1898

a racing machine. Of course we made a beeline for the Shimwells shop, and Arthur Shimwell who had to give up racing through dysentery attacks, had a new machine which he had just received from England, the above mentioned £33 .. 10 cash, not much when you say it quick. Well I bought it although it had a 26 inch frame, which really was too high for me, but by dropping the nose of the saddle, I could reach it fairly comfortably.

We wheeled it down to the track, and I got into my skinfits and rode around the track a few times to get used to the machine a bit, which ran so smoothly it seemed to require no pushing at all; when at a signal from my father I sprinted for two laps. Father was extremely pleased with my riding and the time for the two laps, which he never told me.

Several footrunners were training on the inside track at the time, and whilst I was being rubbed down in the dressing room, one of them, a man with a pointed beard, came in and asked me what I was going to win on Tuesday. Of course I was flabbergasted at the question, and said I didn’t think I could win anything, but he laughed and told me not to try and fool him, but when I told him I was a novice at track racing, he opened his eyes especially after he saw my handicap of 110 yards and the limit only 120. “Why” he says “you are the fastest rider I have seen on this track”. I was in a sense thunderstruck, and thought he was fooling me, but he convinced me he was sincere.

This from an old hand made me feel pleased with myself.

At last Tuesday (I forget the date) came along and we went down to the grounds, and I got ready