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DE LAUNE CYCLING CLUB

FOUNDED 1889

Sponsored by EVANS CYCLES (UK) Ltd. & SPECIALIZED CYCLES

 February 2003
No. 847 -74th Year

www.delaunecc.org

STEVE PRICE

THE PRESIDENTS REPORTS

The last supper was held at the old club room on Friday 17th Jan 2003, and what a last supper it was. We managed to seat 53 members and guests on a first come first served basis. We could have done with another 20 seats but we did not have the room.

Our members arrived at 7pm for drinks and a chat, members of all ages who wanted to be there for the last 'do' at our old club room. The night went well but it was sad, as the club would be sold for the lack of use. The right club room, but over the years, it was in the wrong place.

Most members, I recall, who used to live in the south London area, have moved on to other parts of the country or other parts of the world. I find that a lot of members still want to be part of the club irrespective of the distance. This is good but we still need new young members to keep the De Laune going for another 100 years.

Your committee thinks that if we move our headquarters to Herne Hill stadium we shall attract new members, especially in the summer time when the track racing starts. We will see.

Back to the 'Last Supper'. When you walked into the club room you were met by a lovely smell of cooking coming from the kitchen. This was all down to Cliff and Carol Steel, our super chefs, bless them

As Peter Jenn, Brian Saxton and I were your waiters we did not have time to eat but it did look and smell good. Plenty of wine, cross toasting and chat - what more could you ask for?

We had short speeches, from our older members, Tom Bewsey, Bill Miles and one which was a tear jerker for me from Ken Fuller. As you know Ken had a stroke a few years back which affected his speech, but Ken, our club room builder, gave a speech on how the club room was built. I heard every word from the back. Well done Ken.

We had members who could not get a seat but turned up just for a drink. Guess who was one of them? The one and only Charlie Carlton! Charlie is not too good on his pins now but managed to get around to us for a beer (well he would, as he can smell it a mile off) he then gave us a few special jokes, as Charlie would do!

Talking about our members living around the world, Chris Gordon-Coker (do you remember him a few years back?) well he turned up from South Africa. Good to see you Chris. I expected Johnny Darroch from Thailand and Cliff Pendleton from France to walk through the door but it did not happen, never mind.

Talking about loyal members, I had a phone call from Jennifer Evans who wanted two places for her and her husband George. The name I did not know, but yes, she has been a member for many years. When I met Jennifer at the 'Do' she explained that her dad was Ted Jackson, who is no longer with us but was in the club many years ago and, in fact, helped with the club room and laid the tiles in the toilets. (Brian Saxton let her into the gents to see her dad's handy work). Her last meeting with the club was at our club dinner which was held at the Oval, that's going back a while. . She remembers every one who bought a raffle ticket went home with a Christmas stocking! Jennifer keeps in touch with the club through the DLN. Dot give them a buzz for the next Old Members Do.

It was nice to see Rachel Hedley and Katie Chown (eating for two) with us; in fact it was nice to see a spread of members of all ages.

A big thanks again to Cliff and Carol, how they arrange over 50 meals with only a small cooker I do not know, and they want to do it again! Sorry Cliff, but we are holding you back for special occasions.

Another three members I must thank, one is my old mate Stax, He spent the best part of the week sorting and arranging the club room, and he was sober on the night. Also Dot for collecting the cash, and Peter Jenn for being our other waiter.

I will finish with a true story. Charlie Carlton said that we could not give away the knives and forks as mementos as he gave them to the club many years ago. They were given to him by the P and O Cruise Liner Company. Do you know, the first one I picked up from the table was marked ' NAAFI Aldershot '.

All the best, Kav

Past & Present
The President	It's not like in our day.... clockwise from left: Tom Bewsey, George Wood, Les Pyne, Beryl White, Beryl Williamson & Bill Miles
Charlie Carlton	Bill Miles
The Feast

Cyclo-Cross

Thanks to our Brighton reporter Patricia for being so observant and spotting this report in the Evening Argus.

Round ten of the 2002/2003 Mosquito/Kinesis London Cyclo-Cross League and final Sussex League held at Brighton on December 22. Organised by Brighton Excelsior CC. 

