Clarion Sunday ANOTHER TAKE ON CLARION SUNDAY

Clarion Sunday harks back over 100 years when Clarion Sections would meet at Hardcastle Cragg. It was revived by Barnoldswick, London and NCC1895 and has become, in a few short (lockdown affected) years, a sight to behold.

My Clarion Sunday

unday the 12th June and over 350 cyclists responded to a Clarion Call from the ‘last Clarion House’.

On a beautiful summer’s day Saddleworth Clarion gathered in Uppermill for a 50km ride through the South Pennines to visit ‘the last Clarion House’. They took with them good fellowship and kinship but also carried a memento of Louise Harrott.

During lockdown Saddleworth member Louise was riding when a right turning motorist hit her. It was unfathomable what happened, but Louise passed away. As a club we were devastated, it has left an indelible mark and we were unsure how to mark her memory.

Louise’s mum had her own ideas, and we attended a lockdown funeral, cyclists from many local clubs and our own accompanied Louise on her final journey. We followed the rules at the time in groups in front and behind her coffin, only 30 were allowed in the church. Most of us could not attend the graveside.

18 months have passed, and Louise’s Mum had a teddy made out of Louise’s Clarion Jersey, it accompanied us on our ‘Ride for Louise’ which raised over £700 for the North West Air Ambulance and it made this, the final journey.

This year 350 cyclists turned up for cakes and tea, for sandwiches and fellowship. They heard the Clarion Choir; they saw a new banner presented to Clarion House and in the corner we left Louise’s teddy. It is there so that we don’t forget, we never would.

Saddleworth Clarion express their thanks to Clarion House and to Charles Jepson as without them this little memorial would not exist. It was brilliant to see so many Clarions - Brighton, London, Cotswold, Crewe, Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Clitheroe, North Lancs C & AC, Blackpool, Barnoldswick, Saddleworth, North Cheshire, Yorkshire Coast and NCCC1895.

Clarion Sunday, the second Sunday in June is very special to me. It sits immovable in my diary from year to year. As I have got older it has become more important to me, it is a point of reunion, a constant in an ever-changing world.

For me it is something of a pilgrimage, it’s over 300 mile each way from my home near Canterbury in Kent, it takes almost a full day of driving with a stop near Birmingham for lunch. It is worth every minute of the slow-moving traffic on the M6 between Stafford and Preston, sitting in the narrow lanes of the 50mph limit road works, inches from the wheels of the leviathan trucks.

This makes me remember riding with Burnley Clarion on the A6, the trucks puffed out black smoke and we occasionally clung on the back of them to be pulled slowly up the hills, freewheeling with our new Benelux 5-speeds.

I have been visiting the ILP Clarion House on Jinny Lane for over 70 years, yes seventy years. I also used to go to the ILP Hut at Roggerham with my parents. I talk about this in my book Shot at Twice in One Day.

Clarion Sunday reminds me of my early life, my mother was active in the Weavers’ Union, they used to organise event day at the Clarion-ILP House. These were great family days out, we walked to one or the other ClarionILP huts from our house on Colbran Street, Burnley Lane and later Gilbert Street up Harle Syke. The only cost was ‘a pot o’ tay’ as my father would say – this was one or two pence – old pennies. We would play cricket, have running races, listen to music and drink tea.

I work as a point - 6 university college lecturer, cycling with Burnley Clarion taught me grit – do not give up – this job allows me to travel up on the Friday before, so that I can have Saturday free. Last year on the Saturday I met up with Charles Jepson to be timed riding up Pendle Hill on an electric bike. I also wanted to be photographed for #I_AM_CLARION with my 1951 all-chrome Hill Special track bike. This year, having read an article in the British Cycling Newsletter – AKA the BCF, about electric bike hire in the Lake District, >>