Jump to content

Wes Mason the Cyclist


Recommended Posts

We think Wes later married Albert Hitchens wife????Albert was a well known professional cyclist in the early 60's

 

That name ' Albert Hitchens ' brings back memory's.

 

I was never any good at racing, Someone needs to lose or someone else can't win!!, but I certainly covered a lot of miles training almost every night in the fifties. The roads were not like today. I would often cycle via the Flouch, over Woodhead to DunfordBridge, Glossop, Up the Snake and back to Malin Bridge. During the run I would have had about twelve cars pass me and invariably the drivers were former cyclist so they always gave you plenty of room.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure my husband will remember some of those places - he cycled a lot in those days and when we return to the Sheffield area he often comments how difficult it is these days to cycle. He was in the Sheffield Sports cycling club which used to meet up near Beauchief Arms. His heyday was about 59-67

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure my husband will remember some of those places - he cycled a lot in those days and when we return to the Sheffield area he often comments how difficult it is these days to cycle. He was in the Sheffield Sports cycling club which used to meet up near Beauchief Arms. His heyday was about 59-67

 

I've know doubt that we would have met because I'd often meet up at Beauchief Post Office. Did he know ' Sandy '. Barry Sanderson? He lived at Crookes or Walkley and often did twenty fours or twelve hour races in his younger days.

The year that the Volcano came up out of the sea near Iceland, Sandy was on a long cycling holiday and observed it. The main trouble came after when instead of sending his photos to AGFA to be developed he did them himself and made a,' Grand Stand ---- Up ' of them.

Photographic memories of a lietime gone that will never be repeated all gone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I got to know Wes when we both worked at Wostenholme´s Cutlery factory

in the tool room. Wes was around 17 and I was 16 and he got me to join

his club, the Sheffield Wheelers. Wes was a fanatic when it came to training.

He was out training every evening. One evening towards the flat side of Sheffield, Blyth, Mansfield the next evening in Derbyshire, "60 miles on the bottoms" as he would say, and I think this was a sort of warning not to get the idea to tag along! He always said that he trained to make the actual racing event easy! Every race I saw him in, he won but that was when he was a junior( up to 18 ). Wes looked a lot older than he was and was about 5ft.10 or 11 and built like a brick.....house. Really much too heavy for a cyclist but very powerful. I am not sure whether he finished

his apprenticeship as a toolmaker ( at which he was very good) but I do know he became a postman so that he could train even more.

Wes lived in the Hillsborough area of Sheffied. His dad always used to bring him

to the events in his Ford Popular. I remember he had a bike sponsored by a

bike shop up Ecclesall way, but not Holmes.

I remember we were out at the Blyth cyclist meeting place, must have been

1959/60 and Tom Simpson and some of his buddies were there. We rode back with him to his turn off

to Harworth. I nearly fell off my bike they went so slow !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Ronnie you may know my husband Bob Winter - he was quite good in his day and used to ride a lot with Wes. Bob qualified for the Milk Race as it was in those days but unfortunately got rheumatic fever just before the start of the season. They were franatical about training and thats really how we met - at the end of the season they needed a couple of girls for the party season - I was requested to join him and Wes along with another girl from our office. I finished up marrying Bob and Wes went on to marry another girl called Sue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.