Page 13 - PBCOctober2019

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 16 No.2 October 2019 !13

Smithers Golf / Cycle Day brings out the Best - or Not!

Samuel Pickwick recollects on an early start for many to reach Harpenden Common Golf
Course in time for…….yes Bacon Rolls to help wake everyone up. This was the start of
another day of mixed fortunes for golfers and cyclists. The cyclists, keen to be on the
road early and back for lunch were ready, whilst the golfers were still contemplating which
balls to use. Justice Stareleigh rounded up his gang of 6 and here is his report:

“D-Day seventy-five years ago,6th June 1944, men were piling ashore in
Normandy, to fight for the right of freedom of members of this club and any free thinking
person, to carry out the way of life, which we consider normal today. Such sacrifices which
we should be eternally grateful.” Meanwhile the Pickwick Bicycle Club had been in existence
for seventy-four years before this and has survived up and including the present, and is in
extremely rude health.
June 6th 2019 Harpenden Common Golf Club, 9.30 am, - weather conditions dry, light
southwesterly winds. Perfect cycling and golfing conditions, where are they? The golfers
on a late start, (10.30am.) the cyclists munching into bacon butties and slurping coffee
awaiting one rider, one of our newer member's Gabriel Grubb's none appearance, we
grouped up in the car park for media interviews and photo shots, still no Gabriel!
Eventually the executive decision was taken. To keep up with the TV schedules we would
depart, Gabriel had our phone numbers but we didn't have his! This elite group consisted of
Mike Dobson, John Graves, Ray Jarvis, of the infamous G.S.Lanterne Rouge, Steve Bullen,
(Joseph Smiggers), Stuart Mason-Elliot (Mr Watty), and yours truly.

Off through the suburbs of Harpenden (Outer suburbia) pitting their bike handling skills
against the 4x4 yummy mummies and the sherry queens! Through the lanes, and over the
hills toward Peter's Green (The Bright Star nice Pub) Down to Lilley Bottom, over to Great
Offley (The Red Lion), down towards Hitchin (many good pubs)! but a left turn before, and
on towards Pirton, negotiating some closed roads (local knowledge) Holwell and Ickleford
Lavender fields for elevenses. Large portions of cake and coffee were consumed, and much
banter with Mr Watty, whose £8000. carbon fibre steed, was in complete contrast to his
usual modes of transport which includes various vintage models! After topping up the
energy levels, the elite group of riders set forth into the heart of the Bedfordshire
badlands, on to Letchworth then Willian, a short section of pave (off metalled road) which
due to misrouting ended up crossing on a farm track, luckily with no problems, due in no
mean feat of the bike handling of this elite group!