A second second place a good habit but I would love to have that top step. I started badly and never sniffed the front and spent the entire race chasing a fast disappearing figure. I didn't have the best of days but it was good enough to hold my position despite dropping to third briefly when the Moulscomb park mountain, it went to the lowest point of the course to the highest, not quite your regular cross circuit. 

Pos No Name Cat Team Time
1 Sam Gardner Evans RT        1:04:34
2 Steven Price De Laune CC    1:08:18
3 Jon Sharpe Saucony/Evans    1:09:31
4 Mick Bell London Fire brigade 1st Veteran
5 Ben Lockwood GS Invicta
6 David Law Arctic RT

I started round 11 at Foots Cray meadow the following Friday but climbed off after 30 minutes, I started strongly and held second for 25 minutes until it all fell apart, Christmas had left me absolutely spent, families eh!

The next two rounds were cancelled/waterlogged which leaves two rounds and the next race more than two weeks away, 26 January - By which time I should have dispatched the Christmas blues. Unfortunately despite starting my cross campaign a little late and missing a couple of rounds I will not have a great overall standing but I can hold my head high knowing that this was my first cross season for three years and I loved it and it was my most successful.

I'm now 66th in the national rankings, not bad considering I have had only one national result.

Steve

Rankings after 11 events at 8/1/03, but with 8 counted at this time

1 Matt Holmes Artic RT S 100 94 100 94 100 488 
2 Carl McDonagh Brixton Cycles V 74 76 76 80 90 86 482 
3 Jon Sharpe Saucony S 94 94 83 94 100 465 
18 Danny Rudd De Laune CC S 63 65 68 65 83 344 
27 Steve Price De Laune CC S 83 90 100 273 
72 Thomas Randall De Laune CC S 86 86

(It looks as if Steve has not been credited with the points he gained in the event at Brighton ED.)

NEW E - MAIL ADDRESSES 

James Lett James.LETT@rbos.com
Patricia Burns PATCHAMBABE45@aol.com 
Matt Goodes MnMGoodes@aol.com 
Alaric Lester alaric@nildram.co.uk

O.M.A. NEWS

We arrived, for the "Last supper" at our Clubroom, and were greeted with a glass of wine by our President 'Kav' resplendent in a bow tie (and shirt & trousers - of course), along, with his Staff of Waiters - Brian Saxton and Pete Jenn also suitably attired. The Clubroom looked really good - mainly due to the efforts of the aforesaid guys, the tables were set up as for a Club Dinner. 

Very soon the place began to fill up, it was good to see friends that we hadn't seen for a while, so as usual there was plenty of chat. We eventually settled ourselves at the table - ready for the feast - I think there were 53 of us sat down, 3 waiters and 2 chefs attending to our needs, it was a good mixture of ages too which was good to see. We started with a delicious soup, stacks of chunky granary bread and bread sticks, followed by 'Grace', Kav said we all tucked into the food before he could say it that sounds like The De Laune! 

Our main course was a very generous piece of Salmon, accompanied by vegetables and sauce (Cliff will be able to tell you the correct title for the dish) we then progressed to a lovely selection of cheeses & fruit etc. then our desert of various fresh fruits - I've never seen such a variety, and to cap it all plates of chocs, brandy snaps & other delightful confections. I will say that the members who could not make it missed a wonderful treat. 

After 'grace' was said, Ken (Fuller) stood up to remind us all how the building of our Clubroom began in 1970, and he took us through the various stages of work, even to the supplying of materials by our members, and the jolly hard work done by club members to get the building up and ready for our habitation (or Ken Hills!) by 1973. After all the food & wine (which was flowing freely), and after a few cross-toasts, Kav made his speech, and made a presentation of a huge bouquet of flowers to Carole (and Cliff) for producing such a wonderful supper, it was truly delicious, and presented as though we were in a First Class Restaurant, how they manage all that for 53 people, in our inadequate kitchen I'll never know, most of us couldn't produce such a banquet in a kitchen with all 'mod cons'. So its thanks again to Carole and Cliff for all their hard work in looking after us all so well, also thanks Kav for my lovely flowers - most unexpected...

