Page 9 - PBCMarch2014

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 11 No.1 March 2014 9
began to use, and these were sold worldwide.
The team won an impressive number of road races where their Super Sprinter
Sid Barras notched up over one hundred wins. Included in this tally was a brace
of Classic London Holyhead victories and the Tour of Scotland. In 1973 the
Yorkshireman gained the Yellow Jersey in The Tour of Switzerland when he won
the opening stage and three years later Bantel fielded a full team in The Tour of
Switzerland in the famous Black Jerseys, much to the delight of Barry.
Apart from the range of wheeled toys, trikes and scooters Bantel manufactured
in Hawick, Roxburghshire, they also made a range of cycle accessories with
mudguards probably their best known. My wife Anita and I enjoyed numerous
glittering occasions with Barry and his devoted wife Jean- the Sports Writers
Dinner and the Fence Club to name but two. He loved to entertain, a fine dinner,
good company and he was in his element. He was a highly successful business
man who could match any youngster(s) for stamina at trade shows. He would be
present all day meeting buyers, tidying up deals and then, after an exhausting
day, he would embrace the challenge of any evening function which required his
attendance. When I decided to end my professional
racing career Barry invited the Press to a luncheon,
it took place a decade after where it all began at
The Playboy Club, Park Lane. He presented me with a
beautiful Edinburgh crystal decanter and a full set of
cut glasses engraved with each of my World Titles, I
responded with a similar piece of crystal. I cherish that
memento which sits in my lounge to this day.

Barry was responsible for me becoming a Pickwickian and so I became Jonas
Mudge and eventually President in 1992. I will miss his warm greeting and
smile. He was a lovely man whom I will never forget. We laughed, we dined and
we competed together. Barry, rest in peace and may his wife Jean, daughters
Anita, Lisa and son Jason find the strength as time goes by, to remember all the
wonderful times they shared together

Trying to match his impressive 56 years of membership is impossible and I hope
his soubriquet is held by the club as an historic token of respect for the only
member to have been president twice.
Thanks Barry, Good night.
Hugh Porter. MBE Jonas Mudge Past President

Now another tribute from our former editor….

he passing of our longest serving member, Mr.Trundle (aka Barry Brandon),
on 17th November following a long illness, has left a deep gap in the history
Tof the Pickwick Bicycle Club and a personal sadness for me for we had both
sat together on the committee for many years. Barry had been living in Spain for
some time and it was in correspondence from there that he had told me that ill-
health was to prevent his attendance last year at a forthcoming luncheon. Regular
attendance was important to him, especially during his lengthy Captaincy of the