© CTC Wessex Member Group of the Cyclists’ Touring Club
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CTC WESSEX
History and Administration
History and Administration
“Dorset Coastlet 100km”, Shawn Shaw’s infamous “Hardboiled 300km”, Frank Moorhouse’s “Dorset Delight 200km”, Peter Loakes’ “Dorset Downs 100km”, “Devon and Dorset Downs 300km” and Peter Davenport’s highly successful “Gridiron 100km”. It is a tribute to these events that they still run today in 2007, with the “Downs” just celebrating its 20th year and the “Gridiron” in its 15th and attracting over 500 entries. For the dedicated headbangers who enjoy loads of climbing, Shawn Shaw’s “Hardboiled 300km” was joined by the “Porkers 400km” and the “Hellfire 600km” to form the Wessex series of events. These ran for many years as open events and are at the time of writing offered as “Permanent” events within the structure of Audax UK.
For the off-roaders, Ken Reed’s “Dorset Dirt” is a hardy perennial of 15 years antiquity. Now we also have a major series of events in the New Forest organised by John Ward. Wessex long-distance cycling events rightly bring us credit and continue with great vigour.
NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE: The Bournemouth, Salisbury and West Dorset Sections have published a quarterly newsletter independently for the last 25 years, each adapting from typewriter to computer and desk-top publishing and keeping pace with technology. In 1988 I adopted email for the first time, certainly one of the first officials in CTC to do so and in 1999 the DA published its website; www.wessexctc.org for the first time. This marks a significant shift in communication. Bournemouth, Salisbury and West Dorset sections opened subsidiary sites after a few years so that information update could be kept local while the main Wessex site acted as a feed for them. Accesses to the sites have increased rapidly as our members, in common with the general population, acquired computers. In 2007, most members access the runs list and the entry forms for events “on-line”. Committee meetings are efficient gatherings, organised by email and with major issues already discussed in this way.
Ken Reed published the Dorset Dirt route for GPS in 2006 and Alan Clarke of Salisbury dreams of a Wi-Fi cycle mounted computer to enable him to access data on attractions as he cycles, but I think that whatever the technology, the carbon-fibre bike frame or the titanium fittings, the simple joy of cycling in Wessex will persist for many years to come.
NAME CHANGES: in 2008 it was decided by CTC council that the term D.A. be abandoned in favour of a “Member Group” structure. Under this regime, there is little change in Wessex immediately other than a change of name. Wessex DA became CTC Wessex Member Group and the three large sections became Member Groups in their own right although voting to remain subsidiary to the CTC Wessex umbrella. CTC Blackmore Vale remained as a CTC Informal group as a part of CTC Wessex .
Keith Matthews, Hon Life Vice President. - January 2009
