page_title: Frederick Thomas Bidlake
section_title: Death and Bidlake Testimonial fund
hierarchical_section_title: Frederick Thomas Bidlake / Death and memorial / Death and Bidlake Testimonial fund
caption_attribution_description: English: The Bidlake Memorial Garden in Sandy, Bedfordshire.
context_page_description: Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory. He was a timekeeper in cycling, motorcycling and for seaplane races in the 1930s.
context_section_description: Bidlake was riding down Barnet Hill, north of London, on Sunday 27 August 1933, when he was hit by a car. His injuries looked superficial and he managed to get home. But he lapsed into semi-consciousness and died on 17 September. By this time, a testimonial fund had been established. It became a memorial fund. 
  A garden and monument, at Girtford Bridge near Sandy in Bedfordshire, was unveiled on 23 September 1934. More than 4,000 watched as W. P. Cook, president of the Anfield Bicycle Club and the Road Records Association, performed the unveiling ceremony. The rector of Sandy blessed the memorial. The garden is triangular with a wall of local stone on one side. In its centre, a stone reads: “This garden is dedicated to Frederick Thomas Bidlake, a great cyclist, a man of singular charm and character, an untiring worker for cyclists 1867–1933”.  A sundial in the centre of the garden is marked “He measured time”.  A facsimile milestone is engraved “F. T. B.  Few have known this road as he. London 48 – York 148”.
  The balance of the fund was used to create an annual award – the Bidlake Memorial Prize – for the most outstanding performance or contribution to cycling. Several achievements during the 1950s were not marked by the committee, primarily because they involved riders from the breakaway British League of Racing Cyclists. Significant events overlooked included Brian Robinson's first British stage victory in the Tour de France in 1958 and Ian Steel's victory in the 1952 Peace Race.
  Winners of the award include:
  Hubert Opperman (1934)
  Frank Southall (1935)
  Marguerite Wilson (1939)
  Reg Harris (1947 and 1949)
  Eileen Sheridan (1950)
  Beryl Burton (1959, 1960, 1967)
  Tom Simpson (1965)
  Hugh Porter (1968)
  Tony Doyle (1980)
  Chris Boardman (1992)
  Graeme Obree (1993)
  Nicole Cooke (2001)
caption: Bidlake Memorial Garden
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