National Clarion Cycling Club 1895 ~ an association of Clarion Cycling Clubs December 2021
‘Up the Nick’ ‘Come Andrew; do it for Burnley, do it for the Clarion, do it for SOCIALISM’ The following is an account of a hill climb attempt up the infamous ‘Nick of Pendle’ by London Clarion member Andrew Livesey. Andrew’s climb in September, some sixty years after his first attempt in 1961 as a member of Burnley Clarion Cycling Club.
Andrew holding the National Clarion Hill Climb Cup age 15. His bike, a Hill Special, was made at the Clarion Cycle Works in Padiham by Clarion member and renown frame builder Adam Hill. On that Sunday morning in October 1961 when Andrew cycled to the summit of the ridge above Padiham and looked down onto the village of Sabden he would have seen a narrow road snaking up to cut in the granite slope of Pendle Hill. The short, 1,324 yards, climb to this ‘Nick’, is one of the most challenging climbs in the country. Andrew faced some serious competition on the day particularly from local hill climbing legend Pete Graham. Three years earlier Pete had won the National Hill Climb Championship on Monks Lane, at Bathford. A title he would go on to win twice more.
Let Andrew take up the tale: “sorting through some old files I came across the results sheet for the Rossendale Road Club’s Nick of Pendle Hill Climb of 1961. Could, I wonder, beat my time from 60 years ago? A chance meeting with the owner of ‘I Cycle Electric’ in nearby Clitheroe provided the answer has he boldly stated that one of his electric bike would get me up the Nick with no problems. I chose the ‘Chilli Folder’ for my attempt simply because it was easy to get into the boot of my car. The motor kicked in as soon as I started to pedal, yes! you still must pedal. Both the battery and me ran out of energy just on the finish line”.
Back in 1961 Pete Graham won the event with a time of 3 minutes 44 seconds. 15-yearold Andrew recorded a commendable time of 5 minutes 35 seconds. Sixty years later, age 75, riding his hired electric Chilli bicycle he managed 5 minutes 40 seconds. Why not try it yourself on Clarion Sunday? The village of Sabden and the start is less than 5 miles from Clarion House.
Cigarettes, Smoking and The Muratti
Today as cyclists, we live in an era of heart monitors, cadence meters, dieting and energy supplements. Demands for exercise, fitness and healthy living mean that smoking is no longer deemed to be compatible with cycling. This of course has not always been the case, a fact clearly illustrated by a glance through the pages of almost any pre-1970 cycling magazine. There one will find numerous adverts for cigarettes, some even going as far as to proclaim, ‘they are good for your health’ or ‘it will clear your airways and increases your speed’ (most likely to the grave). The reader also sees photographs of their heroes, those giants of the Grand Tours, the Monuments, and the Spring Classics puffing away on a cigarette or cigar before, after and even during the race itself.
Some members may be familiar with the scene from the 1949 film: A Boy, a Girl and a Bike; where when the local club stops at a cycle café for a brew, the first thing they all do is to light up a Willy Woodbine or Park Drive. In a later scene our hero’s last-minute preparation for the imminent start of a ‘championship’ road race is to take a few final puffs from his pipe. Does this final drag of tobacco help him win? Of course, it does.
As for the highlight of every road club’s year, the Annual Prize Presentation and Smoker Concert. Who nowadays would dream of entering a room filled with a thick haze of tobacco smoke even if they had a trophy to collect? Yet the link between cigarettes and cycling lives on in one of Britain’s most famous and prestigious track events the Manchester Wheelers annual 10 Mile ‘ Race of Champions’ for the Muratti Cup.
The history of the ‘Muratti’ Race of Champions begins in 1899, when Mr. D.B. Muratti, Vice-President of Manchester Wheelers’ Club offered, on behalf of Messrs B.Muratti and Sons Ltd. Cigarette Makers located in the city, a silver cup costing an astounding 100 guineas (about £14,000 in today’s money) for an amateur 10 mile invitation race to be held at the local Fellowfield track. The first Muratti ‘Cup’ was in fact a very large silver bowl. The first four winners from 1899 to 1902 were: T.Childs, T. Davies, R.Janson and W.H.Webb. When it was instituted, the trophy was to become the property of anyone who won it three times, but after four races the conditions were altered so that only two wins were necessary. This change created great interest in the 1903 as the entry list included three past winners: Childs, Janson and Webb. A crowd of 20,000 saw Billy Webb, repeat his victory of the previous year to win the trophy outright.
