The Following information was circulated in a newsletter to all member clubs, private members, checkers and timekeepers in December 2000

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AGM 2001 

Notice is hereby given that the 104th Annual General Meeting of the Road Records Association shall take place at The Union Jack Club, Waterloo, London SE (Gascoyne Room) on Saturday 10th Feb, starting at 1:30pm.

 Motions for the meeting from Clubs or Members should be sent to the General Secretary to arrive by Saturday January 8th. Agenda papers and details of how to get to the venue will be sent out before the meeting. Please note that if you want to discuss something at the meeting which would change a Rule it must be on the Agenda - as indeed should any other subject, so that all Members will have had prior knowledge of it and the opportunity to comment. The Rules for conduct of the AGM, particularly Rule 17 will be strictly applied. So, please, put forward your propositions now If you would like to talk over a point informally beforehand, please get in touch.  Incidentally, many people appreciated the venue last time - the Coventry Museum which is filled with veteran cycles, cars and motor-bikes. We feel that it only fair to move the venue regularly, to avoid as much bias as possible. If you have any suggestions for a suitable place to meet, please let us know. 

Situations Vacant 

As well as needing a new Treasurer, we would always welcome members to stand for the Committee or join Working Groups. If you have experience or a special interest please contact us. Experience of what ? Look at the sections in the Newsletter - is there something where you could lend a hand or offer advice?. 

Who's Who 

At the last AGM, various changes to the Committee were ratified. This are the main officers and what they do. 

John Purser, General Secretary. Acting secretary three times during more than ten years on the committee, he deals with the administration of the Association, organising committee and General meetings. He is responsible for publicity and the RRA website. A member of the Tricycle Association, he has been involved with records for many years as organiser or observer. He runs a polymer engineering company. 

Eddie Mundy, Records Secretary 92 Fernlea Road, Balham, London SW12 9RW. Phone 020 8673 4588 As well as being President of the RRA and a record breaker, organiser and Observer, Eddie's day-job-in-retirement handles all matters relating to record attempts. He is the man to send your schedules, claims and checking reports to as well as to advise when a postponed schedule is to be activated. Formerly production manager at a publishers he is a much liked and respected figure on the 'cycling scene, ever willing to help. 

Gerry Lewis, Treasurer 120 Kiln Ride, Finchampstead, Wokingham, Berks RG40 3PB. Phone 0118 973 4121 gajlewis@waitrose.com Gerry has served on the Committee for many years. He took on the Treasurership on his retirement from the Met Office, having been a wonderful source of up-to-the-minute weather information for record breakers (including himself) as well as the RAF. He looks after our finances and acts as Membership Secretary, so please send him any changes of address, or details of the correct contact for a member-club. However, Gerry wishes to stand down at the next AGM. A replacement is urgently sought. If you have some relevant experience (and this job not about high-finance accountancy !) please contact Gerry. You will be a very welcome addition to the team. 

Committee 

We would also like to introduce the rest of the Committee who are all very much open to contact with and by Members or those interested in record breaking. 

Norman Bird (Chairman) A record breaker and long serving Committee member, Norman's friendly but firm conduct of meetings, ceaseless work behind the scenes and determination to keep abreast of a fast-changing cycling world makes him a powerful asset to the Association. 

Keith Robins (Kettering Amateur CC) has served on the Committee for nearly 30 years. He has been organiser of several successful record attempts including End to End rides. His company, Beekay, has produced a large number of printed items for the RRA over the years, from dinner menus to safety banners. 

Albert Ayton (Eagle RC) is a well known official, timekeeper and organiser in East London and Essex. Now retired from running a timber company, he has a wealth of knowledge about legal, business and cycling matters. 

Tom Morley (Southgate CC) is a record breaker and an active cycling official in North London with the BCF. A semi-retired insurance consultant., he leads the Working Party on record routes, safety and turning points. 

Tim Dadswell (Antelope RT) has been involved in road records as an organiser for Antelope riders as well as riding time-trials himself. He runs a computer department in a multinational engineering company. 

Dai Davies (Speedwell BC) Retired from the RAF and subsequently the cycle trade, he was well-known for many years in the West Country as a timekeeper He now lives in Birmingham and is very active in timing record attempts and assisting the Records Secretary. 

Pat Kenny (St Christophers CCC) Record breaker, timekeeper, prolific mile-eater, Pat was badly injured late last year, but has kept up his many activities during a long and painful recuperation. 

