Story of monumental effort
Story of monumental effort
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wetny

Original Poster:

486 posts

241 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
quotequote all
Was talking to my uncle the other night. There was old an blind chap who lived near me when I was a little kid. Apparently in the fifties, him and his mate would would finnish work on a Friday after a full working week down the pit, get cleaned up and have their tea and cycled 190 miles to Great Yarmouth through the night. When they got there, they set up their tent and had a few hours kip. Spent the weekend up until lunch time on Sunday and then head back, arriving home in the early hours of Monday morning so that they could have a few hours sleep before another shift down the mine. Apparently this was a regular trip through the summer months and in their two weeks off they were all over Europe. I am assuming that bikes in the fifties took a bit more effort to ride than contemporary bikes. I just thought he was some old blind guy. You never know.

Long Drax

744 posts

199 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
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wetny said:
Was talking to my uncle the other night. There was old an blind chap who lived near me when I was a little kid. Apparently in the fifties, him and his mate would would finnish work on a Friday after a full working week down the pit, get cleaned up and have their tea and cycled 190 miles to Great Yarmouth through the night. When they got there, they set up their tent and had a few hours kip. Spent the weekend up until lunch time on Sunday and then head back, arriving home in the early hours of Monday morning so that they could have a few hours sleep before another shift down the mine. Apparently this was a regular trip through the summer months and in their two weeks off they were all over Europe. I am assuming that bikes in the fifties took a bit more effort to ride than contemporary bikes. I just thought he was some old blind guy. You never know.
Your uncle were lucky! wink

My uncle and his mate only had a wheelbarrow between 'em. They had to
commute 300 mile t'pit every day(but Christmas), taking turns to ride in it.

At Christmas, they'd put t'kids in t'barrow and go to t'pit for their
annual holiday on t'slag heap.

princeperch

8,268 posts

276 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
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I'm at somewhat of a loss as to how someone who is totally blind can cycle at all. let alone 190 miles at night when presumably his mate couldnt see much either.

okgo

42,104 posts

227 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
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Custard.

pacman1

7,324 posts

222 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
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He probably wasn't blind when he used to cycle.

wetny

Original Poster:

486 posts

241 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
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He could see when he was younger, but I only knew him as an old blind chap.

wetny

Original Poster:

486 posts

241 months

Saturday 10th September 2011
quotequote all
He could see when he was younger, but I only knew him as an old blind chap.

yellowjack

18,419 posts

195 months

Sunday 11th September 2011
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swerni said:
But we were 'appy wink
There. 'appen that's more like it!