NEW From the archives

North American compatriots Albert Crossley (USA, left) and William ‘Torchy’ Peden (Canada) take time out to read the papers during the 1937 London Six Day at Wembley.

The race was started at midnight on May 16 by film star Gracie Fields and continued until 11pm on May 22. Each of the 15 pairs had to have a rider on the track for the whole duration — clearly an exhausting endeavour, but not without its easier moments, as Crossley and Peden demonstrate.

The event was won by the pairing of Piet Van Kempen (Holland) and Albert Buysse (Belgium), who rode a total of 1,910.1 miles.