The 'Mad Dog' Cyclist v. Ship Race to Liverpool
At 08.30 hours on Tuesday 1st February Lt. Commander Dickie Underwood and Flight Lt. 'JJ' Hesketh were waved away from the quayside in Portsmouth Harbour by Commodore of the Portsmouth Flotilla, MRB Wallace RN, on their epic 285 mile cycle ride aiming to arrive in Liverpool before HMS Manchester on Thursday 3rd February.
On an overcast day but thankfully with no rain the two riders having covered 95.68miles at an average speed on 15.6 miles an hour arrived at St Georges Barracks, Bicester in the early evening to a welcome massage and a good nights sleep.
Up at 06.00 hours on Wednesday on a cold, dark, misty morning Dickie and 'JJ' made very good progress via Banbury and Coventry to a well earned lunch stop at the New Inn just south of Burton on Trent. The afternoon proved to be the hardest leg of the journey with a few more hills to contend with but both riders persevered and via Leek and Macclesfield arrived at the Sea Cadets base in Manchester having covered 147.01miles at an average speed of 14.7 milers per hour.
The final 43 miles consisted of negotiating the centre of Manchester in the rush hour and via a pleasant ride along the Manchester Ship Canal Dickie and 'JJ' arrived at the dockside in Liverpool just as the ship was berthing so it was decided that the result was an honourable draw.
At the expense of some very sore limbs a healthy four figure sum was raised by the two riders for Broughton House a home for ex service personnel together with an achievement that will provide a lasting memory in the history of HMS Manchester.
