Whats it all been about, Alfie? - Cycling Memoirs

alanbuttler
alanbuttler Posts: 7
edited January 2009 in The bottom bracket
Hi folks, I'm blogging my father's memoirs of his cycling past and this seemed a good place to let people know about it!

Alf's stories cover his early cycling experiences racing track on grass in the 1940/50's, road racing in Ireland in the 50's followed by a long career as Mechanic and later Manager of the G.B Cycling Team on the Peace Race, Tour de France, Olympics, Commonwealth Games and many others.

It'll be updated regularily over the next few weeks, hope its of interest!

:arrow: :arrow: http://alfbuttler.blogspot.com/

Comments

  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    Delightful stuff - only skimmed but link saved for "later"!
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • alanbuttler
    alanbuttler Posts: 7
    meagain wrote:
    Delightful stuff - only skimmed but link saved for "later"!

    Cheers :) Got lots more to come when I can squeeze the time in at work!
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    I have very fond memories of Alf Buttler from my motorcycling rather than cycling days.

    When we first got married in 1967 we lived in Sawley just a couple of miles from Buttlers shop on Tamworth Road, Long Eaton. Buttlers was my first port of call for the myriad bits and pieces needed to keep my bike on the road. Alf often wouldn't take any money for small items perhaps because he knew I sent a lot of people to the shop.

    Pedal cycling wasn't of much interest to me in those days but I knew Alf had a lot to do with the local cycling scene. I think because he had a foot in both camps he used to acquire motorcycles for Milk Race marshalls from the manufacturers (when we HAD manufacturers in the UK). A mate of mine, Bill Woods (another Long Eaton native) volunteered one year and told me he was terrified on a decent at the speed he had to go to keep ahead of the cyclists :)

    Thanks for putting up the blog. There're quite a few older members of Derby Mercury RC who knew him well. I'll make sure they hear about your efforts.

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • alanbuttler
    alanbuttler Posts: 7
    Cheers for the comments Geoff, I've passed them on to Alf :)

    I think I'll probably get to the Milk race time of the blog in a couple of weeks time, its towards the end of his memoirs and theres lots to get through yet! Here's a taster though - a line up from the 1972 Milk Race (Alf on the left)

    1972ScottishMilkRace2.jpg
  • alfbuttler
    alfbuttler Posts: 1
    Hello Geoff, thanks for the kind remarks, pleased you have good memories of H.E.Buttler Regards to all the Merc! :lol: Alf
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    If you are looking for the British, or UK version of cycling, this is the place. If you are looking for any other national point of view, you will need to go further than here.
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    alfbuttler wrote:
    Hello Geoff, thanks for the kind remarks, pleased you have good memories of H.E.Buttler Regards to all the Merc! :lol: Alf

    No problems, Alf. Lots of the people mentioned in your memoirs are still around and still pedalling.

    Derek and Bette Wilkins (I have 2 Derek Wilkins frames - my 653 audax solo and our tandem) are still active. Jill Henshaw, Bill's widow, is still racing ( at 70++) and lives less than a mile from us. I saw Dave Orford riding his A6 groove only a couple of weeks ago and he's a near neighbour too.

    I'm told Derek is still using the technique of telling a joke at the start of a climb so that you're laughing too much to drop him :) He's now club president of the Mercury. One of nature's gentlemen and still working!

    Biker46: What do you expect from the writings of a guy who ran a successful cycle and motor cycle business in the postwar years? There was still a British industry then and huge groups of cyclists flowed into the Peak District and elsewhere every weekend from the grimy industrial towns and cities. Cycling was, and still is, a complete way of life for many people I know. I'm considered a bit odd because of my more eclectic tastes :)

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Geoff, I am the same. Biking rules. Sorry to have been a pain.
  • alanbuttler
    alanbuttler Posts: 7
    New entries have been added for the 1954 Tour of Ireland and the 1955 Warsaw-Berlin-Prague 'Peace Race'.

    Tour of Ireland - http://alfbuttler.blogspot.com/search/l ... %20Ireland

    Peace Race - http://alfbuttler.blogspot.com/search/l ... %20Ireland

    Enjoy :)
  • alanbuttler
    alanbuttler Posts: 7
    I'm sorry to have to say that Alf passed away on Sunday 21st December aged 86. He'd been suffering from Diabetes for the past 10 years.

    Many thanks for the kind comments on this post relating to his memoirs, I will be continuing to update them over the coming months.

    His funeral is tomorrow, Monday 5th January at 2pm at the Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury.

    http://www.shrewsbury.gov.uk/public/lif ... ematorium/

    Anyone is more than welcome to join us.

    All the best

    Alan

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