Vyv and I were in Antwerp last weekend, a city that loves its bicycles and also its buskers. Before the benefit of first Belgian beer of the day, we spotted the above street artist combing the two. Is it a bike converted into a piano, or a piano converted into a bike?
Inspired by this Vyv is finalising her design for a similar machine to convey the world’s largest praline chocolate back to blighty!
John Davies
The build up to the big day has started and we are now attracting the full glare of publicity on the New Years Day Parade website.
See http://www.londonparade.co.uk/event/participants/details.asp?id=1921
Is that really us? Cor, we look good!
The AGM is the most important meeting of our club’s year. As members of the Willesden CC we should all attend this meeting to have our say on how the club should be run. It is also an excellent chance to eat cake, drink tea and chat with your club mates.
This year the AGM moves to a larger venue, the Guide Hut in Community Close, Ickenham (close to the junction of Swakeleys Lane and Long Lane) .
Start time has yet to be confirmed to me, but it will be around 2:30pm. A full agenda will be circulated to you by post
Please, please attend, it is important for the future of our club.
.
I’ve just seen the following heads-up for the 2008 L’Etap du Tour on Cyclingnews.com…
The 16th edition of the favourite amateur ‘race’, L’Etape du Tour, will take place on Sunday the 6th of July 2008, and will follow the parcours of the 10th stage of the 2008 Tour de France.
Starting in Pau, a town which has hosted the Tour de France 61 times, the course will head 165 kilometres through Pyrénées Atlantiques and the Hautes-Pyrénées to the daunting climb to Hautacam – a monstrous 14 kilometre ascent at an average of 7.2%. The challenge doesn’t start there, as the riders will first have to tackle the Col du Tourmalet via la Mongie, a climb of more than 17 km at a 7.5% gradient.
As usual, the “Host Village” will be open for two days before the event: on Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of July, in Pau. For the first time this Village will be set up on the Pau racecourse in order to welcome all participants.
For more information, visit http://www.letapedutour.com.
Last few results of the season.
Gill Reynolds braved the elements on Sunday to ride in the Brighton Mitre Hilly 25 and finished as the 3rd fastest lady in 1.13.31. Among the prizes she received was a carbon fibre bottle cage which is apparently over £30.!!!
Cheers Gladys
Jayne Paine (real name Bunty Breathless) is the Club’s 2007 Hill climb champion. Bunty gave Brian Moon a jolly good thrashing at the West London Combine Hill Climb held at Windsor Hill. Bunty was the fastest gal, finishing in 2mins 46 secs. Brian Moon, weighed down by his free bus pass could only manage 3mins 13 secs.
It seems Bunty had a few japes up her short sleeves….
“Hi Girls,
I am glowing with pride!
Well the nobbling of Brian; it was a work of genius! Ron Purdy gave me the idea last week in the Red Lion at Whiteleaf. I arrived on the course half an hour early. I checked to see nobody was about. I knew that Brian would be one of the first off; this was intrinsic to my dastardly plan!
Half way up, past the bend in the middle of the road , I planted a nice crispy fiver! We started at 1 minute intervals and I was the next to go after Brian . As I rounded the bend , I saw the wily dog snatch the note off the road and hop back on his long-suffering cycle. I swear he had barely lost a minute. He attacked that hill with new vigour, and I was forced to hit him on the head with my new bicycle pump ( I got my fiver back! ). Fortunately he doesn’t remember.
Brian got his own back on me soon after that. We met up with the club run at Stokenchurch , via about 8 of the most evil hills in Bucks . At the garden centre , he told me that we could have tootled along the A40.
Anyway , we all had a very jolly day.
Gosh must dash,
Bunty Breathless – Hill Climb Champion 2007″
Hi All
I shall be going to Majorca in April 2008 as previous years.
You are all invited to come along it is a good training camp with rides every morning. In the afternoon you can lay about the pool or bars. The beach in just across the road about 500 yds.away.
We stay in the Hobby Club which are apartments and eat in the Hotel a short walk away. We like to fill the Hobby Club with our riders and normally have 80 to 90 riders. Each morning after breakfast we have a ride in groups with a leader. There are a variety of rides each day between 50-100 miles.
If interested please book with Roy Gardiner use my name at a contact with him.