Well, we had a wonderful evening as always, plenty of chat, and as Alan Rowe stood up and. said "if we can get this many members and friends to the Clubroom for a supper, why can't we manage a Club Dinner anymore? Yes - why can't we?

I'm sure all present will agree that it really was a great evening, lots of jollity, but with an underlying feeling of sadness that circumstances have made the selling of our Memorial Clubroom inevitable, so very much hard work went into the building of it, and also dedication from the members who helped with the fund-raising over many years to make the building possible, they must feel extremely disappointed that the last few years have seen such a downslide in members attending Club nights, I suppose that's life - all things change not always for the better I must say, but just lets remember the good times we have had in our Clubroom over the past 30 years, here's hoping that our new HQ - at Herne Hill Track will create as good an atmosphere as our dear old Clubroom.

I have photo - copied some extracts from our bound copies of the De Laune News 1970-73 (sorry Mark - not on the Web!) I thought maybe you members would be interested to read of the 'exploits' that accompanied the building of the Clubroom, hope you can take the time to read them, they probably won't all be in this issue but the next one as well. Some members will never have read them and others no doubt will have forgotten. I just think that the time is right to print them again, so, just read them to know how it all began. 

DOT

More to come in the following months,Ed.

SEPTEMBER 1970

AT LAST Jack Young After months and months and months, during which time the only regular workers at the new Clubroom were Ken Hill and myself ,we finally had a site meeting and decided to make a real start on this huge job of work.

This meeting, called by Ken Fuller on the 3rd of August 1970, saw a gathering of member just raring' to go. Ken Fuller, Ken Hill, Mark Ballamy, Geoff Sinnett, Chris Chalet, Graham Crocombe, Bill Miles, Mick Peel, Brian Wailer, Max Dads, Edward Carlton, Charlie Carlton and myself.

Some preliminary wrecking work had been started by Ken Hill, Graham Crocombe, Chris Chalet and me during the preceeding weeks, but now a real working party was organized.

On Tuesday 4th August, Chris, Edward and I did a bit more work, and on Thursday 6th. Ken Fuller with Chris and Edward at last tackle the roof.

Then the big day - Saturday 8th August bright and early, Ken Hill, Ken Fuller, Geoff Sinnett, Bill Miles, Mick Peel, Geoff Valentine, Fran' and Edward Carlton, Chris Chalet, Len Double, and A.J.Y, really set to work on the necessary demolition. Only eleven of us but you would have thought there were scores, Timber, muck and rubble - slates - bricks - mortar - old hardboard clouds of dust - flying all over Choumert Road.

Bodies were clambering over the roof in every direction. Mick and Ken Hill were taking fantastic evasive action as the debris showered down thick and fast. Ken Fuller trying to ensure that the foundations were not dug up underneath us by some of the exuberant younger members. That roof trembled and swayed as if hit by an earthquake. In fact Ken was only just in time to stop some of the fast workers demolishing the house next door.

A quick elevenses, during which a great jet of water shot up from under the floor and the working 'shower' nearly had one! A brief clean up - we looked like miners coming off the night shift - and on we pressed.

How we survived with only a few cuts and abrasions I shall never know. The place was more and more resembling a building hit by a near miss bomb during the war A pile of slates - worth money to us said working foreman Fuller - was being stacked. Meanwhile the Carlton lads, on the ball as always, whipped the small quantity of lead down to the dealers and earned a few more pounds for the Fund.

A break for lunch and a quick pint at the local to wash down the dust - paid for out of the kitty to celebrate just this once. Treasurer crying his eyes out as the money was spent! But then Chris Chalet treated him to a fish and chips snack and he felt better.

Sleeping partner, Charlie Carlton called in - to kill-to make sure he could not be roped in to work, and then we were at it again. Bill Miles, who said he only had two pints, was dashing all over the roof and for a while I don't think he knew whether he was demolishing or building. About two p.m. just as it was really getting hot on the roof, I thought the bonfire had run amok. Then a cloudburst hit us and you have yet to see anything funnier than eight men trying to get down a single ladder together. After we had all been down in the remaining covered part of the hall for half an hour someone said "Where's Bill?" But not to worry he came strolling down as leisurely as if out marshalling a time trial!

