Congleton Cycling Club.

News Release. 26^th June 05

Club Welcomes Guests from Canada.

Recently, officials of Congleton C.C. were approached by two visitors from Calgary, Canada. The lady, Susan McLure, who was born and brought up near Stockport, was spending some time exploring the scenes of her childhood and her family connections. The daughter of Len Brookes, who ran a cycle shop called L.H. Brookes in Hazel Grove, she had found the club’s details on its website.

Each year, at the annual Prize Presentation, an L.H.Brookes Trophy is presented and she was intrigued to know its history and its connection with her late father.

She was invited to the clubroom and she and her husband, Gordon, met members of the club, including the current holder of the trophy, Neil Skellern.

It was explained that Congleton C.C. was one of a number of clubs who were given trophies for presentation, this being a good form of publicity in a era when the performances of amateur riders could not be linked with commercial concerns.

From its donation in 1937, it was used as the Shrewsbury and Back trophy, for the fastest ride in the year from Congleton Post Office to Shrewsbury Post Office and back. These Post Office rides date back to the earliest days of the bicycle, when enthusiasts for the Ordinary (“penny-farthing”) sought to prove the efficiency of the bicycle by beating the horse drawn Post Coach records. A checker had to ride out first to make sure the rider reached his destination, but there was no fixed route and no marshals or officials along the way. The first winner in 1937 was N.E. Foden in 4 hours and 52 minutes. Other pre-war winners were Denby and Ken Biddulph and in 1955 Geoff Burt did the fastest recorded time with 4 hours 29 minutes. The last winner was Jim Cook, in 1977.

After this ride, it was decided that these events had become too dangerous for present traffic conditions and the trophy was subsequently awarded for the fastest 100 mile time trial rider of the year, the distance being similar. Since it has been the 100 mile trophy, winners have been Martin Faulkner, Roger Little, Mike Harrison, Karl Austin and Neil Skellern for the last three years. Neil’s fastest time and club record is 3 hours and 51 seconds. Just before him, Karl Austin had won the trophy on 14 occasions, an astonishing record.

Mrs. McLure told her hosts that her father had hoped to open a bike shop in Canada when the family emigrated in 1952, but found that there was no demand for bicycles for adults at all and he had to find an alternative occupation. Sadly, he died only 11 years later at the age of 56.

All in all, it was a very pleasant social occasion and everyone went home knowing a little more of the history of cycling in Congleton.

Ends. Contact: Graham McCargo. 01260 274988