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officials received racing jerseys as a thankyou<br />
for their efforts and contribution.<br />
If race organisers want to send out flyers<br />
with regional Leaguer distribution, then<br />
send them to Arnold Russell.<br />
The Veta Race series is now re-established<br />
on the Chobham circuit, starting<br />
May 19th. Paul Gresham wants to hear<br />
from riders when entering so as to set up a<br />
marshalling roster.<br />
John Scott (address above) is looking for<br />
copies of Cycling (preferably a whole set)<br />
for purchase or loan, 1942 – 1968.<br />
John Scott<br />
For organisers<br />
Why not consider promoting road<br />
events in the Autumn? Why does our<br />
road season come to a sudden end in<br />
early September? So often the October/November<br />
weather is much better<br />
than March and April. I personally have<br />
raced Summer and Winter non-stop for<br />
the past 46 years, and it’s never done<br />
me any harm – on the contrary, I keep<br />
a good level of fitness all year round.<br />
Liven your event up – add incentive<br />
awards: hill primes, sprint prizes,<br />
points competitions, most aggressive<br />
rider. It doesn’t cost much but it can<br />
certainly put a bit of sparkle into any<br />
race.<br />
Consider providing some sort of<br />
race back-up: riders will always provide<br />
wheels if they’re notified in the<br />
race programme. Usually the vehicles<br />
have more than they can handle. The<br />
same vehicle can be used for First Aid<br />
personnel. Riders appreciate this gesture,<br />
especially those who have travelled<br />
a long way to ride an event.<br />
Please think about it. Mick Ives<br />
For all of us<br />
Our courses are precious and it’s worth<br />
taking care of them and protecting<br />
them. The most important thing is to<br />
make friends with the locals. They<br />
think (with some justification) that they<br />
have more right to be there than you<br />
do – so if you tell them where to go<br />
and amputate themselves you could<br />
easily lose that circuit. It only needs a<br />
complaint to the local police or a councillor,<br />
and there’s another course gone.<br />
Treat them with the same courtesy you<br />
expect yourself: don’t park across people’s<br />
drives, gates and doors. Don’t use<br />
their gardens as toilets. Don’t scream<br />
abuse at horse-riders. Don’t scream<br />
abuse at anyone.<br />
OBITUARY:Peter Le Grys<br />
After a six months illness Peter Le<br />
Grys passed away at St Helena Hospice<br />
in Essex on Sunday 6 th January,<br />
aged 70. Peter started his cycling<br />
career in 1947 with the Streatham<br />
Cycle Racing Club and made rapid<br />
progress on road and track. Peter<br />
was one of the early ‘maverick’ riders<br />
attracted to the BLRC and competed<br />
in their classic road races such<br />
as Dover to London and London to<br />
Glasgow. He leaves his wife Vida,<br />
son, David and daughter Jennifer.<br />
Peter and the family emigrated to<br />
New Zealand in 1970 and he was<br />
soon President of the P.N.P. club in<br />
Wellington. His devotion and inspiration<br />
to Dave spanned the whole<br />
of his son’s career, and his support<br />
will be sorely missed. Dave Le Grys<br />
Peter was a BLRC member and a<br />
member of Streatham Cycle Racing<br />
Club in the 1950s, and was placed<br />
in the first three of many events. I<br />
met Peter in the 1950’s when we<br />
were enlisted into the National Service.<br />
We were at RAF Lynham and<br />
we became the camp team, racing<br />
on Wednesdays at all RAF stations<br />
and in the South of England and<br />
Mass start racing on aerodrome circuits.<br />
Peter was a larger-than-life character<br />
and a joy to be with at all times.<br />
We would plan our event list in the<br />
Salvation Army camp café for all RAF<br />
and civil events.<br />
We had the best of times, with little<br />
traffic on the roads. Crew cuts and<br />
DAs were in fashion and Peter and I<br />
had a crew cut. Derek Lee and Ron<br />
Payne had DAs. Blue suede<br />
shoes……Jimmy Savile and all that.<br />
Peter loved cycling and rode the<br />
bike all his life, more recently competing<br />
from time to time in veteran<br />
events until his illness. He met his<br />
wife Vida through the sport and of<br />
course was immensely proud of his<br />
son Dave’s competitive cycling<br />
achievements and his recent outstanding<br />
rides in Worlds Masters<br />
Championships. Peter will be sorely<br />
missed by all who knew him.<br />
Peter leaves a wife Vida, and son<br />
Dave and daughter Jenny.<br />
Bunny A Bircumshaw<br />
A rare gathering of League old-timers at Sport & Publicity’s Chiltern Weekend<br />
last June. From left: Bill Bannister (who rode at Brooklands), Tom Saunders<br />
(winner 1948 Brighton–Glasgow), George Beretta (regular ToB rider), Gino<br />
Goddard, Derek Buttle (1950s Hercules pro), Johnny Brackstone (winner ToB<br />
stage 1952), Dave Clift (organiser), Chas Messenger.<br />
<strong>Veteran</strong> Leaguer: Winter 2002 Page 11
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