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The Anerley AGM Gazette November 2023 – Anerley Remembers


First a note: Some of the items in this Gazette are re-issues of ” recent” ones from as back as 2010. Newer members, depending on when they joined, will not have read some of these Gazettes. I hope that longer term members have now forgotten what was written in past years! I have also added some recent Gazette articles to illustrate what we have been doing more recently. The purpose being to encourage you to do these activities again – next year! So to start the history of our Club, lets go back to 1914.

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Remembrance Day

Those few of us who lived through World War II have a much greater understanding, and feeling, for what the Eleventh hour, of the Eleventh day, of the Eleventh month means. We were brought up, to each year on that Eleventh day, attend at our local Memorial service. Most of us boys would have taken part as Cubs, Scouts, Life Boys, in the march with the War Veterans to our local church service.

The Cyclists War Memorial is well attended

With wars raging in Ukraine, and Israel/Gaza, perhaps we should all pray for an end to the horrors that war always brings, and with it, so much pointless suffering. So let us take a journey back in time, to revisit the Anerley Gazette of the centenary year – 2014 – which looked back to the Anerley Gazette from 1914. https://anerleybc.org/anerley-gazette-jan-1914/

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The great times enjoyed by our fit young men who were the Anerley Bicycle Club, came to an end later in that year of 1914. It can only be described as the end of the Golden Era when Anerley’s great success at racing came to end as a result of losses on the Battle Fields of Belgium and Northern France, as again related in the Anerley Gazettes of that time.
See https://anerleybc.org/the-end-of-the-golden-era/

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The south coast of England, and especially the shores of Kent and Sussex have been subjected to invasion since man learnt how to fashion weapons of war. Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, have all left their marks on our emerald isle. So let John Diamond take us on a ride around our war torn shores.
See https://anerleybc.org/the-cantii-way-by-gravel-bike-october-2023/

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Sussex to left and Kent to the right along NCR 2

In the next great war- World War II – I was just a spectator. Born into it, so I knew nothing different, to me as a normal inquisitive boy it was an exciting time with lots of new and different things going on around us. I lived in Selsdon, as do now, Frank Kippen, Dave Gordon and Chris Meewalla and perhaps others. They will be familiar with the places and road names that I mention in my story, as seen through the eyes of a war baby.
See https://anerleybc.org/1939-to-1945-through-the-eyes-of-a-war-baby/

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Enough of war, now for a bit of peace! And what better than what me and my brother did with our Dad. So now, something different! Get out and go for a hike – explore the countryside – you never know what you might discover! Find out here – https://anerleybc.org/and-now-for-something-different-2/

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On our Coal Post Hike (me, Tom Tom and Warren) we saw what a great Gravel Bike Ride, Coal Post hunting would make. But as our Race Secretary found on his first Gravel Bike Sportive, going off-road has lots to offer! see https://anerleybc.org/marks-gravel-epic/

A high time after the climb up to Leith Hill Tower!

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The last day of Summer Time was not to be mist, just heavy rain and at last some sunshine! So no mist and we didn’t miss it. But it was Halloween which made it a more interesting ride, as you can see: https://anerleybc.org/halloween-ride-2023/

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And finally Frank K has started to get fit for the upcoming Anerley 10, but got a bit confused!
See https://anerleybc.org/frank-goes-on-a-t-raining-ride/

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NOTE: This item was issued earlier so that those who might want to invest in a bike mirror, could take advantage of the Black Friday Sale. However there is some more important information about related road safety, from the USA which is now available below. See https://anerleybc.org/all-i-want-for-christmas-update/

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A New Year Beckons!

And a New Year Resolution for us all?

It was most encouraging at the Club AGM, for Tom Vaz and myself, to learn that so many of you do read the Anerley Gazette!

A main purpose of the Gazette is to report and promote Club activities. But this requires information, and hopefully write ups, from you. This applies, especially to those Committee members, whose primary role it is to organise, promote and report on activities.  

Another main purpose it to provide information about subjects that interest you. I have interests which I can further on bike rides but would probably bore the rest of you. For example, local history;  historic sites and places. Also places that bring back personal memories of interesting or exciting times in my past.

But there are many subjects which will (or might) be of interest to many of you – Health; Fitness; and Training, being prime examples. Also planning cycle tours, which are aided by being able to read and use maps. Perhaps you would like to know more about how to fettle and maintain your bike?

I know that many of you take part in such events as Audaxes, Quests, Quiz type cycle events like the annual Southern Saunter. Why don’t we get write ups from you, to put in the Gazette?

Tom and I would greatly appreciate a bit of feed back on what subjects interest you, so please give us a clue! E-mail us at anerleygazette@gmail.com. Or better still we would love to receive articles from you – to save us having to do it all!