Mildenhall Cycling Club has confirmed the details of the events planned to celebrate their Golden Jubilee in 2003 with a Reunion in June the highlight of a packed year.

"The town's Riverside Hotel has been booked on Sunday 8th June for the exclusive use of our current as well as ex-members to exchange and reminisce about their cycling experiences. We also plan to display photographs charting the Club's history and a collection of the Club jersey's used over the years" outlined Club spokesman Mark Burchett.

During the Club's first fifty years there have been nearly 340 people who at some point have been members. The current members, led by founding member and now a Vice-President Alan Thompson from West Row, have had a fantastic response in their search to contact the ex-members, including Donny Clarke who has been tracked down to Western Australia and who has already booked his hotel for the reunion. "We have also been helped by publicity from the media with notable successes including Doug Ward from Chard, Somerset who responded to a feature in Cycling Weekly and Dave Baldock from Lowestoft (BBC Radio Suffolk), while Wally Allsop from Luton and Titch Powell from Isleham were both reunited with the Club after reading the Bury Free Press." added Mark Burchett.

As well as the reunion, the Club is also aiming to get as many members as possible to ride one of the Charity rides held locally. The Club's annual Mildenhall Cycling Rally will host the National 8km Grass-Track Championships and the organisers are looking at including other events to mark the Club's special year.

The Mildenhall Club will be holding their own charity ride later in the year. The Half-Century Charity Ride on Sunday 21st September will offer cyclists of all ages and abilities the choice of either a 50km off-road or 25km on-road routes. It will be run by the organisers of the very successful Bury Bike Ride, with all the monies raised going to their chosen charities. (SGR Operation Santa, MacMillan Nurses and East Anglian Children's Hospice - EACH).

The Club is currently working on a booklet chronicling the Club's history, which is expected to be published after Easter. The Club's recent Annual Dinner and Prize Presentation, which rewarded members for their efforts during the 2002 season, got the 50th year off in style. In May they will be promoting a high profile circuit time time-trial that will have a "Tour de France" style raised ramp start. It is hoped that the prize list of £500 will attract some of the UK's top riders.

The Club will also be producing a range of merchandise that will incorporate the 50th year image and logos.

There are still nearly a hundred ex-members to trace and anyone that hasn't been written to by the Club, can contact Alan Thompson on for further details of the Golden Jubilee events, including the reunion. Details of all the events planned and merchandise are available on the Club's website at http://www.mildenhallcc.org.uk, where there will also be an email link to register your interest in the Reunion.

Summary of events to celebrate Mildenhall CC's 50th Year

Saturday 31st May 2003 Celebration Circuit Time-Trial Barrow
Will be held on course BS7 (Higham, Gazeley, Dalham, Ousden, Hargrave and Barrow), starting at 2.30pm. Barrow Parish Council is being very supportive of the idea and keen to get involved where they can. Portaramp from Thetford have agreed to sponsor the event and as part of the arrangement are providing a Tour de France style starting ramp, that will see the cyclists start on a platform about a metre high making it very easy for spectators to see them! An advert has been placed in the 2003 Cycling Time Trials Handbook (formerly the RTTC) & East District Handbook and it is hoped that with a £500 plus prize list a good quality field can be attracted.

Sunday 8th June 2003 50th Anniversary Reunion Riverside Hotel, Mildenhall
Alan Thompson has been hard at work contacting those older ex-members and together with a letter sent to all other ex-members who they have contact details for, the Club is endeavouring to invite as many as possible to the Reunion, which will be the highlight of the anniversary celebrations. Currently the Club database held by Mark Burchett contains nearly 340 people - there are still about 80 who they are trying to establish contact details for. The Riverside Hotel has been booked for the Club's exclusive use and it is expected to cost approx. £12-50 per person - partners will be very welcome. It is planned to include a display of photographs of members through the ages, a collection of all the Club jersey's, as well as the Club's Trophies. The Club will welcome any memorabilia or photographs that members / ex-members have that they are willing to lend to the Club (for use in the displays at the Reunion or the Club History being compiled).

23rd - 25th August 2003 Mildenhall Cycling Rally Riverside Middle School, Wamil Way
The Rally Committee will be looking at including some special events to mark the Club's 50th year, as well as the Men's National 8km Grass-Track Championship, which has already been secured. All the publicity material will incorporate the Anniversary logos and be produced in the full Club Colours of Red, Yellow and Black.

Sunday 21st September 2003 Half-Century Charity Ride 50km Off Road Ride 25km On Road Ride Mildenhall CC HQ, Wamil Way, Mildenhall
The organisers of the Bury Bike Ride, led by Brian Hurrell, have kindly agreed to take on the organisation of this event. In return all monies raised will go to their chosen charities. (SGR Operation Santa, MacMillan Nurses and East Anglian Children's Hospice - EACH). This will allow them to publicise both events using their normal publicity and for Mildenhall C.C. to promote them at their early season events. There will be two rides using Mildenhall C.C.'s Clubroom as an HQ:-50km (approx. 35 miles) OFF ROAD - using the course that was used for the Rachel Glaister Memorial Ride.25km (approx. 18 miles) ON-ROAD. Aimed more at the casual / leisure cyclist and should the weather on the day be wet, gives riders an alternative to the longer off-road route.

Published Spring 2003 Mildenhall CC - The First Fifty Years!
Jean Poole is currently wading through all the Club's Records, old Minute books & press cuttings to produce a far greater and in-depth history of the Club than the brief one produced for the website. Its quite a thankless task, so Jean would welcome any contributions from current and ex-members, in particular any anecdotes they have of anybody ever associated with the Club.