Sheffield FridayNightRide

we have nothing to lose but our chains

2012/04/13 Sheffield Olympians

Encounters at the bar

We sped down Ecclesall Rd, stopped at Collegiate Hall to note that Ellie Koylander, Team GB mogul skier trains there, and continued on towards the Sheaf Island pub. As we turned to go right, a pissed-up group of three couples shambled and tripped alongside on the pavement slurring incoherently something about bicycles at us and then shut up with surprise as their glassy eyes and silly grins saw us stood on our pedals stationary on our bikes as we waited for oncoming traffic to go past.
We turned right and then went down Napier St to come round the back of the old Ward’s Brewery and park up in the terrace at the Sheaf Island. Inside, one could see heads turn, fingers point, hands go to mouths and eyes widen as we locked up our steeds to the rails and each other. Some consternation continued as we entered into the warmth and comfort of the bar but the shock of the cyclists had died down as people gave us room and we ranged in small bunches along the long bar.

“Can we have a pint, and a half, of the Windermere Blond, and a tonic with ice and a slice”

“Yup” the barman says as he dips to collect the glasses, ” … the tonic’s with ice and a slice?”

“Please”

“OK .. so what are you lot doing?” The barman eyes us and the clusters of fellow nightriders along the bar as he places a glass under the tap.

“Oh, we’re on a bike ride to celebrate the Olympics”

“Oh, yeah”

“Yeah, actually we’ve got an Olympian with us. She has come out on the ride; shown us where she trains in Attercliffe at the English of Institute of Sport alongside people like Jessica Ennis. Been brilliant”

As he pulls on the pump handle, the barman looks round, maybe for Team GB colours, “Where is she?”

“Standing here, beside me”, says Mick as he points at Fiona standing next to him all in Adidas black with a silver bike helmet still on, munching on a sandwich.

“Really,” says the barman, carrying on with his pouring, as he looks directly at Fiona, he continues,
“Respect. Is that true, you take part in the Olympics?”

Fiona self-effacingly nods as she removes her bike helmet, “Yeah”.

Mick carries on, “She drives the women’s bobsleigh for Team GB. She was at Vancouver in 2010”. The barman places the beers on the counter, hesitates for a moment and then he says,
“You’re braver than me, love. You must have some balls to do that, more balls than I’ve got. Respect. Is that right, love, the Olympics?”

He ducks behind him to get a bottle of tonic. Fiona smiles unassumingly and nods.

He tips in the ice and a slice and we start to collect our drinks to go and take a seat,
“Hold on…”, says the barman looking at Fiona,”… can I have your photo?”
and in a trice he whips his phone out of a pocket and snaps Fiona, smiling sweetly at him, “Thanks”, he says as he returns his attention to me, “£5.35 please”.

He brings me change of a tenner, I say “Her name’s Fiona Harrison, google it she comes up straightaway”,
and I salute him with my pint and he smiles appreciatively as we all move away to grab some seats.

Next SFNR
Fri April 13 2012 (how lucky is that?)
Sheffield Olympians
Start 6.30 Barkers Pool

Come ride with an Olympian! Fiona Harrison, who is a local woman and the driver of the GB Olympic 4 women bobsleigh team (GB Team in Vancouver 2010) is raring to come out with us.
She lives and trains here in Sheffield and is planning to join us and give us an insider’s tour of the EIS in Attercliffe!
where she and others train and has many tips on place to visit and go. I think I’l find this reallly interesting; hope you do too! Just the pick-me-up I need.

All the people who were born in Sheffield and have taken part in an Olympics are below. I haven’t had time to go through the lists of info and work out how many Olympians have had an affiliation with Sheffield and been an Olympian (eg Seb Coe, not born but raised in Sheffield). Jessica Ennis isn’t on the list as 2012 will be her first Olympics; no pressure then Jessica?

Bring your own Olympic facts with you! Been to an Olympics?, participated in an Olympics? got a good story or memories about the Olympics? (The first ones I can just about remember are Rome in 1960 and ANDREW, bring that book about the Olympics – did you know there was a race for fat old men (the entry criteria) in the London 1908 Olympics so Edward VII could win a race – why did he not get the gold medal?; come along and find out)

Route and map:

View Sheffield Olympians (www.sfnr.org.uk) in a larger map

Weather: Should be dry on Friday evening but bring a waterproof as not all the forecasts agree. Will be chilly, so gloves and something warm a good idea

Heads up! On roads, paths and maybe a track or two so will probably suit any bike (with tough tyres) but maybe not swish ones with extra skinny wheels?

Don’t forget lights and locks!

