January 2001

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR MEMBERS

Lets hope it’s a year full of many good rides! It is also that time of year again to pay your subs and put your name down on the marshalling rota!! Ruaraidh Gillies is in charge of both these duties (as our newly elected marshalling steward). Remember you can choose you’re your duties, and if not they choose you! So book early at the clubroom on Thursdays.

AGM

The clubs Annual General Meeting was held in December 2000 most officers were re-elected. Chairman John Burgess, Secretary Colin Grey, Treasurer Ruaraidh Gillies. However we have failed to replace Danny McDonough retiring from the post after seven years as Time Trial Secretary and Doug Phillips stepping down as Press Secretary. We need to fill these posts urgently …

CAN YOU HELP??

CHRISTMAS TEA AND FREEWHEEL

Held at the Vaults in Chester - thanks to Dave Parry who arranged the safety of our machines. It was a cold dry morning, 35 members braved the elements for the freewheel contest. Our very able treasurer Ruaraidh Gillies was the winner, bit it may have to be rerun, as the scratch man Steve Light was 10 minutes late.

The prize presentation was as always, very entertaining. Danny did a first class job. Rachael Heal, our star performer received the Echo Golden Trophy award from Doreen Mahar, she was also presented with a special club award to mark her achievements whilst riding for the North End. Rachael has also been selected for the World Class Performance Plan, well done!! Our club president Andy Kelly presented the prize to Rachael, including a big kiss that wasn’t on the script!

Thanks to Mike Garner for collecting the money and helping with the organising, Andrew Christie and J.R will have to report to Mike for non-attendance!!!

Doug Phillips

THE DAYS GET LONGER

"Alan

Marjorie cannot believe you beat her in the Y.C.F. But as I pointed out you had spent the whole of the previous day training for it! Her husband is adamant that his Sunday only mileage in the 24 hours, exceeded your 292 miles and he was home before lighting up time, having ridden the M.R.C.24 hour National 100 and the Association 12 hour on consecutive weekends, he maintains this is still a club record for a 27 ½ inch inside leg.

Jack McAllister

BNE CLUB WEEKEND 28/29 OCTOBER 2000

It rained and it rained and it rained. James Hartley told himself that never in all his life, and he was goodness knows how old – fourteen or was it fifteen? – Never had he seen so much rain. Days and days and days.

James, in fact, took the sensible option and drove out to Dolwydellan with Uncle Jack and Auntie Marge: not so his older and less sensible club mates.

Dave Russell who thought he knew the way, Colin Gray who thought he didn’t, Chris Smith who pleaded frozen fingers when he punctured and then took a drink just as we were attacked by a sheep, Rachel Heal who took pity and came to Chris’s rescue with a spare tube and sympathy, Roly Brooks who didn’t realise the YHA served breakfast, Mike Garner and Andy Temp who practised underwater hill sprints, John Kent and Geoff Brandt who swore that God's Country was never this wet, Mel Vasey who brought his map to guide Mike Daly home, Harry and Doreen who brought the WD40 (and the bags), Jack and Marge who brought James and the bun loaf, and Peter Byrne who suffered in silence.

For it was rather exciting. The little dry ditches in which James had nosed about so often had become streams, the little streams across which he had splashed were rivers, and the river, between whose steep banks they had played so happily, had sprawled out of its own bed and was taking up so much room everywhere, that James was beginning to wonder whether it would be coming into his bed soon.

The itinerary took in a hairy descent of the Old Bwylch before coffee at Ruthin, lunch at Cerrig via the Clocaenog Forest and Llanfihangel, horizontal sleet before Ysbyty Ifan, and the Woollen Mill, and finally the drying room at Dolwydellan Youth Hostel.

Jacks culinary skills were judged a success after the bun loaf was tested by the company, who then polished off a 3 course chicken dinner and retired to a local hostelry for further liquid refreshment.

Sunday dawned just as wet, some members took the direct route, some preferred to relish in the splendour of the wet Welsh countryside a little longer, via Llanwryst, Llansannan, Denbigh and the Halkyns, through sunshine and showers and storms, Chris with his crash and Rachel with more on her mind than just getting home in one piece. The Mills never looked so good.

And that really is the end of the story, and we were all very tired after that. I think I shall stop there.

Gee Bee (with apologies to A.A. Milne)

WANTED

James Hartley is still looking for a racing machine for this coming season. He needs a 21-inch and would prefer Shimano. Contact him on 342 1668

(And stabilisers if possible!)

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1999 January February March April May June July August September October November December
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