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Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 14 No.1 March 2017
The Annual Dinner

Although club meets received poor support, the AGM and Dinner was a popular occasion drawing about
30 members & guests. The Hon Sec read out reports of the club meets, which drew much amusement and
hilarity to the meeOng. The favourite venue for the dinner was the EgypOan Saloon at Café Monico at
Piccadilly Circus, where they would usually enjoy a ten- course dinner with a printed menu followed by a
programme of recitaOon and songs.

Club Meets

The club meets were well documented in the minute books, including who turned up, the state of the
roads, where they rode to and of the pub stops which appeared to be li@le and open. Whilst repeOOve,
these reports help us to learn about Custance & his friends. “In 1872 a member running down a
moderately steep hill met a respectable looking farmer to whom he said ‘Good Morning’. The bucolic
replied ‘Good Morning Sir, lor when I seed you a coming over the hill I took you for a donkey, Hah Hah. To
which the ABC member replied, ‘Indeed, then I wonder you did not begin to bray’”.

Within the minuted reports it inOmates that ABC members could if they wanted to, outride all others
they met on the road, and yet the best amateur riders such as WhiOng, Causton and Keith- Falconer chose
to join other clubs. The ABC stalwarts however conOnued their minimally a@ended club meets and maybe
it was just this exclusivity that produced the happy nostalgia that is so apparent in the last period of the
club’s existence. One early 1901 report advises that ‘Soon aper dismounOng at home, the Hon Sec had an
a@ack of verOgo which caused a fall onto the kerbstone and damage to his head and lep ear. His doctor
ordered immediate rest, no more riding unOl further order, and at least three months cessaOon of all
work’. Another simply stated, “meet at White Hart Roehampton. Present Henry N. Custance Esq. – alone”.
The final entry in November 1901 – “ Meet at Ealing StaOon 2pm. Present Henry N. Custance, Hon Sec –
alone. Having waited the usual 15 minutes the Club ran home again via Shepherd’s Bush and the electric
lines. The day was very fine and he supposes the early meet prevented his being supported by other
members.”
The last Club Captain from 1897 was Algernon H. M. Praed, who wrote to the CTC (Cyclist’s Touring Club)
in 1926 offering the aforemenOoned hoard containing the Minute books, medals and some cash, that he
had received from Custance before his death. Any monies raised from these items should be donated to
the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund of which Henry N. Custance was Secretary for many years.
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Some more rarely seen
cycling organisation plaques
that used to adorn our
countryside in 50’s & 60’s.
Have you seen one recently?