Ralph Dadswell (Antelope RT) Returning to the committee after a short break, Ralph is a prolific and still-active record breaker who can give a rider's-eye view on matters. 

Web Site 

We apologise for the delay in updating the site. It had been very much Tony Wells' project and has taken a little while to re-host. www.rra.org.uk. is our address. em@ils can soon be forwarded direct to the secretary or treasurer, which we hope will speed things up. 

Insurance 

The liability insurance which we now hold is something of a necessary evil. Arranged at quite modest cost through the National Farmers Union, it is derived from their policies for agricultural shows and gymkhanas, where volunteers also have to be protected from claims if there is an accident. But, as their broker says, it won't work if you do something that is downright silly. This sort of policy gives our officials and checkers on attempts protection against another insurance company or a solicitor who is determined to pin blame on someone if anything goes wrong. In a world where litigation is often the first option, the NFU policy will give us access to bigger and better lawyers to fight off this sort of claim. But please, as riders, officials or helpers, do act with common-sense on record attempts. We share very crowded roads with those who sometimes show they have very little. At the last AGM the Committee was asked to confirm how the insurance premium would be paid. In the first year it was taken from our insurance reserve. It has now been decided to pay it from our general account in future. 

Triennial Dinner (s) 

It seems quite a while since that night in February when we met in the Hounslow Civic Centre. Gerry Lewis' impeccable organisation ensured the food was good, the company excellent and the raffle prizes were OK, too ! Cornerstone to the undoubted success of the evening was the guest speaker, Kevin Mayne, who heads the CTC. A real club cyclist, he speaks with knowledge, enthusiasm and vision about 'cyclings strengths and weaknesses as a sport and pastime. Numbers were rather down on previous years. This is of concern to the Committee as we do not meet every year, of course, and hope that Members and friends will make that special effort for the Triennial. It's comes as quite a shock to learn that not so long ago, over 300 used to sit down to dine at the Triennial - and that was when the ladies were still banned ! We are beginning to feel that some form of get-together in the years between the Triennials would keep us in closer contact. It could be a chance to present certificates shortly after they had been gained, for example. if you think this might be a good idea and particularly if you can suggest a place and a date for such a social gathering, please let us know. 

Geography class 

To avoid confusion about the Liverpool start and finish, we will be identifying the building opposite which it is situated as the Liverpool Museum, not John Moores University. At Bath the turning point is now defined as 'the south-eastern corner of the Church of St Michael with St Paul, Walcot Street.' If you see that road works or changes in layout will radically affect other start, finish or turn points or any of the major routes, please do let us know. 

Timekeepers and Observers 

Thanks to all of you for the work put in during another season. If you know of other timekeepers who would like to be put on our books, please let us know. The more there are, the more there are to go round. It is common for one timekeeper to start a ride and another to time the finish so new recruits need not fear that they might be tied up for hours on end. The Association would also like to hear from Course Measurers who would be willing to work on our behalf. This is an occasional duty, but an extremely important one, and we can never have too many to call upon. May we remind you of several important points : 
~ record rides have a release, not a push start. 
~ Observers following should keep a detailed record of the ride, noting particularly where riders are out of sight. A report is required for all attempts, even unsuccessful ones. 
~ please use the passing rule as it is intended, which is to give refreshment, medical or mechanical assistance. It is felt unlikely that a rider would need to be fed 10 times in an hour ! However, a pass can and should always be made if there is any question about safety, of the rider, his helpers and officials or any other road users. Please, use your discretion. 
~ timekeepers should record the exact times on both timers and not round up or down 

Archives 

Now kept by Keith Robins, he has checked and listed the huge store of information we have. Theoretically, all material concerning record attempts is confidential, but those with a bona fide interest in an earlier record (for example, for a family history) are invited to apply to the Committee for access. 

Handbook 2000 

The latest edition, the product of much hard work by Gerry Lewis is enclosed (assuming you are a Member - if not, see below) Updated pages will be issued as needed. 

Relations with Regional Associations

These continue to be actively strengthened. There are many regional records to be broken - and they should never be seen as a lesser performance than the Association's records. Any record is a significant achievement. 

