Where was the head quarters of your cycle club? In the 1950s my brother purchased a house in Mafeking Rd,and up in the loft he found two expensive racing bikes. Me being his little brother,he gave me one. So I joiined a club that was in Spring Street. That Sunday we all met up beside the Pavilion and started off to Haywards Heath. I just could not keep up with them, and by the time I reached Preston Park they were completly out of site. I gave up my membership.

Back in the early 1950s, I rode for Brighton Velo Road Club which was formed in 1947 and was affiliated to the British League of Racing Cyclists. Top riders were Ron Pannell, John Haynes, Mike Holley, John Mitchell, Derek Miles, Ted Lynton and Brian Hutton. The club organised mass start road races and was one of the leading 'League clubs' in Britain.  The Velo still hold annual reunions with many old riders in attendance (some of them still racing in veterans events) and also welcome members of other old Sussex 'League' clubs from Eastbourne and Lancing.

In reply to Viv Webb's comment above, Brighton Excelsior used to meet in 1955 at the top of Elm Grove in a church hall, which I am pretty sure was in Wippingham Road. In 1956 we used to meet in another hall near the Seven Dials, in or near Clifton Road. Those were the only two halls I went to as I discontinued my membership in 1957. I used to race on Preston Park track as a member of the NCU, the National Cyclists Union. I was also a member of the BLRC for one season in 1956 and rode in two events of theirs, one of which was organised by Brian Hutton who is mentioned by Phil Lovell in his comment above, this was a hill climb up Ditchling Beacon. Being a member of both cycling organizations in those days was rather unusual as I think there was friction between the two of them. These days the BCF, British Cyclists Federation, has superseded them.

I joined the Brighton Mitre CC in 1946. I worked with a pre-war member of the Excelsior, so I knew about the club. I soon met other members of the Excelsior especially at Preston Park track. Although we were in different clubs we were all good friends. I joined the RAF in 1947 as a conscript and, after being demobbed in 1949, I was out with the Mitre one Sunday when we called into a pub up country and met a very nice looking young lady who was a member of the Excel, so we rode home together and arranged a date for the following Saturday evening. We went on a cycling holiday in Ireland that summer and I rode the Excel 100miles in 8 hours, which was run on a club ride, ie in twos, with about twenty riders. I also used to go to her house to ride on the rollers, and there was always other Excel riders in the house. So I have always had close connections with the club. I have remained in the Mitre since I joined. I knew most of the riders that you have mentioned. I helped set up the children's club that Andrew coaches at the track. It is good to see the club is still very active.

My Father Tony Barnard was a member of the club, does anyone remember him?