The first Sheffielder with connections to the modern Olympics participated in 1908 and there have been many more since including the woman in 1948 who got a commendation in the Mixed Painting – an event I have found more about. These events were interesting because they were judged by others and medals were not always awarded if the standard was not judged appropriate. The events were never unanimously accepted and although they ran from from 1912 until 1948, the objections to holding them (logistics of it and that all the competitors seemed to be professional artists) meant that they ceased to be replaced by art exhibitions and in 2012 we now have the Cultural Olympiad. So its not all Ennis and Coe.

Olympians born in Sheffield (Seb Coe was born ‘darn sarf’ and Jessica Ennis missed the last Olympics with injury, 2012 will be her first Olympics)

Name
Country
Event
Olympics
born
died
Jeremy Abbott
Canada
Canoeing
1976
Montreal
1957

Keith Angus
GB
Athletics
Marathon
1976
Montreal
1473

Charles Atkin
GB
Hockey (Gold)
1920
Antwerp
1889
1958
David Baker
GB
Cycling
Mountain Biking
1996
Atlanta
1965

Sam Blatherwick
GB
Swimming
400, 1500m freestyle
1908
London
1888
1975
Chris Draper
GB
Sailing
Mixed Skiff
(Bronze)
2004
Athens
1978

John Dudderidge
GB
Canoeing
1936
Berlin
1906
2004
Malcolm Elliott,
GB
Cycling
1980 4000m team pursuit
1996 Road race
1980
Moscow
1996
Atlanta
1961

Len Eyre
GB
Athletics
1500m
1952
Helsinki
1925
1986
Reggie Flint
GB
Swimming
200m breaststroke
1924 Paris
1928 Amsterdam
1903
1981
Jane Furniss-Shields
GB
Athletics
1984 3000m
1988 10000m
1984 Los Angeles
1988 Seoul


Nicola Gautier-Minichiello
GB
Bobsleigh
2002 Salt Lake City
2006 Turin
2010 Vancouver
1978

Irene Gilbert
GB
Swimming
200m breaststroke
1924
Paris
1903
1988
Ernest Glover
GB
Athletics
5000m, 10000m, 
X-country, individual & team
(Bronze X-country team)
1912
Stockholm
1891
1954
Paul Goodison
GB
Sailing
2004 Mixed one person’s dinghy
2008 Men’s one person dinghy
(Gold)
2004 Athens
2008 Beijing
1977

Andrew Griffiths
Canada
Hockey
2000
Sydney
1969

Bill Gulliver
Zimbabwe
Shooting
Men’s Trap
1960
Rome
1912

Amanda Harrison
GB
Gymnastics
1980
Los Angeles
1965

Jess Harrison
France
Triathlon
2008
Beijing
1977

Simeon Hempsall
GB
Cycling
Road Race
1992
Barcelona
1969

Joyce Himsworth
GB
Art Competitions
Mixed painting (Commendation)
1948
London
1905
1990
Albert Johnson
GB
Athletics
50km Walk
1956 Melbourne
1960 Rome
1931
2011
Brian Jolly
GB
Cycling
Men’s road race
1968
Mexico City
1476

Marges Knighton
NZ
Equestrianism
3 daye event individual & team
(Bronze team)
1988
Seoul
1955

Vicky Lupton
GB
Athletics
10km Walk
1992 Barcelona
1996 Atlanta
1972

Les Morton
GB
Athletics
50km Walk
1988 Seoul
1992 Barcelona
1958

Catherine Murphy
GB
Athletics
4X400m relay
(4th but could
get bronze because of
a doping admission by
US athlete in 2010)
2004 Athens
1975

Sheila Parkin-Sherwood
GB
Athletics
Long Jump
1964 Tokyo
1968 Mexico City
(Silver)
1972 Munich
1475

Andrew Rawlin
GB
X-county skiing
30km & 4X10km relay
1984
Sarajevo
1960

Peter Reynolds
GB
Rowing
Coxed eights
1960
Rome
1937

Geoffrey Robinson
GB
Shooting
Men’s Free Pistol, 50m
1984
Los Angeles
1477

Jill Slattery
GB
Swimming
100m, 200m breaststroke
1964 Tokyo
1968 Mexico City
1475

Jane Smith
GB
Diving
Women’s springboard
& synchronised springboard
2000 Sydney
2004 Athens
1975

Betty Sworowski
GB
Athletics
10km Walk
1992
Barcelona
1961

John Warhurst
GB
Athletics
1972
Munich
1474

Alastair Wilson
GB
Hockey
2008
Beijing
1983