Latest records 

4 new records is not quite a vintage year (that was 1890, 37 new records, roughly one a week, and all done with cycles, trains, letters, telegrams and no photocopiers, just printers.) Andy Wilkinson made a welcome return to record breaking, partnering Lynne Taylor to set a first record for Liverpool-Edinburgh on a mixed tandem bicycle. 9h 45m 11s took half an hour off the standard. But this was just a warm-up for the End to End which they took from Harris/Groesbeck (or Groesbeck/Harris - they changed ends regularly during their ride) in 2d 3h 19m 23s, a great performance barely an hour short of the Swinden/Withers mens' ride. Ralph Dadswell added yet another record to his tally when he and Dave Johnston on their tandem-tricycle took nearly 6 minutes off an early Dave Pitt record (with Alun Millard), London-Portsmouth and Back in 6h 5m 00s. And coming full circle, David and Eileen Brabbin teamed up on their tandem to knock ten more minutes off Liverpool-Edinburgh, leaving the record at 9h 34m 58s Michael Hutchinson still has a schedule in for the mens bicycle 25 and Glenn Longland for the End to End. One can never rule out a late effort, but we must remind them (in view of the recent weather) that we used to have a rule that said you couldn't use a ferry during a record attempt ! 

Money 

The Association is, sadly, not awash with cash. The Perry legacy has left us with a nest-egg (which has been slimmed by the purchase of two shields) but the interest is not a large amount, and the balance between a modest surplus and ending up in the red is a tricky one. Although we have made great efforts to streamline the administration, the insurance premium is a large bill - and we still must pay our way. Please help all you can by paying subscriptions on time. It is very frustrating to have to keep on writing (at 25p a time - five bob in real money) to remind you to send us what, in 'cycling terms, is the price of a (very) few pints. And please do all you can to encourage people join the Association. It's not very expensive, nor, unless they choose it to be, very demanding. They will be helping keep alive one of British 'cycling's most valuable assets, a very amateur organisation, with the highest professional standards that says to all cyclists : if you feel you are the best, come and show us ! 

Mrs Christine Watts 

The last AGM saw Chris finally standing down from the Committee of the RRA. Although it can be indelicate to talk about a lady in terms of how many years she has been around, Chris had been a real pillar of strength on the RRA committee and before that as Secretary and President of the WRRA. Delve even further back and one must assume she had stabilisers on her bike and tandem when she was breaking WRRA, SRRA and competition records. It was unanimously agreed at the first Committee meeting to invite her to stand for office again - but as a Vice-President, in recognition of her life-time's contribution to both record-breaking and cycling as a whole. 

The President 

When the Rule limiting the Presidency to 7 years was brought in, someone asked if this meant the President had only a 7 year shelf-life. 2001 is the year in which the Association must elect a new President. Eddie Mundy, far from being a lofty figure-head (or being consigned to a high shelf to be brought down and dusted off for the AGM and Triennial) has combined this role with that of Records Secretary for the last 3 years. The jobs are not joined, of course : the Association would welcome extra help in the job of distributing schedules, alerting Official Checkers, and collating reports of attempts. But there is a new President to be elected and if you have names you would like considered, please forward them with other propositions for the AGM. We cannot promise a cliff-hanger as in the USA, but it's nice to dream ! 

Official Checkers 

Now, as In 1888, the onus on providing evidence that a record has been conducted fairly lies with the rider. In the early days, a rider would stop and ask a policeman or postmaster to sign the little book he carried, that he had been at a certain point on the route at a certain time. Nowadays, the RRA also has a small army of volunteers who will turn out to check a rider on the route. By advising the time and place, they give the committee the framework for verifying a record. The main qualification for this role is that you are willing to do it for us. For those who have turned out this year, a very sincere thank you. If you know of cycling friends who would be willing to join the team, please let us know. We can never have too many. With rides taking place at any time of the day or night, weekdays or weekends, it is important that we maintain a high level of coverage, to compensate from those who cannot always get away to perform this brief but vitally important task. It would be helpful if you could let us know which routes you could cover - you would receive a schedule and then a phone call alerting you when the ride is 'on'. 

Finally… 

The Committee should like to wish you all an early Happy Christmas with best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. We thank all of you who have made a contribution to the Association during the past year, whether by acting as an official, turning out as a checker, attending a meeting, sending us your ideas (or overdue subs) and best of all, going out and trying to break a record 

Postscript 

DIY long-range weather forecasting We have run out of enough space to print an interesting calendar of recurring weather trends. Compiled using over 50 years of checks, there is more than a 65% chance of these recurring. Did you know that there is a 90% chance of cold weather in the second week of April ? It is a useful aid to planning anything from a holiday to a barbeque to a record attempt. For a copy, just send your request, with an SAE please, to the General Secretary.