Thanks, Bob! I'd noticed the similarity between the captain and stoker, which made me think that they might be brothers, but hadn't previously picked up the similarity with the time trialler in the Handbook. This makes me wonder whether Pat drew generic faces for these pictures, rather than copying them from a photo, as he so often did. I'd seen reference to Mills and Paul, but had never before seen a photo of them. I agree, however, that the captain (Mills?) looks like the one in Pat's drawing, and maybe Pat had partaken of too much of his lunchtime home brew by the time he drew in the stoker!
Incidentally, I acquired the picture from Jim Willis, who, with his wife Janet, has produced a number of Patterson publications. It was Jim who told me that he believed the timekeeper to be the famous B. W. Best, and he also told me that he knew Best when he (Jim) was racing 50-odd years ago. Apparently , BWB's personal hygiene left something to be desired, and on a particularly ripe day, the competitiors would warn each other not to get downwind...
Neil Foddering Weymouth, England
>From: Bob Reid <robertrreid@tiscali.co.uk>
>To: CR List <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: Re: [CR] Tandem Pairs & Gillotts
>Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 22:50:23 +0000
>
>
>On 5 Dec 2005, at 10:19, neil foddering wrote:
>
>Whilst on the subject of tandem pairs, can anyone help me identify the
>pair in an original Patterson drawing I own? I believe it dates to the
>1930's, and it has been suggested that the timekeeper illustrated is B. W.
>Best. I assume that it depicts a successful record attempt, because of
>the arms holding the laurel wreaths, but there's no title or other
>indication of when and what it relates to.
>
>It can be viewed at http://photobucket.com/
>Patterson/
>
>Neil Foddering
>Weymouth, England
>
>-----
>
>Here's a stab in the dark at the identity of the tandem riders !
>
>E.V. (Ernie) Mills & W.G. (Bill) Paul Addiscombe C.C.
>
>Held all three Tandem competition records in the late 30s...
>
>30 Miles in 1h 3m 14s at the Epsom C.C. "30" in 1937
>50 Miles in 1h 49m 0s at the Marlboro A.C. "50" again 1937
>100 Miles in 3h 53m 12s at the Oak "100" in 1938
>
>Mills and Paul also took the Worlds Hour record at the Vigorelli in 1937
>(the record lasted until 2000)! Amongst other success Mills was also
>National Champion at 50 Miles in 1936 and 1937, both at Herne Hill.
>
>See this page ;
>
><http://www.flying-scot.co.uk/individuals/evmills.html>
>
>Compare (part) of Neils original Patterson, with the Patterson from the
>1939-40 Cycling Handbook, and the picture of Mills & Paul at the bottom.
>Mills face to me at least looks near enough the same in all three but Bill
>Paul as the stoker in the original Patterson, looks more like Ernie Mills
>twin brother !
>
>Thanks to Neil for use of his original Patterson.
>
>Bob Reid
>Stonehaven
>Scotland
>
>http://www.flying-scot.co.uk