The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-07 00:00:00

THE CYCLISTS' CAMP.

iper (Wai
into Re (Tower
• I _ _

Favoured by summer weather the encampment of
cyclists at Alexander Park had as large an attendance
of visitors on Monday as could fairly be expected at
a first-year meeting. The wheelmen staying in camp
were largely reinforced from the metropolis and more
distant places, about 100 bicycle and tricycle clubs
being represented oil the course. The Holborn and
Wandsworth clubs had set up head-quarter tents, but
other clubs were en evidence only in the persons of
such of their members as choose to attend the
meeting voluntarily. The racing competitions com-
menced before noon on the racing track in the presence
of a fair assemblage of visitors, whose numbers in-
creased in the course of the afternoon to about
4000 or 5000. The trial heats, which occupied a
considerable time, having been concluded, an inter-
club bicycle scratch race of one mile took place, in
which, after a spirited contest, H. G. Clark (East-
bourne Bicycle Club) won the first prize, his time
being 3min. 4.2 sec. J. T. Collier (Kestrel Bicycle
Club) was second, and Tom Moore third. A three
mile tandem tricycle scratch race caused less amuse-
ment than would have been the case had there been
more starters, only two pairs of riders coming to the
post. The first prize fell to R. Cripps and H. N.
Corsellis (London Tricycle Club)—the time for the
first two miles being 6min. 30sec., and for the whole
course 9min. 32.45ec. A one mile bicycle handicap
was contested in the final heat by S. Smiley (Star
Bicycle Club), A. Thompson (Sutton Bicycle Club),
and F. G. Metcalf (St. James's Bicycle Club), the
first prize being won by Smiley in 2min. 52.8 sec. In the
anal heat for the two mile tricycle handicap the competi-
tors were J. T. Collier (Kestrel Bicycle Club), L. F.
Attwood, and It. Cripps (Nottingham), and after a
smart race they were placed in the order of their
names, the winner's time being 6min. 18.8 sec. A
more severe test of endurance was the five mile bicycle
open handicap, in the first heat of which H. It.
Piper (Waverley Bicycle Club) and G. F. Barnes
(Tower Hamlets Bicycle Club) were respectively
first and second. Subsequent heats gave Piper as
his antagonists in the final heat R. Cripps
(Nottingham) and T. Moore (Sutton). Between
these three a splendid race took place, resulting
in Moore obtaining first place in 15min. 32.45ec.,
Cripps being second, and Piper third. The prin-
cipal event of the meeting—viz., the Three Miles Inter-
national Challenge Cup Tricycle Race—brought out
only three starters—S. Lee (Sutton), G. Smith (Merry
Rovers), and H. N. Corsellis (London T.C.) who
started and finished in the order named—time, 12min.
37•6 sec. Besides these there were other com-
petitions of a miscellaneous description, one of which
terminated in an award of a five-guinea prize by Mr.
Brinley Richards to Mr. T. 0. Scary, director of the
Concordia Orchestral Society, for the best national
song set to music in praise of cycling. The distribu-
tion of prizes was made on the grand stand shortly
after six o'clock, by Lord and Lady Ashley, and sub-
sequently there was a torchlight procession round
the racecourse, and a social gathering around the camp
fire.