Mr Muratti generously offered to replace the trophy and the following year the first Murrati gold vase appeared. The 1904 race was won by Ernest Payne and although he won again in1906 it wasn’t until his third victory in 1910 that he was able to claim the £110 guineas trophy as the condition for outright winning had reverted to its original format of three wins. This prestigious annual event ran until the closure of the outdoor Fellowfield track in 1975, albeit the records show several years were missed either due to world wars or more often to Manchester’s unpredictable and inclement weather.
However, the story doesn’t quite end in 1975 because in 2001 when the World Masters Cycle Track Championships were held at the Manchester Velodrome, The Wheelers agreed to remove the Gold Cup from its bank vault and resurrect ‘The Muratti’ on the indoor track. The event concluded with a furious race for the historic Cup. A three man break escaped the bunch with 27 of the 64 laps remaining, the trio: Australia’s Danny Clark ‘ King of the Six Day Races’, Kenny Williams (USA) and Britain’s Simon Cope lapped the field and the sprint came down to a straight shoot-out between the three. Clark taking it on the line with Williams second and Cope third. I recall, with some satisfaction, as part of the large crowd at the 2012 World Masters, reenacting the old tradition of slapping the hoardings and chanting ‘Muratti’, ‘Muratti’, ‘Muratti’ as another Australian Daniel Hennessey circled the track holding aloft the now Gold Muratti Cup, a true champion.
Clarion Sunday 2021 Clarion Sunday has become an annual gathering of Clarion Cycling Clubs and Choirs at the last Clarion House in Pendle, Lancashire. Inspired by the Chartist meetings at nearby Blackstone Edge the event is a great assembly of Clarionettes from across the country who, together with other socialist organisations, well-wishers, and ordinary visitors – celebrate the Fellowship and socialist tradition that are the very foundations of our Clarion Movement.
Clarion House is the ideal venue for this Meet since it is the last of a series of Clarion houses which were built in the countryside as beacons of a futuristic socialist society and refuges from the greedy capitalist world. Based on the idea of commonwealth, co-operation, and Fellowship – Clarion House allows people to come together to enjoy fresh air, equality, and comradeship in a beautiful setting. The event also raises much needed funds to support it.
Many people make Clarion Sunday a success but of particular mention are Charles and Margaret Jepson who are not only responsible for much of the setup (together with Colin and Sharon Urmston); but also throw open their house to all providing accommodation, food, free bike rental and constant transportation. Others to note are David Bisset of Bolton (and London) Clarion who makes the sandwiches as well as the regular volunteers who staff the tearoom and provide a welcoming and homely atmosphere to all. This year’s Clarion Sunday was rather special because of us having to cancel last year’s event
because of the pandemic. What turned out to be a very sensible decision, pushed back this year’s event to September (from June) when Covid numbers were at their lowest and visitors were allowed to mix more freely. Most of my London Clarion contingent stayed with Charles & Margaret though myself, Alan Kiddle and Nick Hider (also of Brighton & Hove Clarion) opted to stay in the Premier Inn in Blackburn where, until an unbelievably late hour, we quaffed sparking real beer at unreal low prices at the Wetherspoons next door. Nevertheless, at the crack of dawn, Charles collected us in the Tom Oldershaw Clarion Van (named after our London Clarion member who disappeared in Spain fighting for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War) and took us to the Jepson household from where, after a quick breakfast and reunion with other London Clarion members, some of us bravely set out on bicycles to Clarion House. After Ian Mentiply’s deft navigation, we eventually arrived on a quiet dual carriageway along which we cycled, accompanied by a recorded, rousing rendition of the traditional Clarion Hymn, ‘England Arise’. The route to Clarion House was beautiful, and we passed and stopped at many picturesque locations as well as witnessing the early morning mist.
We enjoyed a leisurely pace and took great comfort in Charles’ assertion that there were only two hills to conquer. But alas, we found that the route was littered with ups (and not many downs) and we soon realised that we were running late which prompted various frantic calls to check on our progress. Eventually we reached Clarion House where we were met by a chorus of the traditional Clarion call “Boots” to be answered “Spurs.” There waiting for us was our great friend Chris Goode of Yorkshire Coast Clarion and various comrades from Barnoldswick Clarion who, each Clarion Sunday, invite any Clarion cyclist to join their own annual Club Run to Pop Harry Hill’s Memorial Bench and from there, by a circular route, to Clarion House. For further information about the history of Barnoldswick Clarion and Pop Harry Hill, you should read the excellent book “A Bench – A Bike and a Pipe”, recently published by the Club’s Michael Meath.
