Beryl Burton radio drama

[Haitch]

Next week on Radio 4:

Beryl Burton was an English racing cyclist and one of Britain's greatest ever athletes during the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. She dominated women’s cycle racing in the UK, she was best British all rounder for 25 successive years. She won two road world championship victories (1960 and 67), five track world championship gold medals and twelve victories in both the national road race championships and the national pursuit championships on the track. Now a docudrama has been written about her for Radio Four by the actress Maxine Peake, it is the first drama that Maxine has written and she also plays the character of Beryl.



“Beryl: A Love Story on two Wheels” will be broadcast on Radio Four on Tuesday, 27th November at 2.15pm.

Afternoon Drama: “Beryl: A Love Story on two Wheels”

 

[RaRa]

Great spot - ty

 

[dellzeqq]

hhhmmmm...... Must get the 'creatives' () at Cosmodemonic to listen in.

 

[ASC1951]

.... and Maxine Peake explaining why she decided to write the piece as a radio play (I noticed she didn't say, 'So I didn't have to actually ride a bike').

Perhaps we heard different versions. She wanted it as a radio play specifically so that there could be wind and cycling noises; and she is a cyclist herself.

 

[Minotier]

Always remember the tale of when Beryl overtook the guy who was setting a new men's record in a TT and as she passed she gave him a liquorice allsort so he didn't feel so bad!.
Awesome rider, she sadly lived in a time when cycling did not attract honours or accolade outside the sport.
A national treasure.
I can think of no better actress to portray her than the brilliant Maxine Peake!
Well spotted Alan.

 

[Hilldodger]

Always remember the tale of when Beryl overtook the guy who was setting a new men's record in a TT and as she passed she gave him a liquorice allsort so he didn't feel so bad!.
Awesome rider, she sadly lived in a time when cycling did not attract honours or accolade outside the sport.
A national treasure.
I can think of no better actress to portray her than the brilliant Maxine Peake!
Well spotted Alan.

Not the whole truth i'm afraid,

Mike MacNamara was aiming to set a new 200 mile record and so was riding at a set pace. Burton was riding part of the same course but trying for much shorter distance, and therefor able to ride a faster pace. What isn't ever mentioned is that she had to pull up not long after.

 

[totallyfixed]

A truly outstanding athlete, one of our friends actually raced against her many times.

 

[SavvyJustine]

Not the whole truth i'm afraid,

Mike MacNamara was aiming to set a new 200 mile record and so was riding at a set pace. Burton was riding part of the same course but trying for much shorter distance, and therefor able to ride a faster pace. What isn't ever mentioned is that she had to pull up not long after.

Always remember the tale of when Beryl overtook the guy who was setting a new men's record in a TT and as she passed she gave him a liquorice allsort so he didn't feel so bad!.
Awesome rider, she sadly lived in a time when cycling did not attract honours or accolade outside the sport.
A national treasure.
I can think of no better actress to portray her than the brilliant Maxine Peake!
Well spotted Alan.

You'll spot Liquorice Allsorts in from the start and we do cover that victory - as its one of the anecdotes Charlie Burton shared with us and we loved from the book.

 

[SavvyJustine]

NB We'll be interested to hear what cyclists think. I'm the director / producer. We set out to write about how she achieved such amazing wins with none of the support or acclaim cyclists have today, - but after we met and interviewed Charlie, we realised it was a love story; hence the title. Hope we manage to please all parties........... we'll see. Maxine was determined to honour Beryl's achievements and memories in this drama and it ends with a list of some of her finest achievements. Let me know on twitter @SavvyJustine

 

[SavvyJustine]

Not the whole truth i'm afraid,

Mike MacNamara was aiming to set a new 200 mile record and so was riding at a set pace. Burton was riding part of the same course but trying for much shorter distance, and therefor able to ride a faster pace. What isn't ever mentioned is that she had to pull up not long after.

That's interesting and not to our knowledge recorded that way; or recited by the family that way either. Thanks.

 

[mickle]

There's an interview with Beryl on the Cyclorama website for those that's interested (dating from Bicycle Magazine 1984):

 

[Archie_tect]

@SavvyJustine - I used to see Beryl Burton on her bike around Woodlesford, a village 5 miles SE of Leeds, a lot in my early years- around the mid-60s... I remember my dad telling me that she lived in the Beechwood estate near us, but I mentioned this to someone on here recently and they said it wasn't true, and it doesn't mention her living in the village in her web listings.

If you've got a complete biography from Charlie Burton, I'd love to know whether my dad made it up!

 

[Hilldodger]

That's interesting and not to our knowledge recorded that way; or recited by the family that way either. Thanks.

I'll try to find my research giving the other side of the story - from more than one source too, I seem to remember. I beleive the incident was also reported in one of the cycling magazines. Again, it will be in my research but as I'm moving house and office at the momnet, there's no telling where it is..

 

[Crankarm]

Sounds an interesting programme of the great Beryl Burton to listen to as long as there is no mention of cyclists having to wear helmets, hi viz and pay road tax or that in decades gone by cycling safety was given a more casual approach.

 

[Minotier]

You'll spot Liquorice Allsorts in from the start and we do cover that victory - as its one of the anecdotes Charlie Burton shared with us and we loved from the book.

It was considered amusing enough for Rockingham Wheelers to present Beryl with a huge Liquorice Allsort in recognition of the story.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/444416/beryl-burton-british-legend.html