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Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine ume 19 No.1 March 2022
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Do you have any other cycling or Dickensian connections?
I became a member of the Dickens Pickwick Club during my year as President, almost without
knowing it! Mr Justice Stareleigh (Ron Gray) had been badgering me for some time to join, but I had
conveniently ignored his suggestions! However, at the unveiling of the Charles Dicken’s statue in
Portsmouth there was a subsequent black-tie dinner, which my wife Janet & I throughly enjoyed, so I
agreed to attend the AGM at the George & Vulture in December 2014. It was there that the Hon
Secretary gave me a soubriquet name badge and informed me that I was in arrears for that year’s
subscription and the next year as well!
You became President in 2014, so what are your early memories of our Club
and who were the guest speakers at the luncheons during your year of office?

My early memories of the luncheons focus very much on the illustrious list of speakers who would
willingly come along for a free lunch, great company and traditions that we still hold dear today. Some
of the speakers that stick in my mind, are Henry Cooper, Graham Hill, Denis Compton, Harry Carpenter
– who regaled us with stories of Muhammad Ali - and other sporting legends. One could also never
forget the occasions Ron Moody, who of course played Fagin on stage and screen joined us as guest
speaker – happy times. During my year as President, the speakers were Alan Tait, of golf fame at
Carnoustie and Ian Irvine, who will be the speaker at our 150 th Anniversary dinner. It will be his third
visit, which if it is anything like his previous two, will be particularly memorable.

You have been very much involved in the 150th Anniversary organisation, so
would you care to explain how it all came together - albeit 2 years late?
Several years before the 2020 Anniversary, I offered to chair a small working party which included
Jack Martin (John Mist) Slum (Andy Ash) and Mr. Staple (Chris Tyler) to put forward ideas as to how
the Club should celebrate such a landmark anniversary. We decided fairly early on that we should look
for one signature event which evolved into the long-anticipated black-tie dinner at Saddlers Hall. We
also wanted to involve spouses and partners in the President’s Luncheon and sought an event where
we could have variety entertainment which would hopefully appeal to everyone. This will, due to the
pandemic, now take place in May when the Brick Lane Music Hall players will bring London’s East End
to the President’s Luncheon.
Finding a suitable venue for the signature event meant that the Captain and I visited some dozen
different venues in London, 2inally settling on Skinners Hall however due to the delays, we had to 2ind
an alternative. Saddlers Hall provides us with everything we will need with the same caterers
providing the hospitality. It should be a real night to remember.
Our other focus was to provide some lasting assets for the club which recognised our reaching 150
years in existence. We chose a bell and had one of the last bells cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
before it closed. I was fortunate enough to have a tour of the foundry and learn about how bells were
made, and one interesting fact was that the mould is made from horse manure, clay and goat’s hair! It
was a truly inspiring visit, and included seeing the wooden frame which was the mould guide for Big
Ben. Regrettably, what was purported at the time to be the oldest commercial business in the country,
is no longer in existence.
One other fascinating feature of the visit was that the ledger dating back to June 22 nd 1870, was
extracted from shelves and I was able to see the purchases and cash book for the day the Pickwick
Bicycle Club was founded!