Please see wed site for booking form http://www.roygardiner.com/ciclosol/ and deposits are now being accepted. For every everyones protection the money is being help by Idea Travel,
At the time of writing October 20th 2007 we haven’t yet identified our nominated flights that will connect with the transfer to the hotel.
Regards
Brian Wright
The 2007 PBP reunion took place last Friday (12th October) to honour and thank the PBP support team for all their hard work in helping the Willesden riders round the event. It also proved a useful open forum for comparing numb bums, toes and pinkies.
Mike Ellison and Reveller-in-Chief did a great job of organising the evening. He booked the greater part of the appropriately French style Café Rouge in the 21st Arrondissement, or Ealing as it is more commonly known. In total we had 24 people in attendance, which included the entire support team. Akiko made the trip from Tokyo via Paris for the specially for evening.
Bob applying his networking skills
Plenty of drained glasses, most of them Mike’s!
Akiko rounds off her Willesden CC weekend by meeting up
Mark Brooking has found a very interesting Tandem event, which is now in its 43 year! Haven’t got a tandem? Not to worry solos are welcome too.
Details are as follows –
FRIDAY 9th November
Paul Stewart, WCC Auax and Touring Secretary reported a good turn out on the lastest Willesden organised Audax. He had 33 riders sign on for the Anfractous and a dozen or so so for the Nytophobic. This completes an excellent year of WCC Audax events, including a full “Super Randonnee” series of events, which includes a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km events. Thanks to Paul, Mark Brooking, Liz Crease, Chris Beynon, Rocco and all helpers for making this possible.
Paul is starting off 2008 with the “Little Willy”, a 100km ride to Pangbourne and the now famous, “Willy Warmer” 200km. Both events will run on 26th January 08 from Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks.
Ray and Janice Kelly recently visited Simon in his new care home. Here is their news.
“Jan and I visited Simon last week. Not much to report on any progress. We met his mum who was very pleased that we had visited. Simon needs as many stimuli as possible and visitors can provide this.
The home is excellent. A large private house in a leafy road. The staff that we saw were really friendly and welcoming. There are only 6 patients there so they get the staff’s full attention.. They were clearly caring well for Simon.
Simon is at Rowland House, 1A Lime Tree Avenue, Weston Green, Thames Ditton, KT7 0NY. The home is near to Hampton Court, on the way to the Scilly Isles roundabout.
Any visitor should ring the home first just to make sure that it is convenient as Simon has lots of treatments and isn’t always available.
The phone number is 020 8972 9143 The manager is Pam and the team leader is Lisa
By the way, it’s Simon’s birthday this week. 17 October. I’m sure that a birthday card or three would be welcome even if they arrive late. It may be an idea to include a photo or two with the card to remind Simon who you are and perhaps jog his memory of events.
Cheers
Ray”
Good mix of PBP stills and video with a reasonably rockin’ soundtrack
The first social event and the shortest club ride of the year blend together on Tuesday 1st January 2008. Yes, the London New Year’s Day Parade will once again have the privilege of the Willesden CC’s presence.
More detials about the event will be posted on http://www.londonparade.co.uk/
Interesting kit, but probably a bit nippy for 01/01/08
The Willesden’s adventure into democracy is now complete. In what was neck and neck voting the Retro look jersey polled 56 votes to the Modern’s 42.
Ray Kelly will now finalise the design and will be placing an order for following only –
If you require any other bespoke apparel (eg Skin suits, thermal tops, Willesden furry hand cuffs etc.) then contact Ray Kelly directly at
willesdencyclingclub@yahoo.co.uk , putting “KIT” in the email header.
Ray will be announcing the costs and revealing the pre-production design shortly.
Thank you to everyone who voted. Both Jerseys were excellent designs, showing what talent we have in our club. Perhaps we should offer Richard and James’ design consultancy services to this club who have a serious kit problem……..
A reminder that Tuesday Night Turbo Torture starts this evening (9/10/07) at 8pm for that heady mixture of loud music, oxygen debt and Ray Kelly’s own brand of humour. Turbo is an excellent way to keep your fitness and motivation throughout the winter months, plus it also gives you the opportunity to sample the wide variety of musical tastes that exists within the club! The session lasts for one hour and costs £2 for WCC members, (Junior riders – free).
Remember to bring the following –
– Bike
– Turbo
– Water Bottle
– Towel
– Change of clothing
Tea and light refreshments available afterwards.
WCC Club Rooms are at the bottom of London Road, Wembley