We finished for the day when the rain really settled in and eleven weary and filthy members paused to survey the wreckage they had wrought - IT LOOKED TERRIBLE - but when we started to crystal-gaze into the future happy smiles lit up those ugly dirty mugs and plans were made for the next session.

The task ahead is immense but the confidence we have in our ability to knock this old place into the shape we want is greater. I only hope we can have from now on, as has been promised before, a regular report on progress.

FROM THE EDITOR - STILL ABOUT THE CLUBROOM 

Thanks, Jack for this report. I shall be delighted to give regular reports now that something is at last happening .

Now a request from Ken Fuller We need all kinds of building material and plant. If we get too much we can always sell it at a profit. So dig deep into those warehouses and send it along to the to the club room - but tell Ken Fuller - or somebody that it is coming!

Oh yes, at a pinch we can still accept that old fashioned stuff - pounds, shilling and pence. No objection will be made to any quantity of New Pence. I seem to have covered all ways in which any member can help - still need plenty of the physical help as well!

To be cont.

O.M.A. LUNCHEON UPDATE

FURTHER TO THE REPORT IN A PREVIOUS DE LAUNE NEWS I REGRET THAT I HAD TO CANCEL THE HYDRO HOTEL AS A VENUE. SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE WILL BE RETURNING TO THE GOLF CLUB. ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS A NEW CHEF BUT I DID HAVE LUNCH THERE VERY RECENTLY AND THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT. I WILL NOW RETURN TO FIND A SUITABLE DATE FOR OUR LUNCHEON. SO PLEASE WATCH THIS SPACE. FINALLY MY TELEPHONE NUMBER WAS WRONGLY PRINTED PLEASE NOTE IT IS 01273.546226. (MY FAULT OR YOURS ED!) (I plead guilty Ed.)

 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

PATRICIA

M.T.B. NEWS 

Salisbury Plain Challenge - January 5, 2003 - Ross Fryer

James Lett, James Peckham and I entered the annual season opener, the Salisbury Plain Challenge, a 50k off-road race perfectly timed to blow-off the Christmas cobwebs. After huge amounts of rain over the Christmas period, serious floods in the south and warm weather we were all dreading some bad mud-plugging conditions on the Plain, an exposed place at the best of times. Luckily the big freeze arrived just in time and conditions were just about perfect for the race, frozen ground, clear skies and very little wind. The event usually attracts about 1000 racers for the 50k event so we all made our way to the front of the race to ensure a good start up the anaerobic first climb. 

The motorbike outriders led us off and the elite racers soon disappeared up the track leaving a number of chasing groups fighting amongst themselves. I was feeling good after the climb and soon hooked up with a couple of good riders setting a very fast pace with James Lett and James Peckham tucked in just behind. I had no trouble with the treacherous ice ruts on the Plain and was soon negotiating the steep drop that marks the half-way point. The route then quickly joins some roads and tracks for the return journey and it was here that I began to pay for the initial fast pace (due to being too keen on my nice new bike, according to James Lett!). 

I was soon caught by James Lett and a small group of chasers and whilst I tried to tuck in behind it wasn't to be and it became a bit of a battle to keep pushing for the finish. Within about 4k of the end, James 'Boy In The Bubble' Peckham caught me, obviously having a hell of a ride after his recent bouts of colds, virus', tooth infections etc, etc. At the end James Lett finished 28th overall in 2.18.49, James Peckham came 32nd in 2.21.15 and I managed 35th in 2.22.11 for a combined team time of 7.02. There were 861 finishers in the 50k race so we did exceptionally well as a team. We finished 4th team overall but as we only had three riders start the race rather than the required 4; we did not feature in the final Team results.

ROAD & TRACK EVENTS 

Included is a diary of events for the Road team until June 1st. The riders that have already indicated their availability are linked to the individual events. Any rider wishing to ride any event are more than welcome and will arrive safe in knowledge team members will be present. Any supports are also appreciated.

Main events are:
Wally Gimber 2nd Mar Tenterden 
Any SERRL event. 
VC Meudon 2 day 12th - 13th April 
Easter 3 day Surrey :League

Any queries contact James Peckham