When the bugler horn called on Ayr
Old photo shows the early days of cycle club
Ayr Roads/ Harry Fairbairn Cycling Club is one of the two oldest cycling clubs in Ayrshire, the second being The Wallacehill CC of Kilmarnock.
The Roads history though goes well beyond its formation in 1930, with the original Ayr Cycling Club formed in the late 1880s.
The Roads possesses two magnificent trophies of the 1890s, which are still competed for.
The earliest photograph the club had in its possession was one taken in 1895, which was gifted to the Carnegie Library archives when the club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005.
A detailed club history was compiled by the late Peter Blane, a print room foreman of the Ayrshire Post and a contemporary of Davie Bell, ‘ The Highwayman’ who contributed a weekly cycling article to the paper for many years. Peter was also responsible for the publication of two ‘ Highwayman’ books.
Peter’s history is in the process of being updated and will take into consideration all of the recent achievements by the Ayr club with appropriate illustrative material. During this exercise, two new sources of historical cycling material came to light.
The first was from the former editor of the Muirkirk Advertiser, James Taylor. When Jimmy heard that the club was trying to draw together as much information on the history of cycling clubs in Ayrshire, he sent extracts from archival material he had on the Muirkirk clubs, of which there were three at one time.
Shortly afterwards, the club was contacted by Jean Pendexter from Maine, USA, whose great grandfather had been a member of Ayr Cycling Club and the Maybole Cycling Club in 1890.
William Sturgeon emigrated to Boston in 1894. William’s memorabilia is of immense archival value to the history of cycling in Ayrshire.
Not only does it include membership documents of both clubs, giving the names of committee members and constitutions, but a photograph of Ayr Cycling Club of 1892 that pre- dates the one in the Carnegie Library.
Cycling in the late 1800s was well supported by wealthy landowners. Ayr Cycling Club had as one of its patrons J. H. Houldsworth of Rozelle and of the mine owning family.
Maybole Cycling clubs had the Marquis of Ailsa and Sir James Fergusson, M. P. of Kilkerran as their patrons.
The photograph is an interesting one. It shows the club members kitted out with caps, coloured cherry with a monogram of ACC on the front.
Both the Ayr Club and Maybole club had buglers, who rode at the head of a club run and sounded his bugle for a change of direction or to call a halt.
The bugler can be seen on the left of the photograph and William Sturgeon is fifth from the left on the back row. Needless to say, there must have been some confusion for newcomers.
Sturgeon bought a new bike in 1891. The invoice from a Carrick Street shop in 1891 shows he paid £ 17.17 shillings.
At today’s cost it would be more than £ 2,000.
When the average annual salary of a professional person in 1890 was around £ 700 per annum, William must have been quite affluent.
Further historical research is being undertaken by Ayr Roads and anyone who may have historical memorabilia of the many cycling clubs of the county should contact ayrroadscc. co. uk