Early this afternoon we saw some youngsters from the local junior school being given what we used to called training for the Cycling Proficiency Test, conducted on the road outside our house. Cycling helmets, hi-vis vests and lots of supervision, which is just as well as loon drivers aren’t uncommon round here.
I remember doing the test at Markeaton park in Derby, conducted in what was then a large empty concrete paddling pool. I also remember the certificate and triangular badge we were awarded when we passed the test.
What I don't remember is anyone failing the test and neither do I remember how I got to Markeaton park with my bike. Did I cycle down the main road from our house, or was it from school? Like so many old memories, it sits there as a memory, but events surrounding it are gone. I don't know where the badge went either, or the bike.
12 comments:
I didn't take that test. Maybe it didn't exist in my day. My daughter took it: she had cycled to school for years but I had had to accompany her. But, having passed the test, the school no longer insisted she be accompanied.
dearieme - I only cycled to grammar school and didn't keep that up for long after we moved house and I could go on the bus. Winter cycling put me off.
Yes, I remember we had an irascible old copper doing the training and testing. He was scathing and in apparent despair at our uselessness, but yes, everyone passed. He announced it grudgingly.
I think that it was perhaps official policy. Better to dish out a cheap badge to all comers, if it motivates the kids to get some instruction. But then there's the risk that immature kids are encouraged to put themselves in danger, rather than be told to keep off the roads. It's a tricky one.
For secondary school I preferred to walk because there was an excellent shortcut across a pasture grazed by well-behaved cows. So if the ground was dry, or frozen, I walked. But if part of my route was emboggened I went the other way, often on my bike.
My dad told me to go and see our village copper for some sort of test!
He was a kindly man, but could be a bit gruff, and used to nail kids breaking the law on bikes, so the visit was with some trepidation...
Of course, I 'passed', and didn't really understand what it was all about, especially when he asked me some questions sfter the test!
Come to think about it, I still don't know what it was all about...
Heck, that was me again about the village copper!
I must remember to check the sender box - it used to be automatic!
It was Scrobs! SCROBS, I TELL YOU CAPTCHA...!
(Sorry about that)!
Sam - I think you are right, it was official policy that all should receive a badge because the kids have received some instruction whatever they do with it afterwards. I think immature kids should keep off modern roads unless guided by an adult.
dearieme - that sounds pleasantly rural. My school routes were within Derby, no fields, not many trees and certainly no cows.
Anon - interesting, village coppers used to travel around on a bike and probably knew quite a bit about them. Maybe some still do, although I don't remember seeing one.
Scrobs - if you put your moniker at the end of the comment, that would work.
I'm not a believer in plastering the walls with diplomas and certificates (perhaps because I don't really have any........) but I got this one nicely framed and it hangs in my study. April 20 1963 National Cycling Proficiency Certificate.
Have a care, oh blogger, or I'll start reminiscing about my walk to primary school and the curious incident of the swan in the day-time.
Anon - surely that's now an heirloom. Kids of the future will look at it and ask "what's Proficiency?"
dearieme - I can't imagine what that is, but I'm sure it isn't the swan that didn't bark. Hiss?
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