1894 to Jan 1897

To return to Victoria Garesfield in the Derwent valley. I worked there about three years, untill [sic] I was 21 years. In the meantime I had developed and at 19 years I was 11 stone 9lbs; was the fastest cyclist in the district, also the fastest walker in the district, but one of the poorest runners, as my uncle Bill Lawson used to say I had plenty of action but no pace, which used to make me so wild.

In cycling I rode one mile on the flat road at Rowlands Gill, on an Elswick bicycle 23lbs weight (a strange machine to me) and geared to 63 inches, in ^{^Kit Graham, Wilf Smith and Tom Smith witness} 2 minutes 20 seconds standing start, also on my own machine, a full roadster, 36lbs weight, geared to 59 ½ inches, I rode a ¼ mile on a flat road, close to the Derwent, below the paper mill, from a standing start, in 33 1/5 seconds. I have a photograph of this event taken just before the start, by Sid Smith of Garesfield, and showing Kit Graham holding [illegible] and his son Billy holding the pistol.

I walked a trial over a half mile on the road below the paper mill in 3 minutes 50 seconds, one of the witnesses being George Bell, a footrunner when I used to train. The others I forget. I always walked trials with clogs without irons on my feet, and had a stride of 4 feet 9 inches.

I used to walk from the Wesleyan Church at Emma Villa to the top of the bank at the Spen in 28 to 30 minutes. As to running, I couldn’t beat 12 1/5 seconds for the 100 yards if I ran down a bank; strange to say I could do it on any track, cinder or grass, or on that dead footpath at Swalwell, where the Sheffield champions ran their trials. I had a stride of 7 feet 6 inches. Whilst at Garesfield I bought a fiddle and started to learn that.

Measurements at 20 years of age: chest expanded 40 ½”, biceps 13 ½” calf 15″.