It’s you! Gloucester cyclists have a lotto birthday luck

The HLF cash will support the club’s exciting Jubilee125 project, which will mark the milestone with a series of events throughout 2016.

Among the highlights of Jubilee125 will be a three-month display which opens on 30 April 2016 in the Gloucester Folk Museum. The display will include the club’s scrapbook, containing photographs of members at the formation in 1891, cycling activities from that era and other memorabilia of the last 125 years.

The club’s very first ride, which was to Dursley, will be re-enacted on Sunday 1 May – complete with bikes of the period such as penny farthings.

Alastair Goldie, one of Gloucester City Cycling Club's Vice Presidents, said: “We hope the exhibition and re-enactment will make club members and the community more aware of the heritage of the club, and will shed light on how the ordinary people of Gloucester enjoyed themselves before the days of TV, computers and satnavs – not to mention how they tackled long, hard rides on poor roads with primitive bikes.

We are thrilled to receive support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will really enable us to celebrate Jubilee125."

Alastair Goldie, Gloucester City Cycling Club

“But it is not just about the past. We also plan to chart how cycling in Gloucester has developed and changed over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, coping with the enormous increase in vehicular traffic and the modern technological developments in the manufacture of bicycles.” 

Year-long celebrations will include a family-day picnic in the style described in club records of the 1920s, a charity challenge ride in conjunction with Radio Gloucestershire, a night ride to Avebury, and an Audax ride.

A short club history will also be written, while a film will be made of current activities which will be shown at the Folk Museum and then lodged with Gloucestershire Archives as a record of the club today.

As Alastair Goldie said: “Today’s activities are tomorrow’s heritage.”

He added: “We are thrilled to receive support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will really enable us to celebrate Jubilee125. The events will make people aware of what life and cycling were like in the days of few cars and modern communications.”

Nerys Watts, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South West, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players we’re pleased to support Gloucester City Cycling Club as they celebrate a key milestone and share 125 years of their social history with the local community.” 

Gloucester City CC, sponsored by Rudy Project, is a CTC affiliated group with more than 200 members.

Gloucester City CC members line up for the camera in 1892 - a year after the club formed