Here’s the 1958 Diamond Jubilee Dinner Menu. It includes an overview of the Club’s first 60 years, which is reproduced in full. A fantastic find in a quest to tell the story of the once famous cycling club. Continue reading MEMORABILIA: 1958 Diamond Jubilee Dinner Menu with Club History 1897-1957
A former club member shares some fantastic mementoes from his time with Balham CC. Highlights include a Diamond Jubilee Dinner menu with the history of the club from 1897 to 1957; 7 copies of the club newsletter The Balham CC Gazette from 1949; the 1949 club handbook and some great photos. Here’s our top 6 new facts gleaned from this latest treasure trove. Continue reading Club member’s collection shines light on Balham’s cycling past
An engraving of the Balham Safety Bicycle as featured in the 21 February 1890 edition of The Engineer. Could you help in the quest to find further information on Henri Rey, his company, or The Balham Bicycle? Continue reading The Balham Bicycle and the Mister Rey Mystery
“We won’t get anywhere like this lads. We need a chairman to see there’s one speaker at a time. Does anyone object if I do the job?”
No one did. And from that moment on Leading Aircraftman and Balham Cycling Club champion Arthur Attwood, would be forever associated with the 1946 Royal Air Force mutiny – a series of strikes over conditions and slow mobilisation that would sweep through 60 RAF stations in India and Ceylon and involve 50,000 men. Continue reading The Club champ and the WWII RAF Mutiny
The date is 18th January 1947 and it’s the Balham Cycling Club Prize Presentation and Gala Dance. It not only marks the first big post-war get together of members but also forms part of the club’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Continue reading Club night at the dairy dance hall marks 50th anniversary
Let’s play detectives. One photo is all you and I have to go on. The badge on the cycling jersey and the pin on the jacket lapel tell us the cyclist was a member of Balham Cycling Club, but can the photo tell us anything about the date of the club’s existence?
Family genealogists and photo collectors use a number of techniques to date a vintage photograph. Let’s have a go… Continue reading It’s more than about the bike: 5 ways to date a Balham cyclist
The first week investigating the life and times of Balham Cycling Club has thrown up a bona fide cycling ‘A’ lister. Claud Butler is a familiar name to anyone with an interest in cycling. A bicycle dealer and frame-builder his cycles and tandems were used at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and numerous World Championships. This is his Balham CC story. Continue reading Butler serves Balham and makes Marque on Olympics
This is where it all begins. One photo plucked from a plethora of family photos and mementoes found in a battered old suitcase. Continue reading Picture this
Balham Cycling Club 