So, together with our comrades, we set off to meet the rest of Barnoldswick Clarion at the Barnoldswick war memorial. After a short ride to the bench and an opportunity to post for the obligatory pictures, several London members (myself included) professed to feeling drained by the constant ‘ups’ cycle from Blackburn and elected to break off from the group so that we could ride to the Bay Horse in Roughlee which the rest of the group would anyway be passing… eventually. There we sat outside watching the world go by, planning mischief and enjoying even more of the local golden ale. Indeed, during our leisurely sojourn we seemed to attract, rather like a magnet, other random Clarionettes including Martin Perfect, also of London who was cycling back home to Tunbrige Wells from Ireland… as you do…. and Skully as well as Digger, also of London. When our Bounderising (after Edward Fay “The Bounder”, one of the Clarion Newspaper and Cycling Club founders who also enjoyed glasses of ale) was complete, we rode back up to Clarion House but before we got there we were greeted by a fabulous array of red flags which lined Jinny Lane.
Clarion house was awash with people, and we were told that no fewer than 13 Clarion Cycling Clubs had attended including those who had cycled from as far away as Blackpool, Warrington and Saddleworth. In fact, the event attracted more than 200 people and it was by far the best attendance at a Clarion Sunday event yet.
But also in attendance was Alan J. Ward of Mid Pennine Arts who has pioneered a project #I_AM_CLARION which took photographs of all cyclists attending, giving them musettes including a Meet Ribbon and requesting they record their reasons for attending and asking them what the Clarion Cycling Club meant to them. The results have been recorded in another incredible book which has also just been published.
Much drinking of the traditional pints of tea; goodspirited furore and great Fellowship followed and all who attended remarked on the beautiful weather, the wonderful company and the comradeship which endured forever, it seemed. Clarion Sunday 2021 was the best yet, and we can’t wait for the 2022 event which will be again in June.
Fellowship is Life and Lack of Fellowship is death: and the deeds that ye do upon the earth, it is for Fellowship's sake that ye do them, and the life that is in them, that shall live on and on forever… while many a man’s life upon the earth from the earth shall wane
William ‘Billy’ Hill: inventor of the Trivelox derailleur
Billy leaving Clarion House in the 1980
‘Little Willie’, later to be known as ‘Owd Bill’ was born in 1904. In 1923 he joined Barnoldwick Clarion CC, a cycling club founded in the back room of his father Harry’s clog shop on Manchester Road. Harry or ‘Pop’ Hill rode with the Clarion all his life until he was killed in collision with a milk lorry in 1946. The Club erected a bench near Bracewell in his memory. The inscription reads: ‘Friend of Man, Friend of the Truth, Friend of Age and Guide to Youth’. It was in the early 1930’s whilst working as a mechanic at Alex Shuttleworth’s Tanfield Garage, Keighley that Billy invented and copatented the TriVelox gear. The TriVelox was unlike other derailleur gears of the time (and those of today) which move the chain to change gear. Instead, the Trivelox moved the sprockets thus ensuring a prefect chainline for all three gears. In those days an inline chain was regarded, (quite correctly), as an essential requirement. My grandad used to say who wants to be seen riding with a chain-line like a dog’s hind leg?
Glasgow Clarion Hut
In August several members undertook a four-day cycle tour of the Isle of Arran. Close to the ‘12 Apostles’, a row of fishermen’s cottage at Catacol they located the Glasgow Clarion Hut. Unfortunately, the hut, which is in very good condition, was closed. If anyone knows anything about this establishment, please let us know. Rosie’s Plaques In July our comrades at Pennine Radicals invited Rosie’s Plaques to Clarion House.
The very first blue plaque was unveiled in 1867 to mark the London birthplace of Lord Byron. Today these plaques celebrating ‘great figures of the past who have contributed to society’ can be found in every almost town. But do they tell the whole story? In 2018, while researching their show All Mouth No Trousers, The Common Lot theatre discovered that of 300 heritage plaques in Norwich, only 25 celebrated women. Outraged by this shocking imbalance, they instigated an art project, creating their own ‘pirate’ blue plaques to commemorate the women of Norwich that history has forgotten or erased. The project was such a success that the team decided to take it on tour, seeking out stories of extraordinary women who changed the world. It might be someone who wouldn't budge, or one who wouldn't stay silent, or one who persisted, or perhaps one who was the scourge of knobsticks!
