Club Secretary Brian Hill reports:
For the eighth year the Club Dinner was held at Cuddington Golf Club, where we again first socialised in the comfortable bar area. After meeting and greeting old and new friends and consuming pre dinner drinks, the thirty-nine present were called to the dining room with its four large circular tables. The dinner was then presided over by our Club President, Richard Varian accompanied by Lucia his wife.
After a choice from three starters, we were called, table by table, to an excellent carvery with a selection of meats or a nut roast and vegetables, plus an alternative vegetable tagine served at the tables. If we were not full after that, another choice of three deserts completely finished us all off.
While we enjoyed either a coffee or tea with mints, our President said a few words about the club and members then called us to our feet for the Loyal Toast. This was followed by a welcoming Toast to our Guests and Visitors by Andy Burbidge, our dinner organiser. Finally a Toast to the Club was made by Daniel Arthur.
Over recent years the club dinners have become much less formal, with smart casual being the dress instead of the men wearing suits with their partners in nice dresses. Gone are the long speeches from years ago that often had two by members, with two well known guests from the sport replying.
The ever popular quiz following the Toasts, which was put together for another year by Callum Robertson, the very able quiz master. A very close contest saw Table One winning after a final sudden death question.
The main racing results for 2024 were shown on the menu sheet and it was a pity that most of the prize winners listed did not attend to collect their prizes from the glittering array of silverware and medals on the prize table.
Isabel Marquez graciously agreed to present the prizes to the few winners who were there.
First to be called up was Youssef Talal, who in his first season collected three handicap medals from Isabel.
For the second year running, the winner of the Road Race Championship was eleven year old, Daphne Hale from her brother Stavros, both had raced at the Crystal Palace circuit. Her mother Katerina kindly collected the winners medal for Daphne.
The member with the most awards on the evening was Daniel Arthur, apart from winning three Club Events he became the handicap king taking three handicap awards including the Memorial Event with its trophy plus the Ann Butler glass tankard. Also to crown it, the season long handicap competition for the Claud Butler Trophy.
In our Open 25 at Bentley, the Mike Bradley Quaich for the Best Improvement on times done in the last three years, was won by Tony Dodsworth of Audax UK and he had joined us to collect the trophy.
The President’s trophy, presented by Richard for the best ride of the year, was awarded to Andy Burbidge and his able assistant Doug Young for organising the Club’s September weekend away. Members camped on the mainland and then after a delayed ferry crossing completed a ride around the coastline of the Isle of Wight.
The Ernie Jacobs Tankard is presented for services to the Club and this year was awarded to Janice Dawes. After joining the Club seven years ago, she soon started leading our Sunday Club rides. In recent years Janice together with Callum Robertson are the two members that lead most of the longer rides.
A raffle with many generous prizes, some from local bike shops was organised by Andy Burbidge and Doug Young. Just over £286 was collected with the money going to Prostrate Cancer UK.
With yet another successful Club Dinner over, again with a disappointingly low attendance, it is hoped that in future years more of our prize winners and members with guests will come along and enjoy our always friendly annual cycling club dinner.
Thanks must go to both Andy Burbidge with assistance from Doug Young for organising a most enjoyable evening and to Richard Varian for photographing the event.
Ernie Jacobs, who I always mention about when his memorial tankard trophy is presented for Services to the Club.
He raced into the earlier 1960’s, then after stopping riding he helped at all of the Club’s time trials getting to them on his Honda moped.
There are now only a few older Club members that will have fond memories of Ernie who died in 1980.
He was nearly always smiling in photos of him racing and rode the Southern Counties CU 12 hour event a number of times.
The course covered roads, some that we are familiar with, between Crawley and nearly to Guildford, also heading part way south into Sussex.
The 12 mile finishing circuit was on lanes east of Horley which riders lapped until their time was up.
Brian Hill