PRESIDENT FRANK BLAKE’S PRESTON PARK REMINISCENCES

First few visits to PP

My first visit was on 24 April 1945. My bike was a Rudge Whitworth with a 3-speed and 26” wheels.  My first road ride with the club was on 18 April.  On 15 May I was taken to the track on the back of a tandem, the other club members used us for pacing.  No track racing started after the Second World War until 1946.

The drama of DRC

The first race of 1946 was a ¼-mile sprint, starting just going into the back straight.  I pushed off our rider, his first ever race, but he did not make the finish, going over the top at Dressing Room Corner.  It was his first and last race. The banking was much shallower then and many riders managed to make it over the top.  One of our little group of old timers was a regular for going over at this point. One day he landed on a young couple, who both went to hospital and he rode the next event!

Thousands of spectators

At the start we did not get many spectators but it built up quite quickly and we were getting 3,000 paying spectators a week.  When we had Reg Harris and other world championship sprinters, we had over 10,000 spectators.  All four corners had corner judges and two St John Ambulance people at each point, with a St John hut on the south side of the stand. So when riders crashed they got instant attention.  Only riders and officials where allowed on the grass.

Young talent

I was not a short distance sprinter, so I rode any longer distance event such as pursuits, team and Individual anything up to 25-mile. I finished 4th in my first 25mile on the track at age 16. I was junior pursuit Champ and Junior Time Trial 15-mile Champ on the road.  I also rode in 25-mile tandem paced events on the track. During one of these we were told as we were racing that we were going on for the hour as we had already done 25 miles. In 1951 I won the Sussex Cyclists’ Association 25-mile and 100-mile Time-trial Championship and was second in the 50-mile.

But I only came here to watch!

Special Meetings. In the early 1950s we had Reg Harris and three other professional riders, and this brought in over 10,000 paying spectators at each event.  There were food and beer tents overlooking the back straight.

Also many grass track meetings were held in towns around the county. I won the pursuit at Littlehampton, and I had not entered but the rider who had been picked for Sussex did not turn up. I had only ridden down to see the event. I was in the RAF at the time. Most riders also rode at grass track meetings around the county. David Duffield was the commentator at a couple of track meetings sponsored by Fyffe’s and organised by Bill Sladen for the Mitre in the 1970s. I would like to see the Sussex Cycle Racing League promote TRACK CYCLING as much as possible.  We could do with more spectators. We need to pester local papers and any other news sources that we can find. 

Well done!

Finally I would like to congratulate all the officials and riders for some very good racing and riding in recent years. It’s still the highlight of my week.  I will bring down some photos of Bill Sladen’s meetings with some top pro riders of that time. Best wishes to all and thank you all for keeping the sport going at Preston Park.

THE PRESIDENT’S PRESS CUTTINGS – supplied by Frank Blake

From the 1950s: “There are two more important cycle-racing meetings at Preston Park this week. Tonight there is the Brighton Stanley Wanderers’ big show, and on Friday there will be another first-class meeting sponsored by the Sussex Cyclists’ Association. The principal item next week is the Sussex Cycle Racing League meeting on Wednesday. This leads up to the big open Whit Monday meeting, which should pack Preston Park track.

On 31^st May, Brighton Excelsior hold another attractive meeting, and on 9^th June the National Playing Fields Association meeting will take place. For Brighton Stanley Wanderers’ August bank holiday meeting, George Woodham is scouring the continent for their leading professional riders to compete at Preston Park with Reg Harris, the world professional sprint champion.”

From the 1950s: “Tomorrow’s cycle runs: CTC South Eastern Section, to Boreham Street, meet Patcham Fountain at 9. Clarion (Brighton Section), to Leith Hill, 9.30, to Warnham 2.30, meet Co-operative Stores, London Road. Brighton Stanley Wanderers, to Lingfield and Horsham, meet The Forge 10.30. Prestonville Nomads, Midhurst 8.30, Petworth 2.30, meet at bottom of Stanford Avenue. Brighton Mitre, to West Chiltington, meet at St Peter’s Church, 2.30. Brighton Excelsior, to Box Hill and Dragon’s Greens, meet at middle gate at Preston Park, 10, and Old Forge, Sayers Common, 10.45.

From the 1950s: “Frank Blake, Brighton Mitre, started at 4am on an attempt to break the Brighton to Crawley and back cycling record of 1hr 59mins 20secs, made by Alan Gates, then of Mitre, in 1949. Blake was inside the record at Crawley and came back in good style to set up the new figures of 1hr 58mins 3secs. Then he had breakfast and went to work.”

THE PRESIDENT’S PRESS CUTTING – supplied by Frank Blake

From the Evening Argus, 15 April 1950 – written by Jack Arlidge

Enthusiasm for cycling in Sussex has never been higher; the standard of road and track cycling compares favourably with that in any other part of the country.

These facts, coming at a time when many people are bemoaning the falling standards of play in Sussex soccer and cricket, give the lie to the few who still imagine that cycling is a “Cinderella” sport in Sussex, and this week I witnessed for myself the keenness of both officials and riders.

I wandered down to the Preston Park track, and after a few minutes’ conversation with Mr Charles Turner, honorary secretary of the Sussex Cycle Racing League, I was convinced that even the present rate of progress was to be accelerated, and that the most ambitious plans in the history of the sport in Sussex were already being laid.

On August bank holiday, an international meeting has been arranged for Preston Park, and it seems pretty certain that the great Reg Harris, the “Sportsman of the Year”, will be in attendance, and leading riders from France and Italy will also be on view.

I had a good look at the track, where riders were putting in some strenuous practice. Riders were representing several local clubs, including Excelsior, Mitre and Brighton & Hove Wheelers. Hey, and look at this – girls tearing round the track! Beryl Harmer of Mitre and Vera Robins of Excelsior, two of the keenest of the fair members.

Well, Sussex cyclists are ready for the “off”, and all the signs are that the 1950 season – weather always permitting, of course – will be the best ever. The pre-war trickle of people to watch cycling has already grown to regular League meeting crowds of 3,000, with 7,000 for holiday events.