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flip side of that is that it can be pretty grim during about two miles one way into a gale force torrent,
the winter, I like to think of it as character building! which combined with standing water, made it too
I’ve done up to 16 hour rides locally and I’m dangerous for the full out-and-back course on the
fortunate in that I have an amazingly supportive wife Ringwood to Sopley road. Another very good
who comes out to feed me on these rides and a reason for something to take place on the day was
good friend who quite often joins me for the last few that long term event organiser Roger Bacon had
hours of a long ride to push me along a bit.” So sadly died earlier in the month, just a few short
that’s how he does it! A 12 hour or 24 hour TT has weeks before his 80 th birthday (see separate
you doing circuits that are typically 10 to 20 miles obituary). George Skinner of Primera-Team Jobs
long, so what he is doing is closer to reality than us was quickest of the 23 hardy souls who started the
mainlanders who ride from A to B hundreds of miles solo event with a time of 5mins 26secs. Wessex
apart! committee member Adrian Watkins of Tornado RCC
finished with 7:07, while Wessex group treasurer
Committee News
Mary Corbett (Sotonia CC) and Michelle Ward (VC
Despite previous requests we still have a vacancy Venta) completed the tandem competition in 9:07.
for a Social Secretary and Group Secretary. The
main responsibility of the Social Secretary is to Brave efforts from everyone involved.
organise the Annual Lunch and Awards. Effort is Distinguished Life Membership
mostly needed in December and January for the One of the highlights of the group lunch at Romsey
event in February. The Group Secretary is an Golf Club was the presentation of a Distinguished
administrative position dealing with any Life Membership Certificate to social secretary and
correspondence and preparing the agenda and multiple age record holder Norman Harvey. It may
minutes for the two meetings each year. We also have been the last presentation to be made but was
welcome new Committee members. Please among the most special and definitely the most
consider helping the Group by taking on one of unexpected, especially by its recipient. Norman, of
these roles and if you can, or you would like any Sotonia CC, celebrated his 87 th birthday on January
further information, please contact Keith Wilkinson 1st but just cannot stop breaking records whether
at keithwilkinson@talktalk.net.
on a solo or on the tandem with Mary Corbett. He
Dates for your diary first joined the VTTA in June 1984, has been paying
his membership ever since, is now Wessex’s oldest
Our 2020 Group AGM will be on Sunday, 15th
November at 10:00am in Handcross and our next ever competitor, and has been a long-serving group
annual lunch to present the 2020 Group awards will committee member and membership secretary.
be on Sunday, 7th February 2021 in Horsham. Receiving the award he said he was always
delighted to take part in anything to do with cycling
and the important part of anything is to have fun.
WESSEX Trio of new HLMs
Bob Jolliffe
If Norman’s presentation rounded off the awards, it
Festive season form was started in much the same vein with three new
Neil Mackley, one of the major recipients of awards Honorary Life Members being made for their
at the Wessex Group’s Lunch and Prize outstanding contributions to the group. They went
Presentation, was showing top winter form when he to Sotonia CC clubmates, “go-to” timekeeper Dave
won Farnborough & Camberley CC’s Christmas 10. Crocker and former CTT South DC secretary and
Mackley of ...a3crg clocked a rapid 21:47 on the VTTA committee man and trophies secretary Alan
H10/8 course at Bentley on December 14th to beat Sharpen. The third was presented to Farnborough
Twickenham CC’s Grant Woodthorpe into second & Camberley CC’s Ron Taylor who was, according
place by 20 seconds. Mackley’s teammate Steve to group chairman David Collard Berry, the first
Legg finished with a non-too-shabby 24:11 for 11 th . event organiser to controversially use first names
instead of initials only, on Road Time Trials Council
New Forest CC’s traditional Boxing Day 10 took start and result sheets.
such a battering from the weather that it was cut to

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