January 1999

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hello and welcome to the first Birkenhead North End newsletter of 1999. Nobody came forward to relieve me of this duty at the AGM last month so I’ll be doing it for another 12 months at least! Once again I shall be after your news, results, rumours and pictures to show the rest of the club what’s going on.
This year I also plan to expand the North End website that I launched last autumn, to include full lists of all club-organised events, marshalling rotas, and the like. This newsletter will be shown as a regular web page, rather than a word processing document, making it quicker to read (but if you’re reading this off the Net you’ve realised that already!). I know that only a few club members have Internet access at the moment, and so I shall try to keep Internet-related news to the website’s pages in future.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
There were some changes in club officers at the AGM last month. Alan Masterson, having served three years, stepped down as Chairman and was replaced by John Burgess, and Geoff Brandt replaced Ron Birkett as Vice-Chairman. Peter Kay was appointed Road Captain, and Mike Garner was added to the list of Vice-Captains. Jeff Vernon, as our most successful racer, was proposed (in his absence!) for the post of Road Racing Secretary: a suggestion which was passed by the meeting and agreed by Jeff afterwards. Jeff's email address for submissions for his report is 188968@ibmmail.com
Club subscriptions will be the same in 1999 as they were for last year:

with the initial membership fee still £5.00
In addition, it was decided that, as the club’s 100th year is in 2000, a committee would be set up to prepare the celebrations. The sponsorship committee will form the nucleus of this group, but if you feel you could have something to contribute, then make your ideas known to any one of (deep breath) Colin Gray, Clive Walmsley, Mike Daly, Alan Masterson, Bill Hanson, Mike Garner, Keith Boardman, Les Kennedy, Dave Parry, John Burgess, Chris Byrne or myself.

CHAMPIONS NIGHT
Mike Garner and Chris Byrne were among those honoured at the RTTC Champions Night Dinner held early this month, for their performance in the GHS ‘10’ last year. You will recall that, representing Pensby High School along with Mark Baker, they were ranked second-placed team in the event, until it was pointed out that Team Brite’s winning squad were drawn from across regional boundaries. The RTTC saw fit to recognise Pensby High’s achievement, and presented the boys with medals.

CHRISTMAS ROLLER RACING COMPETITION
The last clubnight of the year saw a frenetic roller racing competition, with 500m sprints and 2000m pursuits. Due to the unequal resistance of the rollers (one of them started sparking quite dramatically!), 2 runs were required for each competitor, with Mike Garner coming out on top (now there’s a surprise!) in both the sprint and pursuit competition. This was even after sliding off the roller and blowing his tyre at one point! Second fastest was Peter Byrne, and Roly Brooks was third. James Beech was fastest juvenile, with Jamie (sorry Jamie, I never got your surname!) second. Thanks to everyone who turned up to help and race.

CHRISTMAS FREEWHEEL AND TEA
Three days after the roller racing saw the climax of the 1998 Birkenhead North End racing season, with the traditional freewheel and Christmas tea at The Rigger pub. A field of about 20 riders were not put off by the very cold and icy conditions, although good bike handling skills were required en route to the start (but not evident in some cases!) The course - a new one - started at the Gibbet pub, and descended steeply at first, before encountering a gentle but nevertheless unnerving right-hand bend, where the key was to maintain your nerve long enough to keep off the brakes. The road levelled out here, and, as you looked down the road and saw no-one, you wondered whether you were going to come last, as the road seemed to be far too flat to make it to round the next bend. But amazingly, it seemed that everyone who was competing properly (i.e. didn’t pedal!) finished within just a few yards of each other, over a distance of something like a quarter of a mile! The winner? Erm, that was me! (Hey - at least it wasn’t Mike Garner for once!) The tea was as good as ever, with the presentation of some valued ‘prizes’ enlivening the afternoon.

Ruaraidh Gillies

NEW KIT ORDER SOON
As some of you already know, the infamous order of kit from Nalini that arrived at the end of last year has already sold out of long-sleeved jerseys. It has been decided, therefore, to seek a supply of kit from Impsport, possibly involving a subtle redesign of certain areas (e.g. shorts). Hopefully, there should be some kind of order form in next month’s newsletter, allowing you to get an idea of the sort of items that will be available, and, more importantly, to allow you to let the sponsorship committee know of what items they should order. For instance, as well as the usual jerseys, shorts and tights there could be jackets and mitts. Will you want items like this? Start thinking now.

CHRISTMAS CARD
That bastion of the club meeting, Doug Philips, sent me a Christmas card from Australia that was just too late to make it into the December edition.
"I wish to be remembered to all the Club Members. The weather here in Australia is in the 90’s - ideal cycling weather. I hope to be riding the track in Perth in the next month.
"Please convey my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all BNE Club Members." Doug Philips So no doubt there’ll be a new force on the track when he returns in the spring! Although with the temperature that high one wonders if he’ll want to come back!

IS THIS YOU?
One eagle-eyed North Ender, looking through the 1999 Graham Baxter Sporting Tours catalogue, came across the following photograph of a group of riders in the "Corsica Raid" excursion. One of these riders is very definitely a North Ender. Now, you know how in the movies, when they zoom in on a blurred, dark face, press a few buttons and - hey presto - they have a clear-as-day photo of the suspect? Don’t believe a word of it! (What do you mean, their software might be better than mine?!) I tried to zoom in, sharpen up and everything and this is the best I got. So - is this you? No prizes on offer, I’m afraid (and I have a pretty good idea who this is anyway!).

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