‘Rights, Riots and Routes’
‘I have gifted 8 of these cushions to Clarion House for the use of the good people who use this great establishment’. James Fox
Was the title of an exhibition by artist James Fox at the Helmshore Mills Textile Museum. James’ work used the Lancashire Loombreaker’s Riot of 1826 as the starting point for a stunningly imaginative exhibition which explored the history of working-class protest, punishment and the fellowship created by the Clarion Cycling Club. The exhibits included many bicycle related pieces: a tower of bicycle wheels, a series of paintings based on bicycle head badges, a textile used for cushions he donated to Clarion House and a cycle shirt with the quote: ‘Mash away lads’. It was alleged that one, Mary Hindle was heard to have shouted these three words to the rioters on that fateful day in 1826. Her sentenced, seven years penal servitude in Australia. Needless to say, it was an male judge and jury.
Obituary Tony Bowles, President of Bolton Clarion Cycling Club, and an enthusiastic support of the National Clarion 1895 organised Clarion Sunday, died suddenly on 15th/16th May age 82. He cycled to the end; his last ride was on Thursday 14th May.
Tony started cycling at school with a group of friends. Later he rode with Leigh Premier Road Club, before joining Bolton Clarion. Over the years he developed a phenomenal knowledge of un-signposted minor lanes in Cheshire and the Fylde and became an excellent runs leader. He also learned how to fix almost any mechanical problem, using only the contents of his Carradice saddle bag. He loved club runs, YHA weekends, Easter Meets and racing. He was in his mid70’s when he retired from the track league at the velodrome. His passing leaves a huge hole at the centre of Bolton Clarion. David Bissett
Clarion Sunday 2022 A ‘Call’ to all Clarion cyclists past and present to gather at the Nelson Independent Labour Party Clarion House, Newchurchin-Pendle on Sunday 12th June 2022.
This event, now in its fifth year, is an attempt to resurrect the historic concept of an annual ‘Clarion Sunday’ when in the late 1890’s hundreds of Clarion cyclists would converge on Hardcastle Crags, close to Hebden Bridge to listen to the singing of the combined Clarion Vocal Unions and to speeches by leading Socialists such as Caroline Martyn, Selina Cooper, Sarah Reddish and Keir Hardy. So why now meet at Clarion House instead of Hardcastle Crags? Simply because there are now an increasing number of Clarion Cycle Clubs within riding distance of Nelson and their attendance maintains the Clarion’s link to cycling and Socialism, whilst at the same time bringing much needed funds to a historic institution that has served tea and coffee to cyclists and walkers every Sunday since 1913. Clarion Sunday 2021, which had to be postponed until September due to the government’s Covid regulations, saw an attendance of over 200 including representatives from 13 different Clarion Clubs, as well as riders from a number of independent cycling clubs, ramblers and the East Lancs Clarion Choir. Built in 1912, the last surviving Clarion Clubhouse is situated within its own
grounds, deep in the heart of ‘Pendle Witch Country’. It boasts magnificent views and is surrounded by a myriad of quiet lanes for cycling and public footpaths. It is also part of the ‘Pendle Radicals Trail’, a new and exciting project by our comrades at Mid Pennine Arts which traces the lives (and locations) of those men and women who played an important role in the history of working-class people. Close by mighty Pendle Hill, with its links to the persecution of women and to early Methodism, towers over the picturesque villages of Barley and Downham. Clarion House is open every Sunday 10.30am to 4pm serving pint pots of tea (just 60p) soft drinks and light snacks. Members wishing to make a weekend of Clarion Sunday are more than welcome to camp overnight in the grounds and for those arriving early there is the opportunity to join Barnoldswick Clarion on their Saturday Club Run, bring some low gears! An appeal to Clubs Secretaries, please put Clarion Sunday on your runs list for 2022. For further information on contact: Charles Jepson (clarioncc@yahoo.co.uk) Or national.clarion1895@gmail.com Lanterne Rouge Recommended cycling books for Christmas. The Eagle of Toledo: by A. Fotheringham A Corinthian Endeavour: by Paul Jones The Monuments: by Peter Cossins One more kilometre and we’re in the showers: by Tim Hilton The Emperor, the Beast and the Milkman. by Harry Pearson Bicycle Engineering & Technology. by Andrew Livesey Dates for the diary Easter Meet in Barrow in Furnace: Good Friday 15th to Easter Monday 18th April. Meet HQ: The Furness Railway Wetherspoons (Hotel) – 01229 824758 Clarion Sunday: 12th June York Cycle Rally: 18th & 19th June Annual Dieppe Raid: 24th to 27th June.