Over fifty years ago when Dave and I became engaged we decided to buy a tandem. I had never owned a bike, and we thought that now we would be able to set off on adventures together, Dave doing the steering and me stoking from the back. Dave was an extremely keen racing cyclist and spent most weekends racing, so this was a way I could share cycling with him. Eventually, Katy joined our family and we acquired a seat for her at the back of the tandem where she squealed with delight and waved and shouted whenever she met people.
Several years later we decided to sell our small house in Netherthong, partly because we needed more room as there was another baby on the way. A young couple came to look round the house, but decided that it wasn’t for them. However, they had seen our tandem in the hallway and asked if that was for sale. We realised it would be difficult with two little ones on the tandem, so reluctantly we sold it to them.
I missed the tandem as our three girls grew older and we were all wanting to go on cycling trips together. Then a friend kindly let me have a heavy, three gear “Sit up and beg” bike with a basket on the front that she was replacing for a more modern version. My bike is still going strong having been carefully looked after by the cyclist in our family. It has travelled with us and our caravan around the U.K. and many European countries, causing much amusement amongst our girls and later with our grandchildren. As you can imagine the basket has always been invaluable.
Christine Haigh - Scholes
Several years later we decided to sell our small house in Netherthong, partly because we needed more room as there was another baby on the way. A young couple came to look round the house, but decided that it wasn’t for them. However, they had seen our tandem in the hallway and asked if that was for sale. We realised it would be difficult with two little ones on the tandem, so reluctantly we sold it to them.
I missed the tandem as our three girls grew older and we were all wanting to go on cycling trips together. Then a friend kindly let me have a heavy, three gear “Sit up and beg” bike with a basket on the front that she was replacing for a more modern version. My bike is still going strong having been carefully looked after by the cyclist in our family. It has travelled with us and our caravan around the U.K. and many European countries, causing much amusement amongst our girls and later with our grandchildren. As you can imagine the basket has always been invaluable.
Christine Haigh - Scholes
