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Club trip

Dagworth and District Gentlemen’s Cycling Society

Where is Dagworth?

It’s in Suffolk, just north of Stowmarket, but not as far north as Haughley or Old Newton.  It’s a bit small, so it’s easy to miss it.

What is the D&DGCS?

The Dagworth & District Gentlemen’s Cycling Society.  It’s a cycling club with outings that tend to be quite leisurely and nearly always feature public houses.

What sort of cycles do D&DGCS members ride?

Any sort.  Society members have a penchant for the traditional black roadster and the old-fashioned delivery bike - but cycles of all types are seen and welcomed on D&DGCS rides.  Occasionally, there will be a run aimed at a particular kind of bike; we have held a Trade Bike Time Trial and a Two wheels good, three wheels better ride.

Where does the club meet?

Club HQ is currently the Five Bells at Rattlesden.  When the society was formed, it adopted the nearest pub to Dagworth, Haughley Railway Tavern, as its HQ.  However, since the pub closed in November 2003, we have had to move elsewhere.  After briefly flirting with Elmswell Railway Tavern we have settled upon Rattlesden Five Bells as our HQ.  Our AGM is at HQ.  Our monthly meetings are also at the Five Bells.  To find out when they are, have a look at the calendar.

Who can join?

Anyone.  (The official constitution says that membership is ‘by invitation’, so consider this as an invitation.)  None of the words in the title implies any sort of restriction on membership.  Obviously, it does help if you live locally and ride a cycle, otherwise you’re going to miss out on a lot of the Society’s events.  A cat joined once; Smudge was the guvnor’s cat at Haughley Railway Tavern and was the only society member who could be relied upon to turn up at the monthly meetings.  He didn’t turn up at the AGM, though; I think he had heard that we would have made him Vice-President if he had.

How do I join?

Turn up at a D&DGCS event.  That’s all there is to it.  No forms to fill in.

How much does it cost to join?

Nothing (or, in new money, nothing).

Is there a newsletter telling me about D&DGCS events?

Yes.

How do I get a copy?

Well, if you’re reading this FAQ, you must have some sort of Web access.  You’ll find the newsletter on the same Web site as you found this FAQ.  Alternatively, an e-mail version of the newsletter is also available.  This is a PDF document—just ask the if you want to be added to the mailing list.

Is there a paper version of the Newsletter?

Yes.

How do I get the paper newsletter?

You can collect it from the Social Secretary, or at a D&DGCS event.

When are newsletters published?

When we feel like it—usually newsletters appear when we need to tell you about any events we’ve arranged.

Who runs the D&DGCS?

The members do.  All events are decided by whoever turns up at the meetings.  There are club officers to do specific jobs, but there is no organising committee.

Tell me more about the society’s officers.

Officers are elected at the AGM, which is in March.

They are:
the Foreman—who chairs the meetings
the Social Secretary—who writes the newsletter
the Treasurer—who looks after the money
the Recorder—who maintains scrap books of the things we have got up to.

We also have:
a President—an honorary post with no duties, and
a Vice-President—another honorary post with no duties … well, officially, there is a duty attached to this post: the Vice-President has the honour of collecting our prize (assuming we win one) at Stowmarket Carnival.  However, as we don’t enter Stowmarket Carnival any more…

If there are no joining fees, where does the money come from?

Our habit of winning prizes in Stowmarket Carnival used to be the mainstay of Society funds.  There is also a system of fines that can be levied by the treasurer (for instance: if the newsletter asks you to bring a scary object on a ride, and you fail to do so, a fine can be imposed).  I think the usual amount is two shillings.  Our treasurer has been extraordinarily lax in imposing these fines; in fact, I can’t remember it ever happening.  The funds are at a level that should sustain the Society for a very long time.  That’s not because we have a lot of money; it’s because we never spend it.

What else would fines be imposed for in the unlikely event of the treasurer actually getting around to it?

Turning up on a ride without a pair of ICA trouser clips springs to mind—note: you don’t have to wear them, bringing them will suffice.

What does ICA stand for?

Ivan Codd approved.  Ivan Codd used to run a really splendid cycle shop in Stowmarket: a mysterious place that appeared to be a lot smaller inside than outside, yet contained more things than could be reasonably expected to fit.  There were severe congestion problems if more than two customers attempted to enter the shop.  The counter was about 3 inches deep in a jumble of cycle bits; nevertheless Ivan could extract the most obscure parts for archaic cycles from this chaos within seconds.  A wheel-truing jig sat, unused, in the corner because Ivan alway trued his wheels in an old pair of front forks.  I could go on, but I think you’ve got the picture…

Will this tyre fit on my bike?

Oooh … I shouldn’t think so.  You could try but, before you do, take a look at our tyre size equivalents table.

Last Modified, 17 January 2021