Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
Many British children used to ride their bikes to school. This is less true today, esecially for prep school children. The traffic has increased to a point that it is not very safe, partiularly for younger children. But there are usually some children at day schools who live close enough to bike to school. Rules vary at boarding schools. Some allow children to bring bikes to school or may have a few bikes at school for recreational purposes.
At the beginning of te summer holidays in 1987 seventeen boys dusted the cobwebs from their bikes and took to the road. The course took place under the eagle eye of WPC Rearden and Mr Wheddan. After some concern, when it was realised that the bicycles had to pass a road worthiness test, the boys set forth. For three wet days they could be found wobbling round the Tavistock roads, attemping to signal whilst looking over their shoulders. All the time could be heard the mutterings of 'the system': "Yes---signal---move. Think -- look---is it safe? No." As the days went by confidence gew, wibbles became fewer and there were fewer strange arm signals. The [boys] should be congratulated on passing the course.
Anne Bawtree, Fanfare (Mount House School), Autumn 1988
In Cycling Proficiency we started the course by riding around Pre-Prep and practising turning off and stopping. Mr Sharpe, who was taking us, kept sending us back to do it again if we did not do it right. After a few lessons we moved on to riding on the roads in Haines Park. After a lot of lessons we had the dreaded test. We had to do right turns, left turns, stops, slowing-down and so on. In the nd I passed. (abour 20 pupils passed the National Cycling Proficiency Test in this group, or in one run by Mr Roberts in the summer term).
Sam Grant, Junior Wyvern (Queen's College Junior School), 1989-90.
We have once again this year several children taking the course in cycling proficiency, Those who were successful under the watchful eye of Mrs Green, the Road Safty Officer for West Sussex, were: Andrew Field, James Vyner, Toby Stubbs, Timothy Olliff-Lee, Edward Fleming, Philip Collington, Richard Woods, Andrew Wilson, Daniel Hall and Anthony Watkins. I would like to remind parents that this does not necesarily mean that those who pass test are immidiately safe on the roads in all conditions. It ,eans that they have learnt how to move off, turn right and turn left and stop in safty, but other lessons will only come with experience and a healty respect for other road users, The course will be starting up again in the Autumn term.
PA, Great Walstead Magazine 1987.
