What really made this day out different for Charlie was that it didn’t involve much cycling!

The main part of the day was a visit to the Renold factory to see how bicycle chains were made. In this year of 1923 Renold commenced high speed testing of ‘out of alignment’ chains, and Charlie records seeing this test rig in operation, plus other testing rigs which were not normally shown to visitors.

The 35 members of Bolton CTC who visited the Renold plant on this Saturday were part of over 300 cyclists from cycling clubs around the northwest, and the visit included a free meal, an almost unheard of luxury for those days.

The day also had some extra spice those Boltonians on the visit, as this was the day of the FA Cup Final – the very first to be held at the newly completed Wembley Stadium (later to become famous as the ‘White Horse Final’). As the meal was being served at the conclusion of their visit, news filtered through that Bolton Wanderers football team had won the FA Cup by two goals to nil over West Ham. No doubt a very sweet conclusion to their repast for many.

Today we complete the final part of Charlie’s Whitsuntide adventures,  a 236 mile dash which started on the Friday evening with an all night ride across North Wales from their meeting place in Warrington, to Llanberis, and which ended on the Sunday night back in Bolton.

Charlie brings the journey to life with his companions and the characters he meets along the way. We discover some of the practical jokes that his friend Fred was so very fond of and as for Walter? He seems to have been without shame at his poor contribution to the pace-making. But whilst his pals let him know his failings they still accepted his companionship.

As I always do I was looking on Flickr for a picture to illustrate this story of the run to Copster Green. Usually I find that there is plenty to choose from. But on this occasion I have to say that there was really very little. However, I am very pleased with the one that I did turn up. As this picture was actually taken in July then it doesn’t look much like the windy day that the Bolton CTC run experienced on that day in 1923.

Their route took them through Tockholes. Now I don’t know about you but I have always thought that this was a strange place name. I also searched for pictures of Tockholes and found this one looking over towards Winter Hill – of course those masts wouldn’t have been there in the 1920’s.

Strangely I wasn’t able to find any pictures – or indeed references of any sort – to the Treacle Mines at Tockholes! I can’t understand why not because on every one of our regular family visits to my grandparents during my childhood (a journey which would take us through Tockholes) my Dad would always remark upon them. Maybe you know something more about them and can point me in the right direction?

In this first instalment of Charlie’s account of Whitsun weekend 1926 it does seem to take Charlie a little while to settle to the task. First he eulogises at some length on what it is that gives his favourite parts of North Wales that something extra for him. Then we get a glimpse into some of Charlie’s thoughts on religion before finally he seems to settle to his task of describing the first stage of their overnight ride – which took them as far as Chester.

I was very intrigued by his reference to ‘Rude Boreas’ – which in my ignorance I had to look up. It turns out that Boreas was the Greek god of the north wind! So, I think that we can take it that things were pretty windy – in all probability a headwind. In fact I have the reader at a slight advantage in that I have read the other instalments and thus am in a position to advise you that this is a subject that Charlie will be returning to in the subsequent instalments.

But above all of these references that one that really sticks out for me is the throw-away reference to the Hindley Boys being part of the coal lock-out. Now, sad to say, I am not a great student of modern/social history so I didn’t immediately recognise this – though it didn’t take much searching for me to realise its significance as a consequence of the general strike! What I find most remarkable is that one of the most significant political and social events that occurred, certainly in that year – but possibly even in the whole decade – should warrant so little comment from Charlie. And yet he has no difficulty whatsoever, writing at length about his love of the North Wales countryside.

The general strike lasted for 9 days from Tuesday 4 May to Thursday 13 May. It seems that Friday 28 May was a holiday because “Whitsuntide decreed that we others should be free from the Thursday night” though Charlie seems not to have set out until after 9 in the evening on the Friday. At this time Charlie would have been 21 and I imagine still an apprentice and perhaps this provided him with enough security to give so little care to the monumental events that were going on around him. Yet, we know from what Charlie wrote about his long periods out of work in The Dole that he was to become very much affected by the future economic conditions.

Although the Pilgrimage to Meriden has been up on the site since we launched it seems I omitted to include Charlie’s drawing of the memorial itself. I came across it by accident this evening whilst I was preparing some of the material scheduled for publication later in April (see Publishing Schedule for April and Additions for April).

Anyway, I have now rectified this omission, and found an excuse to introduce you to this piece too.

Over Moel Sych comes from 1932 which is towards the latter end of Charlie’s written output. But clearly he has not lost any of his enthusiasm for cycling, or writing.

Interestingly he says it is 12 years since he first rode this route to North Wales when he would have been 15-16, perhaps some 18 months before his first diary entry.

It seems to have been an eventful trip on this occasion. Eventful weather and a heart-stopping moment for Jo near the 2,700 ft summit and on the edge of the great cliff face. However, it seems that it was to be put down as just another normal incident for this trio of adventuresome cyclists cum climbers.

Regardless of the fact that Moel Sych may mean Dry Hill it seems that it was anything but on this particular outing!