The following message came from John Jones, the Central Region Treasurer via Jayne Payne:
“I have always been interested in the activities of the Willesden, in my young days Paul (Digger) Baulch was one of the countries top time triallists, I think he was second the day Ray Booty first broke 4 hours. But my best memory of Paul is standing in a group of other cyclists in a field at the finish in Pangbourne Lane and someone asked him how he recovered after a 12. He said, go and see my Doctor, he will see I am fatigued and will sign me off work for a week! I often thought of that comment when I finished a 12 but always went to work the next day. The other good Willesden rider of the time was John Blunsden.”
It is always lovely to receive these anecdotes of our past members.
I am not sure John Jones’s memory is right about the Bath Road Club 100 of 1956. The great Stan Brittain, Aintree (Liverpool) Phoenix C.C. was second eleven minutes 55 sec. behind The Boot. My late club mate Bill Bradley was fifth.