Prescot Cycling Club 1939

[Sharky]

My random searches on the web found this article, dating from 1939, in the Prescot Reporter:-

1939 > Prescot Cycling Club

PRESCOT CYCLING CLUB ANNUAL DINNER AT LIVERPOOL
The club held its annual dinner on Saturday at the Imperial Hotel, Lime street, Liverpool, when about 30 members and friends sat down for an enjoyable Christmas dinner.
The club secretary (Mr. F. Barrow), thanked the manager (Mr B, Montgomery) and his staff for the excellent repast.
This was supported by the assistant secretary (Miss M. Burton). Mr J J McAlle (chairman of the N.C.U., Liverpool centre) referred to the NCU. and its club activities. He hoped that the Prescot club would continue to grow in membership in spite of the war.
He also hoped that the boys from the club who would be called to serve their country would return, safely and in good condition, able to carry on the good sport of cycling.
He proposed the health of the Prescot CC. and this was seconded by the secretary (Mr P Barrow).
The rest of the evening was spent in sing-song and entertainment given by the club members themselves.
The Prescot Club would like more members of either sex, and anyone wishing to join should write to the secretary (Mr P Barrow), 12, Aspinall Street, Prescot, or attend at the clubrooms on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday evenings.

========================================================================================================
Any descendants on Cycle Chat?
My own father was instrumental in restarting cycling in Prescot just after WW2, with the formation of the Prescot Road Club, but had no link as far as I know to the above. He would have been too young.
I started my club riding with the Prescot RC in the late 60's, before moving down to Kent.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Just joined, and just seen this.
Prescot Eagle CC was a big and successful club for many years. A lady called Joan Kershaw was at the heart of all things for many years. A nice lady.

The club was big enough to run Nat Champ events in the 1990s. and had some good hard members.

I've not seen many of them out for some time. There are a plethora of new and small clubs set up in and around this area. Some are open to the public and some are effectively private clubs. I suspect the P E might be struggling to attract or retain new younger members. The club may still exist but in a reduced format. Many "established" clubs have failed to move with the times and are still stuck on the 1960s so are no longer fashionable.

 

[Sharky]

Just joined, and just seen this.
Prescot Eagle CC was a big and successful club for many years. A lady called Joan Kershaw was at the heart of all things for many years. A nice lady.

The club was big enough to run Nat Champ events in the 1990s. and had some good hard members.

I've not seen many of them out for some time. There are a plethora of new and small clubs set up in and around this area. Some are open to the public and some are effectively private clubs. I suspect the P E might be struggling to attract or retain new younger members. The club may still exist but in a reduced format. Many "established" clubs have failed to move with the times and are still stuck on the 1960s so are no longer fashionable.

I was a member of the Prescot RC from 66 - 69, before moving down to Kent with my parents & family. Joan came from the Liverpool Eagle side and the two clubs merged in the 70's to form the Prescot Eagle. Met Joan on a few occasions and a few of the members I knew when I was there over 50 years ago.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

We were talking about this today out in the lanes near Billinge Hill. Consensus was that the club was still in existence but dying a slow death for lack of new young members.

Just then a guy rode towards us in full club kit! So there is at least one guy still in the club.

 

[Sharky]

Time slips by. I was up there for one of the evening tens about 4 years ago - the same night Bradley turned up!
Another time, I travelled up on a Saturday morning from Kent, only for the event to be cancelled. They had been grass cutting the central reservation and the cones were still up, preventing the race.

Last time I saw them, I met Joan, Austin, John Lahiff and the Brian Farrington, who sadly passed away recently. These were all the clubmates from the time I was there, so as you say, not getting any younger. You might know Duncan - he left to form the St Helens and also sadly passed away.

Also rode to the top of Billinge when I came up to visit one year - it's a lovely climb!
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/billinge-bump-or-lump-or-hill.187887/

Cheers Keith

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

We were in King's Moss this morning. At the junction we had the usual choice....left up Billinge or right on the chicken route. Didn't take us long to make up our minds😁

 

[joyceirenetopping]

My random searches on the web found this article, dating from 1939, in the Prescot Reporter:-

1939 > Prescot Cycling Club

PRESCOT CYCLING CLUB ANNUAL DINNER AT LIVERPOOL
The club held its annual dinner on Saturday at the Imperial Hotel, Lime street, Liverpool, when about 30 members and friends sat down for an enjoyable Christmas dinner.
The club secretary (Mr. F. Barrow), thanked the manager (Mr B, Montgomery) and his staff for the excellent repast.
This was supported by the assistant secretary (Miss M. Burton). Mr J J McAlle (chairman of the N.C.U., Liverpool centre) referred to the NCU. and its club activities. He hoped that the Prescot club would continue to grow in membership in spite of the war.
He also hoped that the boys from the club who would be called to serve their country would return, safely and in good condition, able to carry on the good sport of cycling.
He proposed the health of the Prescot CC. and this was seconded by the secretary (Mr P Barrow).
The rest of the evening was spent in sing-song and entertainment given by the club members themselves.
The Prescot Club would like more members of either sex, and anyone wishing to join should write to the secretary (Mr P Barrow), 12, Aspinall Street, Prescot, or attend at the clubrooms on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday evenings.

========================================================================================================
Any descendants on Cycle Chat?
My own father was instrumental in restarting cycling in Prescot just after WW2, with the formation of the Prescot Road Club, but had no link as far as I know to the above. He would have been too young.
I started my club riding with the Prescot RC in the late 60's, before moving down to Kent.

My 93 year old aunt, Joyce Topping (nee Connolly), was a very early member of the club, joining in 1949 at the tender age of 16 years old.

Joyce and other group founder members including your father regularly took a week cycling over to France and down to the Italian border before returning home within the week.

Joyce tells these wonderful stories of her adventures cycling around Europe with her fellow riders and friends.

If anyone is on here that would like to hear more, my aunt now lives in Widnes with her younger sister and brother in law.

Please feel free to contact myself on most socials including Facebook at David Glinos.

Happy cycling
Joyce Topping (nee Connolly)

 

[Sharky]

Don't think it was my dad(victor), who cycled around Europe. He started the club with John Platt, who was a bit younger, so could have been him. Joyce may have known my mum, Connie, as she rode with the club for a while, until I was born in 1950.

 

[joyceirenetopping]

Don't think it was my dad(victor), who cycled around Europe. He started the club with John Platt, who was a bit younger, so could have been him. Joyce may have known my mum, Connie, as she rode with the club for a while, until I was born in 1950.

I am sat with Joyce now and Joyce says she recognises the name John Platt but not the name Victor.

Joyce rode with the club from around 1949 until around 1956 when she left the club and moved to Warrington and joined her husbands cycling club in Warrington called Warrington Road Cycling Club.

Joyce says that there were about 4 or 5 other lady club members but they didn’t always go out riding with men on a regular basis unlike Joyce.

 

[joyceirenetopping]

Joyce was a member of the club for about 10 years in total. She has many fond memories of adventures cycling across Europe and the UK.

 

[Sharky]

Have sent you a private message, with a few memories.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hello
Bit of a co-incidence but my wife is from Prescot and remembers a Miss Topping being a teacher in her infants school
and relation??
and we now live in Widnes!!!