I like to ride my bicycle
Published at 13:16, Thursday, 21 July 2011
FROM the 1930s through to at least the late 1950s there were hardy groups of Furness fresh air enthusiasts taking to the roads on their bicycles for long-distance runs every weekend.
Some would notch up 60 or 80 miles in a day while others took rudimentary camping and cooking gear and toured for two full days or more.
A reminder of those days has been provided by a pair of former Walney cyclists who have been in Australia since 1950.
Arthur Greaves and his wife Connie, nee Crawshaw, were keen members of the Walney Wheelers cycling club in the 1930s and 1940s.
They now live at Mount Isa in Australia’s Northern Territories
Arthur served his time as a bookbinder in Barrow with Milners and went on to work at Vickers.
The picture on the right shows them in 1940 sitting on a wall at Greenodd on the junction with the Levens Road.
The top picture shows many of their cycling pals in Walney Wheelers around 1937.
The club members were forming a guard of honour for the wedding of Tom Hebblethwaite and Ella McIntyre.
Shown, from left, are Jimmie Craven, unknown, Mr Shepherd, possibly Kirk, unknown, unknown, Grace Gillespie, Peggy Smith (later Mrs Collins), Irene Barlow, unknown, possibly Motteram and John Smith.
Mrs Greaves, now 92, thinks that Jack Singleton would have been the captain of Walney Wheelers around 1937.
She writes: “I do not suppose many of them will still be alive.
“Ella McIntyre had a sister my age.
“They lived in one of the streets between Methuen Street and Vickerstown Park.
“I guess this picture was taken on Douglas Street, Walney.”
l Can you name any of the others or provide pictures of other Furness social groups?
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
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