called Gordon Booty whose brother Ray was a well known figure in the Cycling world ,he set some sort of British record in the 50s,and i just wondered if Peveral and Karlton had heard of him,he was originally from Sandiacre/Staplefod.

Think he may remember me and one of my best mates Don Mann (who was my best man). Don bought a 'special' car off Gordon called the Goni. It was an aluminium clad Singer. His brother Ray Booty and myself were friends for many years . Went to his funeral 2 years ago.

Gordon and myself were of a similar standard at time trials but his brother Ray was the very best and set new standards. I would love to meet Gordon again.

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Thats great peveral,i'm sure Gordon will be happy to know you asked after him,i will be contacting him later this week,what name will i use?

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Yes Gordon remembers you Terry,and Nick Loasby (rob) he sends his best wishes,he was at a 'cycling' reunion in Derby this week.

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#9 Rob L Hi Rob I must have worked there obviously in 1972 probably only for a year or so. my trade as a roofer at that time must have dried up for a while, and in them days you chased the money. Harry Loach was the main man and his brother Ezra worked on the tools. Harry Howes was the lorry driver. Chuck fowler Labourer, a chap named Claud did a lot of the drain work, Mick ? was our foreman. such a long time ago.

the roofing work picked up and then I left.

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  • 5 months later...

Geoff Cooke.!! I spoke with someone this week who mentioned seeing Geoff Cooke pushing his bike in the car park towards the new Velodrome at Derby, could it really be the same Geoff? I'll double check. and just to catch a bit of glory, I worked for a while with a man who rode sometimes behind Ray Booty, an iron man, he equalled Roger Bannister on two wheels but it all never made it into the Daily Mirror, perhaps because he didn't go to Cambridge Uni

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