Our organisation was founded in 1878 as the Bicycle Touring Club, subsequently re-named the Cyclists' Touring Club, and now as Cycling UK.
Originally it was a just group of cyclists but as it grew it needed ‘administration’ and local areas became subdivisions. These would have been geographical and to start with it was probably regional - then by county, I suppose, but100 years ago some local members of Division VI , Wessex Divisional Association (DA) applied to become an new district association.
The divisions really covered such large areas that riders could not easily meet at any one point to start a ride, and anyway the numbers had grown enough that smaller local associations had become inevitable.
The inaugral meeting of the Portsmouth DA (as it was then) was on Saturday 8th May 1926, 7.00pm at the Co-operative Rooms, Garnier Street, Fratton, Portsmouth. It also seems that on the following day Sunday 9th May 1926 the first DA run was from Portchester to Stonehenge! And, presumably back again. That’s about 60 miles each way. On single speed bikes.
Officers were elected - Major R Bullin, president; Dr J Ford Palser, Vice President, Mr A E Watts, hon sec; and Mr A E Hewlett, hon Treasurer, and the club colours chosen were Scarlet and Gold.
We have a photo from a few years later, in 1931, where a group of lady cyclists from the Portsmouth club set out on a 50 in 4 ride - to cycle fifty miles in four hours. They all did it.
I don’t know if the club had a separate ladies section but it made sense to ride in separate groups. The picture is interesting in that we can see the riders are similarly dressed, but not in Lycra jerseys - tweed jackets by the look of it. All the bikes are single speed - no gears, and the ladies all seem to be wearing Mary Jane shoes. Helmets? Forget it , some of them are wearing berets but otherwise bareheaded.
Portsmouth DA was not a racing club, but inevitably some of the riders wanted to race each other and in 1928 22 members met and formed the Hampshire Road Club as a racing offshoot, and Portsmouth members still race with the HRC.
In 1932, Portsmouth DA organised the national South of England Cyclists Rally based at Southsea Castle attended by several thousand cyclists. The Portsmouth News reported that the Rally was held on 24th April. Extraordinary interest had been aroused in what was described as the greatest Rally of Cyclists ever witnessed South of London. Cyclists were reported as riding down to Southsea on tricycles and bicycles.
The assembly at Southsea castle was followed by an interesting run to Portchester Castle where an address was given by Mr Frank South who had just won a 25 mile time trial.