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| Eileen Sheridan in 1954 |
I was nervous to meet Eileen Sheridan. Not
because she is a cycling icon; having set all kinds of records, most notably in
1954 when she cycled from Land’s End to John o’Groats in two days, 11 hours and
seven minutes. Not because I spent a freezing February day riding around in
vintage cycling gear on a replica of the Hercules bike she rode pretending
to be her for a documentary. I was nervous because I knew after meeting her I would want
to cycle from Land’s End to John o’ Groats.
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| Me being Eileen |
I went over for a cup of tea on my birthday morning. She actually
lives just around the corner from where I went to school. We talked about
everything from how I wished she had worn caps so I wouldn’t have been so cold
during filming to our love of cycling, swimming, jewellery, how the make up
artist managed to make my 2 feet of straight hair look like her short curly
style with the help of 109 kirby grips, all the strange coincidendences that
made us alike and led to me playing her. She showed me jewellery she has made,
glasses she has etched, photographs and art she loves. The cup of tea turned in
to a whole morning and the start of a great friendship.
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| Eileen and I at the premier of Come on Eileen at Look Mum No Hands |
I took with me the bike that The Vintage
Bike Cave had made especially for the film. I love riding that bike but it hates
me. The little time I’ve spent on it I’ve had two puncture. TWO. As it
authentically has tubular tires, I just don’t have the repair knowledge so The
Vintage Bike Cave have loved me. I explained how I try not to get mad at
getting punctures by believing they happen for a reason and are fate’s way of
saving you from an accident you may have later or meeting someone you may not
want to. Eileen’s thoughts on this were simply “I never really got punctures”
What an absolute legend.
And yes, as I feared I’m planning an End to End cycle. Just not on that bike.
Watch a clip of the film Come on Eileen by
Anthony Collins here or head along to the Yorkshire Festival of Cycling for the
next full screening which coincides with the start of the Tour de France.
How lovely. My Mum is around the same age as Eileen Sheridan and also used to race, sometimes getting a second place in races in our area of NW. She cycled until she was about 85, when she had to give it up as she was worried about falling off and being unable to look after my Dad who had dementia. They both cycled until then, about 6 or 8 miles three times a week, my Mum on a Carlton and my Dad on a hand built Dave Hinde. I have some lovely cycling pictures of them.
ReplyDeleteWow, I hope I'm still cycling in my 80s. What a lovely story.
DeleteJude, I have only just seen your response. I also didn't see the johnny Helms pic either. He was a friend of my mum and dad and I knew him all my life. I have a copy of one of his books signed especially for my mum.
ReplyDelete