Page 49 - Issue 63_FINAL WEB normal_Neat

AROUND THE GROUPS

EAST ANGLIAN Beryl always remembered her adversaries, notably
Mary Horsnell's musings Shirley Jo Bowers, now Mrs Pennington, who made a
startling comeback. She eventually moved to Ashford
There was a time when Alf was King of the Road in Kent and has replaced her cycling by membership of
and Beryl was the Queen. The place to be, and to a walking group, enjoying the countryside. Later, Sue
be seen and maybe to see them, was on the A12 in Fenwick's meteoric rise to fame made her a serious
Essex. This was the fabled E72 course between rival, especially when she achieved a 100 mile time
Hatfield Peverel and Marks Tey. inside 4 hours 10 minutes. Sue, now Mrs Rogers,
So there was I, on a sunny Sunday morning, moved to the Fens, but still rides to work and keeps in
powering my top gear and with not far to go. I was touch with her old club, Crest CC.
dreaming of a personal best if I could safely Beryl used to visit the Crest CC country HQ, Stag
negotiate the dreaded and difficult left turn into Hall, when staying at the nearby Shaftesbury CC
Freebourne's Road without crossing the centre hut, for a chat and comparison of knitting patterns
white line, which would have merited with Tex Murphy. It is sad to report that Stag Hall is
disqualification. Approaching Kelvedon fly-over, now a private residence, although Shaftesbury still
suddenly and without any warning, a tall figure thrive and our group meetings are still held at the
stepped out of the roadside bushes with his back to Comrades hut nearby and now taken over by Essex
me and arm extended - the law! I applied both Roads CC. These are survivors of the 32nd
brakes and skidded to a halt in the debris of the Association, based off the A11. Sue and her
gutter. As I did so my front tubular (Dunlop No. 1 - husband are next but one neighbours to Ted Wells,
recommended for track use only, at 150 psi) whose name was once well known in our group as
exploded with a loud report, with fragments flying he was a good rider. Peter Horsnell recalls aiming
into the air. The policeman jumped, he obviously for Ted's 66 years old group age record for 12 hours
had not seen me, but he continued with his in 1993 and his joy when he failed by 300 yards! He
beckoning. It was only then that I realised that a car was active, still driving and timing Cambridge events
had left the road, ploughed through the bushes and until a serious health lapse in 2018, since when he
embedded its front into a fence post. Next time I has been looked after by a live-in carer. Luckily his
looked up from struggling with my spare, all had son and daughter are nearby and visit often.
vanished. I never did see a police car, it must have
been parked on the slip road. Peter Horsnell has the last word about Beryl. He was
standing on the kerbside as she finished the last 25
It was the shock I suppose, because I cannot that season, she pulled up beside him and put her foot
remember another thing about that day, was it a down. He said "Congratulations on winning the BBAR
dream? If so, the cost of a new tub and a missed for the 25th time". "Thank you", she replied - they
PB was enough of a wake-up call. Later people told always got on well. I guess she was then engulfed by
me that the driver was a foreign national who had fans. How many women gave up, believing that she
just driven from the Harwich ferry, which annoyed was invincible, such was the aura around her? Many
me even more. others, in more recent years, have been inspired -
This and other anecdotes were brought to mind by witness the wonderful results of women recently
re-reading Alf Engers' illuminating biography and, recorded in the pages of The Veteran.
more recently, by William Fotheringham's excellent Talking of The Veteran, how much the colour
book "The Greatest: The Life and Times of Beryl photographs have enhanced this publication. It is
Burton". People who I knew and those that were good to see that top riders of the past are honoured
known in those days, have contacted me and all are by presenting awards at VTTA National
agreed that it is a good read and "he dealt with his Championships. The latest I noticed was Pete
subject in a masterly manner" - well Smith , from the days earlier mentioned; I wonder
recommended.... does he recall the gloomy, wet, but exciting power

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