Charlie taking on all comers !

Charlie writes  “The Wigan trio started camping at Easter 1927, when they toured in Lakeland equipped with the finest available lightweight outfit.  Gradually the rest of the boys fell in with them, myself the last – I was loth to forfeit the early start and the absolute liveliness of the light bicycle.  But the spell of our type of camping took a grip, and our scope of distance was widened, rather than lessened by the carrying of camping kit.  The Wigan lads chose wisely, 12 years of cycle camping to date has proved to us that the same outfit, with slight modifications, is still the best for the purpose”.

Below, the Wigan Trio’s Itisa.

Mardale Church lies at the bottom of a huge reservoir.  The pic immediately above is of Ullswater from Place Fell.  And the last picture below is Ullswater from Kepple Cove.

                                          Fred’s Valentine

There is more to be written about  Ffestiniog.  Fifteen years later, Charlie writes in white ink the following note in his photo album, (to be found in Charlie’s books Volume Three, Page 6)  “At Ffestiniog the We.R.7. spent the New Year holiday of 1926/7 in rollicking fashion.  There was with us one Fred Hindle to whom a morwyn name of Gwendoline made special appeal.  Urged by the rest of us, Fred pressed his suit strongly, but Gwen suddenly lost heart and ran up the street with Fred in plaintive, appealing  pursuit !  Whereupon it was decided that he was a worthy compere of Walter – hero of last Whitsun, and in lieu of a medal a large tin was rescued from the dustbin and hung round his neck.  On our departure Fred was paraded before the inhabitants.  All the morning he wore his trophy…all the way to Llanrwst.

Plas Newydd Hall, Llangllen, and Llantrisilio Church nearby.

Eaton Hall in Cheshire, is the home of the Duke of Westminster !