George Bramwell Rich joined CTC Cambridge in 1954, and went on to serve the club as Runs Secretary for 35 years, before becoming our Honorary President in 2007. George was born on 19th March 1930 and passed away on 11th November 2020. Here we give some background to his life, and record some memories that club members have of George.
George left school at 15 and worked as an apprentice electrician for The Cambridge Wiring Company. This was followed by a spell of National Service in the RAF from 1950, based at RAF Padgate and RAF Wyton, after which he returned to The Cambridge Wiring Company.
George was by now a keen touring cyclist, and went on impressive rides with CTC Cambridge, both at home and abroad. These included Alpine tours in France and regular hostelling weekends, as well as longer club rides which, in the late 1950s, would sometimes venture as far as Epsom and (as it was then) London Airport.
There was also an annual darts match with the Oxford CTC group, which involved riding to pub roughly halfway between Oxford and Cambridge. The club still holds the Oxford and Cambridge Trophy which was awarded to the winning club.
George served for many years as the club's Runs Secretary, planning the rides and organising tea stops. In those days CTC Cambridge used the Portland Arms, near George's house in Cambridge, as a place to plan rides and conduct club business.
George's long service to the club was appreciated by members: he won the Len Nice Award, which recognises the member who has contributed the most to the club over the year, no less than 16 times between 1956 and 2006. Over the same period, he actively participated in the club's rides as well, winning the "Chuckles" Wade Memorial Trophy for taking part in the most Sunday rides 18 times.
George continued riding into his 80s, taking part in rides with the Seniors' Group, and the Saturday social rides. George encouraged and looked out for new members, and offered advice on topics such as the correct way to pre-heat a Thermos flask for the mandatory "elevenses" tea stop in a bus shelter.
George lived in the house he was born in, in Springfield Road, until the last few months of his life.
George is fondly remembered by all those in the club who knew and cycled with him for so many years. He is buried at the Barton Glebe Woodland Burial Ground near the village of Barton, just west of Cambridge. The burial place is Barton North Glebe, Crab Apple West, Plot 50, where a wooden memorial has been placed. This map shows the exact location. See also this general site plan,
Many members have fond memories of riding with George. A few of these are shared below: please let us know if you have other stories about George to share. David Sennitt and John Seton
Mike Stapleton writes: George was a very good Runs Captain for about 34 years. He ran meetings to work out the coming runs lists and get people to lead the runs. I can remember meeting in George’s front room. The printing of the runs list and the club newsletter was difficult as it was all done on a Roneo Copier. The skins for it had to be typed up by hand and if there were corrections they had to be done with correcting fluid and then the error had to be over typed. Then the Runs list and Newsletter had to be run off one page at a time. The drum had to be rotated for every copy.
George was the first person in the Club to buy an electric bike. Even though this was only about 10 years ago electric bikes were not good enough for the job at that time and it had a very limited range, so he was not able to ride out to club runs. He never got it to work well for him. He later bought a Moulton but by that time he wasn't able to cycle much.
When George led rides they tended to be slow except for when he was late for tea. I remember climbing the hills from Steeple Bumpstead up to Castle Camps at great speed, and how I struggled to keep up. We made it nearly on time and there was enough tea left for all of us.
George took over from Donnex Claydon in about 2010 and presided as Chairman over our Committee Meetings, and the AGMs we held at Hauxton Village Hall. He regularly attended our Annual Dinners and as Chairman ran these events. Mike Stapleton
Phil Horton wrote: I first met George in September 1969 on an afternoon ride to Arlesey: I was eleven. You hardly ever saw George in anything but cycling gear. He was part of every club run or event that the club organised. He led so many rides, opened up the club room in the Portland Arms and set up many slideshow evenings for many years. He won the attendance trophy for ages. I remember some people saying that nobody else had a chance!
Along with Sid Carter and Bob Garner, I rode thousands of miles with George. Looking back, I was obsessed with riding and spent way too many hours cycling than was good for anyone. Wherever they went I struggled to stay with them, in all weather, every week of the year. Tuesday, Thursday and rough stuff rides, all day runs and hostel weekends. They got me into pubs and jazz evenings down the Weathervane in Perne Road and bought me real shandy when the non-alcoholic variety wasn’t available. It taught me a lot of things you didn’t learn elsewhere, at the expense of the things I perhaps should have been learning.
George was always the same: always looking after everyone and ensuring the club operated as smoothly as possible. He would always carry certain maintenance items, not for himself, but to fix other peoples' bikes, often because they did not prepare themselves adequately beforehand. He fixed the broken pawl springs in my five-speed block halfway down the Roman road on one evening ride. He had made them out of piano wire.
All these things I look back on as some of the best memories of my life. Now, I hardly use a map because we learned the lanes for miles around Cambridge like the backs of our hands.
George telephoned me just before he went into the care home in Milton Road. I had not seen as much of him in recent years, as other things had taken over in life, and cycling took more of a back seat. I said that I would go and see him but then the 2020 pandemic interfered. Real sadness hit me after he passed. I shall always remember him with great respect for all the good times he, Sid and Bob and many others shared. He was a cyclist and a great bloke. I shall never forget him. Phil Horton
Words and photos: David Sennitt, Adrian Lee, Mike Stapleton, Phil Horton and John Seton
2021