S
Simon Mason
Guest
Now then! If any proof was needed of how precious life is, my mother had been cycling to and from
the gym a only few weeks ago at the age of 70 and there she was, soon after, in hospital fighting
the big C. Anyway, the drugs seem to be working OK but I would like to share this unusual story. I
was at the hospital in my cycling gear one evening with my sister when I was telling my mother about
how Lance came back to win 5 T de Fs which started her talking about the cyclists of her day and the
good age that they lived to.
"Do you remember Vic Sutton?" she said. The name was strangely familiar, but from where I didn't
know. "He had that Jeweller's shop in Cottingham village". After finding out where it used to be
(it's now an estate agent), I realised that back in 1971, Vic Sutton had replaced the battery in my
Bulova electronic tuning fork watch that used to be advertised on the pirate ship Radio North Sea
International. I could just about dredge up a few grainy memories of the middle aged man who served
me over 30 years ago. This was Vic Sutton apparently.
Setting off into the night and after having been in that place, feeling extra lucky to be able to
do so, the name of Vic Sutton was still on my mind. I'd heard that name recently, but where?
Gradually the vague drunken memory of reading about him in the sauna started to surface, I was
convinced I'd read about him in a magazine. I don't really save them as such, but I throw them into
the garage loft space after reading them.
Fishing around later that week with a small torch, I found it. This profile of a bloke who finished
in the top 40 of the Tour de France, living down the road!
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zsutton.htm
I tore the page out and rode to my see my mother who was now at home. Seeing his photo, her face lit
up, she was transported back to her 1950's youth. I told her he'd married a Shirley, like her and
she said that his widow is seen walking around he village even now. I'm so glad that I bought that
copy of Cycling Weekly, seeing her face like that was priceless.
Simon Mason Kingston upon Hull
the gym a only few weeks ago at the age of 70 and there she was, soon after, in hospital fighting
the big C. Anyway, the drugs seem to be working OK but I would like to share this unusual story. I
was at the hospital in my cycling gear one evening with my sister when I was telling my mother about
how Lance came back to win 5 T de Fs which started her talking about the cyclists of her day and the
good age that they lived to.
"Do you remember Vic Sutton?" she said. The name was strangely familiar, but from where I didn't
know. "He had that Jeweller's shop in Cottingham village". After finding out where it used to be
(it's now an estate agent), I realised that back in 1971, Vic Sutton had replaced the battery in my
Bulova electronic tuning fork watch that used to be advertised on the pirate ship Radio North Sea
International. I could just about dredge up a few grainy memories of the middle aged man who served
me over 30 years ago. This was Vic Sutton apparently.
Setting off into the night and after having been in that place, feeling extra lucky to be able to
do so, the name of Vic Sutton was still on my mind. I'd heard that name recently, but where?
Gradually the vague drunken memory of reading about him in the sauna started to surface, I was
convinced I'd read about him in a magazine. I don't really save them as such, but I throw them into
the garage loft space after reading them.
Fishing around later that week with a small torch, I found it. This profile of a bloke who finished
in the top 40 of the Tour de France, living down the road!
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zsutton.htm
I tore the page out and rode to my see my mother who was now at home. Seeing his photo, her face lit
up, she was transported back to her 1950's youth. I told her he'd married a Shirley, like her and
she said that his widow is seen walking around he village even now. I'm so glad that I bought that
copy of Cycling Weekly, seeing her face like that was priceless.
Simon Mason Kingston upon Hull